Too much water? Ladies-help?

kdsp2911

So I have been logging with MFP a little over 2 weeks now and working on doing excercise. I am VERY proud of myself so far, I am determined to make a lifestyle change. Not just a temporary diet. I increased my water intake (I already drink alot) but is there such a thing as too much water? I know there is, but what is the extreme? I'm driking about 12 cups a day I would say. Maybe sometimes about 15. I'm just over TOM (ended yesterday) and I have some swelling in my feet. Is this from TOM or drinking too much?

Thanks in advance!

Lauramh31

Maybe too much sodium or that your body isn't used to being on your feet and working out much? I drink like 20 glasses a day easily (not including coffee and tea) and was told that is too much, so I wouldn't drink 15 just for the sake of it to be healhty, only if you are thirsty and want it becuase you really don't "need" that much (on a normal day - maybe in the hot humid summer w/ lots of activity, etc).

kdsp2911

Maybe too much sodium or that your body isn't used to being on your feet and working out much? I drink like 20 glasses a day easily (not including coffee and tea) and was told that is too much, so I wouldn't drink 15 just for the sake of it to be healhty, only if you are thirsty and want it becuase you really don't "need" that much (on a normal day - maybe in the hot humid summer w/ lots of activity, etc).

Thanks! I'm usually just that thirsty! I really haven't had much sodium. My diary is viewable by my friends, so feel free to friend me and review it and offer any recommendations :-)

Lauramh31

Hmm, have you been tested for diabetes? Excessive thirst and swelling in hands/feet can be a symptom. (Doctors always test me when I tell them how much I drink, but it's always negative!)

AlongCame_Molly

There IS such a thing as "water poisoning", where you ingest too much water and it essentially flushes out too many electrolytes and can make you very sick. But it would be very difficult to drink enough water to make that happen. I'm talking in GALLONS a day, probably. You would most likely make yourself throw up before you ever got to that point. My goal is 12 cups a day, too, and I've been sustaining that for a couple months. You're good!

jennbeaudry

I have been drinking 16 cups a day for 12 years and when I work out I add on another 4-6 cups. I also drink milk and other drinks throughout the day.

Never had water intoxication, in fact if I don't drink 16 cups I feel awful.

I also do not spend every moment in the bathroom!

Lauramh31

I have been drinking 16 cups a day for 12 years and when I work out I add on another 4-6 cups. I also drink milk and other drinks throughout the day.

Never had water intoxication, in fact if I don't drink 16 cups I feel awful.

I also do not spend every moment in the bathroom!

Yep - this is pretty much me. I get "dehydrated" sooo easily! I just don't understand when people have trouble getting 8 glasses becuase I have that or more before lunch!

kdsp2911

Thank you all! I think it's just the after effects of the monthly. If it persists though I will make an appointment w/ my doc.

@Lauramh31: I developed gestational diabetes during pregnancy due to my pre existing insuling resistance and PCOS. I keep an eye on my sugar and it has been good

CASSIEWESTSUNRISE

I also heard that too about water

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I've been drinking about 8-10 liters (32-40 cups) a day on average and I haven't had any weird symptoms or swelling. I also don't menstruate or even know much about all that stuff so maybe that's the cause. Excessive water consumption hasn't caused any problems for me.

CactusF1ower

If it does not go away in a day or 2 post your monthly, and you don't think that your sodium intake is too high, then see a doc immediately. Kidney problems, congestive heart failure- just to name a few, are conditions that could cause fluid retention. Best of luck.

2013sk

I drink over 3 litres of water a day

Then include a couple of herbals, and coffees with coffee mate

Yes.....lots of wee wee's

knovello82

I drink close to a gallon & a half a day.

bgelliott

I drink at least 1 gallon a day and I feel great. If I drink less I get tired and have a headache and sometimes even nausea. I've never experienced swelling or bloating when drinking this much water but when I get too much sodium on any given day, I swell up like the Michelin Man!

jenniferrusso7393

In addition to diabetes, if you are taking any meds, exercise some care... too much water can flush those out of your system too...

usmcmp

I drink between 1 and 2 gallons a day. I experience less bloating and swelling drinking this much, unless I have too much sodium.

kah68

The rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces.

Briargrey

As long as you aren't drinking too much too fast, water intoxication usually isn't something we need to worry about it. Deaths related to it tend to come from those doing it during a water drinking contest or other stupidity (I vaguely recall a special about it occurring also sometimes when taking Ecstasy because it makes you feel thirsty and they overhydrated). I drink consistently over 2 litres a day, typically 3-4, and I've had up to a litre fairly quickly when I've been really thirsty. I do make sure I don't do anything about that too quickly!

I agree with others posting that if it persists after awhile you should check in with your doctor in case it is indicative of something more serious, but it could just be something related to period water retention or your body just deciding "screw this, I'm hanging on to some of it for a bit." Bodies are recalcitrant like that sometimes.

MinnieInMaine

12-15 cups a day is definitely not excessive.

Two good rules of thumb

1) Drink half your weight in water. For example, I weigh 175 so that's 87.5 ounces or roughly 11 cups of water per day. It's good to add at least 2 more cups if you're active to replace fluids lost through sweat and breathing.

2) Urine color. Unless you're on a medication that effects your urine color, this can be a great way to tell how well hydrated (or not) you are. If your pee is light yellow/straw colored, you're right on target. If it's dark yellow, especially with an odor, you're dehydrated. If it's clear, you're probably overhydrated.

Glad you're planning to go see your doc if it doesn't clear up! Try sitting with your feet propped up to see if that helps.

briabner

Drink enough water until your pee is a very light yellow (almost light lemonaid) color. I have also heard you if are looking for a number of glasses you should drink take your current weight and divide by 2. for example I weigh 200 pounds divided by 2 = 100 oz of water per day. I find that if I am drinking too much water I crave salty things.

MysticRealm

I've been drinking about 8-10 liters (32-40 cups) a day on average

Why?

bgelliott

The rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces.

I tell people 1x's your body weight in ounces, not half

kah68

The rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces.

I tell people 1x's your body weight in ounces, not half

I think that may be true under certain circumstances or for extremely active individuals, but from what I've read and from the nutritionists/trainers I work with the rule of thumb is half your body weight in ounces.

olDave

I know this is partly about TOM but it's also about the whole water issue.....

Almost everyday someone in these forums posts that they struggle with drinking so much water. No matter what others say, they seem to ignore anyone who doesn't agree with the idea that we need so much plain water....and yet they wonder why it's so hard to drink it all.

It's good to be skeptical about other people's opinions on a public forum. So, here is an article on the subject with opinions from people in the medical field who SHOULD know. It's not simply MY opinion.

If nothing else, this demonstrates that this subject is debatable and not a hard scientific or medical fact. The question will then be..."Who do you believe?"

Peace.

---

Eight glasses of water a day an urban myth'?

Water and a well-balanced diet 'do far more than water alone,' Australian researcher says

CBC News

Posted: Jun 10, 2012 12:51 AM ET

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2012 12:48 AM ET

The common advice to drink eight glasses of water a day doesn't hold water, say nutrition and kidney specialists who want to dispel the myth.

"What drove us to drink two litres of water a day?" asks an editorial in this week's issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

The recommendation was driven by vested interests rather than health, suggests author Speros Tsindos of the department of dietetics and human nutrition at La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia.
Other beverages also help us meet the body's fluid needs, say nutrition specialists. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)
"Humans need to maintain fluid balance and need to drink water when required, but should also consider fluid in unprocessed fruits and vegetables and juices. There is further evidence that water and a well-balanced diet does far more than water alone," Tsindos wrote.

"Water is important for health; however, the recommendation of eight glasses of pure water per day appears an overestimation of requirements."

Even a baked potato is 75 per cent water, said nutrition Prof. Susan Barr of the University of British Columbia, who sat on a Canadian-U.S. committee that looked at fluid intake.

"There's nothing magical about water from a glass of water as opposed to water from a food or any other beverage," Barr said.

Drinking caffeinated beverages such as tea and coffee do not lead to dehydration, said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a nephrologist at the University of Pennsylvania who reviewed research claims on drinking eight glasses of water and studied how the kidneys handle it.

Let thirst guide you

"Drinking the coffee will count towards your total water intake for the day," Goldfarb said.

Goldfarb said despite the common idea that it's important to "drink eight glasses of eight ounces of water" a day, "There’s no evidence that benefits health in any real way and it really represents an urban myth."

There's no evidence you need to drink more water than what thirst dictates, Goldfarb added.

Studies on desert nomads showed people can consume minimal amounts of water in harsh environments. The military has also looked at how much water soldiers need to take with them when patrolling in hot climates without harming their performance.

"If one is just playing a game of tennis in an indoor facility, for example, or having a short run on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym, the need to maintain hydration during that is just non-existent," Goldfarb advised.

People have died of dehydration and from drinking too much water too quickly.

A good guide to tell if the body’s finely tuned fluid balance is to check the colour of your urine. If it's very dark, you're on the dry side; if it's very light or translucent, then you need to drink a bit less water, said Dr. David Price, head of family medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

Serah87

I drink 20-24 cups of water day, not including tea, milk, etc., I see nothing wrong with drinking that much. :bigsmile:

airen123

The extreme max is 32 oz per hour (A Nalgene bottle). Your kidneys can't process any more than that.

Bettyeditor

So I have been logging with MFP a little over 2 weeks now and working on doing excercise. I am VERY proud of myself so far, I am determined to make a lifestyle change. Not just a temporary diet. I increased my water intake (I already drink alot) but is there such a thing as too much water? I know there is, but what is the extreme? I'm driking about 12 cups a day I would say. Maybe sometimes about 15. I'm just over TOM (ended yesterday) and I have some swelling in my feet. Is this from TOM or drinking too much?

Thanks in advance!

Its hard to drink too much, and 12 cups a day is not too much (that's my average). Usually swelling for me is related to sodium. But if you have enough potassium in your diet, your body can excrete excess sodium and you won't get water retention. So you can monitor your sodium and potassium intake (I display both those columns in my diary).

glovepuppet

if your feet/lower legs swell often, get a checkup.
sometimes swelling is a symptom of something else.

for now, sit with your feet up.

svavasdottir

wish i could stomach as much water ...>.<

EmilyEmpowered

there is a point where you can drink too much water. I know that it wont cause death to be overhydrated, but for me personally if I drink too much water/green tea it does impact how I feel. I think everyone needs to evaluate for themselves, because while some people here are saying they drink soooo much water in a day, if I drink more than 12 glasses I get very sick, and sometimes if I am not that active even the 12 is too many. I get dizzy, nauseous, feel super bloated, and my kidneys hurt (I have kidney issues anyway, and especially if I have an infection and drink too much, it is excruciating pain from overworking my kidneys)

If you like drinking that much water, keep doing it, but no one should be drinking a ton of water every day just because theres this idea out there that you have to drink gallons of it a day. Go by how YOU feel, not what you read. You get a lot of water from our foods anyway, especially if you are eating lost of fruits and veggies.

I also agree with the comment stating you should get checked for diabetes and other blood sugar issues, as yes it does cause you to be extremely thirsty.

cvilain13

A good way to force yourself to drink water is to drink 2 cups whenever you've put something in the microwave while waiting for something to cook. When I make my oatmeal every morning, I drink at least 4 cups of water before I even eat what I've made. It's a really good way to feel full before you start eating too--which will lead you to eat less. It also helps food to break down and absorb into the body.
I find that most of the time my pee is clear, with only a tiny tinge of yellow if anything, because I drink so much water.