I know if you are dehydrated your body will hold on to WATER.. but what about fat? Does being dehyrated slow fat loss?
I heard this while watching a youtube video but wondering if it was true?

I suppose at a certain point if you're dehydrated your body will try to slow things down to help keep you alive. I'm speculating ...

Regardless it has little or no impact in reality.

95% of ones results come from really basic stuff. We like to over complicate it but it's not complicated for the vast vast majority.

Being dehydrated does not aid your body in the elimination of substances, including fat. But it is far, far too simplistic to say it prevents or inhibits fat loss. However being well hydrated with a proper balance of nutrients your body needs to function optimally is what we aim for - and the fat loss will take care of itself if you are well nourished and in modest energy deficit.

That is where consistency is important - far more important than any other tip or possible trick. Whatever you do, stick with it and you will see results. But that takes time and adherence, not all your effort and then a complete cheat. So focus on being well nourished, drink to thirst, and stay consistent without quitting. The fat WILL shed.

I SO agree with this! I read some of the complicated regimens people choose to follow and can't help thinking, WHY?? I suppose if people enjoy this kind of tinkering there's no harm to it, but I don't think it's necessary in most cases.

F.

And I so agree with your agreement! I know that certain people have dietary restrictions or plans that they feel better on than others, and in those cases it makes sense to do things that may be a bit more "complicated".

I was reading one thread today about cutting out fruit, and it just kills me! The op was saying that it seemed that a lot of bodybuilders and figure competitors cut it out prior to a show, so they were going to do the same... does that make any sense for a casual dieter?!
Really not every competitive athlete eliminates fruit either. I am an aspiring fitness model and generally hold at about 10-12% bodyfat just in my day to day life... and I eat a few servings of fruit daily. I also eat dairy, bread, tortillas, artificial sweeteners, peanut butter, egg yolks, cereal, diet soda, pudding, marshmallows, ice cream, etc... the list goes on and on.

I am a calorie counter, and I pay attention to my overall macronutrient ratios but I don't obsess over them. I keep things simple AND manage to maintain the figure that I want to have the majority of the time.

There is no reason to just arbitrarily complicate things!

*Sorry that veered off of the original topic...

I saw that thread about fruit, too. Having just been to the peach orchard and bought 40 lbs of peaches, I don't think I will give up fruit just yet. I keep saying I didn't get fat eating peaches...

I think, though, that 3FC is a good place to ask questions, whether it's about fruit or water. Whether or not you think it over complicates things. It's great to have something that works for you, but it's also great to explore. (I would hope in a safe way and also not taking opinions on the internet as gospel.) Personally, I favor a simple approach; different strokes for different folks.

Haha, the fruit thing! I have so much more sympathy for this now, recognizing my own metabolic issues, than I did before. I don't actually know why most folks would go low carb or give up sugar and wheat if they didn't have to - it is tasty stuff! But for those of us who have had or continue to deal with metabolic disorder and out and out insulin and leptin resistance, what we eat matters quite a bit more than someone whose body gained weight but didn't do so because of hormonal dysfunction.

That said, I agree that simple is better for most people, and just moving to whole foods with an eye on how you feel while eating things would solve 80% of the weight-related health issues I see people experiencing. Finer tweaking isn't necessary for many folks, it's just a matter of portion control and quality food choices. Then there's the rest of us sops who can lose weight by cutting back on certain foods or their quantities, but can't solve health issues like PCOS, diabetes, allergic reactions, and leaky guts without much finer tuning of what we eat than simply 'simple, whole foods in moderate quantities, most of the time'.

I wish it was so straightforward, but I didn't get super morbidly obese by just overdoing it on food quantities. When you're getting to the point of atypical fat distribution you're dealing with a whole different metabolic ballpark than simple weight gain, and achieving optimal health with an immune disorder or hormonal imbalance is a bit different than just losing baby or overindulgence weight!

I've read the same thing. I'm thinking maybe I read too many weightloss books. I'm glad you asked. I like the answers they were helpful to me as well.

not nice that was me. unfortunately, im past the "casual dieter" stage.

ANYWAYS.



as for being dehydrated and holding on to fat- presumably not, but at the same time, i would ASSUME that by being dehydrated you would be slowing down bodily functions as other posters above have mentioned, and while it wouldn't act to your detriment PERSAY, it wouldn't be beneficial either.

I didn't mean it as any sort of a personal attack, just an example of how people get too caught up in the details unnecessarily at times.

As you aren't stepping onto a competition stage and "dieting down" or "cutting" for an event like that, you ARE a casual dieter. You are attempting to lose some abdominal fat for general health and asthetic improvement, not for professional competition.

Great comments, Arctic Mama. I am grateful I don't have any physical problems related to metabolism etc.

These discussions also point out that we all have different goals. I will be extremely happy when I can walk 2-3 miles in my driveway and around our property. Good food in moderation probably works fine for my needs. Others are into serious weight lifting or running and maybe need to fine tune their nutrition.

Also, I think some people get motivation from studying all the little details down to the gnat's eyebrow. I don't do this with nutrients, but I made my DH get out in the driveway and measure exactly how long it is so I could calculate exactly how far I could walk and exactly how many calories I burned [about 53 according to FitDay]. Learning about this stuff is a form of entertainment for me.

Scout 83 - totally agree with not taking the internet as gospel. The written word has an aura of "truthiness" which is not always deserved. LOL!

I don't know. Regardless, it's not GOOD for you.

Being dehydrated sucks, so I avoid it and don't let it happen if I can. You'll know when you're dehydrated...your pee will be stinky and dark and you'll be thirsty and have dry hands.

When dehydrated, the body is essentially in a state of crisis. And when this happens, your body will automatically make all the necessary actions to preserve energy. Fat is basically stored up energy and your body will hold on to these energy stores as much as it can. Hence, the fat-burning process is slowed down.

If you want your body to metabolize or burn as much fat as it can, you have to see to it that it feels safe to do so. So drink up! Being well hydrated can help you better with weight loss than being dehydrated.

Hope this helps!