8 cups a day is a myth, please don't over do it

kyt1206

This is just a summary of what I mean:

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

I'm not a physician, I am doing biomedical research and studying human physiology.

In physiology, there's this understanding that the 'norm' is the average of the entire population, which means, for an individual, it's a baseline to be measured by, just like your BMI, but it is by no means accurate for every single person.

Here's when you should drink to satisfy your body:

-In the morning to help you rehydrate from a night - people can sweat 9lb plus per year of fluids and etc from their pores during sleep phase.
-During meals when you take in food to be digested.
-Before and during and after a workout to replenish liquids lost. Try to drink *more* before the workout and make sure you're not losing too much electrolytes by the end. You should have something with electrolytes in it at the end of the workout. Electrolytes are ions that help maintain your body's saline balance.
-Any time you feel slightly thirsty - and this is the most important one - because your body is signaling you to drink. Don't ignore it, don't grab tea or any other type of diuretic. It's telling you to drink because you are missing water.

Not that you can't drink out of these conditions, but forcing 8 cups a day down your throat or feeling guilty about not *wanting* to drink more is unnecessary. This could potentially be psychologically detrimental to your goals if you feel *bad* about unable to stay healthy. Your body will tell you what to do, it always has told you what it wanted, you just have to listen.

ccarre81

Don't overdo it? I wouldn't say that striving to drink 8 cups a day is over doing it.

This article makes me shake my head... all but three references to support his idea that the recommended 8x8 is a myth?

I agree there is no hard evidence to support the 8x8 but it is a supported recommendation by health organizations worldwide. Although fluid intake requirements vary from person to person (based on body weight, diet, exercise, or other physical conditions) I am not in agreement with the statement that it's a myth. Most people on this forum will probably agree that drinking at least 8 cups a day has been key to their weight loss journey. At least it has been for mine. I will continue to drink my 96oz of water because I know it's been helping me and I believe it is the healthy way to go.

I hate using "studies" taken from anywhere on the www... so I won't bother dispelling this myth with supporting evidence.

rc630

Don't overdo it? I wouldn't say that striving to drink 8 cups a day is over doing it.

I think the OP meant this as in not over-stressing about not drinking 8 glasses, not that 8 glasses is way too much water.

kyt1206

Don't overdo it? I wouldn't say that striving to drink 8 cups a day is over doing it.

This article makes me shake my head... all but three references to support his idea that the recommended 8x8 is a myth?

I agree there is no hard evidence to support the 8x8 but it is a supported recommendation by health organizations worldwide. Although fluid intake requirements vary from person to person (based on body weight, diet, exercise, or other physical conditions) I am not in agreement with the statement that it's a myth. Most people on this forum will probably agree that drinking at least 8 cups a day has been key to their weight loss journey. At least it has been for mine. I will continue to drink my 96oz of water because I know it's been helping me and I believe it is the healthy way to go.

I hate using "studies" taken from anywhere on the www... so I won't bother dispelling this myth with supporting evidence.

You misunderstood me. Over and over again I read that people feeling guilty they're not drinking 8 glasses a day and they're forcing themselves to do it even when they don't want to. The point of this post is to point out that one shoe does *not* fit all. It does not negate that water is a vital part of the metabolism which again, I state, you should drink it during certain activities of the day but don't force yourself to make some artifical measured "average" that may or may not apply to you exactly. See it as a guideline and don't feel bad about not making that perfect mark. In the end, it's *how* you nurish your body that counts, not if your body can measure up to someone else's average.

zyxst

Here's when you should drink to satisfy your body:

-In the morning to help you rehydrate from a night - people can sweat 9lb plus per year of fluids and etc from their pores during sleep phase.
-During meals when you take in food to be digested.
-Before and during and after a workout to replenish liquids lost. Try to drink *more* before the workout and make sure you're not losing too much electrolytes by the end. You should have something with electrolytes in it at the end of the workout. Electrolytes are ions that help maintain your body's saline balance.
-Any time you feel slightly thirsty - and this is the most important one - because your body is signaling you to drink. Don't ignore it, don't grab tea or any other type of diuretic. It's telling you to drink because you are missing water.

Sounds like just what I'm doing. Strangely, I drink about 10-11 cups of water a day.