Top 9 Tips toward Proper Hydration for Weight Loss
Top 9 Tips toward Proper Hydration for Weight Loss
If you have been watching your food intake closely, then you are halfway through achieving your weight loss targets. Meanwhile, the other half of the battle in reaching a healthy weight involves paying attention to your liquid intake. Melissa Majumdar, MS, RD is a lead bariatric nutrition coordinator as well as dietitian at the Center for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital. Majumdar espouses that in order to address weight issues, one’s overall health has to be taken into consideration and in this particular case, hydration is key. The basic assumption is that, if the body does not have enough of what is needed, especially adequate fluids to run properly, then it will not be able to support your weight loss. Most importantly, what you choose to hydrate you matters a lot in terms of quality and sufficiency. Here are top 9 tips in drinking the right fluids that will propel you towards your weight loss goals:
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- Fill up before you eat
Fill up with some water before you start enjoying your meals. This is a bit of a common advice that you would encounter in relation to weight loss but it does have a basis in reality. The Journal of Obesity published a study in 2015 and the results showed how the participants lost about 3 more pounds than the control group when they consumed 16 ounces of water half an hour before they had a meal. Majumdar corroborates this by saying that when you have water before you eat, it helps you to take a pause first to check in on your thirstiness. In this way, you will be able to determine the source of your hunger whether it is out of stress, boredom, habit, or it is indeed physical hunger that will require you to eat. After that, you can deal with each case accordingly and eat only when your body calls for it and not to run for food for all other non-hunger related reasons that eventually cause you to gain weight. Being mindful about the whys to your hunger pangs allow you to deal with it appropriately when you hydrate before you eat.
- Have your water bottle handy
Invest in a quality water bottle that you can bring with you anywhere. Put in on your desk at the office, bring it with you at the gym, and have it with you by the pool when you go swimming. Having a water bottle handy will encourage you to drink more and to easily reach for it even when you have other beverage choices available. What’s more is that, you also get to walk some extra steps when you go and have your water bottle constantly refilled. Majumdar even has a pro tip for you where if you use one with a reusable straw or a spout, you will tend to drink more up against using a water bottle with a screw cap.
- Enjoy your coffee black and simple
Hydration involves all your fluid intake and it includes the tea and coffee that you regularly drink. You will be surprised to know that coffee does not actually dehydrate you as research shows that any diuretic effect that the caffeine may have get offset by the liquid. A 2018 meta-analysis review, specifically Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, has shown that an association exists between caffeine intake and lower body fat and BMI or body mass index. So go ahead and let your favorite coffee do its magic of perking you up and helping you stay hydrated for the sake of weight loss. Just put in mind though that this is true only when you have your coffee simple and black. Coffee with a splash of milk is good as it has fewer calories but do forget about mocha with whipped cream and added sugar.
- Wean off soda
Who doesn’t love soda? If you had soda in front of you right now, you are more likely to gulp it down immediately with no second thoughts whatsoever. And this is despite the fact that you already know how much sugar and calories is in there. This holds true for all other sugar-sweetened beverages. So definitely, you have to ditch this bad habit. The question is really how to stop yourself from having soda when you are always thirsty for it. Majumdar believes that it is not the same for everybody when it comes to ditching soda for good considering individual personality. As such, it would be good to evaluate what you think will work best for you. For some people, going cold turkey is most effective because if they have a few sips, they will want more and so they would rather avoid it all costs. Meanwhile, others are better off with weaning in a gradual manner until they can completely avoid drinking soda. If this is your style, then you can limit your soda consumption daily and do a weekly target. For example, if you drink soda 4 times a day, you can do 3 times a day for this week, then twice a day the following week until you reach your zero soda goal.
- Slow down on the alcohol
It’s easy to think about your liquid intake before, during, and after you work out but when it comes to weight loss, the fluids that you consume within the whole 24-hour period matters a lot. What you choose to consume the whole day actually has an effect on dehydration when you are exercising. Apparently, when you have too much alcohol, it encourages the onrush of dehydration owing to alcohol’s diuretic nature. Dehydration can result when you consume excessive alcohol as there is an increase of water getting flushed out of the body. Drinking your favorite alcoholic beverage can certainly entice you to have too much and you can easily get especially carried away when you are enjoying it with your friends. But just like drinking and driving, drinking and exercising should never be done together if you are serious about losing weight. This is especially true when you are doing high intensity exercises where lots of sweat get released. So do not drink and exercise to avoid dehydration but do hydrate with water for weight loss.
- Go for your preferred temperature
An old adage will tell you that drinking ice-cold water can bump your metabolism up. However, evidence-based research has it that the calorie-burn needed to heat up the water to body temp will not produce an impact that is adequate enough to create changes in your weight in a manner that’s manageable. As such, Majumdar advices that it is better to identify the temperature level that you prefer your water to be so that you will be more encouraged to drink enough for weight loss.
- Jazz up plain water
The rules for hydration with weight loss is quite simple and that is, you have to drink water – lots of it. However, plain water can be a bit boring sometimes especially when you are used to colored or flavored beverages. The trick then is to add a bit of color and flavoring to your usual water so you can jazz it up and make it more enticing to drink. Add natural flavoring only and choose from basil and berries, melon balls, frozen watermelon cubes, mint, pineapple, and any of your favorite fruits.
- Add water-rich produce to your diet
You notice how some fruits and veggies are so juicy and seem to have water in them? Well, hydration is not only possible with water and other beverages. According to the National Academy of Sciences, you can satisfy at least 20% of your fluid requirements through the food that you eat. While that can be challenging to quantify, it should not stop you from adding fruits and veggies that are rich in water and fiber to your diet. You see sometimes, when you are doing strenuous activities, water alone may not be enough to fully hydrate you. Your electrolytes need to be replenished to ensure that you are getting enough sodium which is a key element in hydration. Cucumber, tomatoes, spinach, broccoli, oranges, brussel sprouts and apples can really help you stay hydrated.
- Plan your workout drinks
Working out can take its toll on your hydration levels so it is important that you are able to plan your pre and post workout drinks. Before you start your day, your drinks have to be planned and prepared because as mentioned earlier, what you consume the whole day matters for your hydration. This is especially true when you are scheduled to work out later in the day and you need to stay hydrated in order for your body to perform efficiently. It is ideal to consume at least 500 ml or approximately 17 fl oz of water hours before you dive in to your exercise routine to make sure that your body’s supply of water is sufficient.
Meanwhile, for your hydration needs post workout, it also has to be well-planned. You have to ensure that the electrolytes and nutrients that were lost can be replaced. Apparently, the body is able to absorb nutrients in the most efficient manner 2 hours after you exercise. As such, it will be to your benefit if you consume healthy foods and beverages at this time. Recovery smoothies or carb drinks are highly recommended after a workout so you can restore both the energy and the water that was spent. The goal is to be able to replace 150% of the body weight that was lost in sweat via the water that you consume after you exercise.
After a good workout, you usually feel light and relaxed that you do not seem to see the need for hydration. However, post workout is also a point where hydration is most important even if you are already feeling this sense of restoration. Thing is, your body actually needs to be hydrated for an extended period post workout. Should you crave for caffeinated beverages, you can alternate them between non-caffeinated ones. You can try calorie-free flavored water or diluted natural fruit juices to keep your body hydrated.
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