The Elite Physique

Water and Weight Loss

Is There Really a Water and Weight Loss Connection?

woman drinking water and fat loss

Water and weight loss.  Sounds like a hoax, right?  The mere statement that water can help you lose fat for your competition may make you think I’m a quack.  I mean, diet and exercise are what causes a drop in body fat, right?  …Not just plain and simple water.  Well, that’s a two-part question and answer, and I will address each in regards to water and fat loss.

You want to compete in figure, or even a bikini contest.  GREAT!  Now, to prep and be ready for the stage you will need to be COMMITTED to your diet and exercise program.  A BIG, and often overlooked, part of your diet and overall nutrition is proper water intake.  It’s a MUST that you drink enough water each and every day if you want to build muscle and lose fat.  There are no two ways about it because water can help you lose fat.

Brynne Chandler at Livestrong.com states “Water is the basis for every chemical reaction that takes place in your body, including the burning of fat. You can live on water alone for 30 to 40 days, but if you go without water in any form for more than three days, you will probably die. ”

With that in mind I’m going to share with you some sweet and simple tips about water and fat loss so you can literally, yes, I said and mean LITERALLY FLUSH the fat right out of your body.  Yes, this is true information so hang with me if you want to melt body fat, be rock hard on competition day, and totally make your competition envious and jealous.

First, every cell in your body needs water to lose fat and function correctly. This is bottom line, bare basics.  Your body also needs proper water intake to regulate your temperature, to cushion and protect your joints and organs, and to assist in digestion.  On top of those important functions, you need water to build and maintain lean muscle mass and purge body fat and toxins out of your system.  Are you able to better understand how water and fat loss works?  Great, let’s move on…

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Okay, here’s the deal.  Your kidneys are filters that purge impurities from your blood and they need a lot of water to work properly. If you don’t drink enough water daily, then your kidneys will need help, and they will turn to your liver for that help.

Now, one of the liver’s jobs is to breakdown fat so it can be burned for energy. Pretty cool, right?  Well, when you become dehydrated and your liver has to do its job PLUS your kidney’s job, it over taxes your liver and then your liver can’t metabolize fat very well.  Not cool.

What you may find odd is that water retention is a common side-effect of dehydration. If you deprive your body of water it will regain its balance by holding on to MORE water.  That will cause the scale to creep up.  This is why it’s SO CRITICAL that you DON’T cut your water too soon during peak week!

The Hydrating Offenders

So as you can see by this point, water can help you lose fat, and many figure competitors assume they drink enough every day, but most are receiving fluids in the form of tea, coffee, and diet drinks.  Typically, such beverages are not helpful in hydrating your body and many actually DEHYDRATE you.

If you don’t drink enough water your body will steal what it needs from internal organs like the colon.  This will lead to constipation and other internal problems.  Water and fat loss are a team effort.

Herbal Teas (Are Not Created Equal)

cup of herbal teaYou’d be surprised, but herbal teas are a hit and miss in terms of dehydration depending on the type of tea you drink and the brand name.  Herbal teas comprised of alfalfa, burdock, cornflower, dandelion, dog rose, ginger, hibiscus, holly, horsetail, juniper, larkspur, calendula, corn silk, mate, meadowsweet, olive leaf, parsley, nettle, sweet clover, fennel, uva ursi or winter cherry can have a diuretic effect to some degree.

Choose herbal teas based on what you need such as something to relax you.  Also, be sure to check the label for any “extras” that might work against you.

Stimulation and Dehydration (Love – Hate Relationship)

Coffee contains caffeine and caffeine acts not only as a stimulant, but also as a diuretic, and it will cause some dehydration.  Will it cause drastic dehydration?  No, but when you are in fat-loss mode and running against time in your prep, EVERY little thing you do will count for you or against you.

Diet Drinks (Most Ignored Problem)

can of sugar-free colaWater and weight loss are the keys here, not diet drinks for fat loss.  There are several problems with diet drinks.  Some diet sodas contain caffeine.  As we discussed, caffeine acts as a diuretic and it’s also addictive.  Drinking diet sodas with caffeine may cause you to drink it more often, leaving water to the wayside.

Another problem with diet drinks is that they contain a chemically-altered chemical called Aspartame.  Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar!  If you think sugar’s addictive, aspartame is 300 times MORE addictive.

Aspartame’s molecular structure is just one variant from antifreeze.  Aspartame breaks down into methyl alcohol (A colorless, unstable, and toxic fluid used as antifreeze and in the production of formaldehyde). Ewww…  Not only that, aspartame is an excitotoxin and is linked to digestive issues, dizziness, hypoglycemia, memory loss, migraines, mood swings, etc.

So diet drinks can lead to dehydration in terms of their addiction and most people, including figure and bikini competitors, will turn to them for flavor and not receive enough water for the body regulation and overall fat loss.

Hydration and Water (How To Do It)

You are about 70% water.  You need to maintain this water balance by staying well-hydrated.  If you have a strict diet and workout program, but tend to drink diet drinks heavily, you could  possibly stall your fat-loss, and even muscle building, results.  To ensure total water regulation and keep fat loss going, drink at least one gallon of water every day.

Sure, it’s okay to have coffee, herbal teas, and limited diet drinks.  However, drink AT LEAST 1 full gallon of water each and every day so you can capitalize on your fat loss.

Water and Weight Loss Trick (Safe, Effective, And Natural)

Here’s the trick.  Sodium attaches to water.   Therefore, the more water you drink the more sodium you flush out of your body.  But that’s not the best part.  Along with flushing excess sodium, the water also helps to flush out toxins that get trapped in your fat stores.  As the toxins get removed, body fat can be tapped into and reduced more easily.

Do you have to avoid all flavored drinks?  No, but do keep them limited and be sure to drink a gallon of water a day.

More Figure Prep Secrets

No doubt, pure and simple water is a CRITICAL part of your fat loss and prep.  Drink more water to lose body fat more efficient.  Go ahead and take this natural and easy step and start your fat loss mission right now.

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With that said, if you want even more information on how to lose fat for a competition check out my Contest Prep Crash Course.  Women are reporting losing and insane amount of body fat.  Get your FREE Lessons by clicking the link below...

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Karen Sessions NSCA-CPT

Here's More Great Information so You Can Melt Fat

My name is Karen Sessions and I am a life-time natural female bodybuilder, multi-certified fitness instructor, author, specialist in performance nutrition, and a success coach. I've been in the fitness industry since 1988! I teach people Just Like You how to transform their bodies, get in shape, build muscle, lose fat and compete in Bodybuilding, Physique, and Figure Competitions. When you have the CORRECT information you can have total confidence and turn your dreams into reality... and I can help transform YOUR body. I have helped THOUSANDS of clients reach their goals and I can help you, too. Be sure to grab my free gift above so you can start moving toward your goal.

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