Do you drink 8 glasses of water a day?

[ilovedolphins]

I was going to start keeping track of how much water I drink because I wanted to get healthier and they say if you stay hydrated you won't feel hungry all the time.  So I thought I could get healthy and save money on food. 

But this morning I filled a jug up with 64 ounces of water and there is no way I have ever drank that much in one day.  I am going to give it a try today and see if I can.  I thought I drank a lot of water before but maybe it just looks like a lot because it is in one container.

[grits]

It looks like more because it is one container.  Buy yourself some Nalgene bottls, and drink on them all day long.  BTW, fruit juice, and herbal tea that is caff free counts in that department.  In the summer, I drink over a gallon a day.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

I used to.  I found out this advice is absurdly wrong, and could actually kill a person, so I stopped.

[chiver78]

I do. I have a 1L nalgene bottle on my desk at work, and I get through it at least once over the work day. I notice the difference on the days when I don't (usually means that I can't because of where work takes me that day) and I end up feeling hungover because I'm dehydrated.

Paul, it's dangerous to drink too much water, but 1L is not anywhere close to that level.

[swamp]

I'd spend all day in the bathroom if I drank that much 

[ilovedolphins]

Yesterday I was home all day and I probably only drank 3 glasses throughout the whole day.  At work I drink a glass on each break but at home I don't.

[ilovedolphins]

I love the taste of water so drinking it plain is fine with me.  I am going to try to drink it throughout the day but if it seems too much I will work my way up to it.

[constanz22]

Mar 10, 2013 10:46:33 GMT -5 swamp said:

I'd spend all day in the bathroom if I drank that much 

Me too!
My doctor says as long as your urine is pale, almost clear, you are getting enough water/liquid. And, even though she is not a fan of coffee and diet soda, the liquid in them IS included in the recommended daily amounts. And, I wanna say the last time we talked about it, she said the recommended amount is like 35 oz. now.

[Deleted]

I drink at least 1 Gallon / day

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

To clarify- you should drink the amount of water you need to drink, and no more.  It IS true that MOST people need to drink more water, but that's not that they should take in more fluids on top of their usual routine.  They should be drinking water in lieu of sugar-laden beverages diet drinks, and you should drink when you're thirsty.  Your body will let you know when to drink.  Just like eating, you should not drink too fast- you should pound down water any more than you would gobble down food, or chug alcohol.  Take a drink or two, and if you're still thirsty in a minute or two- take another couple sips.  Quench your thirst, and stop.  You should not be forcing yourself to drink water because you're 'supposed to'.

Eight glass of water (assuming an 8 oz. glass) is 64 oz of water- or a half gallon of water per day.  That's a lot of work for the kidneys, and when they can't process it all, you can flush the salt / electrolytes from your body, which cells swell up-- this is called hyponetremia.  Most cells of your body can deal with a little swelling, but your brain cells cannot.  This condition happens most frequently with athletes for obvious reasons.

Of course if it's hot and/or dry outside and you're out there you're exerting yourself, you DO need water- but you have to make sure you're replacing those electrolytes, too.

[Tennesseer]

I have to remind myself to drink more water during the winter months as I am not thirsty. Too little water/liquid can cause digestive problems. Most of my water consumption in the winter is via cups of coffee. Summer months I am thirsty but that's due to outdoor activities.

[mmhmm]

Here's the Mayo Clinic's recommendation for daily fluid intake:

link


As I see it, their staff is pretty well qualified to make the call, so I'll take their advice ... and I do.

[Nazgul Girl]

   Need to drink more water so that's somethign I can start doing more often.

[Tiny]

I'm pretty sure the 8 glasses of water a day is a misrepresentation of some actual 'facts'.    Yeah, you do need to stay hydrated and I've heard from numerous sources that sometimes you may feel the need to eat when you are actually thirsty.   In my weight loss journey I have experienced this... especially about an hour after i've had a perfectly good, filling meal - I'll be feeling like I need alittle more - when what I really am - is thirsty.  Some water usually solves the 'percieved' hunger.   So, I'm willing to give the "feeling hungry - but it's really thirst" trick one's brain plays.

I probably drink less than 10 ounce of plain water a day - the rest of time I drink Coffee flavored water, Diet Coke flavored water, sometimes a tea flavored water, and then there's  the 'water' in all the veggies and fruit I eat as well as that glass of milk (or soy milk) I manage to work in.   I haven't turned into a dissecated mummy after years of going without drinking plain water.  I despise plastic bottles (and the beverages that usually come in them (I drink Diet Coke out of a can) so I never picked up the carrying around a bottle of something habit.  I didn't start doing the 'glass of water when I'm feeling hungry and I shouldn't be --  until I was a year into my weight loss journey and I only did that as a suggestion from my WW Leader - when I complained about being hungry after having eaten.

I'm NOT giving up coffee, diet coke, tea, milk, etc... and replacing them with plain water - it just ain't gonna happen.   And I most certainly cannot drink another 2 quarts of liquid in addition to the liquid I'm already consuming. 

[Deleted]

I drink a lot of water. Not sure how much. Other than an occasional tea or lemonade, its about all I drink anymore... Wine sometimes...

[econstudent]

I drink to thirst, and I only have one non-water drink per day. The only time I've been careful to drink a certain amount was when I was pregnant. I counted the other day and I drink 5 glasses of water at work. I drink 2-3 more once I get home, and those are bigger glasses, so I'm sure I'm over a gallon a day.

Edit to add: What you're eating matters too. If you eat fruits and other foods with a high water content, that will reduce the amount of water you need.

For me, I think I drink so much in the morning because I still nurse a few couple times throughout the night, and I wake up feeling a little dehydrated. 

[Deleted]

How much water your body requires depends on a lot of different factors.

Although no single formula fits everyone, knowing more about your body's need for fluids will help you estimate how much water to drink each day.

[Cass]

Mar 10, 2013 10:57:08 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

I'm sure I do. I drink water all day long. It's almost a bad habit to have a drink right next to me from the time I get up to the time I go to bed.

This is me too.

[Deleted]

Mar 10, 2013 10:53:47 GMT -5 constanz22 said:

Mar 10, 2013 10:46:33 GMT -5 swamp said:

I'd spend all day in the bathroom if I drank that much 

Me too!
My doctor says as long as your urine is pale, almost clear, you are getting enough water/liquid. And, even though she is not a fan of coffee and diet soda, the liquid in them IS included in the recommended daily amounts. And, I wanna say the last time we talked about it, she said the recommended amount is like 35 oz. now.

That sounds logical. I mean some people sweat a lot or work out of course they will need more water than others.

[damnotagain]

I drink no less than 64 oz. a day. Heavy manual labor in high heat and humidity. One thing to remember is to supplement your diet with foods high in electrolyte's. Say an avocado , watermelon. Ect

[Deleted]

Mar 10, 2013 17:08:26 GMT -5 damnotagain said:

I drink no less than 64 oz. a day. Heavy manual labor in high heat and humidity. One thing to remember is to supplement your diet with foods high in electrolyte's. Say an avocado , watermelon. Ect

Good point!
You are losing electrolytes that are necessary for all the functions of the body the most important of these are sodium and potassium.  If you lose a lot of electrolytes and drink a lot of plain water to rehydrate, dangerous things can happen. 

[steph08]

I drink more than 8 glasses of water a day. I use a Nalgene bottle that is 25 ounces and I always finish 2 at work, and another 1-2 while at home. So I usually have at least 75 ounces.

It is especially important to me since I run and I want to keep hydrated.  As constanz says, you want your urine to be clear or very pale yellow, like watered down lemonade.

Hyponatremia is very rare, and I highly doubt that anybody is going to get it from drinking 64 ounces of fluid a day (not all at once, spaced throughout 12-16 hours). 

[grits]

I drink more than that.  You see, I am a star.  I twinkle when I tinkle.  

[ilovedolphins]

I just finished my last glass of water from my jug and I still have the entire evening left so I guess I may drink enough on some days but I might keep filling up the jug each day to make sure I drink it all.

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Mar 10, 2013 10:43:06 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

I do. I have a 1L nalgene bottle on my desk at work, and I get through it at least once over the work day. I notice the difference on the days when I don't (usually means that I can't because of where work takes me that day) and I end up feeling hungover because I'm dehydrated.

Paul, it's dangerous to drink too much water, but 1L is not anywhere close to that level.

Most days I drink 2 liters of water and/or seltzer.  I really feel crappy when I don't come close to that amount of hydration.  


ETA:  I also drink 3 cups of coffee and 2 glasses of milk each day.  I just like to sip on something all day long.  

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Mar 10, 2013 11:05:28 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

Here's the Mayo Clinic's recommendation for daily fluid intake:

link


As I see it, their staff is pretty well qualified to make the call, so I'll take their advice ... and I do.

I read that advice, too.  What they say after admitting that it depends on a wide variety of factors, and that the 8 x 8 isn't a hard and fast rule is that there is a hard and fast rule: 

So how much fluid does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? The Institute of Medicine determined that an adequate intake (AI) for men is roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day. The AI for women is 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

And then they go on about another full page and half about why it's not so easy, and they finally end up with this:

Generally if you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) or more of colorless or light yellow urine a day, your fluid intake is probably adequate. If you're concerned about your fluid intake or have health issues, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian. He or she can help you determine the amount of water that's right for you.

To ward off dehydration and make sure your body has the fluids it needs, make water your beverage of choice. It's also a good idea to:

• Drink a glass of water or other calorie-free or low-calorie beverage with each meal and between each meal.
• Drink water before, during and after exercise.

Although uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners, who drink large amounts of water, are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who eat an average American diet.

Which aside from measuring the volume of urine produced, and noting its hue- is precisely what I posted earlier.

It's not that I don't trust places like the Mayo Clinic, or would disregard their advice- it's just that it takes too damn long to decipher exactly what their advice is.

[mmhmm]

It doesn't take me any time at all to decipher the advice given by the Mayo Clinic, paul.  YMMV.

[mmhmm]

Mar 10, 2013 18:26:45 GMT -5 steph08 said:

I drink more than 8 glasses of water a day. I use a Nalgene bottle that is 25 ounces and I always finish 2 at work, and another 1-2 while at home. So I usually have at least 75 ounces.

It is especially important to me since I run and I want to keep hydrated.  As constanz says, you want your urine to be clear or very pale yellow, like watered down lemonade.

Hyponatremia is very rare, and I highly doubt that anybody is going to get it from drinking 64 ounces of fluid a day (not all at once, spaced throughout 12-16 hours). 

Hyponatremia occurs, primarily, in the presence of kidney disease, liver disease, congestive heart failure, or hypothyroidism.  Sometimes, people drink too much water while exercising (like running marathons, etc.).  It's not something for the average person to be concerned about.  If you don't have a chronic condition that predisposes to hyponatremia, it's best to drink plenty of fluids ... just as the Mayo Clinic suggests.

[steph08]

mmhmm - great point. When I ran the Disney marathon in January, they warned against overhydrating. It was upwards of 90 degrees so hyponatremia was a concern if runners were drinking too much water and not intaking electrolytes or drinking too much water when really they should have been pouring water over them to cool off.

[zibazinski]

I drink that and probably more because I also drink a pot of green tea on my one so that's 13 more cups at least. Your kidneys adjust, happily.  I stop drinking around 6 pm though because its better for my sleep.