The minimum recommended daily intake for water is 64 oz. That’s enough for women. Men have much higher water needs, though. Proper hydration is key for weight loss.
How much water should I drink a day to lose weight?
The required daily intake of water depends on the sex, age, metabolism, environmental conditions and physical activity. So, there isn’t a standard recommended dose of water per body pound. As a rule of thumb, you better drink more water than you need than less.
Women should drink about 2.7 liters and men 3.7 liters of water a day. This amount is 91 and 125 oz of water, respectively.[1]
However, according to the European Food Safety Authority, 2 liters (68 oz) of water for women and 2.5 liters (85 oz) for men are enough. So, the minimum recommended water intake of 64 oz may be enough for women. Not for men, though.[2]
As a rule of thumb, try drinking at least 8 glasses (2 liters or 64 oz) of water a day. Certainly, men, active people, athletes, overweight people, and people who live in warm regions should drink more water.
Furthermore, we get about 20% of the required daily intake of water from food. Thus, 8 glasses of water a day is enough for people who consume lots of fruits and vegetables. These foods are high in water.
How much time does water stay on the stomach?
Water leaves the stomach pretty fast. 50% of consumed water has left the stomach after 10 minutes. In fact, 100% of water is digested after 90 minutes.[3,4]
Should I drink water before a meal to lose weight?
Drinking water before a meal is a great way to lose weight. Water can control energy intake. It reduces hunger, while it contains no calories.
Furthermore, water increases lipolysis. It helps the body burn more fat.[5]
Actually, drinking less water than you need has been linked to increased body weight. Proper hydration is necessary for a good metabolism.
Drinking water before a meal is good for losing weight for another reason. It’s a common mistake to misunderstand thirst for hunger! Drink a glass of water if you’re hungry! Wait 10 minutes. If you’re no longer hungry, you were probably just thirsty.
The best tips to stay hydrated
You can easily increase your daily water intake by following these tips:
- keep a bottle of water with you. You can easily check how much water have you drank.
- eat lots of soups
- drink smoothies
- eat lots of fruits and vegetables
- before any meal or snack, drink, at least, half a glass of water
- don’t drink alcohol. It dehydrates you
- flavor water if you prefer
Can I gain weight from drinking too much water?
Drinking too much water can make you fat, but it’s rather unusual. The kidneys flush out up to 2 liters of urine a day. We lose water through breathing and sweating as well. Drinking much more water than the body can get rid of may cause weight gain! But, gaining weight from drinking water isn’t common for healthy people.
Moreover, drinking more than a glass of water late at night isn’t a good idea. Too much water right before bed can make you pee. Bad sleep quality has been linked to weight gain!