14 Health Benefits of Drinking Hot Water For Weight Loss

They tell you to skip dinner, ditch carbs, load up proteins… have no salt till noon… eat only fruits for breakfast… impossible things that we should do to lose weight. But what if we told you that something as simple as water could help speed up your weight loss?

They tell you to skip dinner, ditch carbs, load up proteins… have no salt till noon… eat only fruits for breakfast… impossible things that we should do to lose weight, but which we may be able to follow only for a short while. And then comes the inevitable frustration of having gained back all that weight that you had somehow managed to shake off. But what if we told you that something as simple as water could help speed up your weight loss?

Hot Water For Weight Loss – 5 Ways It Works

While people may have told you time and again that drinking hot water – or rather warm water – will help you shed those kilos fast you might be wondering how this humble drink actually does the trick. Here are the answers you have been seeking!

1. Hot water boosts metabolism. It is the ideal way to kickstart your slowed down body processes.
2. Hot water breaks down fat. The temperature of the water helps to mobilise fat molecules, making them easier to be burnt.
3. Hot water curbs appetite. So one way to use hot water for weight loss is to drink a cup of hot water about 30 minutes before a meal.
4. Hot water curbs cravings because it makes you feel full. So the next time you crave for something and find yourself fighting an uncontrollable urge to binge, have a cup of hot water and hold on for 20 minutes.
5. Finally, hot water maintains body temperature. Of course, if the water is too hot (or too cold for that matter), it is going to hamper your digestive system. But warm water (up to 50-degrees Celcius) is, in fact, beneficial in maintaining body processes at an optimum rate. This helps in proper digestion of food, assimilation of nutrients, and excretion of waste.

9 Health Benefits of Drinking Hot Water

Now that we know how drinking hot water speeds up weight loss, let us look at a few other benefits of drinking warm water.

1. No more constipation

Warm water is perhaps the best and most natural laxative that is cost-free and does the job better than any other commercially available laxatives! It’s easy, and requires no effort, and has no side-effects! So why not give it a try?

2. Clean insides

Warm water has the same effect on the intestines that it does on greasy utensils – it helps clean out all the oil and gravy and masala that we Indians so love, but that is so bad for us health wise! The original, oldest detox drink, get in the habit of drinking a glass of hot water after a particularly heavy Indian meal.

3. Better circulation

Ever noticed the glow that comes to your skin – especially your face – when you have something hot? Warm water has the same effect on your skin… but in a healthy way. It boosts blood circulation and keeps your skin looking fresh.

4. Anti-ageing strategy!

Yes, ladies! Instead of spending big bucks on those expensive anti-ageing creams, just get in the habit of drinking warm water through-out the day. Warm water helps in flushing the toxins out of the body more efficiently than normal or cold water can, leaving you looking younger!

5. No more dryness

While water is important for proper hydration of skin (and we all know it), it is warm water that’s the best solution for skin dryness.

6. Bye-bye acne

As mentioned earlier, warm water flushes toxins out of the body. No toxins mean no acne and pimples!

7. Clear nose and throat

Along with inhaling steam, it also helps to drink warm water when you have a cold and/or a cough. Not only does it soothe the irritated throat, it also helps in decongestion of the nose. Colds can have a surprisingly dehydrating effect on the body, and drinking warm water takes care of that too.

8. Relief from menstrual cramps

Many women will be familiar with the practice of using a hot water bag when those menstrual cramps seem hell-bent on ruining your day! A better solution, however, is to drink hot water, rather than place it on your womb. Let the magic happen from within!

9. Better hair growth

Warm water, as explained before, boost blood circulation, and that is how it promotes hair growth. The reason hair growth is poor in most women is due to poor blood circulation (which in turn means poor nutrition for the scalp and hair).

4 Tips To Use Hot Water for Weight Loss Plan

So now you know how drinking warm water benefits not only your body but also your weight loss goals! But how should you go about actually incorporating this habit and making it a part of your daily routine? Here are 5 tips to use hot water for weight loss.

1. Start your day with a glass of warm water. It is the easiest and safest way to ‘wake up’ your body.
2. Consider additives like lemon, mint leaves, etc. for additional benefits. Particularly for weight loss, squeezing half a lemon into a glass of warm water is recommended.
3. Drink warm water 20 minutes before a meal, and 30 minutes after a heavy meal. Before a meal, the warm water cuts back calorie intake up to 13%. After the meal, the warm water helps aid digestion and also prevents the oily and spices in the food from causing any digestion problems.
4. Drink warm water before bed. This helps to calm down nerves, and ensure deep sleep. Sleep is very important and closely linked to weight loss.

Precautions When You Drink Hot Water

Now that you know all the benefits of drinking warm water, let us look at what precautions you need to take while adopting this healthy lifestyle change.

1. Do not drink excessively hot water!
2. Do not drink water while standing – whether hot, warm, or cold. It can give stomach cramps and sharp, shooting pain in the limbs.
3. Do not substitute your morning hot water cuppa with hot tea or coffee instead (even if it is black tea/coffee, without sugar). Tea or coffee will not do for you, what a cup of warm water will.
4. Never gulp the water down in one go. Doing so will cause your body to simply throw it out, without really absorbing it on a cellular level. Always sip on your water.

FAQs

1. Does hot water help in reducing belly fat?

Yes. However, it is important to remember that you cannot merely depend on your water to move your fat – you have to move it too, through proper nutrition and exercise! 1 cup of warm water (around 250ml) burns only about 12 calories. However, the habit of drinking warm water brings about a lot of positive bodily changes, which actually bring about the anticipated weight loss.

2. Is drinking hot water beneficial for the skin?

Yes. As explained earlier, warm water improves blood circulation, giving your skin a natural healthy glow.

3. How much hot water should I drink a day for weight loss?

About 3 cups of warm water through the day is ideal. There are a lot of people who drink warm water throughout the day, on a daily basis. This is, of course, a wonderful lifestyle change to adapt. However, in summers this might be difficult to abide by. On hot days, try and drink water that is at room temperature. Finally, if that too cannot quench your thirst, consider using a cube of ice in a tall glass of water (instead of dunking an entire glass of cold water).

When you are trying to lose weight, every single tiny step counts. Take one today, by adopting drinking hot water not just as a habit to lose weight, but as a positive lifestyle change.