Staying hydrated is one of the core elements of any health and wellness plan, and your weight loss program is no different. When you aren’t giving your body enough fluids to manage appropriately, then it starts to systematically shut-down, and the metabolism is one of the first things to slow down. This means that if you aren’t drinking enough water every day, in addition to getting too many calories from whatever you are drinking, your lack of water may actually be making it more difficult for you to keep up with your weight loss goals.

Hydration is something that tends to get discussed a lot when the weather warms up, and then falls out of focus for the majority of the year as the cool weather takes the lead. However, hydration matters all year round. Even as the weather starts to cool off, you need to work on staying hydrated. In addition to being essential for staying healthy during your regular workouts, being hydrated is necessary for encouraging your weight loss efforts. Of course, it’s not just about making sure you are getting fluids—you need to make sure that you are getting in the right fluids, otherwise a few too many glasses of your favorite drink could actually hurt your weight loss efforts even more.

Here are some tips to help you get your strategy right for staying hydrated:

• Stick with water whenever possible. Water is the only beverage that your body actually needs, and it has no calories and no sugar, making it healthy and great for your weight loss efforts.
• Try to avoid sugary sports drinks. While they advertise as being great for keeping you hydrated, they do so with lots of carbs. Even the low calorie options aren’t as ideal to enjoy as a glass of water.
• Juices and alcoholic beverages need to be enjoyed in moderation only. Be mindful of how often you are allowing yourself to indulge in any of these popular drinks.

Stay hydrated all through the year by carrying a water bottle with you all day. Keep water on your desk at work, and drink it regularly throughout the day. Opting for water instead of soda or juice is great for your health and weight loss goals, but drinking water at non-meal times is what will help you stay hydrated.