In an attempt to lose weight, it is likely that you or someone you know has tried the 'low carb' diet.
Sadly, many of the above techniques facilitate water loss and not necessarily fat loss. The advertisers have no legal obligation to mention this, and it is not in their best interests to do so. A consumer therefore ends up buying into the hype, in the quest for rapid weight loss.
It is important for us to understand the facts behind the hype.
When trying to lose weight, the goal should be to lose 'fat' weight and not 'water' weight (which is essential to the body). The weighing scale simply gives you a sum of both. In other words, when you lose weight on the scale, it may be water or fat - you never really know!
As nature has it, water weight is the easiest to gain or lose. Next in the list of relative ease is muscle, which is unfortunately lost through temporary fad dieting. Fat requires the most patience and discipline to lose. It takes years of cumulative bad habits to pile on the fat stores. It is therefore unrealistic to expect to lose it in a few weeks. Beware of any 'quick fix' schemes that promise otherwise.
Lets take a look at water. All of us have heard the old adage "Drink at least 6 - 8 glasses of water daily". Yes, but have you ever wondered why ?
70-75% of our body is water. If we do not drink enough water, additional demands are created on 2 key organs, the kidney and the liver. Not only do the kidneys get overworked, but latest research has now shown that in a state of dehydration the liver works overtime to flush out the body toxins thereby compromising on its primary role; that of breakdown of fat stores. Hence fat gets retained. Think of it. You can actually get fatter if you do not drink water regularly!!!
Important lesson - try and finish 0.5 liters every 4 hours by sipping water regularly. Get into the pattern slowly - it normally takes 3 - 4 weeks to get into a healthy pattern of drinking water, after which you will start to feel the improvement in energy, and gradual weight loss.
Finally, remember that body weight can fluctuate by as much as much as 2 pounds daily due to variations of fluid levels throughout the day. Woman should make note that variations are more marked due to the fluid loss during menstrual cycles. So if the weighing scale shows that you have suddenly lost 2 pounds over a few days, its no reason to celebrate. If you have associated headaches, loss of concentration, lethargy and loss of appetite, you may be dehydrated.
A good way to prevent the weighing scale from tricking you is to weigh yourself first thing in the morning after every 8 - 10 days. This way you can rule out the intraday ups and downs due to fluctuations in water weight.
Water is a vital component of our being alive. Like the oxygen we breathe in order to survive, water and it's effect on our bodies is essential for life. It helps with many tasks including temperature regulation, cardiovascular function, waste product removal and metabolism. Our bodies are made up of between 55% and 60% water in total with our blood being 94% water, our brain 85% water and most soft tissue around 75%.
We constantly rid ourselves of water through our kidneys during our visits to the bathroom, through perspiration and even through breathing. Just breathe on a mirror to see the moisture there to know that is true. So this water we lose needs constantly to be replaced for the body to remain hydrated. The most effective way to replace water that's been lost is simply to drink pure clear water. But we also replace lost water through the consumption of other liquids and through the foods we eat. Vegetable and fruit in particular have very high water content.
In order to understand the benefits of drinking water on weight loss, we need to know what happens when we don't replace the water that we've lost with an equal amount. Our bodies then suffer from dehydration and as well as being unpleasant, being dehydrated makes our bodies function less well. The body will find water wherever it can and it will draw water from the impure waste that's sitting in our intestines, waiting to be eliminated. It will retain water to dilute these toxins and bloating and weight gain will occur. If the toxins aren't diluted sufficiently this can lead to feelings of tiredness and lethargy, the body will be more prone to infection and will operate well below par. Being in this state is not conducive to maintaining a healthy diet or exercise regime.
Without sufficient water for the kidneys to function properly, the liver gets called upon to do some of the work the kidneys should be doing alone. The liver can then not work as efficiently as it should to carry out one of its own functions of metabolising fat and so this results in more fat being stored in the body and thus increased weight.
Symptoms of our bodies needing water are similar to the body's need for food and the two sensations can be confused. We feel the sensation of hunger and automatically feel the need to feed but satisfaction of that hunger sensation can also come from drinking water or consuming high water based foods, such as soups.
Combine that with the facts that water has zero calories, zero fat, is low-carb, helps with digestion and assists the body in metabolising fat and it starts to look like the wonder weight loss factor of all time. Some tests have shown that drinking water at least half an hour before eating has an even greater impact on weight loss.
Instictively we know we should be drinking more water and many of us need to be drinking a lot more on a regular basis than we currently are. Drinking water has to become a part of our daily routine and it's good to get into the habit of drinking a couple of glasses first thing in the morning as a reminder that we need to continue this during the day.
It's not too difficult to replace caffeinated or sugary drinks with a glass or two of water on our breaks, yet the benefits of doing so are enormous. We should keep a water bottle on our desks and in our cars, to make drinking water that much more convenient.
It's not possible to put an exact figure on how much water we should take in on a daily basis, as we all lose water at different rates depending on our build, the environment we live in and the activities we do, but nature has genorously provided us with a simple measuring device and that is the colour of our urine. If our urine is dark and strong then we are certainly dehydrated and need to take on much more water but if it's just slightly coloured that means we are well hydrated.
Water when taken in its proper proportion, makes the body function well, makes us feel and look healthier and has a beneficial impact on our weight.
Both Nitin Chhoda & Andrew Poole are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Nitin Chhoda has sinced written about articles on various topics from Supplements, Recreation and Sports and Advertising Guide. Nitin is a personal trainer, columnist and lecturer, who recently appeared on Good Morning America. He offers training routines for women, diet plans, grocery lists and fitness books at. Nitin Chhoda's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Andrew Poole has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Health and Computers and The Internet. Andrew Poole is a qualified specialist Weight-loss Coach and the creator of the New-Slimmer-You Weight-loss Support Plan He offers a sp. Andrew Poole's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.