I was emailed this and some very other really interesting stuff by, gosh I don't think I'm allowed to say. So I'll just say that it's from a website that specializes in taking off weight. The article from which I got it was written by Raphael Calzadilla, B.A., CPT, ACE. The title was "8 secrets of fat loss". If I get around to it perhaps I'll type a different one every day. Here goes:

Water Intake - From the standpoint of water intake and fat loss, you want to be in a position where the liver is converting stored fat to energy. The liver has other functions, but this is one of its main jobs. Unfortunately, another of the liver's duties is to pick up the slack for the kidneys, which need plenty of water to work properly (more than most people realize).

If the kidneys are water-deprived, the liver has to do the work of the kidneys along with its own (lowering its total productivity in the process). the liver then can't metabolize fat as quickly or efficiently. If you allow this to happen, you're setting yourself up to store fat because you've made the liver less efficient at turning stored body fat to energy. Usually if you multiply.55 times your weight, that should be enough in ounces of water to suffice. Water is the under rated fat-loss tool.

Wow. I always knew it was important to drink water, but this is the first time I have ever seen this information. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to refill my glass of water.

I had no idea. I've been told sooooo many times to drink more (2 litres a day?)but I just cant drink this much! Something else I have to work on.
Thanks for the info!

Am I misunderstanding the calculation or is Calzadilla really suggesting we drink over half of our weight in water per day? That would be 65 pounds or 1038 ounces of water per day for me.

I wonder how well that translates at higher weights. When I multiply my weight by .55, that tells me I'd need to drink 5 liters of water a day! I generally have no problem getting in 2 liters plus, but 5 I wonder about!

Barbara,

If I read this correctly, I think it is 0.55 X your weight. THEN take that number of OUNCES (not pounds) of water. So for you at 118 pounds, he suggests roughly 65 OUNCES of water. A little more do-able!

Lindy

I don't like to drink water that much and never made water a big goal during weight loss - didn't seem to have any detrimental effect (for me) - 72 lbs lost, 2 years maintenance. I drank a lot of herbal tea/regular tea and a glass of water with lunch and with dinner (and a glass of water if I worked out).

If your urine is clear, then you are well hydrated.

It's not the most polite indicator, but it's a lot more reliable than using a calculation since everyone's hydration needs are different.

65 ounces for a 118 pound peson is do-able. But someone heavier than that (200 lb, 300 lb, etc) is also fine with 65 ounces, unless you are really thirsty


The subject of how much water we need has come up many times, and there seems to be a lot of controversy out there. We wrote an article on water last year and investigated what the biggest experts thought about this, since there are a lot of myths about how much water you need, and even what counts as water. The issue is to get plenty of fluids, which may not actually have to be water. Whole fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water, so that counts as well. The amount you need varies based on a lot of factors, including the climate you live in. Some experts believe you only need 5 glasses of water, or the equivalent in fluids per day. Most agree that 8 glasses is a good general goal since it's impossible to determine a specific amount.

The Institute of Medicine suggests that average women may consume approximately 90 ounces of fluid per day, slightly over 11 cups. Of this, 80% usually comes from water and other beverages, and the remaining 20% usually comes from food.

From Snopes : Kidney specialists do agree on one thing, however: that the 8-by-8 rule is a gross overestimate of any required minimum. To replace daily losses of water, an average-sized adult with healthy kidneys sitting in a temperate climate needs no more than one liter of fluid, according to Jurgen Schnermann, a kidney physiologist at the National Institutes of Health.

One liter is the equivalent of about four 8-ounce glasses. According to most estimates, that's roughly the amount of water most Americans get in solid food. In short, though doctors don't recommend it, many of us could cover our bare-minimum daily water needs without drinking anything during the day.



I've also read several places that the .55 calculation is a myth. Maybe this is one of those questions like how long is a piece of string

I drink 4-5L a day

I'm sure this is based on "a study" as far as the actual amount of water that is necessary. And I'm sure there are other studies that would say that number is a bit high, hopefully that's what they'd say. The thing that I thought really interesting was the water/kidney/liver/fat/energy conncection. Except for keeping one's self hydrated and full I didn't realize there was such an important fuction of water. Where's Dr. Oz? I bet he'd set us straight in no time.

I know there are studies that go both ways (aren't there about everything? ) I go by my doctor. She's a bariatric specialist (not a surgeon, just specializes in weight loss.) She is on the board of bariatrics for the state, and has been in the "fat doctor" business for 15 years (my term not hers LOL) And she recommended for me 100 ounces.. which matches up with the .55 an ounce per lb of body weight. I can't always drink that much. I usually average 80-90 ounces. I know that I feel better if I get most of it in, and my skin has been looking great

When he was on Oprah for his "You: the owner's manual" show (not the diet one) he said we only needed 5 glasses per day, mentioning that we get a lot of fluids from foods. However, he also said 8 glasses was optimal for good digestion.

I'd love to see some of the research on the necessity for high levels of water consumption, but from what I've read this research doesn't really exist. The claims about drinking so much seem to be traced back to a number of sources (which may have been misquoted or taken out of context).

In fact, here's a link to a published study by researchers at Dartmouth which investigated whether there's any evidence for the claim that people need to drink 8, 8 ounce glasses of water a day. They didn't find it.

Here's the abstract:
Despite the seemingly ubiquitous admonition to "drink at least eight 8-oz glasses of water a day" (with an accompanying reminder that beverages containing caffeine and alcohol do not count), rigorous proof for this counsel appears to be lacking. This review sought to find the origin of this advice (called "8 × 8" for short) and to examine the scientific evidence, if any, that might support it. The search included not only electronic modes but also a cursory examination of the older literature that is not covered in electronic databases and, most importantly and fruitfully, extensive consultation with several nutritionists who specialize in the field of thirst and drinking fluids. No scientific studies were found in support of 8 × 8. Rather, surveys of food and fluid intake on thousands of adults of both genders, analyses of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals, strongly suggest that such large amounts are not needed because the surveyed persons were presumably healthy and certainly not overtly ill. This conclusion is supported by published studies showing that caffeinated drinks (and, to a lesser extent, mild alcoholic beverages like beer in moderation) may indeed be counted toward the daily total, as well as by the large body of published experiments that attest to the precision and effectiveness of the osmoregulatory system for maintaining water balance. It is to be emphasized that the conclusion is limited to healthy adults in a temperate climate leading a largely sedentary existence, precisely the population and conditions that the "at least" in 8 × 8 refers to. Equally to be emphasized, lest the message of this review be misconstrued, is the fact (based on published evidence) that large intakes of fluid, equal to and greater than 8 × 8, are advisable for the treatment or prevention of some diseases and certainly are called for under special circumstances, such as vigorous work and exercise, especially in hot climates. Since it is difficult or impossible to prove a negativein this instance, the absence of scientific literature supporting the 8 × 8 recommendation the author invites communications from readers who are aware of pertinent publications.

Here's the link to the full article, for those who want more details: http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/co...ull/283/5/R993

The article includes sections on benefits and risks of high water consumption, as well as some myths about water consumption (including one on dark urine = dehydration).

I'm not anti-water -- far from it -- water certainly IS important. But I am very interested in where these ideas came from and what support there is for them. For example, the idea that caffeinated beverages don't count may not have a lot of support...

It really is very confusing, there are so many conflicting views out there. Who is one to believe? I have always been a big water drinker and since I started my weightloss I have made sure that that continues, even a bit more, but not the amount that this guy says I should. I am quite pleased (so far) with the rate of my weightloss so I won't be making any changes. Now that I think about it, I wonder if there is a thing as drinking TOO much water? Well according to a study.............

Bottom line, I think if you're satisfied with how you're doing, then you're all set!!

My own take on it is that I don't worry about my water intake too much as a general rule. I drink a fair amount of beverages, and know I get a lot from my food. I do make sure to hydrate when I exercise (during and after). But I don't carry a water bottle around every day. If you do, then that's what you do, and that's fine too. But if we don't, I don't think we need to feel guilty about it. Anyway, that's my ... oh, by now it's probably a nickel's worth from me!