It all begins with water ... (volume two)

It all begins with water (continued) ....
Last week we discussed some of the reasons why drinking water is so important to those of us losing weight or fat. Well, it turns out that there are so many good reasons why this is important that we're going to spend a couple issues covering the topic.

Two aspects that we need to cover this week are water retention and kidney function.

First of all, water retention. Water retention is an interesting issue because it is one of those issues that runs completely contrary to how we would imagine it would work. Water weighs about seven pounds per gallon, so its easy to imagine that we could shed a few quick pounds by losing some retained water... but how do we do that? Well, as it turns out, we lose retained water by drinking more water!

The body has such a need for water that it retains extra water if we don't supply the right amount on a daily basis - and most of us do not. By getting into a habit, or regimen, of drinking more water than our body actually needs, our body becomes convinced that it doesn't need to hoarde extra water. Once your body is "convinced" that you are going to provide more than enough water to simply survive, it will let loose of the extra water it has stored up in your cells.

Secondly, let's look at your kidneys. Well not directly at them, but let's talk about them. In order to do their job properly, your kidneys require an enormous amount of water. If the water is not supplied, your body goes to Plan B, which is to enlist the assistance of your liver. Because the liver is able to metabolize fat (turn it into energy), every second your liver spends bailing out the kidneys is a second it isn't burning stored fat. Drinking more water allows the kidneys to run at their optimal level and keeps the liver available to burn fat.

For dieters, there is an additional aspect worth consideration. Because we are attempting to burn EXTRA fat (not simply the supply of fat in our daily diet), we actually create an extra water deficit. It takes water to do the normal work of processing waste from our bodies, and it takes EXTRA water to process the stored fat and waste that comes from that job.

In last week's issue we shared a few tips on how to drink more water each day. Here are a few more tips (if any of these tips work for you, use post-it note reminders to use them until they become habit):

1. Whenever you feel the urge to binge or have a hankerin' for something that you KNOW you shouldn't eat or drink, immediately drink a big glass of water. It'll do two things... first it will fill your stomach, preventing you from putting the bad stuff in there, and secondly, it will put some time between you and your craving, giving it a chance to pass.

2. Water out, water in. Make it a habit to drink a glass of water after you use the restroom. Did you remember to shut the light off??

3. Drink with a straw. Some people say that you drink more and drink faster if you use a straw. It's worth a try, right??

We'll talk to you next week!

References:
http://www.weight-control.com/ Weight-Control.Com
http://www.extension.umn.edu/water/ University of Minnesota, Extension Water Quality Program

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