Drinking water for weight loss is hardly big news anymore. It’s been studied, proven and recommended for decades. That said, what many of us have yet to figure out is just how much we should be drinking to get the best results. After all, there are a lot of factors that can play into how much hydration any given individual requires.
How Much Water for Weight Loss is Necessary?
Many of us go by the rule that drinking eight 8-ounce glasses of H2O per day should be enough to keep us healthy, hydrated, and burning through those calories. While this can be considered to be a handy general goal, there’s more to drinking water for weight loss than making sure you get those 8 cups down each day. Everyone from doctors to discussions on top weight loss forums regularly talk about this.
There is a long list of factors that can play into how much water you need for weight loss. These include your age, sex, genetics, weight, activity level, wellness, and even the temperature of your environment.
As you can see, several of those factors can change within a short period of time, while others can change over a longer period of time, and some are essentially permanent. Your age and weight can change over time, while your activity level can easily spike or halt, and you can also easily step out of an air-conditioned environment into a sweltering one. Each of these factors plays a role in determining how much water you will need to drink for weight loss and your overall wellbeing for that matter.
It’s Not Always a Matter of 8 Glasses Per Day
It’s important to keep in mind that drinking glasses of water for weight loss isn’t the only way to obtain the H2O you need. Research shows that approximately 80 percent of a person’s fluid intake comes from what someone has to drink in a day. This might be a glass poured straight form the faucet, but it could also in part be from a cup of coffee or tea that you had to drink, juice, soda, or another liquid.
While straight-up water might be your best option – particularly when it comes to weight loss – this doesn’t mean that you won’t draw any hydration at all from the other beverages you consume in a day, even if they come with sugar and calories, among other things.
The remaining 20 percent of our daily fluid intake is from food. In a more obvious form, this can be from meals such as soups, but fruits and vegetables are packed with water and provide a surprising amount of hydration. Just another reason to make sure that you include lots of fruits and vegetables in your weight loss strategy!
