About 60% or more of your body is made up of water and getting enough of it is essential for basic bodily functions. You should be drinking at least 6 to  8 glasses of water a day to keep your body hydrated and more in the hot weather, or if you have been exercising.

Keep a bottle of water in the car when you go on long journeys and have a glass in your cup holder so you can have frequent sips. This will help your concentration and stop you feeling tired. After exercising make sure you drink a glass of water to rehydrate your body. If you find it hard to drink water make it more refreshing by adding a slice of lemon. Try sparkling water instead of still.

Citrus fruits such as lemon and grapefruit can increase the metabolism slightly, so adding a slice of lemon to your glass of water will aid weight loss. Try a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon first thing in the morning to boost your metabolism for the day.

Lemon has cleansing properties and can help eliminate harmful toxins. It's also high in vitamin C to boost the immune system and help prevent colds.

Water itself cannot increase the metabolism but a regular intake keeps the volume of blood in the body at a high level.

It carries oxygen in the blood and this supplies the muscles with energy. Oxygen is also a key component in the metabolism process and by drinking sufficient quantities you will keep your metabolism working at optimum levels.

The kidneys processes water and eliminates toxins, if the body becomes dehydrated then the liver takes over this process and as a result cannot carry out it's other essential functions properly. One of the main processes that the liver does is to convert fat into energy, so if it's busy with other tasks then fat starts to get stored in the body.

Also if the body doesn't get enough water it starts to store it in anticipation of a drought, and this water retention can add pounds to your weight.

When you first start to drink more water you will need to pass it more frequently than normal, however after a while the body gets used to the extra intake and settles down

There are many other ways to boost metabolism and lose those excess pounds apart from drinking water.  By following these simple rules you won't need to join expensive diet plans many of which are hard to maintain.