The internet is full of quick-fix weight loss tips: Just make a few changes to your diet and you’ll magically lose 10 pounds!
Lemon water falls into that category. Headlines, Instagram posts, and TikTok videos extolling it as an easy “fat-burning” diet. But these posts are missing a key ingredient: a licensed expert.
“Lemon water is hydrating and naturally acidic, so you may feel like going to the bathroom after drinking it,” Caroline Thomason, R.D., a registered dietitian and diabetes educator based in Virginia, told USA Today. “If you weigh yourself before and after going to the bathroom, you may notice that you’ve lost weight, but that’s not because you magically drank lemon water in the morning.”
Here’s what a licensed nutrition expert actually thinks about the idea of drinking lemon water for weight loss.
Does lemon water help you lose weight?
The short answer is no.
“As a nutritionist, I’m not sure where this myth came from, but there is no magic food or drink that will help you lose body fat,” Thomason says. “Unfortunately, the boring basics still work for weight loss: diet and exercise are the two most important things you can change to lose weight.”
Drinking lemon water offers other benefits, including vitamin C, potassium, and helps keep you hydrated.
Some research suggests that drinking water before a meal may make you feel fuller and therefore eat less, but experts say adding lemon to water has no concrete effect on weight loss.
For those looking to lose weight, Thomason recommends starting with these daily adjustments:
- exercise: Increase walking, strength training, and aerobic exercise to 150 minutes per week a few times a week
- diet: “Emphasis on protein, increase fruits and vegetables, replace refined grains with whole grains, and include healthy fats in your diet.”
- Track your food to get a better idea of how many calories you eat each day: While some experts worry that too much emphasis on tracking your daily calories could lead to eating disorders, Thomason points out that it can also “help you develop a baseline awareness of your eating habits and clearly understand what changes you need to make to lose weight.”
Benefits of drinking lemon water:Healthy, hydrating beverage options
Who shouldn’t drink lemon water?
Acidic drinks like lemon water can cause heartburn, especially for people who are prone to acid reflux, and some research suggests that the citric acid in lemons may erode tooth enamel if consumed regularly over a long period of time.
What is the fastest way to lose weight?Let’s change our perspective.
