Does lemon/lime juice help lose weight?

[Fumih_81]

Been into gym exercising for close to 2 months... and i am taking thermogenics to increase metabolism.

these days i've been quite into drinking lemonade/lime juice..basically i like all citrus stuffs from drinks to perfumes...and my mom said it actually helps to lose weight. i didnt really believe what she said coz i didnt see the scales move and the drink is rather sweet.....

much to my astonishment today....(after working out at the gym for 2 months).....i saw my weight dropped by 2 kgs when i was busy keying on the treadmill at my office gym, the treadmill was giving me an estimation of my weight.

just now i tried searching for information on the link between lime/lemon juice and losing weight....probably it does help...

does anyone have more information about it? i think its hitting two birds with one stone if its really true.....coz i love citrus stuffs. :p

[tofi]

I don't think that a sweet, sugar-containing lemonade would help lose weight as it is mostly empty calories that cause an insulin surge right away.

Lemon & lime juices are not on Induction for Atkins nor do any LC plans (that I know of) recommend them or citrus fruits in the initial stages. However you have lost so much and are so close to your goal that you can afford to add fruits in many forms. Be sure to count the carbs because even plain citrus is pretty high in sugars.

If you were exercising for 2 months, no wonder you lost the weight! ;) That's a great way to tone up the muscles and get them to use more calories.

There are lots of plans that are low fat or low calorie that recommend lemon juice in some form to "detoxify the liver". I guess it may do that, but I am not sure of it.

I'd bet on the exercise, rather than the lemon. Drink some juice if you want, but skip the sugar.

:wave:

[Fumih_81]

i was just wondering....coz i did not expect the scale to move despite my workouts for 2 months....since muscles are heavier than fats...

i wonder why my weight only begins to fall after 2 months....?

but i think i got addicted to running on the treadmill....usually it will be about 10 minutes on it...today i made it 15 minutes and i am not gasping that hard for oxygen...just that i sweated double with thermogenics..

[Elihnig]

Lemon juice and lime juice are on Atkin's induction list. You may have 2-3 tablespoons per day 2.8 carbs per it is listed as. It is listed as a possible salad dressing and under other foods allowed.

Beth

[doreen T]

Yes, Beth is right, fresh lemon and lime juice is permitted on Induction. I'd stick with the freshly squeezed stuff though ... most bottled juice has citrates and/or sulphites added as a preservative. As long as you account for the carbs in your daily total, you'll be fine.

As for magical weight loss properties ... I doubt there are any ;) But I will say that there's anecdotal evidence that fresh lemon or lime juice added to plain water or sparkling mineral water seems to have a mild diuretic property, so it may help reduce a bit of water retention.

Doreen

p.s. - nice new avatar Fumih :thup: Keep up the good work!

[freydis]

Perhaps the vitamin C content has some value for weight loss? I checked my new book: Dr. Atkins' Age-Defying Diet Revolution. The main thing he mentioned was keeping free radicals in check.

[Fumih_81]

hohoho thanks for the avatar compliment doreen....

anyway back to topic....hmmm probably it does make sense it helps to reduce water retention....i seem to like sour food stuffs. but i am afraid it will create discomforts in my tummy.

:cool:

[KellyG5]

Isn't lemon juice a diaretic (sp?) which will release water weight and look a like a weight loss?

I am not sure on that, but seems like I read that somewhere. PLEASE correct me if I am wrong.

[Kathy54]

Well I sure hope they help, I put a wedge of lemon and a wedge of lime in my big water mug, the just keep refilling it all day, I can still slightly taste the flavor by the end of the day.
On the other hand I have'nt lost any weight for 5-6 days????, Sure hope it does'nt have anything to do with it. No cheating either, not once!

Please have a look at my intake in my journal, I need some feed back on how I'm doing.

Cheers Kathy54

[Rosebud]

Hi there,

As Doreen said, lemon juice is said to have some diuretic properties.

However, a wedge or two, or the 2 or 3 tablespoons permitted on Induction would make such a scant difference in weight, that it's not really worth regarding. On the other hand changing to a low carb eating plan causes quite a significant natural diuresis.

Adding some lime and/or lemon to water is a great idea if you don't much care for the taste of water. Anything that encourages one to drink water is good!

:rose:Rosebud:rose:

[mushroom]

Hi Fumih,

Interesting topic..

I do have a friend who claimed she lost weight by drinking lime juice everyday(Needless to say, it sent everyone into a buying-limes frenzy).

I love citrus stuff too...but I find that since lemon/lime aids in digestion, I get hungry pretty fast!(Maybe I drank too much? :D ) Did you experience this too?

[alicia50]

I have an aunt who lost over 10 lbs and she wasn't
even trying, she just began drinking half of lemon in warm
water first thing in the morning, but personally I get tummy
aches If I try and drink that mixture on an empty stomach.

I know according to Edita's Skinny Rules book she recommends
drinking a mixture of 8 oz green tea(hot or cold) 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice and stevia (a natural sweetener found in health
food stores) before meals to raise your metabolic rate, the
Lemon juice is a natural diuretic, the green tea contains catechins
natural plant compounds that raise your metabolic rate for up
to four hours and the stevia is and appetite suppressant that
sweetens without raising insulin levels the way artificial
sweeteners do. According to her

[Fumih_81]

i think it is logical that if our tummy gets too acidic it'll trigger hunger pangs....

when i take too much sour foods my tummy tends to be uncomfortable. last time i took too much tom yam (a thai spice) and i got worried what might have happened to me lol.

i take calamasi/lemon/lime juice abt once or twice a week...i am thinking of getting those 1 litre lemon/lime juice instead...or maybe i should just buy some lemons/lime and add into my plain water drinks...

yeah probably it will trigger a lime frenzy in me since i discovered i lost 2 kg together with exercise and thermogenics and low carb...

i love citrus! :D

[nubs]

I have heard recently that lemon juice aids in liver function, and is a good maintenance tool for the liver. If the liver help metabolize fat, it may help to keep the liver operating at it's peak. "Fat Flush" advocates this as part of their weight loss program, in addition to controling carb intake.

Secondly, several years ago my grandparents swore by adding lemon juice to their daily water intake as a cleansing tool. They did shed some weight, and unfortunatly at their age it was too much weight loss, and now they are having a difficult time putting it back on. So be careful if you are advanced in age.

[Fumih_81]

anyone currently having taking lemon juice on daily basis? how's the results like?

now i am seriously thinking about having some daily lemon/lime juice intake........anyway its my favourite.....

does anyone take lemon slices or just take lemon juices?

and since it helps liver function, i think it may benefit my mom too... she has hepatitis B and on medication.....

[mushroom]

I remember I went to Expressions (a slimming centre) once and they made me go on a detox fast, drinking only lemon juice and maple syrup for 3 days claiming one can lose up to 3 kg on it! I was young and naive enough to try it out then :o

I guess there's no harm drinking lemon juice every day. Other than helping to cleanse the body and aid in digestion, it provides you with vitamin c!

As those bottled types may contain some sugar, it's probably better to get fresh lemons and squeeze the juice into warm/cold water yourself as and when you need it. . You can cut the leftovers into slices and use it for facial :rolleyes: !(A tip provided by my friend)

I think I'm going to try it myself! :D

[alibubble]

Hi,
Did you know that Weight Watchers also recommend you drink hot water with fresh lemon juice every morning for the first week ?
I believe the reason is to rid the body of excess water and to enhance liver function.
I have a friend who swears by it.....I can't take the acidity that early in the morning but if it works for you !!

[Fumih_81]

yday i bought a carton of lemonade...getting lazy to squeeze lemons.....and i mixed 50%-50% with water....the pure lemonade itself is too sweet...

i asked my friend who's also trying to lose weight says that her throat gets too sensitive by the lemon/lime whenever she drinks lemon/lime juices....it seemed that she has stopped taking it...

i think i may have been one of those people who only know lately abt the capabilities of lemon on losing weight....looks like everyone around me knows it for a long time...hahahah :D but never too late....now armed with a new knowledge...

[Fumih_81]

I believe the reason is to rid the body of excess water and to enhance liver function.

alibubble, you've got it. i've been visiting the loo for so many times today..... :D :D

[barefoot1]

My guess is there is more to this citrus thing than just the diuretic effect.

I've been reading articles on the glycemic value of various food substances.

Many have found through research that vinegar and acidic fruits such as citrus fruits tend to inhibit blood sugar levels.


barefoot

[Fumih_81]

if thats the case then its great!

i think on the labels of some thermogenics...there are ingredients starting with 'citrus....xxxxx........' is that counted?

[aileen]

An article by Jean Carper states...
Add vinegar or lemon juice to carbs. The acid lowers the GI as much as 30%. To counteract a meal's high GI, eat a green salad with acidic dressing.
So I will start drinking my H2O with lemon.

[Fumih_81]

hoooooo thats an interesting article...

so meaning we should have more 'sour carbs' from now on...lol

cool cool

so is it counted when i mix lemon juice with orange juice? :D

but personally i like many things sour......from spices to citrus....

[souraznhun]

Just talked to a friend about how lemons and lime make you lose weight faster....i'm going to start today and see what the results are after a week. i've been working out and heating healthy and have lost 9 pounds.....

by the way, using fresh lemons is the best way to do it....not the lemon juice that you can buy at the store.

[DiannaH]

In the book "The Body Sense Natural Diet" by Lorna vanderhaghen, she recommends drinking hot water with real lemon juice squeezed into it every day. I believe she said that it aids in digestion and inhibits absorption of starches? I don't have the book in front of me, so I can't be sure.
I do try to have the hot lemon water each morning. I have had good continual weight-loss, but that is just one small part of my low-carb way-of-life!

[SarahA523]

I was wondering all of this myself. My sisters boyfriend said his mother had great success with losing weight after drinking a glass of warm water with lemon juice in it every morning so I went out and bought some 100% lemon juice. I just started it yesterday so I am hoping that it works for me too. But I am wondering how much lemon juice do you use? I also have read that I shouldnt have bought lemon juice but I should have bought actual lemons and squeezed it myself into my water. In that case do I squeeze a quarter of a lemon or half?? Thanks!

[Kristine]

I often do the lemon juice thing. I buy a whole lemon and cut it into eight wedges, and store them in the fridge. I don't think it does jack for weight loss, but it makes my green tea taste a heck of a lot better. :) It's a small quantity, but the antioxidants and vitamin C can't hurt.

[dreamseeds]

I have not read every response so this may have come up, but lemon juice is known to help dissolve excess mucus in our bodies.

It does actually have other health benefits than what has been shared already. :)

[MissScruff]

I thought I'd throw this info in for those considering using lemons and limes! They are induction friendly, but keep in mind the carb count! I got this from info I pasted into my gym log...got it from the atkins site!



Additionally, you can have the following:
Clear broth/bouillon (not all brands; read the label), club soda, cream-heavy or light (limit to two to three tablespoons a day; note carbohydrate content), decaffeinated coffee or tea*, diet soda made with sucralose (Splenda™); be sure to count the carbs, essence-flavored seltzer (must say "no calories"), herb tea (without barley or any fruit sugar added), lemon juice or lime juice (note that each contains 2.8 grams carbohydrate per ounce); limit to two to three tablespoons.

[souraznhun]

I was wondering all of this myself. My sisters boyfriend said his mother had great success with losing weight after drinking a glass of warm water with lemon juice in it every morning so I went out and bought some 100% lemon juice. I just started it yesterday so I am hoping that it works for me too. But I am wondering how much lemon juice do you use? I also have read that I shouldnt have bought lemon juice but I should have bought actual lemons and squeezed it myself into my water. In that case do I squeeze a quarter of a lemon or half?? Thanks!


It's better to just get the fresh, whole lemons and squeeze the out ALL the juice from it into a cup and then fill it up with water. Make sure you get the big lemons, not the small ones. Sometimes I will alternate between lemons and limes every other day.