Why do people track water?

Retroguy2000

I see in the bugs/complaints sub-forum, numerous posters complaining about some issue tracking their water intake.

Why? Do people here typically track their water?

If you aren't sure if you're drinking enough, or if you're feeling thirsty, drink more. Yes, it's possible to drink too much but unless you have a specific health issue nobody is going to accidentally drink 24 liters in a day, which would be roughly one large glass of water every 15 minutes for 18 hours.

kenziestabes

As someone who used to struggle with drinking enough water: accountability. Some people don't realize how little water they drink throughout the day until they log when and how much water they drink. Also, timing is incredibly important for hydration. The same amount of water drank in one sitting will not hydrate you as much as sipped on throughout the day, as more water gets absorbed through the latter method. One could ask the same question about food tracking: If you're hungry, eat more. If you're not hungry, don't eat. Not everyone is attuned to their sense of thirst, so it's possible to wait until you're incredibly dehydrated to drink. Many people are trying to track how frequently they drink water as opposed to how much.

Lietchi

And a less frequent subgroup: some people need to monitor their fluid intake carefully for health reasons.

Alatariel75

I personally don't track my water because I know I drink more than enough, but considering that the other day I saw a smart water bottle which connects to an app to monitor water consumption and remind its owner to drink, at the bargain price of $129 - there appear to be people who are VERY keen on motoring their intake!

AnnPT77

I did for a long time. It helped me make sure I got enough.

Hard-won experience tells me that if I use intuition or thirst as a guide, I under-consume fluids to the detriment of my digestive system, among other things. By tracking, I avoided an up and down cycle of OK for a while, followed by under-consumption, then unpleasant symptoms, recovery . . . and repeat.

I'm doing better now via having grooved in some helpful habits, so no longer logging it.

Why people complain over a couple of extra clicks to log it, I can't explain. Yeah, some things got less convenient in recent upgrades. For my tastes, other things got easier. It's a wash. None of it seems major, but maybe that's just me.

From a career implementing IT systems, I know people dislike change, though - sometimes even positive or neutral change. 🤷‍♀️

cwolfman13

I always thought tracking water was a bit odd, but that's only because of my own personal perspective. I've lived in the high desert of NM for 36 years. The over mile high elevation combined with high temperatures and dry climate are a recipe for easily becoming dehydrated and people here tend to drink a lot of water just naturally. I've carried a fillable water bottle with me pretty much everywhere I go since the age of 12 when I moved here. My kids are 10 and 12 and have grown up here and have carried a water bottle with them since they were old enough to hold one. Both of my kids carry one of these 64oz bottles with them to school...