How Drinking Water Can Help You Lose Weight

10 Aug How Drinking Water Can Help You Lose Weight

Posted at 14:06h in Drinks by

Can drinking water help you to lose weight? Staying hydrated is vital for health but it also affects our ability to regulate our body weight.

Despite known that drinking plenty of water is important, many of us still aren’t actually doing it. A survey of 2000 people conducted by supplement brand Vidrate revealed that nearly half (45%) of the population aren’t drinking the daily recommended amount of fluid, while over 6 million Brits aren’t drinking any sugar free fluid at all.

So why is drinking water so important? How can it help us lose weight? And how can we make sure we get enough?

WHY IS WATER SO IMPORTANT?

Water delivers vital nutrients to our cells. It regulates body temperature, moistens tissues, protects our organs and carries oxygen to our cells. Believe it or not, up to 60% of the human body is water. We lose water through digestion, breathing, sweating and other bodily functions. It is essential that we regularly consume enough to stay hydrated.

HOW DOES DEHYDRATION LEAD TO WEIGHT GAIN?

Research, as well as our clinical experience, shows that staying hydrated can help prevent weight gain and support weight loss.

Dehydration slows down many body functions, including our metabolism. We can also  confuse thirst with hunger meaning we can end up eating more when we are dehydrated.

We see first hand clients who experience a significant reduction in their perceived hunger once they start drinking more water.

This study found ‘a significant association between inadequate hydration and elevated BMI and inadequate hydration and obesity, even after controlling for confounders.’ While this review of studies concluded that there is ‘considerable evidence that an increase in water intake, i.e., increased hydration, leads to loss of body weight.’

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN BECOME DEHYDRATED?

Signs of dehydration can include thirst, darker yellow wee, fatigue and feeling dizzy or lightheaded. Chronic dehydration can lead to low blood pressure; rapid heart rate; rapid breathing; sunken eyes and dry skin.

Dehydration can occur more easily if you are unwell and experiencing diarrhoea or vomiting. Exercising, drinking alcohol and spending time in the heat can also cause you to excrete fluid more rapidly.

Taking note of the colour of your urine can help you tell if you’re becoming dehydrated. You want to aim for a pale straw colour rather than a darker yellow.

HOW MUCH SHOULD WE BE DRINKING?

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends a total daily intake of 2 litres of fluids for women and 2.5 litres for men. Higher intakes have not been shown to provide additional health benefits except for the potential prevention of recurrent kidney stones. However, there are circumstances when we will require more, such as when we exercise.

PRACTICAL WAYS TO DRINK MORE

Establishing practical ways to ensure you are drinking enough can help make hitting your water intake effortless. Here are four hydration habits to try…

Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, then 30 minutes before each meal. Our body can confuse thirst for hunger so not only will this habit increase your water intake, it can also help prevent you from overeating.

Prepare a 2 litre bottle (or two 1 litre bottles if you prefer) of water the night before, preferably in a reusable water bottle. Try jazzing up the flavour by adding slices of lemon and ginger or cucumber and mint.

If you find yourself forgetting to drink water, set reoccurring reminders in your phone or download an app that reminds you periodically.

Don’t forget that you can consume water through fresh fruit and vegetables too. Cucumber, celery and watermelon are all good options.

WORK WITH US

If you are looking to lose weight, we can help you overcome your weight challenges, reach your happy weight and maintain it long term. Book yourself in for a complimentary 25 minute call or contact us and a member of our team will be in touch soon. We can talk through your challenges and explore whether one of our Intelligent Weight Loss programmes is right for you.

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LINDA ROBINSON

Linda is our Practice Coordinator, helping to keep the clinic running smoothly.

 

Originally from Texas, Linda completed her MBA at SDA Bocconi in Milan. Linda has worked as a Strategy Consultant across multiple industries globally in cities including Kyoto, Paris, Chicago and San Francisco. She developed an interest in nutrition whilst volunteering for an organisation that provides cooking and nutrition education to children and families.

Linda is now settled in London with her husband, two children, and her very bouncy, sociable dog.

SARAH LAW

Sarah has worked with hundreds of clients over the past decade to help them live in a healthy body that they feel confident in.


Sarah spent a large part of her teens and 20’s as a professional dancer battling with orthorexia and an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. This created a desire to understand the human body more so she could finally cut through the confusion and end the cycle of yoyo dieting. This fuelled her passion to help other women do the same.

 

Sarah specialises in supporting women who are struggling to lose weight due to underlying health issues. She’s helped many women manage their weight during and after the menopause, as well as clients with thyroid disease and immune system dysfunction. Sarah loves food and sharing healthy recipes with her clients. Her aim is to ensure that clients don’t feel deprived and instead, achieve their weight loss and health goals in a positive and sustainable way.

 

To enquire about working with Sarah, please contact us.

AILSA HICHENS

 

Ailsa is one of our most experienced practitioners. She specialises in helping clients to lose weight, develop a healthy relationship with food and finally feel comfortable in their skin. Ailsa’s mission is for everyone she works with to enjoy the journey and that working with a nutritionist should not be a punishment, but your access to a new possibility.

 

Ailsa is not only an experienced weight loss nutritionist, she is also a skilled coach. She helps our clients overcome emotional eating, destructive habits and self-sabotaging behaviours that have prevented successful weight loss in the past. Ailsa has spent years in clinic working with clients who have experienced yo-yo dieting and have discovered that long term weight loss is not just about eating less until you can stand it no longer.

 

Working with Ailsa you will be comprehensively supported, not only in improving your nutrition and lifestyle, but also your eating habits and your relationship with food. When you work on all these elements together, the results can be truly astonishing.

 

To enquire about working with Ailsa, please contact us.

Test Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team of practitioners and heading up the day-to-day running of the business. Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, coming from a strong business background in town planning. A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 with her husband and two children.

NIKKI ANDRIANI

Nikki is our Practice Manager, managing our team and heading up the day-to-day running of our clinic.

 

Coming from a background in town planning, Nikki is involved in the strategic development of our practice, continually ensuring we are delivering the very best service to our clients.


A Florida girl, Nikki relocated to the UK in 2014 where she lives with her husband, two children, and her rescue dog Skyy.

STÉPHANIE ACHAR

Stéphanie is a skilled nutritional therapist and functional medicine practitioner with additional training in eating disorders, disordered eating and obesity. She believes that working towards both physiological and mental health is key in achieving optimum wellbeing.

 

Stéphanie’s personal experience of emotional eating and the ongoing struggle to find the right support led her to combine the science of nutrition with behavioural coaching to motivate and empower her clients. She specialises in helping people who struggle with their weight and their relationship with food. She helps them develop a healthier and more peaceful relationship with food and their bodies.

 

To enquire about working with Stéphanie, please contact us.

INNA WEARN

Inna is passionate about supporting women on their journey to improved health and wellbeing. She believes that the solution to effective weight loss does not lie in ever more restrictive diets, but a more sophisticated approach that optimises health and vitality, as well as promoting effective weight loss.

 

Working with Inna you will benefit from her in-depth knowledge of female health and hormones. She will support you in developing a healthy diet, lifestyle and mindset that ensures you reach your ideal weight and maintain it in the years to come.

 

Inna is passionate about food with a wide repertoire of delicious healthy recipes and meal ideas to ensure your weight loss journey is as enjoyable as possible!

 

To enquire about working with Inna, please contact us.

ANIA MASON

 

Ania is a firm believer that improving your health and losing weight should be a positive, empowering journey, not one centred around deprivation.

 

After being diagnosed with two autoimmune conditions in her twenties, Ania spent several years educating herself on the power of food and nutrition. She put it all into practise and changed her diet and lifestyle, reversing her endometriosis and thyroid disease. After experiencing such a significant improvement in her health, Ania had a big desire to help others. She embarked on a four year journey to study nutrition, graduating from the Institute for Optimum Nutrition with distinction.

 

Ania specialises in autoimmunity and works with clients who have underlying health issues preventing successful weight loss. Her expertise enables her to successfully support our clients with conditions such as hypothyroidsm (underactive thyroid), PCOS and diabetes. 

 

To enquire about working with Ania, please contact us.

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