Murad Research Labs Busts “Eight Glasses a Day” Myth

Sharon_C

Most people need more water than 8 glasses a day to lose weight and stay hydrated. .....

If you are serious about weight loss you will NEED to track your numbers and that includes how much water you drink. 2 to 3 litres a day on average and sometimes more especially if you work out, it's hot outside, etc.

Absolutely not true. I've lost fine without tracking my water intake. I've never in my life tracked how much water I drink and I've lost weight, kept it off and work out strenuously. Sorry but I'm calling bull on this one.

maidentl

the funniest thing about all of this to me is the folks who insist that you MUST track water intake so that you'll know whether you are sufficiently hydrated or not. the human body already has 2 very good mechanisms for telling us that. when you're thirsty, it's telling us to drink. when you're peeing every 5 minutes, it's telling us to stop drinking.

I roll my eyes every time someone types: "OMG if you're thirsty, it's TOO LATE!!! You're already dehydrated!"

When someone *****es about peeing all day long after saying they drink 2 gallons of water every day, I just want to scream, "THEN DRINK LESS WATER, DUH!" :laugh:

deansdad101

Most people need more water than 8 glasses a day to lose weight and stay hydrated. Yellow wee = dehydrated. Light straw coloured or clear wee = hydrated. Don't use a single study that appears to be unrelated to weight loss to justify your lack of drinking enough water. Alcohol, coffee, tea are stimulants that help dehydrate you. Coke, Pepsi and fruit juice won't hydrate you like water.

If you are serious about weight loss you will NEED to track your numbers and that includes how much water you drink. 2 to 3 litres a day on average and sometimes more especially if you work out, it's hot outside, etc.

It's really hard to drink too much water (but not impossible) so drink up!

^ this is mostly incorrect broscience.

MCHL;

OK, I'll bite and "accept" your "expert" advice to not "...use a single study that appears to be unrelated to weight loss to justify...."

Just as soon as you show us the legitimate "study" upon which you base your MYTHOLOGY.

You'll be able recognize it as "legitimate" by referring back to the flat earther posts above demanding (and rightfully so) clinical controls, peer review, scientific methodology, etc.

You know, all the stuff included in the "studies" upon which the whole low cals / high carbs, USDA mantra, CICO, and saturated fats cause heart disease, BS is based. (Could you post some links to those as well while you're at it? The science deniers will be satisfied with nothing less).

Maybe while you are researching your "Alcohol, coffee, tea are stimulants that help dehydrate you.", misunderstandings, you'll accidentally trip over some actual "fact" - careful though, question the MYTHS and they'll take away your secret decoder ring and MFP "expert" Award.

Athijade

Do people claiming that they benefit from forcing themselves to drink a certain amount of water believe that they would be under hydrated if they didn't?

I actually do see a difference when I don't drink a certain amount every day. I wake up in the middle of the night parched and my upper lip gets super dry and splits. So I do try to drink a specific amount every day (water, tea, juice, whatever) because it works for me. But I also know what works for me is not necessarily going to be necessary for others. And how much I need to drink on a particular day is also tied to how much sodium I eat.

the funniest thing about all of this to me is the folks who insist that you MUST track water intake so that you'll know whether you are sufficiently hydrated or not. the human body already has 2 very good mechanisms for telling us that. when you're thirsty, it's telling us to drink. when you're peeing every 5 minutes, it's telling us to stop drinking.

Yep. Unless I am being super active, 8 glasses of water is way too much for me. It would have me in the bathroom every 20 minutes or so. However, I also can't drink too little because it can cause problems medically for me. So finding that balance has been very difficult through trial and error. From what I can tell, 4-5 glasses, on average, is right on target for MY body.

The 8 glasses of water has, for a long time, been known to be a simplified concept that doesn't take into account the food we eat and the other liquids we may drink. Anyone who thinks that "OMG 8 glasses of WATER only or you will never lose weight and will DIE" is not well educated. Simple as that. A lot more goes into staying well hydrated then some arbitrary number.

rml_16

Do people claiming that they benefit from forcing themselves to drink a certain amount of water believe that they would be under hydrated if they didn't?

I actually do see a difference when I don't drink a certain amount every day. I wake up in the middle of the night parched and my upper lip gets super dry and splits. So I do try to drink a specific amount every day (water, tea, juice, whatever) because it works for me. But I also know what works for me is not necessarily going to be necessary for others. And how much I need to drink on a particular day is also tied to how much sodium I eat.

the funniest thing about all of this to me is the folks who insist that you MUST track water intake so that you'll know whether you are sufficiently hydrated or not. the human body already has 2 very good mechanisms for telling us that. when you're thirsty, it's telling us to drink. when you're peeing every 5 minutes, it's telling us to stop drinking.

But if I only drink when I'm thirsty, I don't drink enough to keep from waking up at 3 a.m. with cotton mouth and a split lip.

leahraskie

This knowledge has been out there for awhile now....

You only need to drink water when you feel like you need it, exclusions include the elderly and dehydrated people of course. They lose their sense of thirst. And the amount gotten from food helps your water out a lot too.

FlowerFairy493

I try to drink 8 glasses. Only because for some freaky reason it aids my digestion. :-/

But I'm mostly under and I don't sweat it. I drink a lot less in the winter and a lot more in the summer

goneundone

Now I'm thirsty.

neandermagnon

I knew my low intake of water wasn't causing me problems.....thanks for the proof!

This isn't proof. these are just words on the internet. If it told you that jumping off a cliff was good for your heath, would you be Googling the nearest cliff to jump off of?

Seriously.

Cite your sources. This sounds likea load of stinky poop to me.

Honestly, what she posted isn't actually news. The medical community has said for decades that it isn't necessary to drink 8 glasses a day. I don't need cited sources in this case because this has been known to be a myth for a long, long, long, long time. There has never actually been any study proving we needed to drink 8 glasses a day.

^^^ this

8 glasses a day is stupid advice given that how much water you need to drink depends on how much you sweat which depends on your activity levels and the climate you live in. Once you're hydrated there's no point forcing yourself to drink more water, it just makes you spend unnecessary time in the bathroom. And if you're in a hot climate and/or doing a lot of exercise, you need to drink a lot more than 8 glasses of water a day to stay adequately hydrated. This has been well known by science for a long time, and I have no idea why the whole 8 glasses a day advice has persisted for so long.

If your pee is pale or clear that's a good sign that you're adequately hydrated and you don't need to force yourself to drink more water. Also, other non-alcoholic drinks hydrate you just as well as water does - but if the drink has calories in it you need to log it if you're counting calories.

RunsOnEspresso

I like water. I track it only because MFP has a tracker available. I don't track my diet coke intake at all. I log coffee as coffee and creamer, not water. If someone chooses not to track water or count everything as water, none of my business.

I live in the desert. If I don't drink water I get dehydrated easily. I can tell the difference in my skin, hair, lips etc. So I drink a lot. And even more in the summer because I run outside in 100+ degrees. My BF drinks a lot of water due to kidney stone issues.

WalkingAlong

Do people claiming that they benefit from forcing themselves to drink a certain amount of water believe that they would be under hydrated if they didn't?

I actually do see a difference when I don't drink a certain amount every day. I wake up in the middle of the night parched and my upper lip gets super dry and splits. So I do try to drink a specific amount every day (water, tea, juice, whatever) because it works for me. But I also know what works for me is not necessarily going to be necessary for others. And how much I need to drink on a particular day is also tied to how much sodium I eat.

the funniest thing about all of this to me is the folks who insist that you MUST track water intake so that you'll know whether you are sufficiently hydrated or not. the human body already has 2 very good mechanisms for telling us that. when you're thirsty, it's telling us to drink. when you're peeing every 5 minutes, it's telling us to stop drinking.

But if I only drink when I'm thirsty, I don't drink enough to keep from waking up at 3 a.m. with cotton mouth and a split lip.

Are you thirsty when you wake up? Then your signals work sometimes!

snapdragon1231

Am I the only person who drinks when they're thirsty? I keep track, but I don't cling to OMG MUST HAZ 64 OZ. H2O OR DEATHS HAPPEN.

I spit my water out when I read this!
(Drinking water becuase I'm thirsty!)

Confuzzled4ever

Finally the dieting problem has been resolved!!!

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION:
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

(*ps.. I drink like 14-20 glasses of water per day + coffee and sometimes tea,If I don't, I don't good. But yes I have to run to the ladies room (literally) often. LOL)

Spnneil06

I drink when I'm thirsty and I'm going to continue doing that. But I appreciate that you're willing to be a voice of dissent (and while I don't really care enough to look up the study, for the record, I almost never drink 8 glasses a day).

Nothing important to say but LOVE your hair!

Lleldiranne

It IS important to have eight hugs a day though. Everybody should have a hug app. on their smart phone to make sure they don't suffer from oxytocin withdrawal.

Now go hug someone:).

:drinker:

I approve!!

JeralynSh

Finally the dieting problem has been resolved!!!

1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION:
Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

(*ps.. I drink like 14-20 glasses of water per day + coffee and sometimes tea,If I don't, I don't good. But yes I have to run to the ladies room (literally) often. LOL)

a-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was hysterical! Love it!

nicsflyingcircus

I drink alot of water. It works for me. My skin is soft (and I don't lotion), and my feet/ankles swell way less. I am of the live and let live camp; do what works for YOU!

pegasus925

You can google it yourself, not that hard to find