Five ways water can help you lose weight

We all know drinking water is extremely important. It helps maintain your body's fluid levels and provides cushion to your joints, keeps your mouth as well as eyes moist and aids in getting rid of waste. More importantly, it helps regulate our body temperature. We know how important it is but we haven't really decoded how it helps in weight loss. After all, there is a reason why wellness consultants all across the globe are emphasizing on more consumption of water to help their clients achieve weight loss goals.

Drinking water is easily among the most forgotten things in a day but if you knew it goes a long way in keeping that stubborn fat away, you may look at it differently.

We bring you ways water can help you lose weight:

It helps improve your workout efficacy
According to a recent report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, when you are dehydrated during workouts, it directly impacts your weight loss goals. Moreover, that is exactly the point where your performance dips. So it is important that you drink enough water every day and especially double the amount before hitting the gym.

Increases your metabolism
A study in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism states that drinking enough water (almost 3-4 liters) ups your metabolic rate by almost 30 per cent. And if you increase your intake further, it is effective in burning excess calories too.

Combats fake hunger
Ever tried guzzling down a lot of water at one go? It acts as an appetite killer. However, this isn't a healthy way to go about it. Sometimes when you are thirsty, your body gives you cues that you are hungry. So it's always better to have a glass of water before giving in to your brutal hunger pangs.

Healthy alternative to calorie laden drinks
Do you often feel tempted to have a fizzy drink or a sports drink when you are thirsty or feeling worn out? This is where the magical water comes in. And there is data to back it too. A study published in BMC Public Health (2015) stated that for every 3.4 ounces of plain water consumption, a person drinks 0.7 ounce less caloric beverages.

Helps you detox
Getting bored of drinking plain old water? There are ways you can spice it up, that too healthily. Add lemon, mint, cucumber and you have a detox water ready for the day.