The Importance of Staying Hydrated for Weight Loss, Especially in the Summer
We all know it’s important to stay hydrated. If you’re like me, you can’t count the number of times you’ve said, “I need to drink more water.” And most of us would probably guess that it’s more important to stay hydrated in the summer months.
Why? Because it’s hot. We sweat. So we need to drink more water to replenish what we lose. Simple, right?
Well, there’s more to hydration than that. Let’s look into hydration, why it’s so important for weight loss, and why it’s crucial to stay hydrated in the summer.
What is dehydration?
To understand the benefits of hydration, you need to know a little about dehydration. When you’re dehydrated your body has lost more water than what you’ve taken in. You might notice that you feel thirsty, fatigued, dizzy, and confused. You might also urinate less, and when you do, your urine might be dark.
The reason you feel this way is because your body needs water to function properly. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, proper hydration helps you
Regulate your body temperature
Lubricate your joints
Prevent infections
Deliver nutrients to your cells
Promote proper organ function
Improve your quality of sleep and cognition
Improves your mood
It’s incredible what this free, seemingly pervasive fluid does for your body. But for whatever reason, so many of us struggle to drink enough of it, while we have no problem drinking our expensive Starbucks beverages.
How does hydration affect weight loss?
Ok, so now we know that water helps our bodies function as they should. But what about weight loss? How does water affect that?
Let’s start with the obvious ways drinking water helps weight loss.
Drinking water helps suppress your appetite
The brain often mistakes hunger for food and not water. But our brains actually can’t tell the difference. Both sensations feel the same, but we usually interpret that feeling of hunger as hunger for food. The next time you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water and wait a few minutes. You might notice that your hunger is satisfied by water.
Drinking water reduces the number of liquid calories you intake
When you’re drinking water—which has 0 calories—you’re not drinking pop, juice, alcohol, or any other beverage containing calories. The more you substitute water for those other liquid calories, the fewer calories you intake daily, and the fewer calories you need to burn in order to lose weight.
Drinking water can stimulate your metabolism
This may be less obvious! But drinking water, especially before meals, has been shown to stimulate thermogenesis, a process that causes your body to produce heat and burn calories. When your metabolism is stimulated it’s able to better metabolize stored fat. And since you’re drinking water, you’re also helping your body rid itself of waste.
That’s why it’s so important to drink plenty of water when you’re dieting. Not only will water reduce hunger and remove toxins, but it also helps boost your metabolism.
Why is staying hydrated important in the summer?
While staying hydrated is great for helping you lose weight, there’s another more important reason to drink enough water, especially in the summer.
In the summer heat and humidity, your body is losing more water than normal as it sweats to stay cool. But your body also has to work a little hard to function and regulate itself. This puts more pressure on your heart than normal. According to the American Heart Association, staying hydrated allows the heart to more easily pump blood, and it helps your muscles function efficiently. Without water, the strain put on your body by heat and dehydration could cause headaches and even heat stroke.
The next time you’re trying to decide between water and some other beverage, do your body a huge favor and gulp down some water.
