How to Lose Belly Fat by Drinking Water

While you cannot target belly fat in particular by drinking water, you can use water to help you lose weight overall. Drinking enough water on a daily basis can help you shed permanent pounds, but there are no quick shortcuts to weight loss. A water fast might help you lose a few pounds in the short term, but be aware that the weight will come back as soon as you break your fast.

Drinking Water to Aid in Permanent Weight Loss

Drink enough water every day to fill yourself up. The Mayo Clinic recommends that adult women drink 9 cups of water per day, and men 13 cups per day. Not only does this keep your body hydrated and healthy — it also prevents your body from confusing thirst with hunger. If you drink enough water to fill up your stomach, you can trick your body the other way, into thinking it’s full of food when it’s really full of zero-calorie water.Remember that these amounts are general guidelines and the amount of water required will vary based on your weight and activity level.Keep a water bottle with you so you can sip on water throughout the day.Know how many ounces of water your bottle holds, and make sure you refill it enough times in a day to reach your water goals.

If you’re feeling hungry, drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. If you’re still feeling hungry, eat a light snack. You’ll often find, though, that a glass of water can stave off snack cravings.

Replace caloric drinks with water.[3] One of the easiest ways to cut large amounts of calories from your diet is to stop drinking your calories. The energy drink you use to get your day started, the soda you drink with lunch, and the beers you grab with friends at the end of the workday — those are all empty calories added on top of the actual food you eat.

A couple alcoholic drinks with friends might be an important part of your social life. Just make sure you don’t drink to excess. Have water while you’re drinking, both to keep your body hydrated and to keep you from drinking too many alcoholic calories. Aim for a one-to-one ratio of alcoholic drinks to glasses of water.

Embrace coffee and tea. If you’re one of the many people who has trouble getting started in the morning, don’t worry! Experts count coffee and tea as part of your daily water intake.[4] If you’ve relied on energy drinks in the past, these unadorned caffeinated drinks are a much better way to wake yourself up.

Don’t add calories to these drinks with unnecessary additions. A caramel latte or Frappuccino will be full of added sugar and calories from milk, whipped cream, and flavoring syrups. A plain cup of coffee, on the other hand, has only 2 calories and no fat![5]

Be aware that your body must still metabolize the caffeine, which requires water. Make sure you drink enough water to allow your metabolism to do so.

Flavor your water with fruits. If you find yourself missing the flavored drinks you once used to tide you over, you can make your own flavored drinks without the sugar and calories. Slice up your favorite fruits — strawberries, lemons, cucumbers — and soak them in a pitcher of water in your refrigerator. After a few hours, the water will take on the fruit’s flavor, and you’ll have a delicious, low-calorie drink.Take sips of water between bites during meals. Water helps you digest meals by ensuring proper kidney function. But taking sips of water in between bites can also stop you from overeating. It can take 12-20 minutes for your body to realize that its hunger has been satisfied, so if you’re eating too fast, you may eat far more than you need to.

Fast eaters often find that they feel overly full and sluggish after meals. By sipping on water between every bite, you lengthen the meal and give your brain time to process how full your stomach is.