How Fluid Intake Affects Weight Loss

Pursuers of a weight loss plan, while considering the ayes and nays of it, might think about the celery sticks they might have to chomp or the cheesecakes they might have to shun. But they often tend to overlook the quality and quantity of the fluid intake that is a part of any weight loss diet.

70% of the earth’s surface is ocean and still many countries have a water scarcity problem. Likewise, 70% of muscle tissue is water, and body has an overall water content of 60%, and still it is very easy for the body to dehydrate. That is why the fluid content in any weight loss diet is of crucial importance.

Effects of Dehydration

Weight loss diets of insufficient fluid content can easily make the body dehydrate. Body dehydration is not just simple thirst. It could lead to dizziness, body fatigue, or even a heat stroke. A weight loss diet plan, that does not provide for intake of abundant liquids, especially in an ambience that is conducive to heat stroke, can even make a stroke fatal.

Even a mere 3% of weight loss due to water insufficiency, will not be a safe weight loss. Body has to be replenished before it is forced to respond with extreme thirst. Higher body temperature, or an increased heart rate, might result from a body that is starting to dehydrate.

Human body might lose about 3 gallons of water on a day. On a warm day, when he is physically active, a person might lose about 10 liters of water, and 3 to 6 liters when he is less active, and 2 to 3 liters when body is at rest. This has to be borne in mind when charting out a weight loss diet plan.

Rate of fluid consumption for an ideal weight loss diet:

Body’s thirst should be quenched in advance before allowing it to dehydrate. An intake of about 200 to 300 ml of water (7 to 10 ounces) after every 20 minutes is necessary during an exercise. And body has to be fed for strenuous workouts by a day prior to the activity at the rate of 500 ml (about 17 ounces). All this has to be kept in mind while making a weight loss diet plan.

Efficacy of Sports Drinks:

Quite often sports drinks work better than plain water. Mere water could dilute minerals like sodium of potassium. On the contrary, sports drinks help in maintaining the required concentration, and also in regulating the activity of heart and nerves. So, no harm in making it a part of a weight loss diet.

Anyhow, sports drinks have to be watched for their calories. There are sugary stuff and non-sugary stuff. Needless to say, the former cannot be part of a good weight loss diet plan, while the latter can be.

Fruit juices are good for the body in many ways and can be part of a weight loss diet. But even these have to be checked for their calorie content. Those with a higher carbohydrate content or sugar content have to be avoided, more so as high carb ones prevent water absorption.

Effects of Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine is good as a stimulant, in alleviating pain, and reducing fatigue, and so is good in moderation. Its water content does help when made a part of a weight loss diet. It increases urine output and excess intake of it can lead to dehydration because of its diuretic properties.

Alcohol is also good in moderation, especially because red wine has got antioxidant properties. But alcoholic beverages tend to dehydrate the body and so cannot be made part of a weight loss diet as a substitute for water or fruit juice.

Summary

Body’s nutritional requirements are myriad and all these have to be kept balanced while planning a weight loss diet. An important, but often overlooked, part of a weight loss diet is the proportion of fluids in it.

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