You’ve probably heard at one time or another that you should be drinking 8 cups of water every day. Have you ever stopped to question this advice?
Who came up with it anyway? You may be surprised to know that there isn’t actually any scientific evidence to back it up. So why is drinking water so important to health and weight loss?- Momentum is key to starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Setting small goals, like drinking more water, will help you build momentum towards achieving bigger, long-term goals.
- If you’re working out at Fit Figures 3 times a week, chances are you’re losing water through increased sweating. This water needs to be replenished.
- Replacing high-calorie beverages like soda, juice, sports drinks and flavored coffee and tea with water can help with weight management. Also, most of these beverages don’t offer health benefits like water does.
- Drinking water before eating a meal can curb your appetite and make you feel fuller, faster. We also tend to mistake thirst for hunger, so next time you think you’re hungry, try drinking some water and if you’re still feeling it, then it’s time to eat.
- We normally get a lot of water from water-rich foods like fruits, vegetables and soups, however, when following a reduced-calorie diet, we are consuming fewer foods overall. Eating less food means you’re getting less water from food. Drinking water can help meet your needs when food alone can’t.
So how much water should You Actually be Drinking?
The short answer: it depends. There are several factors that determine how much you should be drinking like your weight, how often you’re exercising and the weather (heat and humidity are big factors). Eight cups a day is a good baseline for an average person. The best way to determine if you’re getting enough is to check the color of your urine. It should be a transparent yellow. Any darker and you need to drink up!