The origin of the “8 glasses” mantra comes from a 1945 study which indicated that humans need 2.5 Liters (roughly 64 ounces) of water per day, however, most who quote this study fail to include the caveat that some of this water can come from the food you eat. Because 8 glasses of water is still more of a minimum requirement, aiming for 8 glasses of water a day is still a good idea. If you’re more thirsty, drink more water. If you’re less thirsty, drink less water. Keep it simple. (Sources: New York Times, Snopes, University of Michigan Health System)



Water is not the magic bullet for weight loss.
Drinking A LOT more water alone is not going to help you lose all the weight you want to lose and keep it off forever. It just won’t happen. That’s not how any of this works. Weight loss requires a calorie deficit. Period.

That said, drinking an adequate amount of water in strategic ways CAN assist us in achieving our weight loss goals in three ways:

Drinking water leaves less room for food in your stomach and will help you feel full more quickly at mealtimes. Have a full glass of water before eating to increase your satiety from the smaller amount of food you’re likely eating.
Water retention can mask fat loss temporarily as you lose weight, making it look like you’re not losing weight, when in fact, you are. Drinking more water can help to encourage your body to release that extra water, allowing your hard work to show up on the scale.
Drinking mostly water reduces the number of calories consumed in your beverages. Though there is water in Dr. Pepper, it is also loaded with sugar and 150 calories per can. Sweet tea has water in it, and if you’ve ever had southern-style sweet tea, you know just how much sugar and calories can be in that! (Hint: So many calories…) If you replace these calorie-laden beverages with water, you’re making huge strides towards reducing the number of calories you consume, which is crucial for weight loss.
Healthy Weight Loss Club’s Water Rule: If you feel thirsty, drink mostly water.
At the molecular level, water is important for fat loss as well. The chemical reaction which frees the stored fat from your cells and converts it to a form that your muscles and cells can use for energy (lipolysis) requires water. Coincidence? I think not!

When you’re drinking that water, imagine that water swooping into your fat cells like Robin Hood and breaking those triglycerides (stored fat) up, and pushing them out the muscles and cells who really need the energy! Sweet sweet Justice!

What this means for our weight loss plan is that water has an important role to play. If we follow the Healthy Weight Loss Club’s Water Rule (If you feel thirsty, drink mostly water), we will be providing our bodies with the water it needs to break down the extra fat in our cells while in a calorie deficit.