Why water?

As I read logs & messages posted around here, I see many people saying they need to drink more water, or beating themselves up for NOT drinking enough water.

What I want to know is "why?"

Wouldn't drinking a lot of water put on "water weight"? Rather than helping a person to take it off?

I'm confoozed.

Mon. Jan 1, 11:21pm

my $.02 on H2O

I know this - almost every process in your body is a chemical reaction of some sort and that includes metabolizing fat. Guess what the limiting reagent is? Yep - water.

Every cell in your body needs water to function. Water flushes toxins, keeps your digestive system fuctioning smoothly, keeps your breath nice, keeps your organs working, delivers nutrients to your body, prevents fluids from building up, keeps your skin supple and helps you stay alert. Lose 10% of your body's water and you are dehydrated, however lose even just 2% and you will notice a decrease in athletic funtion and your critical thinking will be impaired. Your body will prioritize and pull water away from less critical areas in order to ensure core functionality.

I hate drinking water (so I read lots of facts to stay motivated), but as I've lost weight and come to be more focused on my health I realize that when I do not have enough water I am tired and sluggish and waaay more likely to make a bad food choice than when I do drink enough. I have fewer cravings as well. So I keep a water bottle handy and do my best. Since I have been working out regularly I have gotten so much better about drinking water because it is apparent after ~10 minutes on the treadmill whether or not I've had enough to drink. Also, I am hungry less than I think because often I confuse hunger for thirst (yeah we've all heard that, but seeing is believing).

Also, drinking water will not put on water weight - it will help flush excess sodium out of your system and thus help you lose any excess water.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007, 1:41 AM

Actually, your body retains water if you don't drink enough. As you provide your body with enough water, it flushes out the water it is retaining.

http://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html
http://www.sideroad.com/Diet_and_Nutrition/water-and-weight-loss.html
http://www.bodybuildingforyou.com/bodybuilding-supplements-guides/fat-loss-tips-2.htm

Tuesday, January 2, 2007, 2:45 PM

I really enjoyed reading your $.02! Thank you!

Not the OP, but you have sold me on drinking more water!

Tuesday, January 2, 2007, 4:06 PM

I drink 100oz of water a day...

My Registered Dietitian says that's too much.
The tech at my holistic health clinic says it's not enough.
Doctors abide by the 64oz recommendation.

Sounds like the jury is still out when it comes to ideal water consumption. I do think we obsess over it too much though . And apparently that "64oz" rule incorporates water you get from food (another reason why fruit and veggies are good for you - high water content, as much as 96%).

Having said all that, I still drink about 100oz...obsessions die hard.

Tuesday, January 2, 2007, 4:40 PM

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