William Li, M.D.: Get lean faster

The doc shares what to drink, when to drink and how much to drink for easier fat burn and soaring energy

- by ALLISON NEMETZ

We've all heard water and hydration are important. But how much do they really matter for weight loss? Two words: a lot. When a University of Nottingham team compared dieters allowed either diet soda or only water, “women who just drank water lost 17 times more weight,” reports nutrition researcher William Li, M.D., author of Eat to Beat Your Diet. Meanwhile, reader Scarlett Espinoza, 39, used the power of water to help melt half her body fat in 60 days. Keep reading to learn how you can get wow results for yourself.

The Nottingham study is one of many that suggest it’s not just cola and sweet tea driving weight issues—diet soda and sugar-free sports drinks can also make it harder to get lean, says Dr. Li. Why? There are about 39 trillion reasons.

Why water wins for fat loss

Ounce for ounce, water and diet soda contain nearly identical amounts of water, Dr. Li notes. And even if a diet drink contains caffeine, it has minimal impact on hydration. The real problem: “Artificial sweeteners in diet soda can interfere with and damage your microbiome,” says Dr. Li, referring to the 39 trillion microbes in your GI tract that aid in digestion, immunity, the nervous system and even brain function. He adds that a healthy microbiome is crucial for things like metabolism, blood sugar regulation and fat burning—“all very important for healthy weight management.” Worth noting: Studies show drinking more water helps beneficial gut microbes thrive.

Don’t plenty of diet soda drinkers lose weight? Sure. But focusing on water will likely make weight loss faster and easier, says Dr. Li—especially after age 50.

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