Water - why so much?

frugalmomsrock

http://www.livestrong.com/article/409152-does-dehydration-slow-metabolism/

http://www.managedcareconcepts.com/blogs/drink-more-water-–-1-dehydration-reduces-your-metabolism

frugalmomsrock

Ok, I have nothing to back this up but I read it somewhere once, so it must be true.

We are trying to lose fat.
Fat stores a lot of the toxins we have consumed over the years.
When we burn that fat we release those toxins.
The kidneys have to filter those toxins.
If you don't drink enough water your kidneys have a hard time doing their job.

So that's my rationale.

So, you think you needed more than the medical recommendation because the recommendation was probably made for weight maintenance and not loss? Would that make the amount needed above the recommendation proportionate to the amount of weight being lost?

My PERSONAL view is that I sweat out buckets of water during exercise. I need to replace what's lost AND have enough to fuel normal body functions.

bcattoes

There's a lot of debate about drinking water, but for ME I find that drinking a lot of water (I'm usually around 12-16 cups a day) helps me regulate my appetite, helps me feel better, is great for my skin, and I'm just all around happier when I'm super hydrated.

Since I doubled the amount of water I drink, I've had less breakouts, my skin is softer, and I RARELY get sick aside from seasonal allergies. My bf was having issues with getting sick a lot, and when I suggested he drink a lot more water, I kid you not, he has not been sick one single time since he started. Same with my 5 year old...I swear, it's like magic!

I thought maybe it was just a coincidence for me, but when my bf and son had the exact same reaction, I knew it had to be more than just me.

Interesting theory. My husband rarely drinks water, though he is trying to do better. He's one of the "I don't like the taste of water" crowd (he admits it's actually the lack of taste). He usually gets sick a couple of time per year while I rarely get sick (I drink a lot of tea and water, though I don't track it). But honestly I've rarely been sick my whole life, even when I used to drink a lot of soda and eat crap. I hope you are correct and this work for my husband!

magslayton

I think your body uses water for lots of things, but if it doesn't have enough, it slows up functions that are less important in favour of more important ones, so not drinking enough can slow down your digestion processes. There's also something about that slowing metabolism. Not sure more is better though. This seems to agree: http://rocking-me.com/?p=37

Ondreacrandall

You actually burn 80 extra calories a day by drinking 8 glasses of ice water.

kcmomof2

I drink an insane amount of water a day (5-6 Liters a day) . Not just for the health benefits, but mainly because I don't like to drink my calories. I prefer to eat them.

bcattoes

I think your body uses water for lots of things, but if it doesn't have enough, it slows up functions that are less important in favour of more important ones, so not drinking enough can slow down your digestion processes. There's also something about that slowing metabolism. Not sure more is better though. This seems to agree: http://rocking-me.com/?p=37

I understand that we need water. I wasn't questioning that. I was just curious why so many feel the need to drink beyond the recommendation, which is enough for hydration in most people.

There have been some interesting responses.

lucythinmint

I used to work in a Urology office and I have seen the repercussions of not drinking enough water and too much of the bad liquids.

I only drink water and brewed coffee. Coffee in the morning and in the evening.....water all the other times of day.

Hydration
keeps me "regular" (tmi sorry)
Makes my hair and skin look AWESOME

jsapninz

Eight glasses a day of water is a vast overstatement. (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=eight-glasses-water-per-day)

The important thing is to stay hydrated, and focus on water as your major source. Most people get alot of their water intake from solid foods like watermelon, celery etc.

Water IS good because it is zero calories and your body needs it to survive. But other sources, tea mostly, can be healthy too. Most people's problem though is drinking their calories in sugary drinks that have no nutritional value (pop, fancy coffee, and some so-called "energy" drinks).

mudpuddlegirl

So, what about flavored sparkling water, like the ICE brand - sweetened with Splenda. Would you count a 17 oz bottle (average size) as 2 glasses of water consumption? I am slowly working my way up to 64 oz of plain water. - coming from the "I don't like the taste or lack of taste" way.

JBsCrazyGirl

The body is 70% water.
The world is 70% water.
It's the best thing ever!
Especially on ice

I dont see the need to drink anything else.
It flushes out the temple, that is the body.
Believe it or not, it keeps water weight down.
64oz of water really isnt that much

to top it off, it's great for you! :flowerforyou:

Meaganandcheese

I just feel better when I am well-hydrated. I average about 100oz a day. I don't have skin or regularity issues. My doctors like it since I am prone to kidney infections and I havent had a UTI since upping my intake to this level. I don't need "cleansing" and I don't have issues with water retention from sodium or TOM. Plus, I just prefer the taste of cold water.

BAMFMeredith

The body is 70% water.
The world is 70% water.

This totally made me think of the old Tom Green show when he wanted to swim across Lake Michigan. He said "The body is 80% water, so that means only 20% of me has to swim." hahahaha

bcattoes

So, what about flavored sparkling water, like the ICE brand - sweetened with Splenda. Would you count a 17 oz bottle (average size) as 2 glasses of water consumption? I am slowly working my way up to 64 oz of plain water. - coming from the "I don't like the taste or lack of taste" way.

I would count all non-alcoholic liquids if I were counting.

narrington77

i've researched this before, but since everyones body is different i can say that for me, this is why I drink water ( i try and drink between 12-15 8 oz cups a day):

1.) yeah, i've noticed its help me be regular
2.) skin better
3.) all around just helps me feel better, i feel gross when i'm dehydrated

but biggest reason for me is that i tend to realllly retain water.. badly. and as an experiment i went from 8 glasses a day to 12-15 and its helped me keep my weight down and also lose more. my weight was stalling for a couple weeks. i finally broke past my stall after increasing my intake.

same calories, ate the same kinds of stuff..#shrug

minuet42

I don't track mine, but I know I drink far more than the recommended amount (at minimum, on a work day, I'll drink around 6L/235+oz.). Mostly, it's because I feel thirsty, or I'm trying to ward off a computer headache. I find myself more thirsty on active days, because I'm usually too busy to drink like I do when I'm seated at my desk, which I suppose is a small irony...

The goal - pee clear, pee lots! (Also, acne problems mostly gone, even though I was never a huge soda drinker. It's a nice perk!)

LilRedRooster

Water is necessary because it helps facilitate all the chemical reactions that happen in your body. Every time you have a nerve impulse, you have chemicals released in a watery substance, because they need water to dissolve and react. When your muscles activate, they require potassium and sodium ions to do so; they can't be ions without water. Your blood needs a certain water level to transport nutrients. You need water. The more balanced your water is, the more balanced your body will be.

Most people are actually dehydrated and don't know it, because the body is really, really good at adapting, so it'll retain more water when there isn't much available. Try upping your water intake and see how you feel. You'll probably notice only good things, because let's face it, water is just awesome.

zombiegirl1313

well said... i 2nd your post :-)

dracoxesmaralda

Drinking a lot of water does help to reduce appetite as a lot of times people mistake being thirsty for being hungry. You can have too much of a good thing though guys. Drinking too much water and over-hydrating yourself can cause an electrolyte imbalance which leads to hyponatremia. This is caused when your sodium and water balance is out of whack and it can make you VERY sick.

LadyElby

I'm ex-military and I have been taught and learned to follow a formula for water drinking for a variety of reasons.

The forumla is take your weight divide it by 2 and then the answer and divide it by 8. As your weight decreases you decrease your water.

Here is a link where you can read why.

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/health/water-plus-oxygen-equals-weight-loss

Great article! Thanks for posting!!

androde

The UK National Health Service says:

*********************************************
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/water-drinks.aspx

Research measuring water loss has shown that we should drink about 1.2 litres of fluid every day to stop us getting dehydrated. This works out to be about six 200ml or eight 150ml glasses, cups or mugs.

The total amount of water we lose each day and need to replace is in fact greater than this – about 2.5 litres – but we get 1 litre of the fluid we need from food and the body recovers 0.3 litres from chemical reactions in our cells. The rest needs to be taken from drinks. All non-alcoholic drinks count, but water, milk and fruit juices are the healthiest.
*********************************************

That's good I can manage 1.2 litres of liquid easily enough