Weight-Loss Water - Let Thirst be Your Guide!

Weight-Loss
There is an ad for a sports drink that is meant to hydrate you better than water because of salts in it (I think:confused: ), anyway, the ad says that a drop of only 5% of your hydration level can seriously impact your ability to work out at the proper intensity! And as Fromfat2fit said, it is better to keep hydrated than rehydrate when the damage is already done.

Also, you do lose water weight when you sweat, but that is not connected to how much fat you are burning. The scales may show a more significant drop in your weight if you are sweating and not replacing those fluids, but as soon as you have a drink, the water weight goes back on. Of course the true weight loss from burning fat remains, but it may be that your spirit is dampened because the scales appear to have gone part of the way back up again!

Finally, I know this sounds a bit obsessive, but I weighed one pint of water, and it weighed over 1 lb!! So therefore if I have drunk a lot of water during the day, which is important for weight loss, I don't worry so much about what the scales say, because I would rather be hydrated, working out well and seeing inch loss, that sweating, or using diuretics :eek: and just losing water weight.

Bottom line, I would keep with what you are doing now as long as you aren't feeling thirsty during your 20 min sessions. I hope this has been of some use to you!;)
 
troutman said:
I doubt drinking water has anything to do with how many calories you burn.
Click to expand...

I disagree. If you become dehydrated, you would be capable of less physical activity, reduce your performance, and therefore burn less calories.
 
Hmm...that makes a lot of sense now - I was wondering why sometimes my weight fluctuated that crazily when I had eaten right and excercised...
 
Drinking Enough Water...

A few years ago, I came across a formula that basically said how much water you should be drinking in a day, because if varies from person to person...

This isn't the exact article I was looking for - but it's close enough...


By Leroy R. Perry, Jr.
Condensed from PARADE

If you're not, you could end up with excess body fat, poor muscle tone, digestive complications, muscle soreness -- even water-retention problems.

Next to air, water is the element most necessary for survival. A normal adult is 60 to 70 percent water. We can go without food for almost two months, but without water only a few days. Yet most people have no idea how much water they should drink. In fact, many live in a dehydrated state.

Without water, we'd be poisoned to death by our own waste products. When the kidneys remove uric acid and urea, these must be dissolved in water. If there isn't enough water, wastes are not removed as effectively and may build up as kidney stones. Water also is vital for chemical reactions in digestion and metabolism. It carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells through the blood and helps to cool the body through perspiration. Water also lubricates our joints.

We even need water to breathe: our lungs must be moist to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide. It is possible to lose a pint of liquid each day just exhaling.

So if you don't drink sufficient water, you can impair every aspect of your physiology. Dr. Howard Flaks, a bariatric (obesity) specialist in Beverly Hills, Calif, says, "By not drinking enough water, many people incur excess body fat, poor muscle tone and size, decreased digestive efficiency and organ function, increased toxicity in the body, joint and muscle soreness and water retention."

Water retention? If you're not drinking enough, your body may retain water to compensate. Paradoxically, fluid retention can sometimes be eliminated by drinking more water, not less.

"Proper water intake is a key to weight loss," says Dr. Donald Robertson, medical director of the Southwest Bariatric Nutrition Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. "If people who are trying to lose weight don't drink enough water, the body can't metabolize the fat adequately. Retaining fluid also keeps weight up."

The minimum for a healthy person is eight to ten eight-ounce glasses a day," says Dr. Flaks. "You need more if you exercise a lot or live in a hot climate. And overweight people should drink in an extra glass for every 25 pounds they exceed their ideal weight. Consult your own physician for their recommendations.

At the International Sports Medicine Institute, we have a formula for daily water intake: 1/2 ounce per pound of body weight if you're not active (that's ten eight-ounce glasses if you weigh 160 pounds), and 2/3 ounce per pound if you're athletic (13 to 14 glasses a day, at the same weight).

Your intake should be spread throughout the day and evening. You may wonder: If I drink this much, won't I constantly be running to the bathroom? Yes. But after a few weeks, your bladder tends to adjust and you urinate less frequently but in larger amounts.

And by consuming those eight to ten glasses of water throughout the day, you could be on your way to a healthier, leaner body.
Click to expand...

Calculating Your Own Daily Water Requirements
By Dr. Thomas Stearns Lee

The human body is composed of 25% solids and 75% water. Brain tissue is said to consist of 85% water.

It has become a practice to regard a "dry mouth" as a signal of body water needs, which is further assumed to be well-regulated if the sensation of "dry mouth" is not present. A dry mouth is the last outward sign of extreme dehydration, however. Damage occurs to the body at a persistent lower level of hydration. Because of a gradually failing thirst sensation, the body becomes chronically and increasingly dehydrated.

Signals of dehydration can be any of the following symptoms:
  • Heartburn, stomach ache
  • Non-infectious recurring or chronic pain
  • Low back pain
  • Headache
  • Mental irritation and depression
  • Water retention ( ironic but true! )

Further problems often develop when the sensation of thirst urges an intake of water, and instead, soda pop, coffee, or alcohol-containing beverages are taken to quench the thirst. While these beverages contain water, they are actually dehydrating fluids. Not only do they eliminate the water contained in them, but they also cause you to lose further amounts of water from your body's reserves!

Daily Water Requirements: Drink 50-75% of your body weight in ounces. Sedentary people: 50%; Active people: 75%
Click to expand...

The formula from the article is

Your body weight x .5 (.75 if you are very active)
+ 16 ounces for dryness of climate
+ 16 ounces for strenuos activity...

Add that number up and you've got what you should be drinking a day...

that number, in my case especially, seems high.. cause as I read further I came across a condition called HYPONATREMIA, or water intoxication, who's symptoms mimic dehydration, but it's where your body has so much water in it - the salt content is almost non existent... (seemed to pertain to marathon class athletes too..)

So cats and kittens - are we getting enough water?
 
Yep, Stay hydrated. Water is zero calories, zero everything. it cant hurt you. I carry water with me when I'm working out. I take gulps of water in between every other set. If you're feeling tired, dehydrated, then your body won't be able to function 100%. But, if you give what your body needs to be 100%, then you get a 100% exercise. Nothing wrong with water. Just dont drink TOO muchb, then begin running. I did that one time, I probably drank a liter of water, and began running again, i felt heavier n bloated. Just drink enough to satisfy your body.
 
another thing to consider, especially in this heat is that your body needs water to keep your internal temp regulated. Get dehydrated and you're much more likely to run into problems with the heat, ie. heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heat stroke.
 
thanks everyone =)

its finally clear to me =D i will drink water every 15 or 20mins of my workout :D

more info and comments are still welcome.. i still wanna know more about the way water works inside my body while working out =D thanks~
 
All I know is that water is used in every single process that occurs in the body, so it is ultra important. Maleficent swears by it (and she lost 6lbs this week!!!! Must be something in the water!:D ).

Ken, if you read this thread, could you lend us your knowledge here (he's a bit of a science buff :) )
 
Spark People had this article today...
Drinking Water During Workouts
The Advantage of Watered Down Exercising

-- By Zach Van Hart, Staff Writer

Welcome to Sweating 101. Question #1 – During one hour of vigorous exercise, how much does the average person sweat?
A. One tablespoon
B. One cup
C. One pint
D. One quart
Okay, pencils down. For all of those who answered D., congrats! To everyone else, better luck next time.

That’s right – one quart! As you can see, exercise saps a lot of water from our bodies. That’s why it’s very important to drink even more water while exercising. However, drinking water before and after exercise is just as important.

Start paying attention to your fluid intake 2-3 hours before you are going to exercise. Drink 2-3 cups of water during that time, and then drink another cup immediately before you start exercising.

Without this extra water, your muscles will become dehydrated. Muscle movement depends on how hydrated you are, so if they are dry, they will not work as well. As a result, your workout will not be as productive as you would like.

Once you start exercising, keep drinking water frequently. A good rule of thumb is to drink one cup every 15-20 minutes. Keep a water bottle with you. Take breaks to head to the water cooler. Do what it takes you keep yourself hydrated.

Even when you are done exercising, you need to keep replenishing your fluid levels. It’s recommended you drink another 2-3 cups within two hours after you have finished. Then drink water regularly afterwards.

The more you drink before, during, and after exercise, the more productive your workout will be. Do your body a favor and replenish that quart of fluids your body is losing while you work out. Your muscles will thank you later.
Click to expand...
 
water question

I read (not sure if it was here or somewhere else) that you should drink cold water for better absorption. Is this true? Is it bad to drink it straight from the tap? I prefer it that way, ice gives me headaches and I tend to drink more straight from the tap. Will this be o.k.?
 
I always thought it was a wives tale, but I have seen it more than once, so I'll go with true... Drinking cold water burns more calories (because your body has to raise it's core temperature) but other than that, I don't think absorbtion is effected at all... and if you can drink it straight out of the tap (** hugs her Pur water filter because the water out of the tap is yucky**) then enjoy...
 
Thanks again Mal. Yes, I suppose that does sound right. I've never got the whole 'ounces' thing, but I think that using cups for measuring is a great idea. You can just scoop stuff out instead of having to weigh everything.
 
Why is drinking water so important?

Why is drinking water so important to lose weight?
I mean, i know you need it to stay hydrated, but i've read a few times that it's essential to drink lots of water to lose weight.
Sorry if this seems like a stupid Q, but i honestly don't know :confused:
 
An entertaining way to drink your water..

I've been having entirely too much fun with this game... and I play with water too.. you can get serious quantities of water in ya, if you follow the rules :) (on the website, he thanks Mary M. That's ME!!! :D Some of the suggestions were MINE!!!! I'm a dork....

If you've ever watched the show - 30 minute meals with Rachael rRay, she's more than a little annoying... but some genius figured out that she repeats herself so much, that her mannerisms woudl make a great drinking game... Since we encourage responsible drinking, and definitely encourage water drinking, I figure this'll be fun to play with Water... and you get to drink lots of water during the show..


Note: 1 "sip" generally means a reasonable-sized sip of whatever beverage you have in hand, taking into account its alcohol content. Sayings:
1 sip "EVOO"
1 sip "Guys"
1 sip "Sammie"
1 sip "Healthful"
2 sips "Stoup"
2 sips "GB"
2 sips "Spoonula"
3 sips "Fry-o-lator"
+1 sip any of the above followed by an explanation of what it stands for, thus making the abbreviation useless
+1 sip any of the above nouns used as a verb (e.g. "I'm just gonna GB this")
1 sip "Yummo"
2 sips any exotic variant of Yummo, like "Yummilicious" or "Yummerific"
1 sip "Delish!"
1 sip "Awesome"
1 sip "Beautiful!"
2 sips "Shimmy shake"
1 sip "How _____ is that?"
1 sip "I'm all about _____"
1 sips "You can seriously entertain with this!"
2 sips ... if she's talking about hamburgers.
2 sips "Some of that action"
2 sips "Back in the day" new!
2 sips "Daddy"
1 sips "Give it feet" new!
whole drink creates an all-new and completely unnecessary abbreviation

Presentation:
1 sip repeats herself
2 sips talks for so long without taking a breath that she nearly runs out of air
2 sips makes an awkward, spastic gesture with her arm
2 sips voice cracks
2 sips forces a laugh at something not funny
2 sips tells a lame anecdote about her family
2 sips mispronounces "foreign" words such as "paprika" or "tapas"
2 sips says something that is flat-out wrong new!
3 sips is visibly flustered

Cooking:
2 sips comes back from refrigerator carrying too many ingredients
3 sips drops something on her way back
4 sips drops something, laughs, and says something like "potato overboard!"
whole drink the thing she drops is a knife!
1 sip fails to provide a measurement and tells you to "eyeball it"
2 sips provides an obviously wrong measurement, e.g. "about a tablespoon" while she dumps in a half-cup of something
2 sips uses a "secret ingredient"
3 sips the "secret ingredient" is nutmeg
1 sip mentions "the thing that makes you go Hmmm"
3 sips "the thing that makes you go Hmmm" is nutmeg
2 sips creates a "healthful" meal that clearly contains over 50g of fat
2 sips does way more work than is humanly possible during a commercial break
3 sips makes a "gourmet" dish out of cheap ingredients (e.g. Tiramisu with nilla wafers and whipped cream)
2 sips expresses how good something tastes while she's still lifting the fork to her mouth
2 sips takes such a big mouthful of something it takes several seconds before she can talk again
3 sips ruins something and tries to play it off as no big deal

Have fun... Back when the dinosaurs walked the earth, and The Love Boat was on prime time television, in my college days, we played te love boat drinking game and well... fun times... :) Drinking water is better :)
 
She's the chef on 30 minute meals on the food network... she's also got a travel show or two. and is supposed to be getting her own talk show as well... the stuff she cooks isn't bad - and it's not quite as "healthful" as she likes you to believe, but it's easy enough to tweak a recipe.. Julia Child would roll over in her grave to see this chick cooking though :) I don' thing she's had any professional training at all :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top