How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight

How Drinking More Water Can Help You Lose Weight

Drinking water has long been thought to aid weight loss.
In fact, 30 to 59% of American adults trying to lose weight increase their water intake (1, 2).
Many studies show that drinking more water can benefit weight loss and maintenance (3).
This article explains how drinking water can help you lose weight.

Drinking water can burn more calories

Most of the studies listed below looked at the effect of drinking a 0.5 liter (17 ounce) serving of water.
Drinking water increases the amount of calories you burn, known as resting energy expenditure (4).
In adults, resting energy expenditure has been shown to increase by 24-30% within 10 minutes of consuming water. This lasts for at least 60 minutes (5, 6).
To support this, a study of overweight and obese children found a 25% increase in resting energy expenditure after drinking cold water (7).
A study of overweight women examined the effects of increasing water intake to more than 1 liter (34 oz) per day. They found that over a 12-month period, this resulted in an additional weight loss of 2 kg (4.4 lbs) (8).
Since these women made no lifestyle changes except to drink more water, these results are very impressive.
Additionally, both studies indicate that drinking 0.5 liters (17 oz) of water produces an additional 23 calories burned. Annually, that adds up to about 17,000 calories, or more than 2 kg (4.4 lbs) of fat.
Several other studies have monitored overweight people who drank 1-1.5 liters (34-50 oz) of water daily for a few weeks. They found a significant reduction in weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and body fat (8, 9, 10).
These results can be even more impressive when the water is cold. When you drink cold water, your body uses additional calories to heat the water to body temperature.

BOTTOM LINE: Drinking 0.5 liters (17 oz) of water can increase the amount of calories burned for at least an hour. Some studies show that this can lead to modest weight loss.

Drinking water before meals can reduce appetite

Some people claim that drinking water before a meal reduces appetite.
Actually, there seems to be some truth behind this, but almost exclusively in middle-aged and older adults (11).
Studies in older adults have shown that drinking water before each meal can increase weight loss by 2 kg (4.4 lbs) over a period of 12 weeks (4, 11).
In one study, middle-aged overweight and obese participants who drank water before each meal lost 44% more weight, compared to a group that drank no more water (4).
Another study also showed that drinking water before breakfast reduced the amount of calories consumed during food by 13% (12).
Although this can be very beneficial for middle-aged and older people, studies of younger individuals have not shown the same impressive reduction in calorie intake.

BOTTOM LINE: Drinking water before meals can reduce appetite in middle-aged and older people. This decreases calorie intake, leading to weight loss.

Drinking a lot of water is joined to reduced calorie intake and a lower risk of weight gain
Since water is naturally calorie-free, it is generally associated with reduced calorie intake.
This is mainly because they then drink water instead of other drinks, which are often high in calories and sugar (13, 14, 15).
Observational studies have shown that people who drink primarily water have a calorie intake of less than 9% (or 200 calories), on average (16, 17).
Drinking water can also help prevent long-term weight gain. In general, the average person gains about 1.45 kg (3.2 pounds) every 4 years (18).
This amount can be reduced by:
• Add 1 cup of water: Increasing your daily water intake by 1 cup can reduce this weight gain by 0.13 kg (0.23 lbs).
• Replace other drinks with water: Substituting a serving of a sugar-sweetened drink with 1 cup of water can reduce weight gain in 4 years by 0.5 kg (1.1 lb).
Encouraging children to drink water is especially important, as it can help them avoid becoming overweight or obese (17, 3).
A recent study conducted at the school aimed to reduce obesity rates by encouraging children to drink water. They installed water fountains in 17 schools and provided classroom lessons on water consumption for second and third grade students.
After a school year, the risk of obesity had dropped by a whopping 31% in schools where water intake was increased (19).

BOTTOM LINE: Drinking more water can reduce calorie intake and reduce the risk of long-term weight gain and obesity, especially in children.


How much water should you drink?

Many health authorities recommend drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of water (approximately 2 liters) per day.
However, this number is completely random. As with so many things, water requirements depend entirely on the individual (20).
For example, people who sweat a lot or exercise regularly may need more water than those who are not very active.
Older people and breastfeeding mothers should also monitor their water intake more closely (21).
Keep in mind that you also get water from many foods and drinks, such as coffee, tea, meat, fish, milk, and especially fruits and vegetables.
As a good rule of thumb, you should always drink water when you are thirsty, and drink enough to quench your thirst.
If you notice that you have a headache, are in a bad mood, are constantly hungry, or have trouble concentrating, you may experience mild dehydration. Drinking more water can help fix this (22, 23, 24).
According to studies, drinking 1-2 liters of water per day should be enough to help you lose weight.
This is the amount of water you should drink, in different measures:
• Liters: 1–2.
• Ounces: 34–67.
• Glasses (8 oz): 4–8.
However, this is only a general guide. Some people may need less, while others may need much more.
Also, drinking too much water is also not recommended as it can cause water toxicity. This has even caused death in extreme cases, such as during drinking water contests.

BOTTOM LINE: According to studies, 1 to 2 liters of water per day is enough to help you lose weight, especially when consumed before meals.

Bring the message home

Water can be really helpful in losing weight.
It's 100% calorie-free, helps you burn more calories, and can even suppress your appetite if eaten before meals.
The benefits are even greater when you replace sugary drinks with water. It is a very easy way to reduce sugar and calories.
However, keep in mind that you will have to do much more than just drink water if you need to lose a significant amount of weight.
Water is just a very small piece of the puzzle.