Drinking Water And Weight Loss
Some time ago I posted about the benefits of drinking water when trying to achieve a healthy diet weight loss. If you have been in the game of losing weight for a while, this is the one thing that will keep jumping back at you – drinking water and weight loss are very closely connected, and you cannot get around that fact!
Jon from The Gabriel Method is also very big on drinking lots of water. Why? Because there are estimates that most of us are in a state of chronic dehydration. Our bodies are starving for water. Think about it – how much water do you really drink during the day? It is quite common for us to mistake the feeling of thirst for hunger (because dehydration usually causes hunger, not thirst), and grab something to eat instead of drinking water. So the body constantly craves more hydration. Dehydration also causes the body to crave sweets and soft drinks – really things you should avoid when trying to lose weight.
Jon is in line in his Gabriel Method Weight Loss with what I have read over and over again (and I am sure you too); that having 8 glasses of water a day is the recommended “dosage”. He suggests to drink plenty of pure, non-gaseous and preferably natural spring water. He recommends to have plenty of water before each meal, because the water can make you feel fuller from the start and therefore successfully suppress your appetite.
Here is what I have discovered for myself after going through Jon’s book (I am actually still reading it and just starting to apply the principles; drinking water was one of the first things I changed though):
I used to carry a 750ml plastic water bottle with me all the time. I tried to drink 3 full bottles a day, so I knew I had to refill the bottle twice a day and should be left with an empty bottle at the end. Guess what – it never really worked. There might have been some days when I actually remembered to drink the water, but only very few, on the others I discovered at the end of the day that (once again) I had failed. Maybe had one bottle all together.
After starting to read The Gabriel Method, I thought – “What if I actually drank the water out of a glass, instead of out of a bottle?” Just like its said all the time – 8 glasses a day. And since I started doing that, nearly every day I get to the end of the day and can proudly say – “I did it!” 8 glasses, no sweat! And I am not carrying the big bottle with me everywhere any more. If I know I will be back home when I am supposed to drink my next glass, I won’t bother. Be aware that a “glass” is meant to be around 9 oz (about 250 ml)!
So here is what I (together with Jon 
) recommend you do if you want to up your water intake:
- Drink 2 glasses of water before breakfast. Just get out of bed, fill the glass up, drink it, have a little break (maybe get dressed or something), then drink another glass. (2)
- Have another glass mid morning. (3)
- Have one glass before lunch. (4)
- One glass in the afternoon. (5)
- One glass before dinner. (6)
- Drink water whenever you feel hungry (or have an appetite) to see whether you were thirsty instead. (7)
- Drink lots of water at night (at least one glass). This will help to reduce the terrible night cravings. (8)
I have been doing this, sometimes drinking 2 glasses before each meal, and I feel good, and quite full all the time. And I am very proud of myself for having achieved my “RDI” (recommended daily intake) of water! You should try it. Let me know how you get on with drinking water and weight loss!
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Besides the benefits of drinking water to lose weight, water is very healthy for you and you should drink a lot of it every day. It cleans your system out which is important.
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This is fantastic advice! I’d never heard of chronic dehydration being a major problem but it does make sense, i hardly ever drink just water but i know i should. I’m going to try some of your tips for sure!
You really should, it is so important!
Hi Petra,
Good hydration which meants drinking enough water is of paramount importance.
I think that people sometimes get confused believing that any liquid is hydrating them.
In fact as you know some liquids like coffee and alcohol dehydrate the body.
8 glasses of water per day is the bare minimum when you are inside and not perspiring.
Vance
Healthy Hydration For Weight Loss´s last blog ..4 Ways To Stop Your Young Athlete From Eating Junk Foods
Vance, I have to say I feel so much better since I am really succeeding in drinking my 8 glasses of water a day (quite often more). I think my skin looks a bit healthier, too. I know that some people think that by drinking juice etc they hydrate their bodies, but juice really doesn’t help much with your hydration and also contains quite a lot of sugar. Water really is the one thing you should drink to stay hydrated. Thanks for your input, appreciated as always!
Water not only makes you feel full so you eat less, it will also prevent you from just losing water weight which is very decieving to your overall weight loss plan.
Jim Clary´s last blog ..Why Do You Need To Lose Weight?
I really like your blog and i respect your work. I’ll be a frequent visitor.
It is unbelievable how important water is for you,with not only weight -loss, but drinking water also lowers your cholesterol…
I never heard that water may reduce one’s weight. I generally know that drinking 7-9 glassess of water is necessary for keeping good health. I myself is also taking that much of water, though I am not over-weight. Thanks for this article.
barnali@salt-sugar-spices´s last blog ..The goodness of olive…
yes water is the most element in diet program. so don’t miss your drinking of water even you don’t like it.
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Wow great article!Actually i use to drink a lot of water but the time you have mentioned to take doesn’t matches with mine.I enjoyed a lot and will follow your thread from today.Thanks a lot for sharing.
Would like to know that i am taking one glass of water just getting out of bed early in the morning but mixing lemon and honey,i heard that honey and lemon is useful for melting the fat away.Is there any side effect if i mix lemon and honey in the water?From today i am going to take 8 classes of water for losing my weight.Thanks you very much for it.
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A good article. For losing weight choose a program that helps you set realistic goals and aim for gradual weight loss.
Good post. The benefits of drinking water daily are important for the human body. Water plays a key role in the prevention of diseases and can improve many health conditions.
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Watched the tv show The Doctors yesterday – was all about the benefits that drinking water add to losing weight plus benefits to the body overall. Enjoyed reading your blog today.
I think before you begin on any form of weight loss, you need to look at the bad habits you have and how they affect your health. I used to be a smoker and was not seeing any results in my weight loss. Once I quit smoking I saw real results. I also feel like water is the body’s fuel and so the more you drink the better!