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The Importance of Staying Hydrated While on a Diet

Staying Hydrated during dieting

Realistically it’s something that a lot of people forget about, but staying hydrated on a diet is fundamentally important. We put so much into what we eat, but we often move right past what we drink without another thought to it.

Though the foods that we eat matter greatly to our ability to lose weight and stay healthy, so does what we drink. If you have never been a fan of water or you simply never drank enough throughout the course of a day, it’s time for change.

Why Focus on Staying Hydrated?

By staying hydrated you can help your health and even your ability to lose weight in the long term. Naturally, this doesn’t mean that you need to chug water all day long. It is more of a matter of being aware of what your body requires and ensuring you are providing that.

Proper hydration helps just about every function within your body. It helps your organs to function properly. It helps your digestion, your metabolism, and keeps your body working in the way that it’s supposed to.

So, when you are lacking that hydration it really hurts your body. Add to it the fact that when you are dieting or working out more, you need hydration more than ever. Though you may discount this fact, a little hydration can really go a long way. You need to add more water when you diet and exercise as it will matter greatly.

Proper Hydration Can Support Your Weight Loss Strategy

What a lot of people don’t realize either is that staying hydrated during dieting can help to improve your results. You will find that sometimes you are simply thirsty when you feel like you want to eat.

So, by keeping up with your hydration needs you ensure that you don’t reach for food as readily. You keep yourself feeling full for longer, and therefore ward off any cravings. You are in control of your portions if you drink water before, during, and after meals. So it greatly benefits your weight loss to stay hydrated at all times!

Do You Need 8 Glasses of Water Per Day?

There is a rather odd rule of thumb that has circulated for decades. It states that staying hydrated requires you to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.  It may surprise you to discover that this figure is not based on actual science.  It is a relatively random figure that simply seems to have been accepted as a target for everyone.  Many doctors recommend it even without any empirical evidence to support the advice.

It isn’t entirely clear where this recommendation found its start.  However, the truth of the matter is that you may not need eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day to stay perfectly hydrated. You may need more. You may need less. There are many factors determining how much you’ll need.

Keep in mind that your body shape, size, function, activity level, age, gender, and many other issues will decide how much water you need for properly staying hydrated.  Moreover, many people eat lots of foods that have a high water content. That is perfectly hydrating, too!  If you had a salad and a bowl of soup for lunch, you may not need much water – or any at all – to go with that meal.

Isn’t Water Needed for Digestion? Doesn’t That Make Staying Hydrated Harder?

Yes, water is required for digestion.  However, simply eating food will not cause you to burn through that whole bowl of soup or fresh salad. If you’ve eaten only dry, salty foods, you will most certainly need to drink some water in the name of staying hydrated.  However, a healthy meal containing fruits and veggies will often take care of a substantial portion of your water requirements.

If the weather is hot, if you’re very active, if you’re unwell or if you’re thirsty, you can certainly know that sipping water all day long is the right thing for you.  That said, if you’re forcing yourself to drink water you don’t want (and you’re not simply substituting soda and juice when you should be drinking water), you’re likely going beyond your actual hydration requirements.

Be Reasonable and Keep Sipping

Though you may have never given much thought to staying hydrated, it can make a big difference. You may power through a workout more effectively when you are hydrated. You aren’t as hard on your body when hydration is present. You are ultimately giving your body everything it needs and wants when hydration is a factor. Therefore, if you want to be your best, maintain the best health, and lose weight and keep it off proper hydration can be the key to great and lasting success. Drink to your health!