WHEN are you supposed to drink your water?

ZeonDax

It's hard enough for me to drink 8-8oz glasses. It would be harder for me if they were scheduled! So I fill 4-16oz bottles with lemon flavored Stevia drops to help me with my daily intake....I did notice that since I'm prone to Migraines, If I don't drink all 4 I end up with a headache the next morning....Let's me know that I dehydrate very easily!

run_way

I've never heard of anything like that...I drink water all day long. I often drink a big glass of water before meals because it helps me feel full sooner, (thus eliminating the likelihood of overeating when I've actually had enough food)

Out of curiosity, what was the reasoning you heard behind this silly theory?

I think the reasoning was that it makes you process your food faster/makes you hungry again/process your food so that you absorb less nutrients (?) I have no idea really, It's just one of those strange "facts" that the internets told me and stuck in my memory for some reason :embarassed:

etoiles_argentees

I don't know... I just drink when I'm thirsty. I have seen a lot of this, but I've never really looked in to it.

It has less to do with the passage of food being broken down and more to do with absorption. Food will interfer with maximal absorption of the product. Small intestine is for nutrient absorption and the large intestine is water absorption and waste removal. It goes Stomach-> small intestine->Large Intestine->Rectum. The stomach does most of the breaking down but doesn't really perform much if any absorption. So, ideally, you wouldn't want to have anything in your stomach that delays gastric emptying. As well, you wouldn't want a large meal or be in times of stress becuase those will factor into delaying gastric emptying as well. Otherwise you take the product and it will get held up in food when it comes time for absorption, and possibly pass right through.

Hellbent_Heidi

Haha thanks everyone, that's what I assumed but I just heard it randomly (can't even recall where, now that I think of it) and wondered if there was any merit to it at all.

Doesn't surprise me. Once you start telling people you're eating better, working out, losing weight or whatever.....they come out with ALL kinds of crackpot theories and advice! :ohwell:

ctpeace

I have actually heard this, but from a latina grandma who didn't want me to "spoil my apetite". If you're here, you likely wouldn't mind that particular effect! Drink up!

EEfromJersey

I always drink my water when my body screams for it and a doggie like thirst comes over me always have to be careful that water isn't that ranger blue color in it and then i'll drink like a lobster would....ahhhhh

RllyGudTweetr

Try not to drink while sleeping. Otherwise, it's pretty much when you're thirsty. Water, tea, coffee, whatever.

starracer23

Drink yo water all day, every day. Just know that you will pee more and that includes having to wake up and go.

crimsoncat

At least in our animal nutrition class we learned that water is THE most important nutrient because without it you'll die rather quickly. Everything else takes a week or more to cause a problem. Therefore, I would conclude that you should just drink it and not worry so much. If you're thirsty, DRINK.

Only thing I would add to that is don't drink a ton of water before a really hard workout as some people (me) puke on a full stomach. Try to drink it slowly during the workout to avoid that.

Capt_Apollo

this isn't rocket surgery. just drink water whenever you want.

briabner

Just drink it whenever you want. Also, drink enough water until your urine is a very light almost colorless color. When your pee is this color you know you are drinking enough for proper kidney function.

nytius

I have never heard that, ever in my life... I drink a ton of water. Partly because I know it's good for me to stay hydrated, partly because I tend to be over on sodium pretty much daily & drinking a lot of water helps counteract the water retention that the sodium overload causes... And partly because it helps me feel full. As far as "when" to drink it? I start first thing in the morning & stop by 8PM most of the time. Reason for that being: if I stop by 8PM, I usually won't have to get up to pee in the middle of the night, even if I've had 18 8 oz servings in a day.

You are my water twin. Same reasons and everything!

crimsoncat

this isn't rocket surgery.

That made my day. Thanks. XD

theCarlton

starracer23

^^^hehehe

Jacwhite22

You should drink it all immediately before you go to bed so your metabolism has enough of the fuels that it needs to work through the night.

Ramberta

Smart-alecks aside, really it doesn't matter. The only tip I have heard insofar as "monitoring" your water intake that I abide by is that if you drink more than 8 oz at a time, it will pretty much go straight through you-- so try to only drink 1 cup at a time, instead of chugging. You'll feel more hydrated taking a few sips at a time throughout the day instead of gulping down a huge Nalgene bottle before or after a meal, plus you won't get bloated.

skinnydreams19

That's silly, I'd be too thirsty if I didn't eat when I drink! Ignore that advice, drink when you're thirsty.

Ramberta

mmmmmm yes I want you inside me, water

Mr_Bad_Example

This has been a point of confusion for me. I have heard that you are not supposed to drink your water too close to your meals - like not for a half before or until an hour after you've eaten.

I eat every 2-4 hours and I'm a slow eater, so that would leave me a very narrow window to get all of my water in.

I usually just drink it whenever I want, but I was wondering has anyone else come across this? Is this just total B.S.?

:drinker:

I don't know... I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you should drink it when you feel thirsty, if not before you get thirsty.