I have not quite understood the water connection in the Atkins diet.

I gather that the large weight loss that is common in the induction phase of the diet is often due to water loss.

I am being encouraged - and mostly succeeding- to drink a gallon of water a day. A gallon is at least twice as much water as I used to drink, so how can my weight loss be down to water loss? Surely drinking a gallon a day will replace any water lost in the first week of the diet?

I know water is important to maintain hydration, is there another reason for drinking so much - does it help weight loss in some way...? It certainly fills me up...

James

12 pounds down - 33 to go.

Water is not just essential for the Atkins way of eating, it's essential, period. Water consumption helps flush out toxins we've been poisoning our bodies with for years. And, yes, it's important for hydration as well. Our cells can't transport important nutrients without enough water. It also helps dilute ketones in the bloodstream.

As for the initial weight loss being water loss, I don't think that's completely accurate. A lot of that water loss in the beginning is stored glycogen in the muscles and liver. It tends to show up as a large weight loss at first. After that, you settle in and lose 1-2 pounds per week of REAL fat while you are in ketosis. A lot of people get discouraged when that happens, thinking they aren't losing fast enough. But it's a good thing to lose slowly............your loss tends to last longer if you lose it more slowly.

HTH

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And oddly enough, even if you are retaining water, drinking _more_ water helps. It makes no sense logically, I know, but it is how it works.

And the water does help with the losses. I can't tell you all the scientific reasons (although I'm sure others know, but I don't retain all that). What I can tell you that if someone isn't losing or is losing slowly, upping their water intake will often get things moving again.

It also is great for your skin, and I believe it helps avoiding problems with your skin as you lose larger amounts of weight.

After a while, you start to crave the water.

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I am now drinking water like a camel - thanks for the clarification

On another matter, I just had three pieces of chewing gum and am dismayed to discover that I have had 18 grams of Carb - that's my daily limit gone! Oh well, it will have to be bacon and eggs again for supper...

James, water also helps keep your bladder and kidneys healthy, because it gets the toxins out. And also helps prevent constipation, which can be a problem early on with any low carb eating plan. I am a human sponge, retain water quite easily, so drinking lots of water is vital for me. It really does help. I try to get a minimum of 100 oz every day, and if I can hit a gallon, it's that much better. I even keep an insulated mug of ice water on my night stand, and when I wake up in the middle of the night, take a sip or two. Helps with the morning breath, too! I find it easiest to keep track of how much I drink by using a 20 oz insulated mug.

Yikes on the gum. Haven't chewed gum in years. Sugar free sticks to my dentures, and the kind that won't stick is full of corn syrup, deadly poison for me. (I'm allergic, plus it's pure carbs.)

Hope you have much success in your low carb lifestyle!

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Nita

James - I recently posted this on another person's question about water/diet drinks - so I thought I'd share:

Water is essential to lypolysis (the breaking up of fat molecules for energy). If you don't have an adequate water intake your body has a harder time burning fat.

The program works best when you are hydrating your body well. I always picture a little guy with a waterhose inside my fat cells going... okay...gotta clean these suckers out....powerwashing the fat away. Okay - it's silly, but the analogy works. If you consume water - you'll reap these benefits:

Water makes your metabolism burn calories 3% faster
Helps regulate appetite
Boost energy levels
Less water retention
Alleviate some headaches
Help reduce blood pressure
Help reduce high cholesterol
Ease joint pain
Decrease in risk of some cancers (reduces colon cancer risk by 45%, bladder cancer by 50% and some breast cancer)
Less chance developing kidney stones
Release toxic waste products (there's my guy with the powerwasher)
Improves skin

Here's some more interesting info:
The human brain is composed of 95% water; blood is 82% water; the lungs are nearly 90% water. How important is this composition? A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page. Mild dehydration is also one of the most common causes of daytime fatigue. How common a problem is this? Estimates are that seventy-five percent of Americans have mild, chronic dehydration.

I reward myself - I can have my coffee (I'm a starbucks addict, so this is no joke) AFTER I drink a bottle of water. I have to drink my water first... it starts me off on the right foot. Set a timer, set an outlook reminder, create a check list - do whatever it is you need to do, and the rewards will be great!

Good luck! (Go drink some water now!)
Dee

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