“Drink at least 8 glasses of water”, a piece of advice we hear and read everywhere, regardless of what type of diet is being prescribed to us; but exactly how does drinking water help in losing weight?

Drinking water increases your metabolism. Studies have shown that people who drink eight glasses of water during the day witnessed a 30% increase in their metabolic rate – the rate at which calories are burned.
This increase happened 10 minutes after they drank water and reached its maximum after 30-40 minutes. In men, this increase translated into more fat burning, while in women, the metabolic rate was sped up by the increased breakdown of carbs.

Drinking water before a meal helps you eat less. Another study done on obese adults showed that people who drank 1-2 glasses of water before a meal lost more weight than those who didn’t. Water makes you feel full, which results in you eating less at a meal.

Drinking water reduces your salt and sugar consumption. People who want to improve their overall health are encouraged to drink more water; research has shown that people who drank more water during the day cut down on their sodium intake, as well as their consumption of sugar, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

In conclusion, water is not a magical liquid that makes you lose weight, but by drinking enough water during the day and especially before meals, along with the right diet plan and exercise routine, you will be on the fast track to your ideal weight.

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon