A friend of mine has been showing up recently, lugging around a huge water bottle that contained 32 ounces of water. It has lines on the side to show how much she drank. And goal was to drink 8 cups of water a day. She has alarms going off on her phone every two hours, reminding her to drink. How often does she have to go do the bathroom? Let’s just say…a lot.
She has fallen for a myth that’s a very common currently. That myth is that we must force ourselves to drink 8 cups of water a day, even if we aren’t thirsty. And all this water-drinking will supposedly help us lose weight.
The only problem is, there’s no good evidence for this. If you search online for “where did the myth about drinking 8 glasses of water a day come from?” you’ll find lots of fascinating information about the origin of this story.
Drinking water is supposed to be an appetite suppressant. And sometimes people claim “thirst is often mistaken for hunger”. But if you’ve ever been really, really thirsty—say you’re taking a long hike on a hot sunny day, and didn’t bring enough water with you—then you know that’s not true. When you’re extremely thirsty, you can’t eat anything. You must drink first, and only after you’ve drunk something are you be interested in eating.
Drinking water (or calorie-free drinks like tea or coffee) instead of snacking? Great.
It’s true that drinking water (or any liquids with no calories) can be useful for managing your weight. Drinking water instead of sweetened drinks like soda and juice? Good idea. Drinking water (or calorie-free drinks like tea or coffee) instead of snacking? Great.
But just drinking water, on top of what you normally do, will not suppress your appetite. You may need to drink 8 cups of water, or even more, but probably only if you’re doing heavy exercise in hot weather. Here’s the thing, though—your urge to drink will tell you that you need liquids. This feeling has been keeping mammals (like humans) from dying of thirst for millions of years.
If you enjoy drinking water, then do it. But don’t think it will help you lose weight. And if it’s a tedious habit that you don’t enjoy, then give it up.
Your time and energy are limited. And it takes time and energy to develop habits that are truly useful for weight loss. Don’t waste it working on useless habits like drinking 8 cups of water a day.
FYI: For some fantastic information about some of the myths around hydration, check out this article: The Best Hydration – Drink When Thirsty.
