Why water is essential for fat loss ..

"If you dehydrate your body, it is like dehydrating your plants.  Who wants to have a wilted body?

- Dr. Lawrence Lamb, Author of "The Weighting Game - The Truth about
Weight Control”


“Alcohol puts fat metabolism on hold.  It’s not your friend if you’re trying to stay lean.”

- Susan Kleiner, PhD, RD, author of "Power Eating"


The "secret" to almost instantly increasing your strength by 10-15% and endurance by 20%-30%


What would you say if I told there was a substance that could almost instantly increase your muscle contractile strength by 10-15% and increase your capacity for prolonged aerobic exercise by 20 to 30%?  What's more, the substance is totally legal and has absolutely no side effects.   Not only that, it can also help you burn fat more efficiently and increase your muscular development. You'd probably think I was talking about some kind of illegal steroid or performance-enhancing drug wouldn't you?  (Either
that or you'd think I was just full of hot air!) Well, its true!  Such a substance really exists, and it's not a drug.


A little known secret for accelerating fat loss, increasing your performance and improving your physique


I'd like to let you in on a little known secret for increasing your performance and improving your physique that is so painfully obvious it's almost embarrassing. Actually it's not really even a "secret." It would be more correct to say it’s a "known but ignored fact." When I tell you what this secret is, you'll kick yourself for not realizing it sooner. This "secret" I'm talking about is drinking the correct amount of H2O every single day. Yep - plain old water!  If you’re even slightly dehydrated (and most people are walking around in a constant state of semi-dehydration), your results and performance will improve instantly.
I can hear you grumbling and cursing me already - "Venuto, that's no “secret” - everyone knows you're supposed to drink plenty of water!" That may be true.  Everyone knows it, but what people know they should do and what they actually do are often two completely different things.  Everyone has heard the maxim, "Drink at least 8 - 10 glasses of water a day.” That’s a good starting point, but most of the time they don't do it.  Now that you have a clear-cut goal and you’ve made the commitment to become the best you can be, it’s time to add another new daily habit to your list – the habit of drinking plenty of pure H20 every day.


The often subtle but devastating effects of dehydration


Most people don't drink nearly enough water, and the effects are subtle but devastating to your training and fat burning efforts.  Let me explain.  Did you ever wake up in the morning and feel so groggy it almost felt like a hangover?  Maybe you didn't even want to get out of bed.  Guess what?  You were probably dehydrated.  In fact, a "hangover" - headache, tiredness, and fatigue is partially caused by the dehydration from the diuretic effects of alcohol.


Here's another example: Do you normally get excellent workouts, but then some days, your butt is dragging and you just can't finish your workout - you “bonk out” at the end, or even worse, you can't really even get started?  Guess what? You were probably dehydrated.  You see, the effects of dehydration are very subtle.  They "creep" up on you. By the time you feel any effects of dehydration, it's too late - you're already dehydrated. Usually you don't even associate these effects with lack of water. You might think you’re just over-worked, you didn't get enough sleep or you're coming down with a cold.  That’s why people so easily overlook this aspect of nutrition.


Every physiological process in your body depends on water


Because there’s so much attention placed today on complex issues such as protein and carbohydrate intake, essential fatty acids, macronutrient ratios and high-performance supplements, it's no wonder that something as simple as water could be so easily taken for granted.  The importance of drinking plenty of water and keeping adequately hydrated cannot be emphasized enough.


Water is the most abundant nutrient in your body.  Approximately 60-70% of your body is comprised of water.  Your blood is made up of about 90% water. Your muscles
are about 70% water.  Even your bones are 20% water.  Without adequate water, nothing in your body could function properly. Every physiological process in your body takes place in water or depends on water.  Water is necessary to regulate your body’s
temperature, to transport nutrients, and to build tissues.  Water is required for joint lubrication, digestion, circulation, respiration, absorption, and excretion.  Without water, you would die in a matter of days.  Sports nutritionist Dr. Michael Colgan says that water is quite simply, “the most important nutrient in the body.”


Dehydration decreases endurance, strength and physical performance


As you become dehydrated, your body's core temperature increases.  This adversely affects your cardiovascular function and reduces your capacity for physical work. Even a small decrease in your body's hydration level can decrease your performance. Studies have shown that even mild dehydration of 3% of body weight can decrease contractile strength by 10%.  When 4% - 5% or more of total weight is lost in water, muscular and aerobic endurance can decrease by 20% to 30%. If more than 10-
12% of the body’s weight as water is lost, you could die.


Higher protein diets have a diuretic effect and require extra attention to drinking water


Because this program tends to be moderate to high in protein, drinking plenty of water is especially important. The processing of protein foods generates metabolic waste products that must be flushed out and removed by the kidneys.  Without adequate water, the kidneys can’t remove these wastes properly.  It is a myth that high protein diets cause kidney damage.  A high protein diet is not harmful to healthy kidneys -- as long as plenty of water is consumed every day.


Water is essential to the fat burning process


Not only do you need plenty of water for good health, you also need water to lose fat.  Here’s why: One of the important functions of your kidneys is to eliminate toxic waste products from your body through the urine.  When you’re dehydrated, the body’s instinctive reaction is to hold on to whatever water it does have in order to survive.
When this water retention occurs, the waste products in the body aren’t flushed out, and build up in your system.  At this point, the liver will try to help out with the overload.
The problem is, when the liver helps out during fluid retention, it can’t do its own jobs as efficiently, one of which is burning stored body fat for energy.  The result is that your body may not be able to burn body fat as efficiently as normal.
Drinking lots of water does not make you retain water


Many people avoid drinking a lot of water because they think it will make them retain fluid and become bloated.  Actually, the opposite is true.  When you’re dehydrated, your body senses the lack of adequate water and holds on to all the water that’s currently in the body.  When you consume adequate amounts of water, your body senses that you’re no longer dehydrated, and therefore your kidneys flush the water out of your system like they normally do, resulting in less water retention.


How much should you drink?


The most common general guideline for water intake is to drink eight to ten
8-oz glasses of water per day (64-80 oz per day). This may or may not be adequate, depending on a variety of factors. The 8 to 10 glasses guideline is okay as a ballpark, but taking into account activity levels and caloric expenditure will give you an even more accurate and individualized estimate of your water needs.


Water needs may vary depending on a number of factors. Large individuals need more water than smaller people, and highly active individuals need more than those who are inactive.  Climate can also affect your hydration needs.  If you live or work out in a hot and humid environment your water requirements will be higher.


If you want the best estimate of your water needs, you should factor in your activity level and the best way to measure your activity level is by daily calorie expenditure. The National Research Council's recommended dietary allowance for water is 1.0 - 1.5 ml per kcal expended per day.  The following chart lists the required water amount based on your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE)  (Review the chapter on caloric needs to determine your TDEE).


Calories expended         Water required
2000 calories    66 - 100 oz
2500 calories    83 - 124 oz
3000 calories    100 - 149 oz
4000 calories    116 - 174 oz
5000 calories    132 - 199 oz


Using this formula, a 172 pound man with a daily calorie expenditure of approximately 2800 calories per day would need 93 - 139 oz of water per day (There are
128 ounces in a gallon). The eight to ten glasses guideline (64 to 80 ounces) should be your minimum regardless of calories expended.
Follow these water consumption guidelines regardless of your level of thirst


Your level of thirst is not a good indicator of your level of hydration.  By the time your body registers the sensation of thirst, you’re already somewhat dehydrated. Therefore, you should continue drinking water throughout the day, even when you’re not thirsty. The secret is not to let yourself get dehydrated in the first place. If in doubt, drink more, not less.


Drink water before, during and after your workout


You should make it a habit to drink water all day long, but because water is so important for energy production and because exercise dehydrates you, you should make it a habit to drink heavily before, during and after your workout.

Can I get my fluids from other sources?


Almost all of the foods you eat contain water. Some foods, such as fruits and vegetables are as much as 75 to 90 percent water. Even meat is at least 50% water. Other beverages such as milk, fruit juice and sports drinks are mostly water. The question is, should you count these towards your daily recommended intake of water or not? Some sports nutritionists say yes, you can and should count water rich foods towards your water intake. My suggestion is to always err on the side of too much water rather than too little. Therefore, the water recommendations in the chart above are for pure water, not other beverages or water-rich foods.


What else can I drink?


On a fat burning program, it’s never a good idea to drink a large portion of your calories. One reason is because liquids don’t have the thermic effect that solid food does. But that’s not the only reason. According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity in 2000, people who drank a lot of their calories did not compensate for these extra calories by adjusting their food intake. The result was that they over consumed calories for the day and experienced less weight loss than people who did not consume liquid calories (Some even gained weight). In other words, they simply drank those extra calories in addition to the food they were already eating.


If you carefully count your liquid calories (juice, sports drinks, non-fat milk or other beverages) into your daily calorie allotment, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy these beverages. Be very careful to read the labels on all beverages you consume, especially sports drinks. Some sports nutrition products that are marketed as high performance “health foods” are nothing more than sugar water. Even well-formulated products haven’t
been proven to increase performance in athletes. For workouts lasting less than an hour, water is still the best thing you can drink. For fat loss purposes, why would you want all those extra simple carbohydrates anyway?


What about diet drinks and non-caloric drinks?


As long as you’re getting your daily allotment of pure water, it’s fine to enjoy non-caloric beverages such as diet soda, tea, Crystal Lite, Diet Snapple or any other calorie free diet drink. Coffee is also fine in moderation (one or two cups per day), but be
careful what you put in it. (We’re talking regular black coffee here with maybe a splash of milk – no sugar). Many nutritionists and trainers suggest avoiding caffeinated beverages. Some studies have suggested that coffee lowers insulin sensitivity, which could hamper
fat loss. However, in practice, I’ve never seen a fitness model or bodybuilder get less “ripped” because they drank coffee. Enjoy your coffee in moderation – a cup or two per day should pose no problem. Keep in mind, however that caffeine is a diuretic and large amounts of any diuretic can decrease your performance and your results.

Alcohol and fat-burning


If you’re serious about your health, fitness, and athletic performance and you want the maximum possible benefit from your program, you should drink alcoholic beverages in moderation or not at all. “Moderation” is usually defined as one drink for women, two drinks for men. One or two drinks won’t do much harm, and may even have some health benefits such as increased HDL, the good type of cholesterol. Excessive alcohol consumption will definitely compromise the results you'll get from your nutrition and training program.


Alcohol has the second highest calorie density of all food types


At 7 calories per gram, Alcohol is the 2nd most calorie dense nutrient behind fat, which contains 9 calories per gram.  Therefore, alcohol contributes a large number of calories to your total daily intake above and beyond the food you normally consume. Because the alcohol is metabolized by the liver, the alcohol is not converted directly into body fat.  But this doesn't mean that drinking alcohol won't make you fat.


Alcohol suppresses the body's ability to burn body fat


The body has no storage capacity for alcohol like it does for carbohydrates and fats.  Since alcohol must be detoxified as quickly as possible, the oxidation of the alcohol takes top priority over the oxidation of other macronutrients.  In other words, while the
liver is busy metabolizing alcohol, the utilization of fats, carbohydrates, and protein has to be temporarily suppressed.  The burning of fats is suppressed the most, because it’s positioned at the bottom of the oxidative hierarchy. Lyle McDonald, author of “The Ketogenic Diet” says, “The consumption of alcohol will almost completely impair the body’s use of fat for fuel.” In the book “Power Eating,” dietician Susan Kleiner writes, “Alcohol puts fat metabolism on hold.  It’s not your friend if you’re trying to stay lean.”


When alcohol is in your system, your body will simply convert more of the food you normally eat into body fat.  Regardless of whether the calories come from food or drinks, if you consume more calories than your body needs, the excess will be stored as fat.  Since most people usually consume their alcohol in addition to food instead of as a substitute for it, the accumulation of body fat is usually the result.


Alcohol provides little or no nutritional value


Alcoholic beverages provide little or no nutritional value.  Alcohol is empty calories just like refined sugar is empty calories. There are trace amounts of some vitamins and minerals, but they’re present in such tiny quantities that their nutritional value is insignificant.  Aside from providing some energy in the form of a small quantity of carbohydrates, alcohol is empty calories.


Alcohol interferes with the absorption of nutrients


If the lack of nutritional value isn’t bad enough, alcohol actually depletes the body of vitamins and minerals from other foods you eat.  Alcohol irritates the lining of the stomach and intestinal tract and interferes with proper digestion and absorption of vital nutrients. The metabolization of alcohol by the liver uses up the B vitamins niacin and thiamin. Alcohol can also decrease your body’s ability to metabolize zinc.


Alcohol is a poison


Alcohol is a toxin.  It’s essentially a poison that must be detoxified by the body.


Alcohol dehydrates you


Alcohol is a potent diuretic.  It draws water out of the cells and increases the loss of water through the kidneys.  The increased fluid output can cause the loss of water- soluble minerals and all of the other negative effects of dehydration.
Alcohol contributes to numerous health problems


Alcohol has been associated with the development of numerous health problems, and degenerative diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiomyopathy, abnormal heart rhythms, liver disease, cancer, decreased resistance to infections, gout, and hypoglycemia.


Alcohol decreases natural testosterone production


Alcohol suppresses Testosterone, one of the main anabolic (muscle building)
hormones. Enough said.


If you drink, here are some tips for doing it sensibly without seriously compromising your results


1) Factor the alcohol calories into your daily intake.


There’s been a lot said about “the beer belly,” or how alcohol makes you fat. But let me remind you again, that in the end, fat loss always comes down to calories in versus calories out. If you count your alcohol calories in your daily intake and keep within your calorie limits, then you’ll still be able to lose body fat.  The problem is, most people
forget to count the calories in all those drinks.  Drink 1000 calories at night, followed by a big "cheat meal" and you're asking for it! (Major FAT gain!). If you drink, it’s better to have light beer or low calorie alcohol, not mixed drinks with high calorie additives like milk, juice, sugar, or tropical drink mixes.


2) Stay hydrated.


Alcohol is a diuretic. If you’re dehydrated, you won’t burn fat as efficiently and you won’t have the energy to train hard. In addition to your regular water intake, drink one EXTRA glass of water for every alcoholic drink and you'll be fine, hydration wise.


3) Limit yourself to two drinks per sitting and NEVER binge


Anything beyond two drinks can do absolutely nothing positive for you. Maybe on a rare celebration occasion you might have more than two drinks, but I can't think of a single reason why any self-respecting human being who is serious about their health and fitness goals would ever binge drink or get drunk on a regular basis.  Getting drunk is not an option on this program. If you get drunk, you’re not following the program. If you drink in large quantities ANY TIME for ANY REASON, just look in the mirror and admit the
truth to yourself; "I 'm just not THAT serious about getting in shape. It’s not that high of a
priority right now. I don't really want it THAT bad." At least then you're honest with yourself. If you enjoy social drinking in moderation, by all means go ahead and do it. But if you drink heavily, at least admit the truth to yourself.
4) Don’t stay out late


Drinking and late nights often go together. Late nights out mean interrupted sleeping patterns, less sleep and or and a lower quality of sleep. Disrupted sleeping patterns often mean missed meals, poor workouts and poor recovery. Your body needs its rest and it thrives on structure and schedule.


5) Do not drink often (or daily)


You often hear the advice of “drinking in moderation,” which we’ve defined as two drinks a day, so some people do exactly that – they have two every day – fourteen drinks per week. Not a good idea. Save the drinks for special occasions.


6) Don’t bother explaining to others why you’re not drinking


If peer pressure is a problem for you, don’t bother attempting to explain to friends or co- workers the reason why you’re cutting back on alcohol. If it’s a major problem, you may need to reconsider who you spend time with. You’ll always become like those you spend the most time with. Choose your circle of friends carefully. Ninety-five percent of the world doesn't care that you're working on improving yourself. The only ones who care are the other people who are trying to do the same for themselves. Remember, it's easier for a loser to reach up and try to drag you down, rather than to try and climb up and improve themselves.


Instead of "I'm on a diet" or "I'm in training," you can make a game out of it and come up with some funny stories about why you’re not drinking or why you’re only having a drink or two. For example, “I have a genetically inherited liver disorder. I really wish I could drink with you guys but I just can’t take any chances." Or, "My doctor said I lack the proper enzymes to detoxify alcohol, so toxic by-products build up in my liver and internal organs if I drink." Instead of being in a tense peer pressure situation, you could actually have fun with this.


Conclusion


The next time you happen to be in a bar (Hopefully it’s not very often), take a good look around. You won’t find many successful fitness or bodybuilding champions hanging out there at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. And the next time you go to the gym, check out the bodybuilders and fitness models. You’ll notice that they all lug around a large bottle of water or even a gallon jug – all the time.  Then take a look at how lean and muscular they are.  Do they know something that you don’t?  Drink your water!