The Inconvenience of Water

BSchoberg

Sorry to say, I don't think it ever gets better... and since I'm trying to work, I end up putting it off until my back teeth are floating and it's critical! Or, something really complex will come up and I'll have to say, "Hang on --- I can't concentrate on this until I pee..."

Worse still - the older I get, the more often I wake UP to go! *sigh*

Melonhead

You should be drinking enough so your pee is clear. The darker it is, the more dehydrated you are (urine is more concentrated). Anything more than that is just going to get flushed out.

Also gonna mention hyponatremia because it's relevant... If you drink excessive amounts in a short amount of time, your cells become unstable because of a low electrolyte concentration. There are reports of people dying from drinking too much water too fast.

1-2 gallons of water a day seems excessive. I could see it if you work outside all day, or you exercise a lot. There is also the concern of hyponatremia. Too much water can be a very bad thing. Just my two cents

sundaywishes

Before lifestyle change:
Drinking MAYBE 8-16oz of fluid a day--at most! And never water, always OJ, *sometimes* milk. Every now and then I would have a few glasses (never more than 4) in a day, but there were plenty of days (most, actually) where I didn't drink anything. Not even with meals (you guys are probably like :huh: ). I just wasn't a "drinker"


After lifestyle change:
I drink at least 64oz (8 glasses) of water a day and try to strive for more :drinker: . When I first started I was literally peeing every 20 minutes. It was ridiculous. I think it was so often for me because my bladder had no idea what the hell was going on :laugh: I live about 20 minutes away from where I work and there were times I would go right before leaving the office--only to find my hand firmly placed over my slacks in a not-so-place and my hips and legs dancing from side to side during the drive home...and not because of a good song on the radio. Sometimes slamming my foot against the foot rest on the floorboard of the car multiple times would help as well. There were many times I though I wasn't going to make it and weighed which option would be better--pulling off on the side of the highway and hoping I didn't get a ticket for indescent exposure (or pictures/videos of my lady parts posted online by passerbys! :laugh: ), or how much trouble I would go through trying to clean the seat of my car. Thank God I used to hold it in as long as I could as a "game" when I was kid. The practice came in handy. :happy:

After several months things have gotten better. I also space out my water intake a little better, too. Instead of drinking slowly over the course of the day, I'll try and guzzle 20oz in a short amount of time (about 20min) and then do my business when Mother Nature calls shortly after. Then there's only 44oz left to go! Rinse (hands) and repeat! Bewteen doing that and my bladder finally growing a bit (I assume), I pee about once and hour. A lot better than once every 20min!! :laugh:

Good luck to everyone and hopefully that wasn't TMI!

Cassaaaaandra

Where did the recommendation for 2 gallons of water daily come from. I don't think there is a very concrete recommendation for how much water to drink and I'd imagine there's not one solid answer that'll apply to everyone everyday. The IOM recommends 9 cups daily (and I think a little more for men) and to add more based on exercise and environmental factors.

I'd be concerned about the workload of the kidneys over the course of a lifetime of drinking excess amount of water.

Sherie13

The rule of thumb is take your body weight and divide by two. That's how many ounces you should drink a day. And if you exercise a lot, drink a little more. If you eat food with lots of water in it (melon and whatnot) drink a little less. I pee ever 20 mins to half hour so I know what you are going through. I have to stop drinking about 3:30 so that I don't have to pee on the train at 5pm! Good luck!

shellsrenee01

The rule of thumb is take your body weight and divide by two. That's how many ounces you should drink a day. And if you exercise a lot, drink a little more.

Exactly! I weigh 242 lbs right now so I aim for 121 oz a day, which is just shy of a gallon.

I'd type more, but I hafta pee!

CarSidDar

if you go to this site, there is a calculator that will tell you how much you should drink to help you lose weight.

http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm my doctor actually had me do this in his office about 2 weeks ago.

That site is awesome if you exercise less than 90 hours per day..but it's a great site!

And I thought a day only had 24 hours..

drinking all that water is a myth....

http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/05/12053524-let-go-of-the-water-bottle-youre-plenty-hydrated-people?lite

and this is only one of many, many studies done on this subject. Also debunked is the "caffeine is dehydrating" myth.

saustin201

I go to the bathroom so often it's embarrassing. Plus my bladder is small. I didn't know that until the ultrasound tech told me during my first ultrasound for a baby about 10 years ago. Great!:sad:

mcarter99

Drinking water doesn't help weight loss unless it makes you eat less or walk more (to the bathroom). If you're peeing 12 times a day, you're not dehydrated and you can cut back.

Danielle_2013

With the bladder the size of a walnut, I would say I average a trip to the washroom once an hour.. But with a desk job, I figure it is a good excuse to go for a walk anyway. By the time I get home, I seem to slow down my water intake and feel more normal.

I'd write more...but... I've got to go...