Drinking too much water?

Jenjenthejetplane1

I recently started drinking OVER a gallon of water a day, someone at work saw me drinking water so much and said that drinking that much isn't good for me?
Might be a silly question but, can someone explain to me what drinking this much water will do and the benefits?

Thanks

ImpishVanity

I don't think drinking that much water is harmful. How much over a gallon are we talking about?

bethlaf

i tend to drink a lot of water,
nearly a gallon a day, have for YEARS,
so interested in this too -
i was always told that you should drink appx 1/2 oz per lb

Of_Monsters_and_Meat

Yes. drinking too much water can kill you.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

NiBo1689

Divide your body weight by two and that's how much you should be drinking each day!

ImpishVanity

This may be a good read:

http://drbenkim.com/drink-too-much-water-dangerous.html

HWeatherholt

Drinking to much water can be harmful. It can cause something called water intoxication, and can cause death.

But a gallon most likely won't hurt you.

http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/death-dying/water-intoxication.htm

3dogsrunning

Drinking too much water can be a problem. How much is too much depends on a lot of things, including your sodium intake, environment, how often you work out, etc. I had a friend who ended up depleting her electrolytes because she cut way back on salt intake and was drinking a ton of water per day.

Water is good for you, it keeps you hydrated, however, there is no benefit to going overboard with water.
Drink to stay hydrated, many people suggest that your urine should be pale yellow.

HWeatherholt

Divide your body weight by two and that's how much you should be drinking each day!

This is how many ounces in total you need. Some of this comes from food sources. But if you work out, it is really hot, etc, you need more.

kr1stadee

You CAN drink too much water. It ends up diluting the sodium levels in your body.

It takes a lot of water to get into the danger zone. You have to drink a lot, drink it fast and/or sweat a LOT.

You certainly do not NEED to drink over a gallon of water, but it's about preference. I generally drink 3L of water (.75 of a gallon) throughout the day. I have 3 nights a week of very tough, very sweaty workouts, but I replenish with a bit of sports drink or water and a protein shake.

The amount is usually personal preference, and how much you want to be going to pee..

fdaniels26

It's less about amount and more about timing. A gallon of water in 10 minutes will more than likely cause some issues because it's way too much for the body to handle in such a small window...but a gallon of water (or more) over the course of a day is perfectly healthy. You can theoretically drink 4 cups an hour (1 cup/15 mins) the entire day and be totally fine.

If you're thirsty, drink.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-drinking-too-much-water-can-kill/

aplhabetacheesecake

Are you forcing the water down or drinking out of genuine thirst? Is your thirst abnormal? Is the recent consumption of water more than your usual?

fbmandy55

Sounds weird but I always judge my hydration by my urine. If it's too dark, I need more water. If it's too clear, I need to cut back.

handyrunner

Sounds weird but I always judge my hydration by my urine. If it's too dark, I need more water. If it's too clear, I need to cut back.

not wierd at all..a good indication of hydration.

leggup

I drink 3-4 liters a day, which is just under to just over a gallon of water. I also look at my pee to see if I'm under or over hydrated. I drink water at my desk all day after my morning coffee.

Jenjenthejetplane1

Good advice all! Thank you! I just like feeling hydrated, and I don't want to drink anything other than my milk and protein shake. Trying to avoid soda and alcohol and sugary juices overall. Maybe I should look into juicing hmmmm...

3dogsrunning

Good advice all! Thank you! I just like feeling hydrated, and I don't want to drink anything other than my milk and protein shake. Trying to avoid soda and alcohol and sugary juices overall. Maybe I should look into juicing hmmmm...

Honestly, if you like juice, drink and log it. But keep in mind it tends to be higher in calories. I prefer to eat my fruit and veggies rather than drink it, plus I get the fiber from it that way too.
If you like water, drink water. No need to switch.

rayneface

I also had someone at work tell me I was going to die if I drank all the water in my 2.8L jug. :noway:

Just because the container is big doesn't mean I plan to down it all in the next 6 seconds. People need to calm down, next thing I am going to be told that breathing too deeply will cause my lungs to collapse and I'll suffocate.

LeahNMe

I am not a doctor but I have asked this question.
The only problem with drinking allot of water is then you might not be eating enough to get the nutrients you need because your stomach is always full.
Me personally, I wouldn't worry about it unless you are replacing good nutritious food with water. As long as you are eating right, drink all you want.
That's just what I have gathered over the years. I am not an expert at all.

Jenjenthejetplane1

Good advice all! Thank you! I just like feeling hydrated, and I don't want to drink anything other than my milk and protein shake. Trying to avoid soda and alcohol and sugary juices overall. Maybe I should look into juicing hmmmm...

Honestly, if you like juice, drink and log it. But keep in mind it tends to be higher in calories. I prefer to eat my fruit and veggies rather than drink it, plus I get the fiber from it that way too.
If you like water, drink water. No need to switch.

True! I'd rather not drink my calories in high calorie, sugary juices though. I love orange juice, but I'm going to stick with the real thing!

pineapple_jojo

I was drinking about 6 litres a day at one point and I started to get really bad headaches, I backed up to about 4 litres and that seems to be fine.