By David Crocker

 

Man, do I love this great country of ours, but we hold a number one ranking I’m not too proud of. We’re the world’s obesity champs. That’s right. In 1997, 19.4 percent of all U.S. adults were considered obese, not just overweight.

That number rose to 24.5 percent in 2004, 26.6 percent in 2007, 33.8 percent in 2008, and reached 35.7 percent by 2010, with 63.1 percent being at least overweight.

There are many strategies for losing body fat, but I’d like to share a simple one, you might never have even thought of. Water. Drinking water helps us lose more body fat in several ways. First, we need proper blood volume to lose fat, because we lose it via the blood stream. Blood is 83 percent water, by volume, so if you’re dehydrated, you just won’t lose as much fat.

Think of it this way, let’s pretend there’s a train delivering coal every day to fuel a power plant. The train has 100 coal cars, but one day the train leaves the station with just 50 coal cars. That means the train only delivers half its load of coal that day. Well, that train track is like your blood stream, those coal cars represent your blood’s water content, and that power plant is like your liver that burns fat (coal) for energy. So remember, if  blood volume is low you won’t burn as much body fat.

Water is also a great appetite suppressant. Drinking a couple of glasses before each meal will make you feel fuller, so you won’t eat so much. Remember too, that muscle is 70 to 75 percent water, so if you’re dehydrated it’s like running on flat tires, and remember, your heart’s a muscle too. Your muscles won’t look as good if you’re dehydrated either, because they won’t be nice and toned, tight, and shapely, and  they will tend to sag.

Drinking cold water increases fat loss too, because your body has to burn calories to heat the water you drink, to your body’s normal temperature.

Drinking water also helps inhibit vasopressin release. Vasopressin is a hormone that reduces your body’s thermogenesis  (heat production), which slows metabolism, and makes you retain fluid. So, not only does drinking more water increase your metabolism, but for those of you who tend retain fluid, drinking more water can be part of the solution.

When I do nutritional consultations I normally ask individuals if they drink much water. If they say “yes,” I ask them if they’re often thirsty. Almost, every time they’ll respond “yes.” I’ll then ask if they know anyone who does not drink much water. If they do I ask if that person is often thirsty. Most every time they’ll say “no.” Doesn’t that seem backward? You’d think if one drank lots of water, they wouldn’t be thirsty and vice versa.

Here’s why. Your body can’t tell the difference between what you choose to do or what you have to do, so when you consciously choose not to drink water, your body just thinks water isn’t available, so your brain’s thirst mechanism starts to shut down. When you drink lots of water your brain tells your body “water’s available, so it’s ok to be thirsty.”

If you don’t like water, try this. Make yourself chug a big glass of cool water, wait 30 minutes, do it again, and soon you’ll be thirsty. That’s one way to start loving water.

There are a few cautions associated with drinking water though. First, drinking too much at one time is dangerous. If you were to drink two gallons in one sitting, it could kill you by making your brain swell. Drinking too much throughout the day can also flush out electrolytes like magnesium, calcium, potassium, chloride, and sodium. Electrolytes are minerals that carry electrical charges through our muscles, to help them contract properly and losing too many could cause cramps. Taking your vitamin/mineral supplements, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables will help prevent cramping.

Also, for those who suffer from acid reflux, drinking too much water can sometimes aggravate the condition, by making the acid rise up the esophagus.

Diet or exercise question? Email me at dwcrocker77@gmail.com or visit fitness4yourlife.org. David Crocker of Landrum has been a nutritionist and personal trainer for 28 years. He served as strength director of the Spartanburg Y.M.C.A., head strength coach for the S.C. state champion girls gymnastic team, USC Spartanburg baseball team, Converse College equestrian team, lead trainer to L.H. Fields modeling agency, and taught four semesters at USC Union. David was also a regular guest of the Pam Stone radio show.