How to Drink More Water to Lose More Weight

When I first decided to lose weight, my method of hydration consisted mostly of diet soda and milk. I wasnt getting in the the necessary water to help my body function well, even on a good day.  Fast forward a year later and one hundred pounds slimmer, water is a critical part of my day and my old habits of milk and diet soda are nearly non-existent.

Now, I know that we always hear that we should drink water to help us lose weight, but is there research behind it? The short answer is yes. A study from Dr. Brenda Davy, that was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic, showed that people who drink two glasses of water 20-30 minutes before each meal actually lost more weight in the beginning and a greater amount of weight overall than people who didnt drink the water. Read more about this research on CNN Health.

Heres my thinking, water helps us feel full because it occupies space in our stomach. If we drink it before a meal, when were ready to eat we dont have that starving feeling that triggers our brains to overeat. So when you are on a diet that restricts your calories, it only makes sense that you take full advantage of this system.

I lost all my weight using the HCG Diet. The HCG protocol requires you to drink at least a gallon of water each day but Ive noticed that drinking a bit more than a gallon more helps me lose more weight.

I know what youre thinking, "I know why we need to drink water, but it tastes so boring, Lowery!" Yup, I get it. Ive been there. Like I said, I mostly drank soda or milk. But now I rarely even want to drink anything besides water. So while it may be difficult to start drinking water, once that habit is formed, your body begins to crave water. To make the tasteless substance easier to get down in the beginning, I would add flavor by putting in lemons or mint leaves. Eventually it got to the point that I didnt need those things.

Heres how this drinking water thing is going to work for you:

Step One: Get a gallon jug. I picked mine up from a gas station for about a buck and I refill it every morning. By buying the jug, you arent refilling bottles up every hour and you can track how much you drink easily.

Step Two: Set reminder or alarms on your phone or write them on a jug to drink 1/4 of the water before breakfast, 1/4 of the jug after breakfast, 1/4 of the jug before lunch, 1/4 of the jug after lunch. Boom, a gallon. Then fill your gallon up a little more and sip on that through dinner time.

Step Three: Keep your jug next to you at all times. If you get thirsty drink from the jug (it makes it easier to track). You can drink more than 1/4 at a time if you want to, but it helps some people to space it out.

Step Four: I prefer to chug my water, but some people prefer to sip. Whichever way you do it just make sure you get the 1/4 in before you meals.

See! Its pretty straight forward. Ill be honest, the first couple weeks youll have to pee like crazy but after awhile your trips to the bathroom become less frequent. Plus, not only will the water help your appetite, but it help prevent breakouts and dry skin! Win-Win.

How do you make sure you stay hydrated?

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