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Water and Weight Control
Drinking plenty of water is one of the easiest things you can do for your health, especially when you're trying to lose weight. Why does this matter? For starters, it can help to:
- Decrease your appetite
- Maintain your energy level
- Rid the body of waste products
And believe it or not, drinking water is actually the best treatment for fluid retention!
Water do's and don'ts
- Do set a water goal - divide your weight by 2 for the number of ounces of water you need each day.
- Do gradually increase your water intake.
- Do make water the first beverage you drink in the morning (that's right, before coffee or tea).
- Do keep a water "diary" to record your daily intake.
- Don't count caffeinated coffee, tea, diet sodas or alcohol as water intake.
- Don't wait until bedtime to drink your water.
- Don't stop drinking water once you have lost weight.
- Do keep a bottle of water with you at all times.
- Do drink water before, during and after physical activity.
TIP: Drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes if...
- You think you're hungry
- You feel tired
- You need energy
- You crave sweets
If that doesn't help, proceed with a conscious decision to address the issue at hand (i.e. hunger, sweets craving, fatigue).
Copyright 2002 Brigham and Women's Hospital
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