Have you hit a plateau in your weight loss program, and no amount of diet and exercise helps you break it? The problem might be with water. Weight loss, as you have been often told, is essentially an outcome of how many calories you burn, against how much you consume. This means that if you have consumed 2000 calories today, but have burned off 2200, you must be on your way to weight loss, right? If only it were that simple.
Weight management is actually a very complex bodily activity with several genetic, age-related, and hormonal factors holding a stake. What you consume definitely has an impact on your weight, but not everyone reacts similarly to the same foods. This is basically because of BMR, or basal metabolic rate.
Your BMR is unique to you, and it determines how many calories you will require for each task. Those with high BMR burn off more calories for the same tasks than those with low BMR. You can get a rough estimate of your BMR through several online calculators. Refer to this one, for example, Body Building
Did you know that no matter how much you exercise, your normal bodily functioning still beats your exercise routines hands down in calorie consumption? This means that most of the calories you burn in a day are spent for the body to stay alive, for the heart to beat and the brain to think, and for the digestive process to function. Only a smaller part of the burning happens through exercise.
If this is true, then why don’t some people lose weight?
Your genes, or some underlying hormonal issue, could be causing you to have a low BMR. This means that you consume lesser energy than some others for your tasks, which means that every extra bite is going to pack on the pounds! Here is where water can really help you get back towards meaningful results.
To begin with, our bodies are made of almost 65% water. Water is in every cell and fiber of our being, and the brain is almost 75% water! Therefore, proper regulation of water levels in the body can go a long way in weight management. (Source: Wiki How)
Step 1
Drink adequate water, and drink often! Drinking water during the day can help keep you feeling full without consuming high-calorie beverages such as milk, tea with milk, juice, and snacks.
Step 2
Drink a glass of water before every meal. The feeling of fullness will help you eat less, thus consuming fewer calories for improved weight loss results
Step 3
Replace sweetened drinks with water. Instead of drinking soda, alcoholic beverages, smoothies, or other high-calorie drinks, grab a glass or bottle of water. Swapping in a zero-calorie beverage for high-calorie alternatives can spare you hundreds of calories per day
Step 4
Match any alcohol consumption with equal amounts of water. This matched fluid intake should not count toward your daily water intake.
Step 5
Drink a warm glass of water at bedtime, and a couple more after waking up, to eliminate constipation and keep your bowels regular. Constipation could be a reason for bloated guts and a feeling of heaviness
Step 6
Consume warm water in the form of green tea at least twice a day, because warm water quickly preps up digestion, and green tea helps detox the body.
Water is one of the most critical factors in fat metabolism. No matter how much you exercise, to metabolize fat and eliminate the ensuing toxins, the body needs an ample and constant supply of water. When you exercise a lot but don’t consume enough water, you are preventing fat from being effectively metabolized, and the resultant dehydration might leave you feeling tired and cramped.
Therefore, add a few liters of purified water throughout the day, and see the fat melt right off!