Drinking water can help burn calories and reduce hunger cravings. Replacing sugary drinks with water can also lower caloric and sugar intake. But there isn’t enough evidence that water itself can help you lose weight.
For a long time, drinking water has been thought to help with weight loss.
In fact, in a 2019 study that took place between 2015 and 2016,
Some research suggests that drinking more water is linked with weight loss, but the evidence is insufficient to suggest a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
Read on to learn more about whether drinking water can help you lose weight.
Water consumption is associated with increased sympathetic activity. Your body’s sympathetic system activates things like heart rate and metabolism.
Therefore, drinking water
In a 2023 study, researchers found that people who drank 200–250 milliliters (mL) or 6.8–8.5 ounces (oz) of warm water after each meal lost more weight and registered a lower BMI than the control group who didn’t.
In an older study, participants were given water, saline solution, or sucrose to drink. They were then measured for these drinks’ impact on their resting energy expenditure or how many calories they burned at rest.
Room temperature water had no effect, while cooled water showed a small increase of 23 calories burned daily. That said, the sucrose drink showed a much more significant increase in energy expenditure.
This raises doubts about the effectiveness of water by itself for managing obesity. More research should focus specifically on the effect of hot versus cold fluids on energy expenditure.
When you drink water instead of other beverages, which may be high in calories and sugar, you are naturally reducing calorie consumption.
In addition, some people claim that drinking water before a meal reduces appetite. But is this true?
One
- When you are not dieting or monitoring your nutrition, choosing to drink water over high calorie drinks may help you consume fewer calories.
- For people who have problems with their metabolism or have obesity, drinking water may help burn more calories.
- Drinking water can stimulate your body to break down fat without raising your blood sugar or insulin, which may also support weight loss.
That said, another
Drinking water may also help prevent long-term weight gain. According to a
According to the study, subjects who consumed 1 extra cup of water daily lowered their weight gain by 0.13 kg (0.23 lb). Those who substituted a serving of a sugar-sweetened beverage with 1 cup of water reduced their 4-year weight gain by 0.5 kg (1.1 lb).
Sugar-sweetened beverages can include a drink such as a can of Pepsi, which contains
In a newer
The weight loss ranged between 0.4–8.8 kg, and the mean weight loss was 5%. However, the researchers said the most weight loss was seen when water was the beverage of choice rather than high caloric options. This, once again, suggests that water consumption itself did not cause weight loss.
Many health authorities recommend drinking eight 8-oz glasses of water (about 2 L) per day.
However, a
In addition, water requirements actually
Keep in mind that you also get water from many foods and beverages, such as coffee, tea, meat, fish, milk, and especially fruits and vegetables.
As a good rule of thumb, you should always drink water when you’re thirsty and drink enough to quench your thirst.
If you find you have dry skin, dark urine, or feel unusually tired, you may be mildly dehydrated. Drinking more water
Here’s how much fluids you should typically drink in a day in different measurements:
- Liters: 2.2 L for females and 3 L for males
- Ounces: 74 oz for females and 101 oz for males
- Glasses (8 oz): 9 cups for females and 13 cups for males
However, this is just a general guideline. Some people may need less, while others may need a lot more. For specific information about your water intake, you can talk with a healthcare professional.
Can you lose belly fat by drinking water?
There’s currently no research supporting the idea that drinking water can help you lose belly fat, so any suggestion to that is purely anecdotal.
How much weight will I lose on a water fast for a few days?
A
That said, without medical supervision, water fasts are neither safe nor recommended by healthcare professionals. They can lead to
In addition, any weight lost during this time is likely to be water weight. Eating a balanced diet and staying physically active is a more sustainable and safe way to lose weight long term.
Water can be a helpful part of a weight loss journey. It’s 100% calorie-free, may help you burn more calories, and may even suppress your appetite if consumed before meals.
The benefits are even greater when you replace sugary beverages with water. It can be a simple way to reduce sugar and calorie intake.
However, there is not enough evidence that drinking more water can directly lead to weight loss. If you need to lose a significant amount of weight, it will require a weight loss plan that involves more health-promoting actions in addition to drinking more water.