by Khyrana Oktivia Pambudi

Created on: April 25, 2009

Being overweight is not only unsightly, but more importantly, it is unhealthy. Whether you need to lose just a couple of pounds, or even a double digits of excess weight, it will not hurt if you start by increasing your water intake. Hang on, before you start rolling your eyes, here are the top 4 reasons why drinking water can help assist you in losing weight.

1. When you are thirsty, your body will send a signal to your brain which can be confused as hunger. So you might reach for food just to satisfy your cravings. The sugar rush will not only give you a high, but also that extra calories that come with it. So the next time you are feeling hungry, try reaching to a glass of water instead, give it about 10 minutes, and you might realize you are not hungry after all.

2. Do you know that your liver main job is to convert fat into energy? This is good news, unfortunately your liver sometimes also has to take up the job of your kidney. Now, your kidney need plenty of water in order to work properly. So if you are not getting enough water, your liver has to help out. This means, it can't metabolize your fat as efficiently as it should be.

3. Take note that when you just started drinking more water, you would also go to the loo more often. Although it seems like such a waste of effort because what comes in immediately comes out, don't get discouraged. It just means that your body is flushing out all the water it has been holding on to all this while. Continue give your body the water it needs, and eventually your body will eliminate all the water that you no longer need. I'm talking about the ones around your hips, belly, or even underneath your eyes.

4. You must have heard that a good hydration do wonders to your skin. It just makes your complexion glow. Well it goes for your muscle as well. No matter how hard you tried to lift weights, if your muscles are not well hydrated, you won't see much difference in your appearance. Your muscles need plenty of water in order to contract efficiently.

So how much water does our body need in one day? In average it would be around 8 8-ounce glasses. And if your are overweight, your should drink an extra 8 ounce for every extra 25 pounds of weight. During the summer, or if you are engaging in activities that make you sweat, then you should up your water intake. The rule of the thumb is, you should sip enough water throughout the day so you won't feel thirsty. Just keep yourself hydrated, and you would feel and look better in no time.

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