Flavored water for weight loss

Flavored water for weight loss

Is flavored water good for weight loss?

Water isn't a weight loss treatment, and flavoring it doesn't change that. What it can do is take the place of something with calories. The studies below used plain water, not fruit water, so we're assuming that a nearly calorie-free flavored version works the same way. That's a fair assumption, but it's still an assumption.

• Swapping caloric drinks. The CHOICE trial had 318 adults replace at least 200 calories a day of drinks with water or diet beverages for 6 months. The water group lost about 2% of body weight, against about 1.8% for a control group that made diet changes of its choosing. The difference between groups wasn't significant, although people assigned to replace beverages were about twice as likely to reach a 5% loss.
• Drinking before meals. In a 12-week trial, 48 adults aged 55 to 75 on a reduced-calorie diet who drank 500 ml of water (about 17 ounces) before each meal lost about 2 kg (4.4 pounds) more than those on the diet alone. A trial in 84 adults with obesity found 1.3 kg (2.9 pounds) more at 12 weeks, and that fell just short of significance after adjustment. The authors called it preliminary.
• The wider evidence. A 2024 review in JAMA Network Open found only 18 randomized trials of daily water intake across all health outcomes. A small number suggested a weight loss benefit, and the authors rated the evidence as limited in quality and quantity.

So the realistic picture is a few pounds over a few months, in people who are also watching their diet. That's worth having, since it costs almost nothing, but it's a helper rather than the plan.

Daily fluid needs & hydration

How much fluid do you need each day?

This post used to say 3 to 4 liters and cited Mayo Clinic's water guide. The figure behind most advice is the National Academies' adequate intake: about 2.7 liters a day for women and 3.7 for men, from all drinks and foods. Your own number depends on body type, activity and environment, so treat it as a range rather than a daily test to pass. Tea, coffee and other drinks all count too. See how much water you should drink a day for more.

Exercise raises the target. Sweat losses vary widely from person to person. A 2017 review of athletes found whole-body sweat rates typically run from about 0.5 to 2 liters an hour. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends customized plans because of that variability, and aims to keep losses under 2% of body weight to protect performance. You can calculate your own sweat rate with a scale.

Health benefits of flavored water

Which flavored water benefits are real?

Lists of water's benefits tend to run long. This post had 12. Almost all of them are really about avoiding dehydration rather than anything added by the fruit, so we checked each one.

The 12 commonly claimed benefits of flavored water, and what the evidence shows

The metabolism claim is the most repeated. The 2003 study estimated about 100 kJ, or about 24 calories, per 500 ml. A 2006 trial found no increase from room temperature water and only 4.5% from water chilled to 3°C, and its authors doubted water as a tool for obesity. Even taking the larger number, that's about 95 calories for 2 liters.

For skin, a systematic review found slight improvements in hydration but called the evidence weak in quantity and quality. For thinking, a 2014 review found water can help some cognitive abilities and mood, and noted weak methods in the research.

Flavored water recipes & ideas

Which flavored water combos work best?

Six combinations to try. Slice everything thinly, since more surface area means more flavor:

• Strawberries + orange + lime
• Watermelon + kiwi + lime, a classic mix
• Mango + raspberries + fresh ginger
• Blackberries + orange + fresh ginger
• Honeydew + cucumber + fresh mint leaves, a cooling option
• Blueberry + lemon + mango

Fruit isn't required. Mint, cinnamon sticks, parsley, coriander and lavender all work, and pairs like mint with cucumber or basil with strawberries are hard to beat. Wash your produce first, let it steep in the refrigerator for a few hours and refresh it daily. We'd treat it like any cut fruit: keep it cold and finish it within a day or so.

Fruit water does carry some vitamins and antioxidants, but we couldn't find good measurements of how much ends up in the glass, and it's likely small next to eating the fruit itself. So eat the fruit too. Our guides to the best fruits for weight loss and the 100 best foods for weight loss go further.

Store-bought flavored water & electrolytes

Are store-bought flavored waters healthy?

Commercial water flavorings can include thickeners, stabilizers, synthetic colors and flavors, and sweeteners. That isn't the same as unsafe. The FDA reviews high-intensity sweeteners as food additives or under GRAS (generally recognized as safe) notices, including certain purified stevia extracts. What's less clear is whether they help with weight.

The World Health Organization's 2023 guideline recommends against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight, based on a review suggesting no long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children. Against that, the CHOICE trial above found diet drinks did at least as well as water over 6 months. Our read: a diet drink can be a useful step down from soda, and it doesn't need to be your long-term default.

For workouts or hot weather, electrolyte powders, tablets and drops can add to plain water, and the American College of Sports Medicine says electrolyte and carbohydrate drinks can beat water alone under certain circumstances. See our guide to hydration timing for post-workout recovery for details.

Tips to drink more water every day

How can you drink more water every day?

• Set achievable goals. Break down your daily intake the way you'd break down realistic weight loss goals. Ninety-six ounces becomes 12 ounces an hour across an 8-hour day, which is far less daunting.
• Use reminders. Set your phone or watch to nudge you. Over time, sipping becomes second nature.
• Buy a water bottle you like. A nice bottle might be just the motivation you need.
• Keep it handy. A bottle you can see reminds you to drink.
• Eat fluid-rich foods. Watermelon and strawberries are about 91% water, blueberries about 84% and grapes about 81%, estimated from USDA FoodData Central values for the raw fruit.

Flavored water & your weight loss plan

Where does flavored water fit in a diet?

A pitcher of cucumber water takes about 5 minutes on a Sunday. Portion control for 20 meals takes rather longer, and that's usually where weight loss plans run into trouble. It's a workload problem more than a knowledge problem.

That's the part our Weight Loss Meal Plan handles. It's portion and calorie controlled, starts at $89.95 for 10 meals, and meals heat in a few minutes in the microwave. Pair it with whichever water you'll actually drink.

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