Hey guys and gals, I've had a while off from eating healthy because I was dieting hard for a long time. I've increased my weight by about 5kg in the last 4 months roughly, and I'm meant to be doing this photo shoot sometime soon which i obviously need a good body for. So I want to lose weight is the main thing but keep muscle I've built. So my question is this, does drinking water in replacement for food assist weight loss but also retain muscle and strength I've built?

If you only drink water in replacement for food, you will lose weight, strength and even your muscle gain. Water is not enough to sustain your energy need. You should eat my friend...our body needs a right amount supply of NUTRIENTS daily. Eat enough Carbs for energy/ strength and high protein for building muscle. If you don't eat and drink only water, so sad to say you will lose everything.

My suggestion to you is make sure that you are eating well my friend.. Ohh what I mean is you need to track your food intake if you want to be ready to that photo shoot soon. And as you cut you want a reasonably high protein diet to help keep the muscle you have. Never stop lifting because lifting weights is the only way to make sure you will not lose strength and muscle gain. You need to stimulate the muscles so that your body has a reason to keep them. Keep that in mind, you will need to have an excellent nutrition, sleep and workout routine.

Lets here from the other Hermanites opinion, I'm not sayin that I was right all the time.

Your question:

So my question is this, does drinking water in replacement for food assist weight loss but also retain muscle and strength I've built?

My answer:

Water contains ZERO protein, carbs, and fat so how could it ever replace food?

If you want to look good for your photoshoot you need to follow @mcmike's advice

If you would like more advice from me... post for me your current DAILY macros (protein carbs and fat)

Also post for us your weekly routine on what you do each day and please make sure it is not just a paragraph. Organize it so it is easy to read.

If you need help figuring out what your macros should be, follow the video on the @mealplan page.

Looking forward to helping you man! #HTH

Though he will gain water weight

haha yeah... but I mean it won't be a lot of water weight.

I've been reading lately about people water-fasting (that is trying to survive only on water for a period of time) and after they stop with the water and eat food again they are almost guaranteed to gain weight because they forced their body into starvation mode, like a prisoner in an internment camp during wartime. Did you know some people die or are hospitalized after only one week of water-fasting? (Even at retreats where they paid thousands of dollars to lay in bed all day drinking water.) I'm with Scott and Mike, you better eat some real food or expect to lose some serious muscle and actually gain weight in the long run. All you need is to eat a caloric deficit, nobody needs to stop eating to lose weight. If you do not eat in 35-40 days you can expect to experience severe symptoms of starvation, with likelihood of death beginning between 45-61 days without food (Maze Prison Hunger Strike in Belfast 1980's). Just eat food man, that's how people lose weight and maintain/gain muscle at the same time. I want you to have a good body for your photoshoot, not a dead body ok? ;)

may have given people wrong impression, meant to say was if i replaced water just for snack, because i eat plenty of food to retain muscle will replacing just snacks for water do anything?