regard Something that should be obvious is that staying hydrated is an effective way to improve body composition. While it is true that consistent hydration alone won’t burn fat, it makes biological and behavioral factors in the process much easier and makes it easier to sustain. There are many ways in which being hydrated can optimize your overall health in regard to your fat loss journey, and this includes functions like the metabolism, appetite regulation, and performance.
1. Adequate Hydration Helps Metabolic Efficiency
As with every biological process, the metabolism needs water. Water is especially crucial during the breakdown of body fat. Fat loss will be extremely more difficult when mildly dehydrated because the metabolism will become that much slower. Adequate hydration makes is easier for the body to produce energy, transport nutrients, and thermogenesis, all of which make the metabolism run more efficiently.
2. Hydration Helps Control Cues of Hunger and Reduces Binge Eating
Hunger is often the result of being dehydrated without even realizing it. The brain sends signals to the body to snack when really it just needs some water. To combat this, it can be helpful to drink water prior to eating. This increases overall feelings of fullness, which in turn leads to decreasing overall caloric consumption. In turn, stagnant hydration can be used to help with appetite regulation and prevent the consumption of excess food when paired with mindful eating strategies.
3. Good Hydration Improves Performance while Exercising
The intensity and quality of your workouts will strongly determine how much fat you lose. With regard to burning calories and not fatiguing easily, dehydration impacts your strength, coordination, and endurance. Muscle contractions and energy levels are better, and you are able to put in more effort and consistency in your workouts when you are able to hydrate properly.
4. Water Consumption Can Help to Cut Out Liquid Caloric Intake
One of the fastest ways to cut out a lot of extra calories is to cut out sugary drinks and replace them with water. Per day, sodas, energy drinks, certain flavored coffees and juices can add a few hundred calories without even filling you up. Without some extra cravings, you can even cut out a lot of calories when you simply replace a few drinks with water or another unsweetened drink.
5. Good Hydration Improves Digestion and Helps to Relieve and Prevent Bloating
Water is important for moving nutrients through the digestive tract, and for excretion of waste. From dehydration, digestion can slow significantly, and when this happens, constipation can become more likely while also increasing bloating which can lead to some discouraging changes on the scale. When you hydrate properly your digestive tract can work more smoothly to prevent some of these problems.
6. Cold Water and Herbal Teas are a Nice Bonus
Drinking water is important for a number of reasons and drinking colder water may assist in making that process a little better due to the small increase in calorie burn to warm it. Herbal teas are great for hydration also and offer a slight increase in metabolism depending on the type. These are a great way to add in some enjoyment to your hydration with no calories.
Conclusion
Water is critical for fat loss, and the benefits are awesome. Water regulates your appetite and improves your metabolism and digestion. Water also improves your exercise performance, which helps you lose fat. Water is not the only solution, but the benefits of hydration improve every aspect of your fat loss plan. Prioritizing water makes it easier for your body to produce long-term results.
