Drink Water

The Aspen Clinic - Articles

Water ...A Friend In Weight Loss

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important catalyst in loosing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take it for granted, water may be the only "true" magic potion for permanent weight loss. Water suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored fat. Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention. The overweight person needs more water then the thin one since larger people have a larger metabolic load. Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps prevent sagging skin that usually follows weight loss. Water helps rid the body of waste. Water can help relieve constipation. The body will not function properly without enough water and can't metabolize stored fat efficiently. Retained water shows up as excess weight. To get rid of excess water you must drink more water. Drinking water is essential to weight loss.
The general rule is to drink one glass of water for every 14 pounds of body weight. However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight. One more simple thing to remember is to always drink cold water. Your body has to expend some energy to warm the water up to the optimum temperature before it can be used and it takes calories (a unit of energy) to warm the water up.