Stay Energized
Studies have shown that staying hydrated with sufficient water while exercising can result in the ability to complete more reps and remain energized. This means the simple act of drinking enough water can directly increase the number of calories you'll burn, because you'll have more energy during your routine than you would have had if you were insufficiently hydrated.
Minimize Hunger
Consuming water prior to a meal will allow you to fill up your stomach without the evil of extraneous calories. This will minimize your chances of binging on food, because it will make you less hungry than you would have been.
Fill Up on Water Before Meals
The American Chemical Society suggests drinking 16 ounces (two cups) of water prior to every meal. Drinking this recommended amount while cutting down on the size of your meal portions makes you increases your chances of shedding pounds and keeping them off in the long run.
Opt for Zero Calories
Too many people these days substitute high-calorie beverages like soda, juice or alcohol for water during their meals. The situation gets even worse when you factor in the typical drink size at most fast food joints and restaurants.
Think of all the sugary, high-calorie drinks you consume in a given week, and imagine all the calories you could save by switching to water - if even for just one substitution per day. It's true that you can cut down on calories by switching to low-calorie diet sodas and juices in lieu of their regular counterparts, but diet drinks tend to increase your desire to eat. Water with every meal is the perfect choice when you're looking to cut down on calories.
Hydrate to Burn Fat
Whether you are vigorously exercising or burning a few calories just sitting down and chewing gum at work, your body needs sufficient hydration in order to efficiently use those calories for fat-burning. So, whether you're burning 100 or 1,000 calories, you still need to drink plenty of water for them to be burned as efficiently as possible.
Fulfill Your Hydration Needs
More research is necessary for accurately determining the water needs for every person, but the Institute of Medicine recommends that women drink 15 cups (2.7 liters) of water per day, while men should drink 18 cups (3.7 liters). These recommended amounts for body efficiency are total water amounts, and they account for water you consume in coffee, fruit and vegetables also.
Lose Weight Quickly
If you're looking to shed weight in a hurry, one way of doing so is to consume plenty of water while cutting down on your sodium intake. The decision to eliminate dietary salt (the pretzels and turkey you eat in the breakroom, the canned foods you prepare on the stove, or the chips or nuts you snack on between meals) while increasing your water intake will allow you to drop water weight quickly.
Flush Toxins
Whether you are burning hundreds of calories at the gym or handfuls of calories walking from place to place, the act of burning calories releases toxins inside your body. Drinking a sufficient amount of water allows your body to flush out those toxins, rather than letting them hang around all throughout your dehydrated day.
Keep Oxygen Circulating
Based on water's chemical compound (h2o), correlation between water intake and your body's oxygen level should be rather obvious. When you don't drink a sufficient amount of water, your blood volume decreases. This means your muscles are failing to get necessary oxygen, and you will become exhausted more quickly as a result.
Muscle Maintenance
Your body needs water for countless reasons, and one such reason is to make life easier on your muscles. When you are exercising, you are putting a heavy toll on most - if not all - of your muscles. Sufficient water is necessary for the proper lubrication of your joints, and it drinking to your needs will drastically minimize the amount of soreness you'll feel later.
