You’ll Never Go In the Water Again…

Water, Weight Loss, and What’s Lurking Below

This past week marked the 50th anniversary of the movie Jaws. Fitting, since it’s been over 100 degrees both here in Massachusetts and up in Maine, where my bestie is spending the summer. The difference? She has a lake and a pool to cool off in. Meanwhile, I keep hearing about the latest shark sightings along our coast.

I love the beach—always have. I taught S to jump waves before she could barely walk. But I’ve always had an irrational fear of what’s under the water’s surface, so my love comes with a touch of anxiety.

All this heat—and talk of pools, lakes, and oceans—got me thinking about water in another context: weight loss.

I’m going to be honest: I hate drinking water. I just don’t do it. So when patients ask how much water they should be drinking, I usually say, “More than me.”

That said, I also get a little frustrated when people suggest that weight loss is as simple as “just drink more water.” It’s part of that outdated “eat less, move more” narrative that oversimplifies the real, complex challenges of weight regulation. Telling someone to drink water as a weight-loss strategy can feel dismissive.

So, does drinking water help with weight loss? Not exactly. If you’re currently drinking high-calorie, sweetened beverages, then yes—switching to water can help reduce overall calorie intake. There are a few small, short-term studies that suggest drinking a glass of water before meals may reduce how much you eat, and there's the idea that sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. But the regulation of thirst and satiety is complex, and there’s no strong evidence showing that water alone leads to long-term weight loss.

That doesn’t mean water isn’t important. In fact, hydration is essential for so many aspects of our health. Especially in this kind of weather, we need to be intentional about staying hydrated. Think about your skin, kidneys, digestion—hydration affects it all. I talk to patients about water as a health habit, not a weight-loss trick.

But what if, like me, you just don’t drink water? Honestly, I think I passed my terrible hydration habits on to my dog—Charlie and I can go an entire day without a single sip. Thankfully, a wonderful dietitian I worked with gave me a simple, life-changing tip: try herbal, fruity, decaffeinated teas.

Now I’m hooked. I found a raspberry/blackberry tea I love—I buy it in bulk. In cooler months, I drink it hot all day. In the summer, I brew it into iced tea. No caffeine means it counts as hydration, and my kidneys are grateful.

Another go-to tip I share with patients is to try an infuser water bottle. You can grab one on Amazon for under $10. Just pop in your favorite fruits—berries, citrus, cucumber—fill with water, and let it steep. The longer it sits, the better it tastes. If you want a shortcut, products like Hint water (no artificial sweeteners) or flavored seltzers are great alternatives. And if you still need more flavor? Add a splash of juice. Hydration doesn’t have to be perfect—it just needs to work for you.

So yes, keep an eye out for things lurking beneath the surface of the ocean. But while your toes are in the sand, make sure there’s an infuser bottle in your hand.