Wha....?

[morningstar]

I just had this thought about contradictory fitness information out there.

You know how everyone says that you should drink water while trying to lose weight in order to feel more full, and thus, not eat as much? Well, they also say that liquid calories aren't registered by the body as actual food, so the body still wants solid food. These two "facts" are mutually exclusive- they can't both be true!

 

[Fit_mommy]

Well I know for me, liquid does very little to absolutely nothing to cure hunger. Even a 300 calorie protein shake will only keep me feeling "full" for about an hour at best. And water? Hah. Doesn't do a damn thing except keep my mouth and hands busy, so for that moment, I don't reach for anything else.

 

[Dela]

I have never agreed with drinking water as a way of squashing hunger, at least it is not true for me. But I guess the water thing is more about putting anything in your stomach to create some kind of feeling that something is there.

Protein shakes can keep me satisfied for about 2 hours, with added fat like coconut oil or almond butter about 3.

 

[diane57]

I think when they say "liquid calories" leave the body wanting more food, it means drinks with calories in them - soft drinks, etc. I don't think water falls into the "liquid calories" category.

 

[cataddict]

I hadn't heard that you should drink a lot of water to feel full, I thought it was to make sure you are properly hydrated so there would be no confusion between being the sensations of hunger and thirst. I try to drink it just for that reason, there's no way I could get full enough on water to not still be hungry!

 

[DirtDiva]

I read this the other day, and of course who knows if its true or false...if you drink water with your meal, you dilute stomach acids which further impairs break down and absorption of nutrients and that in turn increases fat accumulation. So here again is a classic reversal of what *they* say you should do. We've been told for years to drink water before eating so you feel full, now they are saying you should wait at least 30 minutes after eating so your body can fully utilize what you just ate. It never cease to amaze me...

 

[kathryn]

I think when they say "liquid calories" leave the body wanting more food, it means drinks with calories in them - soft drinks, etc. I don't think water falls into the "liquid calories" category.

I agree! (but have to type more!)

 

[kathryn]

I read this the other day, and of course who knows if its true or false...if you drink water with your meal, you dilute stomach acids which further impairs break down and absorption of nutrients and that in turn increases fat accumulation. So here again is a classic reversal of what *they* say you should do. We've been told for years to drink water before eating so you feel full, now they are saying you should wait at least 30 minutes after eating so your body can fully utilize what you just ate. It never cease to amaze me...

I've long heard that it's not a good idea to drink with meals (a few sips, but not much) because of the dilution of stomach acids. But I'd never heard that it was linked to an increase in fat accumulation (and I'm not sure why it would be?).

There really shouldn't be a need to drink water after a meal if one drinks enough before and (very important) if one is eating enough high-water-content foods.

 

[kathryn]

Since the average stomach holds about a quart, drinking water before meals would help with satiety (the 'full feeling' that is one of the triggers for cutting off the appetite...though another important element is high-nutrient content foods that satisfy not just calorie or satiety needs, but the body's needs for nutrients).

 

[morningstar]

I'm going to stand by my original statement- it just doesn't make any sense that water, a liquid with no nutrients or calories, apparently makes people feel satiated, while other liquids with actual nutrients and calories do not - even though they also take up room in the stomach.

 

[NRG Woman]

In his book Your Body's Many Cries for Water the author talks about how your body can confuse thirst for hunger. This may be what people are referring to when they are talking about needing to drink water to be full.

My own person case study confirms this to be true. I have nerve damage to my abs from several aggressive abdominal surgeries. The result is that my gastric nerve is very irritated and for several years I could not manage to drink water. It was like that feeling when you have the flu and everything that comes near you is repulsive while the doctors continually tell you to push fluids. To maintain my hydration status I have been on a couple of types of feeding tubes. As the situation became less severe I was able to eat food, but water was still really repulsive and I still could not maintain my hydration status. It was pretty severe, heart palpitations...change of consciousness...etc. Anyway, during that time I was always hungry, really hungry for easily digestible foods. I mean really hungry, don't look at me, don't talk to me until I have eaten. After reading the book Your Body's Many Cries for Water I forced myself to fix my hydration (it was a really bad scene). Anyway, after my hydration status normalized, my appetite also normalized. My calorie intake naturally dropped by 800-1000 calories per day and I no longer cared about food, just ate naturally.

That is just my personal experience.

 

[DirtDiva]

In his book Your Body's Many Cries for Water the author talks about how your body can confuse thirst for hunger. This may be what people are referring to when they are talking about needing to drink water to be full.

My own person case study confirms this to be true. I have nerve damage to my abs from several aggressive abdominal surgeries. The result is that my gastric nerve is very irritated and for several years I could not manage to drink water. It was like that feeling when you have the flu and everything that comes near you is repulsive while the doctors continually tell you to push fluids. To maintain my hydration status I have been on a couple of types of feeding tubes. As the situation became less severe I was able to eat food, but water was still really repulsive and I still could not maintain my hydration status. It was pretty severe, heart palpitations...change of consciousness...etc. Anyway, during that time I was always hungry, really hungry for easily digestible foods. I mean really hungry, don't look at me, don't talk to me until I have eaten. After reading the book Your Body's Many Cries for Water I forced myself to fix my hydration (it was a really bad scene). Anyway, after my hydration status normalized, my appetite also normalized. My calorie intake naturally dropped by 800-1000 calories per day and I no longer cared about food, just ate naturally.

That is just my personal experience.

And what an experience! I hope you much better on all accounts.