Jump to content

Weight Loss through Water consumption


Recommended Posts

I know all about the "drink lots of water through the day" theory of weight loss. But can anyone confirm or deny the theory that a big glass of water first thing in the morning "jump-starts" your metabolism and aids in weight loss?

Since October I've stuck with the "eat small meals more often" plan and its kinda weird - my weight came down about 8 pounds by New Years, and not changed a bit since then. Yet last weekend I discovered that three pairs of pants I couldn't wear before now fit comfortably, and I am actually two notches tighter in my belt. My only exercise since late January has been this plan:

http://www.hundredpushups.com/

which I've done pretty well with but I don't see how a pushup regimen would produce the kind of muscle mass gain that would counteract what is clearly coming off of my waist.

Anyway - I'm obviously pleased with the way my fitness is improving but I am wondering if anyone can vouch for this "glass of water first thing in the A.M." theory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't vouch for it, but it is a habit of mine. I drink as much water a day as I can. I've become an avid runner over the past few years with a few hiatuses, so hydration is necessary or running is hell. I went from 188 to 173 in a matter of weeks after my last hiatus. Everyone's body type is different, but this is significant in my opinion. The only thing I changed was my sedentary habits, which resulted in an increase in water intake out of necessity. I run at least 3 miles a day 5-6 days a week. Don't stop your push-up regimen. If anything, it is burning calories and changing your body's metabolism. I'm no expert, so take all of this with a glass of water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I'll take it with 30 glasses of water - that's how I'm going to test this theory, be very consistent with it for 30 days and see what happens. It was my boss who recommended it; my problem is that if I didn't leave a glass of water on the counter the night before, I'd sleepwalk through feeding the dogs, pouring my coffee and trudging back upstairs and never drink the magical glass of water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drank it until about a year ago when the girls in the office tried to convince me that if I'd cut out my diet soda consumption, the weight would fall off. So I did and saw zero change. I switched to water, mostly, with iced tea if I am out and the occasional beer.

Edited by Dan Gould
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not so sure about the metabolism jump start thing. Wouldn't that require some actual calories to digest in order to get things going?

I've read where you should try and shoot for half your body weight in ounces of water each day. Ex. A 200 pound guy should shoot for 100 ounces of water each day. Drink a glass of that allotment before each meal and only eat until you are no longer hungry. I guess the idea behind that is you'll eat less food because you're filling yourself up with so much water.

Edited by mikelz777
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Water in the morning sounds like voodoo science to me. I have an arcane secret to losing weight: I consume less food than usual, and the food I consume is less caloric. I like food too much to maintain a year-round optimal diet, so I let myself yo-yo within a manageable 5-10 pound range. When I gain it back I can usually lose it on a 3-week austerity diet. I also keep diets interesting by falling back on foods that are less caloric and still interesting, so when I go to restaurants they're generally Japanese, Middle Eastern and Vietnamese, cuisines with lighter cooking styles, that tend to grill lean chicken without skin, do well with fish and low fat vegetarian dishes, etc. I also eat more fresh fruit in my diet period, and every time I ask myself why I forget to eat them when I'm in anything goes mode.

Here's my more formal thoughts on dieting:

http://petercherches.blogspot.com/2007/10/dieting.html

Edited by Pete C
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'v elong been intrigued by the "hara hachi bu" way of thinking when it comes to eating. Don't eat until full -- only 8 parts out of ten.

It takes some getting used to, but now I even apply it at Thanksgiving, believe it or not.

I think this is good too. Many people seem to eat until they feel it -

with that particular time steadily increasing with the slow expansion

of the stomach. Generally, you're not supposed to be aware of your

body parts: aware of your eyes by seeing spots or hearing your ears

as they ring or having muscles that are sore, for example, are not desired,

so why would you want to eat to the point when you actually feel your stomach?

Drinking a good amount of water is a smart idea: good for the skin, digestion,

and just as a general restorative method - especially as you get older.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Theoretically it ought to be better - more caffeine, more energy, more calorie burning, right?

but I think the idea is plain water.

Its funny though - other guys whose weight has gone up and then down can attest to this I am sure - but when I bought these pants originally, I'm quite sure I was pissed because I was buying a bigger size. Now, when its the same size as it ever was, I'm psyched because I fit into them again. Its all in the perspective.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drink a lot of coffee, both regular and decaf. No calories in black coffee, right? (I'm just guessing.) Wouldn't that be the same as drinking water?

Not the same thing at all. Coffee is a diuretic, so it'll ultimately make you want to replace the water. Only trace calories in black coffee from the oils. I don't know if stimulants have anything to do with burning calories, but they definitely help suppress appetite (which is why Dexedrine was the diet pill of choice for years). So the moral is you should drink coffee when you're smoking weed, and hopefully they'll fight each other over the munchies.

Generally, you're not supposed to be aware of your

body parts:

I can think of at least one notable exception.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drink a lot of coffee, both regular and decaf. No calories in black coffee, right? (I'm just guessing.) Wouldn't that be the same as drinking water?

FWIW...

I drink coffee, too...but it is a diuretic. The water hydrates your body where coffee causes you to pee it out.

As often as I can, I drink 5-7 pints of H2O a day, but I think I'll give Dan's suggestion a try: One glass to start the day. My metabolism came to a high-speed screeching stop in my 30s. So, it's worth a try.

Oh, and diet soda or sodas of any kind are the worst. The sodium content and the sweetness causes you to hold water in fat cells and makes you crave sweets. I quit that stuff and lost weight.

Carbs and wine are my nemesis.

Edited by GoodSpeak
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Drinking a good amount of water is a smart idea: good for the skin, digestion,

and just as a general restorative method - especially as you get older.

It can also help to prevent kidney stones, and most of us are in the increased-risk demographic for those (and most of us live where the weather is currently getting warmer, which adds another layer to the importance of drinking plenty of water).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw a recent BBC doc recently on-line, that measured people's "hunger" both when they drank a couple big glasses of water before each meal, and when they didn't. And they ALSO measured people's "hunger" when they made a sort of "soup" out of the exact same food that combined the water and the non-water food.

Drinking the extra water has some effect, but fairly slight. The thing that REALLY had an effect was the "soup" option of (essentially) drinking the water and consuming the food AT THE SAME TIME (in one impossible to separate "combined" package). The soup oprion won, hands-down, and by a mile (iirc).

(I think I've got a reddit thread about it saved (which is where I first saw it), that I might be able to find, if I dig a little.)

Edited by Rooster_Ties
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan, you not like to pay for water, but store brands of purified water (Like Kroger) are often $2.99 for a 24 pack of 16.9 oz bottles. I drink a lot more water when I have bottles of water, and you can put it on the counter too the night before...I have to have water with me at night. Bottled water is much more convenient than a glass of water, IMO. Taste doesn't change either, like a glass of water does overnight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dan, you not like to pay for water, but store brands of purified water (Like Kroger) are often $2.99 for a 24 pack of 16.9 oz bottles. I drink a lot more water when I have bottles of water, and you can put it on the counter too the night before...I have to have water with me at night. Bottled water is much more convenient than a glass of water, IMO. Taste doesn't change either, like a glass of water does overnight.

Bottles can be reused, or you can buy decent reusable water bottles without petrochemical leakage, still have your water in a bottle, do your part for the environment, and not waste your money on what's usually just treated tap water, and not pay people for something you're already paying for if you pay water taxes. Many if not most U.S. cities have perfectly safe, drinkable tap water, the only real issue in some places being hardness (like S.F. & D.C. -- and London). I'm lucky to live in NYC, where the tap water is as good as anything in a bottle. If I lived in S.F. or D.C. I'd have a good filtration system, but when I visit I do buy bottled water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its funny though - other guys whose weight has gone up and then down can attest to this I am sure - but when I bought these pants originally, I'm quite sure I was pissed because I was buying a bigger size. Now, when its the same size as it ever was, I'm psyched because I fit into them again. Its all in the perspective.

To put this in a musical context, it's like selling a box set that cost you $100 for $50 and then turning around and buying another box set for $100 and convincing yourself that it only cost $50.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...