Do I really have to drink 16 cups of water a day?

xstephnz

Hi

I have "Water Your Body" on my phone, and after inputting my weight, it has suggested that I drink 3861mLs of water a day, and that isn't even for sports or hot days. That's 16 cups of water a day, if each cup is 250mLs.

Is this realistic? I know I'm over double the weight I should be, but that seems like a lot. Just because I'm a bigger person, doesn't mean I have a bigger bladder to store all of that liquid. I'm not a camel!!! I feel like I would be peeing all the time, and who has time for that?

It is quite hot here at the moment due to it being Summer. I went for a walk yesterday and must have had 3 or 4 bottles of 750mLs of water at night because I was that thirsty. I don't know if I could do that every night though.

Often, I have a big cup of tea. It holds about 500mLs of water. Sometimes I will have 2 in one sitting (1L).

What do you think? is it too much?

queenliz99

IMO tea counts as well.

SueInAz

Anything that is liquid counts as water. That's tea, coffee, soda, whatever. There's even water in most foods. So, short answer, no you don't need to drink that much plain water.

tiptoethruthetulips

Go by the colour of your pee. Excepting for the first pee of the day and those supplementing with vitamins that make pee very yellow... Pale yellow pee generally means you are getting sufficient fluids, dark yellow need more fluids, no colour or almost no colour probably getting too much fluid.

CloudyMao

A quick chart to help you judge your own hydration.

seltzermint555

I agree with the person who said to go by the color of your pee, but I also think clear is good (just from what I have heard from medical personnel...not an expert by any means).

My opinion on this is to drink as much water as you find comfortable. But definitely equal to or more than 64 oz if at all possible. I also think it's wise to step it up slowly, if you aren't drinking a ton currently.

I used to weigh over 250 lb and typically drank no water, but a 10 oz cup of coffee and 2 cans of diet soda per day. That's it...so only about 34 oz of liquid which was definitely NOT enough. I would get on a health kick and drink 64 oz or more, and be constantly in the restroom and having an uncomfortable pressure in my bladder at work and so on. Therefore I'd stop drinking all of that water. Silly, really, but you can't usually go from 0 to 100 and not have some difficulty with that. Let your body get used to it.

The best thing I've found for me, since I don't really feel thirsty all that often, is to make drinking water a habit that is part of my routine. I work in an office and when I get to work, I grab my 24 oz water cup (with lid & straw). I always finish that by lunchtime, sometimes twice. Then I drink a 16 oz cup with my lunch most days. Another 24 oz cup (occasionally more) in the afternoon. That's how I get my water in. Then any coffee or beer/tea/wine/water with dinner is just bonus.

I didn't used to like water that much and for me it was VERY helpful to discover that I prefer water fridge cold, but not iced. A friend only likes her water with tons of ice and infusions of mint leaves or watermelon cubes. Find what works for you!

simplydelish2

Hydration is important. But drinking 16 cups a day isn't necessary. I agree with the above poster that tea counts (I disagree about the coffee and soda) as long as it is decaffeinated. Caffeinated drinks tend to dehydrate you. Drink what you are comfortable with and use the chart posted by CloudyMao as a guide.

La5Vega5Girl

xstephnz wrote: »

I'm not a camel!!!

LOL at your camel joke

i drink 12 cups (8 oz each) per day and i pee every hour. i TRY to stop drinking around 6:00 p.m. so i dont' have to go to the bathroom during the night. from what i have researched, half your body weight in ounces is what you should drink per day. i weigh 150, so 75 oz of water per day. my friend is starting a career in fitness and just created a plan for me over the next month, and the 96 oz. is required right now. keep in mind, i have to take thyroid meds (8 oz with that) i take a pill for my BPD (another 8 oz required when i take that) plus vitamins (8 oz with those) so 24 oz is already accounted for when i start my day just from taking meds.

**ETA i can't use the color chart b/c i take meds and vitamins that color my pee bright yellow, so even when drinking alot of water, i never get clear pee anymore.

goblyn27

While Caffeine is a diuretic and will have a slight dehydrating effect on cells, it is more than offset by the amount of water contained within the drink (I had to cover all this because of a recent kidney stone problem.) That is not to say that coffee and soda are good for you by any stretch of the imagination, but dehydration isn't one of their many sins.

If, as you say, you are twice the average weight for your size, the app that is doing the calculation is probably applying a linear formula and coming up with an incorrect number. Excess water intake can in fact deplete your sodium, calcium, and potassium with ill effects. As an overweight person, try to hit 10 cups a day as a starting goal. When you can do that reasonably for a week in a row, then evaluate if you think increasing it to 11 is worth that extra effort. (Looks at things like weight loss, water retention, and urine color as guides.)

Lasmartchika

During summer, yeah I'll drink a lot of water, way more than the minimum 8 - 8oz cups of water usually suggested.... Now during winter, I have to force myself to drink at most 6 cups. I'll usually take them in unsweetened hot tea. As long as you're hydrated that's what's important.

yuuen

Pretty much everything everyone is telling you is spot on. It's good to drink a lot of water, but definitely keep in mind that water is in other drinks and even food as well. To keep it simple, look at your pee (the color chart up there), and look at how often you're peeing. I know if I keep running to the bathroom I should probably stop lol;

Also, don't feel the need to drink all of your water at once. Drink little bits through the day.

Christine_72

It's summer here, so I'm drinking over 4L a day. I halve that during winter.

cwolfman13

How about just stay hydrated...

Oi_Sunshine

I almost never get my 8 cups and my pee is pale yellow. This includes tea and coffee, etc. If you eat a lot of fruit or eat soup, there's water in that. If your skin dries out easily, drink a cup or two. I drink a cup or two of water in the morning plus my coffee, a tea or coffee here throughout the day, and a cup of water at lunch or dinner, another beverage in the evening. It all adds up.

Sydking

i have 4 glasses or so with each meal at least and they would be bigger then 250 ml size. then sip on a bottle all day

Then another 2 or 3 bottles at training.

Love the stuff

FitPhillygirl

I love water and keep it with me everywhere I go. I drink 96 oz of plain water a day, which is way more than I need for my body weight.

kellycasey5

My urologist says to aim for 2L of liquid in addition to any foods you may consume, with at least 1L being plain water. With your recommended almost 4L you could log calories burnt running to pee