Growing up, I remember drinking a glass of warm lemon water every morning before I went to school. It was the first thing my mother made me drink every morning. I wasn’t fond of the taste of lemon water (I am still not) but I drank it because I felt like it would help me with weight loss.
I don’t drink it anymore, but I have always wondered if it truly helped me lose any weight. Many clients also ask me if drinking lemon water will help them with weight loss. That’s why in this blog post I shall finally answer that question.
The 2 most popular justifications for drinking lemon water which I have come across are –
- It detoxifies the body which helps you lose fat
- It helps burn more calories
Does it Detoxify the Body?
Short answer – No.
Long answer – Read my 2-part series on detoxification to find out. Part 1 talks about the efficacy of detox diets on detoxification. Part 2 analyzes the effectiveness of detox diets on weight loss.
Does it Help Burn More Calories?
You can burn more calories in 2 ways –
- Either by moving more
- Or increasing metabolism
There is no evidence that lemon water makes you move more.
Does it Increase Metabolism?
Lemon water contains lemon juice and water. There is no research to show that lemon juice increases metabolism but there is mixed research that water might increase metabolism.
One study found that the subjects burned 24 calories for every 500ml of water consumed. Therefore, drinking 2000ml of water per day can help you burn approximately 100 extra calories.
Even if there were more studies to back this up, it only tells us that drinking more water every day increases the metabolic rate slightly. Lemon juice on the other hand, still does not seem to increase metabolism.
The Sour Truth
Misconceptions such as drinking lemon water for weight loss arise from the idea that one ingredient or concoction can solve your problem. You can also read my article about another such ingredient which people believe helps with weight loss – apple cider vinegar.
These ideas are very appealing because they offer a quick and seemingly easy solution. But since you didn’t become overweight overnight. You aren’t going to lose weight overnight either.
To lose weight you MUST be in a calorie deficit. If you are drinking lemon water but are not on a calorie deficit, you will not lose weight.
Should You Drink Lemon Water for Weight Loss?
There’s no evidence to show that lemon water helps lose weight.
This does not mean that if you are already drinking lemon water then you need to give up on this habit. I know many clients who continue drinking lemon water in the morning because it helps them feel refreshed and active or they just prefer it over the taste of plain water.
Now that you know what doesn’t work for weight loss, how about you do something that does work for weight loss? Sign-up for our personalized nutrition plans and we’ll help you all the way.
