Below is an article from Bob Hoffman, someone who I still to this day have not been able to locate therefore get permission to use his words. I hope those of you reading will gain important information and that will satisfy Mr. Hoffman wherever he is.
How Eight Glasses A Day Keep Fat Away
by Bob Hoffman
Incredible
as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important
catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off. Although most of us take
it for granted, water may be the only true “Magic Potion” for permanent
weight loss.
Water
suppresses the appetite naturally and helps the body metabolize stored
fat. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat
deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually
reduce fat deposits.
Here’s
why: the kidneys cannot function properly without enough water. When
they do not work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the
liver.
One
of the liver’s primary functions is to metabolize stored fat into
usable energy for the body. But if the liver has to do some of the
kidney’s work, it cannot work at full throttle. As a result, it
metabolizes less fat, more fat remains stored in the body, and weight
loss stops.
Drinking enough water is the best treatment for fluid retention.
When the body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to
survival and begins to hold on to every drop. Water is stored in
extracellular spaces (outside the cells). This shows up as swollen feet,
hands, and legs. Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best. They
force out stored water along with some essential nutrients. Again, the
body perceives a threat and will replace the lost water at the first
opportunity. Thus, the condition quickly returns. The best way to
overcome the problem of water retention is to give your body what it
needs—plenty of water. Only then will stored water be released.
If
you have a constant problem with water retention, excess salt may be to
blame. Your body will tolerate sodium only in certain concentrations.
The more salt you eat, the more water your system retains to dilute it.
But getting rid of unneeded salt is easy—drink water. As it is forced
through the kidneys, it removes excess sodium.
The
overweight person needs more water than the thin one. Larger people
have larger metabolic loads. Since we know that water is the key to fat
metabolism, it follows that the overweight person needs more water.
Water
helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural
ability to contract and by preventing dehydration. It also helps
to prevent the sagging skin that usually follows weight loss. Shrinking
cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear,
healthy, and resilient.
Water helps rid the body of waste.
In weight loss, the body has more waste to get rid of—all that
metabolized fat must be shed. Again, water helps flush out waste.
Water can help relieve constipation.
When the body gets too little water, it siphons what it needs from
internal sources. The colon is a primary source. Result? Constipation.
But when a person drinks enough water, normal bowel function returns.
So
far, we have discovered some remarkable truths about water and about
weight loss:
- The body will not function properly without enough water
and cannot metabolize stored fat efficiently
- Retained water shows up as
excess weight
- To get rid of excess water you must drink more water.
Drinking water is essential to weight loss
How much water is enough? On
the average a person should drink eight 8 oz. glasses every day.
However, the overweight person needs one additional glass for every 25
pounds of excess weight. The amount that you drink should be increased
if you exercise or if the weather is hot and dry.
Water should
preferably be cold—it’s absorbed more quickly into the system than warm
water. Some evidence suggests that drinking cold water can actually burn
calories.
When
the body gets the water it needs to function optimally, its fluids are
perfectly balanced. When this happens, you have reached the
“breakthrough point.” What does this mean?
- Endocrine gland function
improves
- Fluid retention is alleviated as stored water is lost
- More
fat is used as fuel because the liver is free to metabolize stored fat.
Natural thirst returns
- There is a loss of hunger almost overnight
[This is important!] If
you stop drinking enough water, your body fluids will be thrown out of
balance again and you may experience fluid retention, unexplained weight
gain and loss of thirst. To remedy this situation you have to go back
and force another breakthrough.
Although I know this information, I continue to reread this article and each time I think I learn something new. Water and then more water. It’s pretty simply, really.
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