Have you noticed that when you are tired or hungry, just drinking a glass of water makes you feel more awake and comfortable? This is no coincidence. Water accounts for more than 60% of body weight and participates in almost every life process, from digestion, metabolism, to waste elimination.
In the journey to lose weight, many people only focus on dieting or exercising but forget a simple but extremely important factor: drinking enough water. In fact, water can help you control your appetite, speed up your metabolism and maintain energy for more effective exercise.
Why is water the key to weight loss?
Including 6 main factors as follows:
1. Control your appetite
Many times the feeling of “hunger” is simply because your body is lacking water. Drinking a glass of water before a meal helps create a feeling of fullness, making you eat less without feeling forced.
Research shows that people who drink two glasses of water before meals lose an average of more than 2kg after 12 weeks compared to the group that does not drink. The mechanism is very simple, water takes up space in the stomach, reducing the amounts of calories consumed, thereby supporting natural weight loss.
In addition, drinking water when you feel like snacking can also “trick” the brain, helping you better control unplanned meals.
2. Reduce the amounts of liquid calories you take in
Many people do not realize that calories from drinks are often “hidden” and can easily make us gain weight. A can of soda can contain up to 150 calories, equivalent to a small bowl of rice. If you drink it every day, you have accidentally added more than 1,000 calories/week without knowing it.
Replacing some of the soda, canned juice or milk coffee with filtered water can significantly reduce the amounts of “empty” calories. This is also a particularly useful way for children and teenagers to give up the habit of drinking soft drinks during meals.
3. Burn excess calories and speed up metabolism
Water is not just “passive” in the body. One study found that drinking 500ml of cold water can help increase energy expenditure by 2–3% in 90 minutes. This is equivalent to your body “automatically” burning an additional 25–30 calories just by drinking water.
It sounds small, but if you maintain this habit every day, you can burn hundreds of extra calories per week, which is equivalent to a light workout. Cold water is even more effective because the body has to spend energy to warm it up.
4. Eliminate toxins, help the body feel lighter
When lacking water, the kidneys will retain fluid, making you feel heavy, bloated and even edematous. Drinking enough water helps the kidneys filter out waste, excrete it through urine and sweat, and retain minerals necessary for the body.
This is why many people feel “lighter”, less tired and have brighter skin when maintaining the habit of drinking enough water. Effective waste removal also prevents accumulation that causes irregular weight fluctuations.
5. Improve exercise efficiency
Without water, there is no energy to exercise. The body loses just 2% of its water content, which is enough to significantly reduce exercise performance. Water helps keep joints smooth, muscles flexible, reduces the risk of cramps and supports the heart and lungs to function stably during exercise.
A glass of water before running, a few sips during exercise and replenishment after finishing will not only help you maintain fitness but also shorten recovery time. This is why athletes always pay attention to staying hydrated as a mandatory part of training.
6. Water improves mood
Dehydration not only affects weight but also affects mood. A study has shown that mild dehydration (about 1–2% of body weight) can also cause anxiety, decreased concentration and fatigue.
When your spirit is down, you easily turn to food for “comfort”. Therefore, drinking enough water not only directly supports weight loss but also indirectly helps you control your eating behavior better.
How much water is enough?
Each person’s water needs are different, depending on weight, age, activity level and living environment. According to health organizations’ recommendations:
- Men: about 3.7 liters/day (15.5 cups).
- Women: about 2.7 liters/day (11.5 cups).
A little tip: observe the color of your urine. If it is light yellow, it means you are drinking enough water. If it is too dark, your body is “thirsty” and needs to be replenished immediately.
Practical tips for maintaining a water drinking habit
Includes useful tips such as:
- Start your day with a glass of warm water to “wake up” your digestive system.
- Carry a personal water bottle, remind yourself to drink regularly throughout the day.
- Add lemon slices, cucumbers or mint leaves for a natural flavor.
- Slowly replace soda and soft drinks with filtered water or unsweetened herbal tea.
In short, water is the foundation of a sustainable weight loss journey. Water helps you curb your appetite, reduce invisible calories, increase metabolism, eliminate toxins, maintain exercise and even improve your mood. There is no absolute “standard” number, but one thing is for sure: if you maintain the habit of drinking enough water, your body will be healthy, light and support your weight loss process in the most natural way.
