Do we really need 8 - 8oz of water every day?

This is the 1st I've heard that u should drink half ur body weight in oz. Half mine is 63.4 and I drink 80oz, so yay! I'm doing well! I've heard that water helps with ur skin too. I would drink at least 8.

It does sound like a lot. I got a 24oz water bottle and I make myself down it before I can have a Diet Coke. I always seem to be able to drink 3 of them...

It goes back to what works, I have a lot of fiber, keep my potassium high with my diet and drink about 120+ oz a day, if you are consuming a mostly processed diet then perhaps yes your potassium could be too low. But that would be a whole lot of water, lol. So many folks go on about water intoxication but your kidney's can handle up to 15 liters a day as long as you don't drink that 15 liters in one go :flowerforyou:
This might be a TMI for some but as long as your pee is light yellow with little odor, you're fine, whether that's 8 or 15 glasses a day.

How does drinking other things like milk or juice factor in?

They count towards fluids but they also add in calories too. I drink 2-8 cups of water and a ton of tea, both hot and cold.

i agreed you are suppose to drink half your body weight in water therefore i drink about 200 ounces a day HOWEVER too much water can dilute your body nutrients and so i say be careful. I personally have been admitted in the hospital due to low potassium which the doctor told me i specifically was intaking too much water.

I typically drink ~96oz a day, and I am currently 200lbs. According to my urologist, 96oz is the MINIMUM I should drink per day.

When I went for my last check up I specifically asked him what HIS opinion was from a medical standpoint. He wouldn't give me a cut and dry answer, but he did tell me one thing--for every ONE person he sees who has had too much water, he sees a hundred people who are chronically dehydrated. The day I did my 24hr urine collection for him, I drank almost 5 liters of water and he was thrilled with my results.

I don't think you need that much water and recent research says it's a myth.

You need to drink when you're thirsty. Period.

I agree that you need 1 oz for ever 2 pounds of weight.... I strive for this and have learned it really does help not just with hunger but with detoxing your system!

I've got this crazy little habit, I drink when I'm thirsty and don't drink when I'm not thirsty.

Though you're being facetious, it actually is kind of a crazy habit: thirst is your body saying you're ALREADY dehydrated.

Wrong. Thirst is your body's way of regulating water intake. Smart little thing it is. A very natural process. That's your cue your body is wanting you to add additional fluids not that your dehydrated. Two different things. You can be thirsty and not dehydrated and you can be dehydrated and not thirsty.

Symptoms of dehydration would be extreme thirst, dry skin, dry lips, sucken eyes, decreased urine output, confusion, headaches, dizziness, lack of saliva production, lack of sweat.

I struggle woth this. I am lucky to get 16 oz of water not counting milk. If I drink that much I don't get work done cause I am racing to the bathroom. I know I need to do it. Am proud of myself that I have at least cut out my soda at lunch and drink water instead. One step / ounce at a time. Right ??

As long as your peeing your fine. Your body is releasing fluid because it doesn't need it. If you stop peeing or its thick and dark yellow, brown or orange, that's when you know your in trouble. Huge cue that your body is retaining fluid because there isn't enough intake.

No. It has been proven false that you need a certain amount of water. You get what your body needs from the foods you eat and only when extreme heat or exercise would you need to replenish any of it. Don't believe me, Google it but stick to the reputable hits and not Joe's Fitness Blog. Nothing against Joe but likely he is an idiot.

It's a lot like calories and macros; everyone's needs are different. Someone who is giving it 110% playing basketball, sprinting up and down the court is going to need more water to stay hydrated than someone sitting on their butt eating Miccy Dee's from 9 AM- 10 PM. Just listen to your body.

@ kiachu
Thank you, it's always nice when some other knowledgable person comes to your aid. As it is, was not being facetious at all, it's the gods honest truth that I drink when I'm thirsty, I have days where I hardley drink two glasses of water, and others when I drink twenty, like I said, I know when I'm thirsty and when I'm not.
I'd like to say it amazes me the myths people believe but unfortunately it doesn't, not enough people question what they are told.

Drinking water flushes the kidneys and it keeps you from eating when you are really just dehydrated.

I believe that we are all fooled. There is new research that is saying that we really don't need that much water from water if you eat a proper diet. I drink a couple glasses a day and I'm fine. I think a lot of people are way over hydrated. And, I also believe that being over hydrated is bad for you. You don't need that much water.

No. It has been proven false that you need a certain amount of water. You get what your body needs from the foods you eat and only when extreme heat or exercise would you need to replenish any of it. Don't believe me, Google it but stick to the reputable hits and not Joe's Fitness Blog. Nothing against Joe but likely he is an idiot.

I bet you change your tune when you get your first kidney stone. I was one who couldn't be bothered to drink much most days....then I landed in the ER with a 14mm kidney stone. Further tests revealed that I was chronically dehydrated and actually needed about 4L per day to stay properly hydrated.