6 Reasons You Should Drink Water

If you're starting a diet, one of the first recommendations you'll hear is to drink water. But why is water a dieter's friend?

Reason 1-Knock out some calories
When you substitute water for your usual beverage, you're reducing the amount of empty calories you're taking in. Before I started my weight loss efforts, I would drink a gallon of sweet tea every single day. I was taking in about 800 calories just in my beverage choice. I switched to water and the pounds slid right off.

Reason 2-Our bodies need it
Our bodies are made up of approximately 66% water. Water is needed for temperature regulation, nutrient transport, joint lubrication, waste removal and digestion.

Reason 3-Drinking water increases metabolic rate
Just one reason water is a dieter's friend. Because water promotes a thermogenic state, it will increase your metabolic rate. If your metabolism is higher, you burn more fat.

Reason 4-Water reduces water weight
It sounds counterintuitive, but water will reduce water weight. When you don't provide your body with enough water, it retains some water to protect itself from dehydration. However, if you're taking in enough on a regular basis, your body will let go of retained water because it feels safe.

Reason 5-Water helps fill you up
One thing many dieters run into is not feeling full on the food they're eating. Water will help keep you full.

Reason 6-That hunger you're feeling might be thirst
Thirst often masquerades as hunger. By providing your body a steady supply of water, you don't have to worry about mistaking thirst for hunger and eating extra calories you don't really need.

If you don't like the taste of plain water, you do have some options available to you. You can purchase flavored water. Just be sure to read the nutritional information on the label. Some flavored waters are full of sugar and calories. If you prefer to make your own, often a squirt of lemon or lime juice is enough to help. Decaffeinated tea, either unsweet or sweetened with a sugar substitute, is another option. Last, you can try one of the water flavoring packs such as Crystal Light.