Since most of the human body is made of water, the fact that every cell, tissue, and organ requires it to perform their functions doesn’t come as a surprise.
Staying hydrated is of utmost importance when it comes to losing weight and energizing the body.
Vast majority of the chemical reactions in the body need proper hydrating, including metabolizing food. Improper hydration slows down the metabolism, which in turn disrupts the process of losing weight.
According to Web MD, “being even 1% dehydrated can cause a significant drop in metabolism.”
Drink Water to Prevent Overeating
Given the fact that the body often feels confused about whether it is hungry or thirsty, drinking sufficient amounts of water prevents overeating. Make sure you drink plenty of water before each meal to stay on the safe side. Below you have a list of the most common medical issues caused by dehydration:
Constipation, low blood pressure, muscle cramps, dry mouth, weakness, dizziness, fainting, heart palpitations, dry skin, headache, etc.
According to Mercola, “Chronic dehydration may affect your organs and lead to kidney stones, cholesterol problems, constipation, and liver, joint, and muscle damage.”
How much water should I be drinking?
It heavily depends on your weight. Needless to say, more mass requires more energy and thus more water. In order to calculate how much water you need, you should take into consideration the following:
- Take your weight
- Multiply by 67% (2/3) to calculate how many ounces of water you should drink on a daily basis. For instance, if you weigh 133 lbs, you should drink around 89 ounces of water daily.
- Account for exercise. It is advisable to add 12 ounces of water to your daily intake for every half an hour of physical activity ( moderate to heavy exercise)
100 pounds –> 67 ounces
110 pounds –> 74 ounces
120 pounds –> 80 ounces
130 pounds –> 87 ounces
140 pounds –> 94 ounces
150 pounds –> 100 ounces
160 pounds –> 107 ounces
170 pounds –> 114 ounces
180 pounds –> 121 ounces
190 pounds –> 127 ounces
200 pounds –> 134 ounces
210 pounds –> 141 ounces
220 pounds –> 148 ounces
230 pounds –> 154 ounces
240 pounds –> 161 ounces
250 pounds –> 168 ounces
Tips for Staying Hydrated
1. Add it to your daily routine
Did you know that drinking a tall glass of water in the morning and before bedtime puts you 32 ounces into reaching your goal?
2. Set small goals
It is highly recommended to use reusable water-bottle so that you can draw markers and thus set smaller goals. Drawing little markers on the bottle serves as an amazing motivational tool.
3. Jazz up your water
To make water taste better and avoid added sugar and calories, you can add berries, cucumber, or lemon to it. You can either slice them and put them in the water or get some water diffuser.