You Don’t Need 8 Glasses Of Water A Day

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  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
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    I lose weight and feel better when I drink a lot of water. I usually get about a gallon while I'm at work and another gallon while I'm training. I sweat a lot more than most people though which is why I drink so much while training.
  • EmotionalEater84
    EmotionalEater84 Posts: 311 Member
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    Honestly, this article just made me thirsty .. Was that the intent? O.o
  • ChefSteveUrso
    ChefSteveUrso Posts: 84 Member
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    If I don't drink around 3ltr of water a day, or let myself get dehydrated I have a gout attack. Being fully hydrated also alleviates aches and pains that are often attributed to "just getting older" and arthritis. Also I personally lose weight easier on the days that I get a full 3 ltr's of water.
    It's becoming more obvious to me everyday that there are at least 2-3 different archetypes of human metabolism concerning health and weight loss, ie, some people process carbs well and lose weight, while to much protein bogs them down, another type loses weight on high protein and carbs make them gain and feel sluggish. It looks like there are variants on individual water consumption as well.
    It would be great if we could verify and catalog the different archetypes, and then create an optimum health and fitness plan for each type.
  • WelshPhil1975
    WelshPhil1975 Posts: 138 Member
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    I think the myth the OP is trying to deflate is that "8 glasses" is some magic number for weight loss, not that water is not a benefit. At least, that's my take after reading the linked article.
    This is how I took it aswell.

    It does help where regulation of sodium is concerned, but the figure is not a magic “8 glasses and you are sorted”, in my experience. I have never been a big fan of soft drinks or coffee, etc, so all I’ve ever drank all my life is water with the occasional Diet Coke thrown in and I am very overweight, so whilst I have always drunk about 10-12 glasses a day (give or take) I am not at an advantage over anybody else because of it.

    The bottom line is you should aim to stay hydrated and the best way I find to do this is – and it’s never the most pleasant thing to explain – to keep checking the colour of your urine. Too dark and you are dehydrated. Your best level is lightly yellow. Just check whenever you go (easier for men, I’d guess); if it’s too dark, drink some water. It’s not worth fretting over, though.
  • gmoneycole
    gmoneycole Posts: 813 Member
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    Drink up
  • royaldrea
    royaldrea Posts: 259 Member
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    The point is not that water is not good for you, or that you shouldn't drink lots of water, but that you don't definitively need 64oz of plain water a day to be hydrated. We get water from different sources - other beverages, fruits, etc.
  • thechairman18
    thechairman18 Posts: 1 Member
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    The idea that you NEED 8 glasses of pure water is a complete nonsense.
    Ask any dietician, or doctor to show you proof, they can't.
    Some time ago, some students ( American, I think ), were asked to determine, how much water the human body loses in a day, via sweat, pee and poo.
    After tests, they came up with the conclusion,that the human body loses approx 2 litres/8 glasses of water a day.
    Which is AUTOMATICALLY REPLACED BY FOOD AND DRINK.
    THERE IS NO NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 2litres/8 glasses of water a day.
    Think of food and drink which are mainly water, ie lettuce,tomatoes , potatoes,cabbage,milk,tea,coffee,beer,coke,etc.
    Some quick thinking smart assed water company salesman, chose to hide and ignore the students conclusions, and so the myth was born.
    Remember the old saying - eat when you are hungry, drink when you are dry.
  • BraveNewdGirl
    BraveNewdGirl Posts: 937 Member
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    I just drink water when I feel thirsty! That usually amounts to 4 glasses per day if I don't work out and 8-10 glasses if I do. I'm basically the Gallon Of Water Guy at the gym.

    Disclaimer: I totally drink a bunch of my calories in the form of orange juice and skim milk. Not even sorry!
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
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    Of course this depends on your activity level, diet and the climate in which you live. I'm sure some people need twice that amount, and some only need a couple glasses a day.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Remember the old saying - eat when you are hungry, drink when you are dry.

    except people lose track of what those signals mean- or their body is saying X and meaning Y.

    Using your hunger or your thirst as a point to act is wrong- when you are thirsty- typically you are already dehydrated. ... and if you MISS that mark- you're body will send you hunger signals- when it's just dehydrated- this is precisely why that's a poor way to guage what you need- and why having a number to shoot for is useful.

    The idea is to just drink more water- and stay hydrated- most people don't think about it because lets face it- people can be very stupid- so if you give them a rule of thumb then mentally they can shoot for it.

    I agree- it's nonsense that we need an exact number of water every day- nothing about us is that precise- but using thirst and hunger to fuel yourself is not wise. You have to be more proactive.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Remember the old saying - eat when you are hungry, drink when you are dry.

    Hormones control your hunger. Those hormones do not always send the right signals. i.e. underweight people are often not hungry and overweight people are often always hungry.
  • nicsflyingcircus
    nicsflyingcircus Posts: 2,553 Member
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    I drink 3-4 liters of water daily (usually 4 and sometimes a little more) and while it may not actually have any effect on weight loss, it makes me feel better, my feet swell less in the heat and humidity, I have fewer headaches, etc. I don't care if anyone else drinks no water, a gallon of water, or toilet water.
  • thelazydandelion
    thelazydandelion Posts: 58 Member
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    I personally feel a lot better when I drink water and I like having the 8 glasses a day as a goal. If I wasn't drinking water, I'd be snacking or drinking something that was bad for me.
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
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    Remember the old saying - eat when you are hungry, drink when you are dry.
    This is true, but where the saying falls down is a lot of people can't read the signals they are getting from their stomachs; a lot of people mistake the signal for thirst as hunger - this has been proven!

    This is why people advise that if you are feeling hungry, drink a [large] glass of water first. If you are still hungry after finishing the water, then you are hungry & not thirsty...

    Personally I drink LOTS of water; a minimum of 8 x 800ml glasses, but normally more & it doesn't do me any harm whatsoever! :drinker:
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
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    Yeah no surprise there.

    I'm still amazed that some people really believe that drinking water helps with weight loss.
    Um because it does. I've seen it for a fact with myself. If I don't drink enough water, I don't lose weight. If I drink more water, I lose weight. It DEFINITELY helps me lose weight.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    Does beer count for my daily classes of water?
  • stephanieluvspb
    stephanieluvspb Posts: 997 Member
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    I freaking love water, nothing quenches my thirst better. I don't track my water intake though. I've actually had people pm with concern because my diary shows zero in my water consumption. lol sorry I just drink till I'm not thirsty no need to track
  • Raclex
    Raclex Posts: 238
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    Drink liquid until you are hydrated.

    /thread :wink:

    Yup. If you're thirsty, drink. If not, don't. There's days when I drinks lots, and others, when I drink less.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Um because it does. I've seen it for a fact with myself. If I don't drink enough water, I don't lose weight. If I drink more water, I lose weight. It DEFINITELY helps me lose weight.

    ^^ Yep
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
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    This is true, but where the saying falls down is a lot of people can't read the signals they are getting from their stomachs; a lot of people mistake the signal for thirst as hunger - this has been proven!

    Sure, although as someone who can read those signals (except that I probably think I'm thirsty when I'm not, so hmm) that always seems so weird to me. (But I have issues with hunger signals, and prefer to just eat when it's mealtime, and that probably seems weird to someone without that issue.)

    What bugs me about the "you must drink 8 glasses of water" crowd, especially when it's insisted that it must be water or otherwise does not count, is that they ignore the fact that plenty of people have no problems drinking adequate water and wouldn't ever come close to getting too little on a regular basis. (If anything I tend to drink more water and other liquids than I need, and always have.) My belief is that people should just generally gauge their habits and their urine to see if they think they need to make a concerted effort to drink more. If not, don't worry about it.

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