The human body is made up of about 60% water. For the body to function properly, every cell, tissue and organ need water. Water is essential for overall good health. Most people are told that they should drink 8 ounces of water 8 times a day. While this is a reasonable goal, different people need different amounts of water to stay hydrated properly. A general rule of thumb is 1 mL of water for every calorie you eat. For example, 2,000 calories/day would equal 2,000 mLs of water, or roughly 68oz. Not too far off the 8oz recommendation, but you can see that wouldn’t be sufficient for a larger framed adult that consumes 3,000+ calories/day! Water is the best choice in order to stay hydrated. Other drinks may help, but can be full of extra calories and/or sugar. Water can also be found in fruits and vegetables, for example watermelon, tomatoes, lettuce, celery, and many, many more.
How does staying hydrated help with weight loss?
Being dehydrated may increase your hunger. When dehydrated, your body often mistakens being thirsty for being hungry, causing you to reach for food. Moreover, drinking plenty of water helps fill your stomach and make you feel full, therefore drinking water before meals may help you consume fewer calories! One other way optimal hydration helps with weight loss is that it allows you to train at a higher intensity and/or for a longer duration. Because of this, you’re more likely to burn more calories during your workouts to help shed those extra pounds!
Tips to help you stay hydrated:
- Keep a water bottle with you during the day whether you’re at work, or running around doing errands
- Try adding a lime or lemon to your water to give it variety
- Drink a bottle of water before, during, and after a workout
- If you have trouble remembering to drink water, try to make a schedule and keep to it. For example, drink a small glass of water at the beginning of every hour.
- DIY TIME! Purchase a new reusable water bottle, and use a sharpie to mark off every 8 ounces, each hour drink the 8 ounces. Refill throughout the day!
- Use an app to track your water amounts (We use the app Waterlogged – Drink More Water to track our water)
- Drink a cup of water as a starter to your meals
- Make a water wager with your friends and colleagues. Set goals and challenge yourself on who can drink their goal water intake a day. Send pictures to each other to hold everyone accountable
- Build up your water levels slowly. Increasing your water intake drastically might come as a shock to your body. Build up the amount you can drink slowly and increase it until you hit your goal.
*** It should be mentioned though that overhydration is a real thing and can potentially be very dangerous. This condition is actually called hyponatremia and it’s where you essentially dilute the amount of sodium in the blood. Since sodium is a key electrolyte, too little sodium can cause neurological issues and cardiac/respiratory arrest. Having said that, it would take extreme amounts of water/fluids to cause this, so just be mindful to not get overly excessive with your intake.
Recognizing Signs of Dehydration:
- Little or no urine
- Dry mouth
- Sleepiness of fatigue
- Extreme thirst
- Headache
- Confusion
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- No tears when crying
Don’t wait until you notice symptoms of dehydration to take action!
Don’t know what your water intake goal is? We can help find your goal! Staying hydrated is important for your overall health and we are here to help you! Contact us to get started on crushing your water intake goals!
Resources:
Water & Nutrition. (2016, October 5). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/nutrition/index.html