How much H20?

ErinWard1986

What is the appropriate amount of water to drink generally? My problem is that I’m rarely thirsty and honestly could go all day with just a few sips of a drink. I often do. The only time I’m thirsty now is after I excercise for 45 minutes...I’m usually able to drink a whole bottle of water then. I’m thinking that my lack of drinking is holding me back on the scales. I want to do better with that. How much do you typically drink? Do you feel that it helps with weight loss? I’m under my food calorie goal on mfp like every day.

achagpar

I’m no expert and have no data, but I was told to try to get 8 glasses a day... so that’s what I shoot for. I think there’s some sort of formula of oz/body weight but don’t know it and can’t quote you a source. Sorry not to be of more help!

NovusDies

It varies from person to person. I eat a high volume of food which all has water in it so I drink less than some people. Your urine color is the best indicator of your hydration level typically. You want it to be faintly yellow.

apullum

Drink when you're thirsty and gauge hydration by your urine color. If it's dark other than first thing in the morning, you need to drink more. It should be pale yellow.

ogtmama

Your urine should be light yellow...the darker it is the more dehydrated you are.

Contrary to old myths, you don't need specifically 8 glasses of WATER. You can absorb water through fruits and veg as well as drinks like milk and juice that aren't water.

MikePTY

Each persons fluid intake needs are different, and you can get your necessary fluids from all sorts of liquids that aren't just water, as well as from your food. That being said, how much really is "a few drops"? Do you drink any other fluids. If a few drops is literal, and you do not drink other liquids, my guess is you are probably not getting enough hydration.

What is your opinion of spicy food? I've found myself using hot sauce lately on pretty much everything (a good hot sauce, not just tabasco). It helps with a few things. One is it helps make bland food tastier, so I use it to spice up food that helps me reach both my calorie and nutrition goal. The other big advantage is it makes me drink a lot more water. I can usually double or triple my water intake on a spicy meal vs. a non-spicy meal. So it's something to consider trying if you find that your intake is too low.

ErinWard1986

Thanks everyone! I guess I’m asking too, does not drinking water or too little fluid cause you too hold on to water weight? Should ample amount of water be drank to flush out your body, helping with weight loss? Or does it really not matter that much.

apullum

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I guess I’m asking too, does not drinking water or too little fluid cause you too hold on to water weight? Should ample amount of water be drank to flush out your body, helping with weight loss? Or does it really not matter that much.

Water weight fluctuates for lots of reasons, and none of them affect fat loss. If you want to lose fat, then you just need to be in a calorie deficit.

AnnPT77

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I guess I’m asking too, does not drinking water or too little fluid cause you too hold on to water weight? Should ample amount of water be drank to flush out your body, helping with weight loss? Or does it really not matter that much.

Weight loss is mostly about fat loss . . . at least that's the part we normally care most about.

Realistically, water weight is going to fluctuate, no matter what you do: It's just part of how a healthy body operates. There's no need to try to manipulate it, assuming you're generally healthy.

Drink enough fluids to keep your urine pale colored, and keep yourself from feeling thirsty. Water has no particular fat loss magic.

NorthCascades

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I guess I’m asking too, does not drinking water or too little fluid cause you too hold on to water weight? Should ample amount of water be drank to flush out your body, helping with weight loss? Or does it really not matter that much.

Water weight matters if you're trying to be in a specific weight class. Other than that, it's fat loss that matters (for health, etc).

fr33sia12

I'm the same I very rarely get thirsty and even after exercise I can drink a couple of mouthfuls and be satisfied. I'm not dehydrated as I can tell from my urine colour so I don't worry about it. As others have said I eat a lot of food (fruit & veg) containing water, drink hot beverages and as I don't have much salt I think that's why I'm never thirsty too. As long as you're not dehydrated there's no one big rule of how much water you should drink just like there's no one rule of how many calories to eat, we're all different.

NovusDies

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I guess I’m asking too, does not drinking water or too little fluid cause you too hold on to water weight? Should ample amount of water be drank to flush out your body, helping with weight loss? Or does it really not matter that much.

I think anyone who weighs daily or often is better off if desensitized to how water weight affects the scale number. When you get to your goal weight you will still be fluctuating up and down.

Unless water retention leads to edema or consistently high blood pressure it is not a concern. If it is a concern it is a concern to address with your doctor.

As a person who demanded immediate scale gratification in the past and would make poor decisions that eventually led to failure I can tell you to just let your body do what it does and be patient. Focus on logging accurately so that you can be sure you are in a calorie deficit. I have been been logging food for 418 days and recently I found an error that I have made for a long time. It resulted in me logging too many calories not too few but it was still an error. I keep my mind focused on the fact that if I am absolutely sure I am in a deficit I am absolutely sure I am losing fat weight regardless of what the bathroom scale tells me for oftentimes 3 weeks in between new low weights.

One of the newer things I find myself saying lately is that I am in no hurry to lose weight because it doesn't do any good to be in a hurry anyway.

Muddyboots85

ErinWard1986 wrote: »

What is the appropriate amount of water to drink generally? My problem is that I’m rarely thirsty and honestly could go all day with just a few sips of a drink. I often do. The only time I’m thirsty now is after I excercise for 45 minutes...I’m usually able to drink a whole bottle of water then. I’m thinking that my lack of drinking is holding me back on the scales. I want to do better with that. How much do you typically drink? Do you feel that it helps with weight loss? I’m under my food calorie goal on mfp like every day.

This is what I do.. I drink about 8-10 oz when i first wake up then get ready. I Drink one cup of coffe then order a large ice water with my breakfast and drink on it all day. I usually fill it up 3-5 times a day but I work in the heat. Never the less that’s an idea. Even if your not in the heat always always have your water in front of you.

tinkerbellang83

The amount needed to be hydrated varies from person to person taking into account not only personal stats but also activity level and environmental factors (climate, etc).

I personally drink about 3 litres of fluids per day - mostly sparkling water but occasional diet coke or herbal tea.

As stated above already you can tell if you're hydrated by the colour of your urine, too dark - drink more, too light - drink less. Simples.