Am I drinking too much water per day?

dirtyd89

16 oz glass X 8 glasses/day = 128 oz

16 oz = 1 pint

4 pints = 1 gallon

128 oz divided by 16 oz = 8 pints (2 gallons of water/day)

This includes work outs, meal times, etc.

Snapper1985

16 oz glass X 8 glasses/day = 128 oz

16 oz = 1 pint

4 pints = 1 gallon

128 oz divided by 16 oz = 8 pints (2 gallons of water/day)

This includes work outs, meal times, etc.

128 fl oz. is ONE gallon.

dirtyd89

I must of got my math wrong because I divided 128 oz by 16 oz and got 8.
So, I factored in the 8 to be 8 pints and got 2 gallons.
:P

chrissysue

Snapper is right, 128oz is 1 gallon not 2. Not that you did your math wrong....just thinking about it wrong. You divided 128 by 16 and got 8, which put you right back to the start of your equation....8 glasses @ 16 oz.
Don't worry happens to the best of us. Don't second guess yourself! Good luck on your journey!
Chris

chaosqueen01

since others are much better in explaining than me, I was just searching for information about too much drinking. For me, 1 gallon a day seems way too much. I'm drinking between 1,5 and 2 liters (so up to half a gallon) and I'm fine. with that. During exercise I'm drinking more, of course (during 1 hour of spinning course up to 1,5 liters).

Maybe this link will be helpful: http://thankyourbody.com/drinking-too-much-water/

astronomicals

Maybe this link will be helpful: http://thankyourbody.com/drinking-too-much-water/

I disagree with 99% of that.

torymichaels

I'm drinking right about the same amount, but I've been a beverage guzzler my entire life (and pee like one too, pardon the indelicacy). Some people drink a LOT, others don't. I do notice my water retention is better (less) on the days I drink 12+ glasses of water.

I suspect this is not just habit,but rather something in my genetic makeup because I have twin daughters. one of them is a sipper (she can nurse along a sippy cup for 2 hours...provided the other doesn't steal the cup), and the other is a gulper. Has been since the day she was born (okay, the day she came out of the NICU). She can polish off her sippy cup in 5 minutes or less and goes looking to steal her sister's sippy cup to finish that off too. And of course she goes through the expected additional diapers because of it. Hehe. Like Mom like daughter!

Mokey41

You need to drink enough for your urine to be pale yellow. There's no set amount per person and you get a lot of fluids from the food you eat. An apple is 85% water for example. Drinking excess water puts strain on your kidneys and doesn't flush out fat or toxins. The whole 8 glasses a day thing is a myth.

jmcreynolds91

On most days, i drink 14-18 glasses so about a gallon. I make sure to get at least 16 cups when i am over on sodium. That way, i see no water retention. Water is all i drink, so no i dont think its too much.

SweetestLibby

I must of got my math wrong because I divided 128 oz by 16 oz and got 8.
So, I factored in the 8 to be 8 pints and got 2 gallons.
:P

except that the recommended 8 glasses a day are 8 oz cups...not 16 oz.

Anywho - I drink between 12 and 16 8oz glasses of water a day. That's between 96oz and 128 oz (a gallon). I drink enough water so that my urine is as close to colorless and odorless as I can get. This includes water during exercising.

Phrick

Many trainers (including my former one that I can't afford anymore) recommend drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day. For me that's shrinking but it's around 115oz. I don't think stretching it by 13oz more to make it a full gallon will do me any harm, and I used to drink so much more than that (close to 2 gallons). I'm just a big water drinker. I've never had any problems from it.

AngieM76

I drink at least 4 20oz bottles of water a day. And I think I have heard that you are supposed to drink half your body weight in water a day so if thats true, I am not drinking enough.

selina884

You need to drink enough for your urine to be pale yellow. There's no set amount per person and you get a lot of fluids from the food you eat. An apple is 85% water for example. Drinking excess water puts strain on your kidneys and doesn't flush out fat or toxins. The whole 8 glasses a day thing is a myth.

That's right but no1 will understand.

Dark yellow = dehydrated
Pale yellow = hydrated
Clear = overhydrated

chera79

4 pints = half a gallon so I think that's where your math was wrong. But no worries, happens to the best of us.

As far as your concern about too much water intake, I've done lots of reading about this. Some I agree with and some I don't. The conclusion I've come to is that it depends on the person. I agree with the whole pale yellow urine thing. If I notice my urine is almost clear I back off of the water so I don't strain my kidneys. If it gets a bit darker I drink a bit more. And I also agree the salt intake plays a role. I try to stay away from processed foods but sodium is in most things. So if I do eat something high in sodium, I'll drink and extra glass or two to help. I hope you find that balance and what works best for you!

Oh, and when I track water, I don't include any consumed during workouts when I'm sweating. That water goes straight to replenishing the fluids lost through the production of sweat.

MinnieInMaine

I'm drinking right about the same amount, but I've been a beverage guzzler my entire life (and pee like one too, pardon the indelicacy). Some people drink a LOT, others don't. I do notice my water retention is better (less) on the days I drink 12+ glasses of water.

I suspect this is not just habit,but rather something in my genetic makeup (snip)

Same here! I'm just a really thirsty person and always have been.

There are two general rules of thumb that I've read about water consumption.

1) drink 1/2 your weight (in pounds) in fluid ounces. For instance, I weight 175 pounds so that's 87.5 ounces or approx 11 cups per day. If you're active, add in at least 2 more cups. The exception to this is if you eat a lot of raw foods as those provide lots of fluid. Which is why #2 can help...

2) urine color. If your pee is darker yellow, especially if it has an odor, you may be dehydrated and need to drink more water. If your pee is pale yellow you're right on target. If it's clear, you may be overhydrated or you could just be drinking your water too fast. Yes, guzzling isn't not necessarily a good thing. It's like overeating after fasting - the body just can't handle that volume and will let most of it pass through unprocessed. Drinking slowly/sipping is better. If you have trouble guzzling, put some ice in that water or keep it in the fridge - the colder it is, the more likely you'll sip as guzzling will be uncomfortable.
One more note on this: if you're on certain meds or take certain vitamins, these may affect urine color. Research or ask your doc to be sure.

highervibes

You need to drink enough for your urine to be pale yellow. There's no set amount per person and you get a lot of fluids from the food you eat. An apple is 85% water for example. Drinking excess water puts strain on your kidneys and doesn't flush out fat or toxins. The whole 8 glasses a day thing is a myth.

That's right but no1 will understand.

Dark yellow = dehydrated
Pale yellow = hydrated
Clear = overhydrated

+1 Drink when you're thirsty and pay attention to your number ones

vim_n_vigor

Are you comfortable with what you are drinking? Are you forcing yourself to drink this much? How much do you sweat when you work out?

I drink about a gallon a day without forcing or measuring it. That is just what I drink, that is when I feel good. Some days I'll drink more, others I'll drink less, but it does average to right about a gallon a day.

My husband drinks probably half or less of what I do a day. He is perfectly fine at that level. Unless there are specific health reasons to do so, I don't think anyone needs to force themselves to drink more fluids.

xampx

That's right but no1 will understand.

Dark yellow = dehydrated
Pale yellow = hydrated
Clear = overhydrated

You missed one:

luminous orange/yellow = Berocca much?

fbmandy55

You need to drink enough for your urine to be pale yellow. There's no set amount per person and you get a lot of fluids from the food you eat. An apple is 85% water for example. Drinking excess water puts strain on your kidneys and doesn't flush out fat or toxins. The whole 8 glasses a day thing is a myth.

That's right but no1 will understand.

Dark yellow = dehydrated
Pale yellow = hydrated
Clear = overhydrated

Yep this is how I judge it as well. I drink lots of water but I don't feel guilty if I drink iced tea or a pop or two. My body doesn't care as long as I am hydrated.

nsagley

When trying to lose weight divide your weight by 2 and that's how many ounces of water you need in a day. If you sweat a lot you should drink more than that.

SweetestLibby

That's right but no1 will understand.

Dark yellow = dehydrated
Pale yellow = hydrated
Clear = overhydrated

You missed one:

luminous orange/yellow = Berocca much?

Or too much B12 vitamin. I used to take a GNC multivitamin that had more B12 than I needed...it came out florescent yellow! Completely freaked me out.