Water Intake... How much is required?

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Questfor250
Questfor250 Posts: 155
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All, I am new at this for sure. I just blindly have been drinking water that the GNC people said to drink with the Cleanse Program. For the past month I have been pounding bottle after bottle for a total of a Gallon per day. 8 - 16.9 bottles per day or a total over over 135 ounces every day. Now on MFP it suggest to drink 8 - 8 ounce glasses of water per day. That's 64 ounces. Who is right? A gallon or a half gallon daily? What is the right answer?

On another note, I am ignorant on this so I am open to all comments. Why drink so much water? What does it do to the body?

Sorry for asking a question that has probably been tossed around for ages. This is a totally new experience for me. It is working but I am trying to understand why it is working and wondering if I am doing more than i should.

Replies

  • nicolewonsetler
    nicolewonsetler Posts: 1
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    My trainer, who formulated a diet/exercise plan for me, explained the water issue to me in this way. That old "8 glasses a day" thing is kind of out. It's too much of a "one size fits all" statement. Here's how to figure out how much YOU need per day. Take your body weight, and multiply it by 0.6 -- that is the amount of fluid ounces of water you require a day. I bet it's more than you thought you needed! Good luck!
  • Questfor250
    Questfor250 Posts: 155
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    thats almost 180 ounces per day. Ughhh. Look out potty here I come. Again, and again, and again, and again, etc...
  • afoxchic195
    afoxchic195 Posts: 4
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    Hello I was always told to divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces. For instance I weigh 160 lbs. so I drink 80 ounces of water per day.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I drink about a gallon a day. The water helps flush out sodium & other toxins (that's one of the reasons urine is yellow-- yucky stuff). The clearer your stream, the less yuck in your system. If it's not nearly clear, you're not drinking enough!
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    I've also read 8 glasses per day is just for a normal person to stay hydrated. Just like everything, different people have different opinions.

    If your overweight, you should have 1 glass of water over the 8 for every 10 lbs your overweight.

    As well as flushing the toxins out, our organs function better when they're hydrated.

    I found this on a website.

    What kinds of symptoms result from drinking too little water? Most commonly I see constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nose bleeds, repeated urinary tract infections, dry and unproductive coughs, constant sneezing, sinus pressure and headaches.

    You might ask how a lack of water intake can cause this wide array of symptoms. Water is required by every cell in the body as nourishment and to remove wastes. When water becomes scarce, the body tries to limit the amount it loses through breathing, mucous production, urination, perspiration and bowel movements

    http://www.viewzone.com/water.html
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    I've also read 8 glasses per day is just for a normal person to stay hydrated. Just like everything, different people have different opinions.

    If your overweight, you should have 1 glass of water over the 8 for every 10 lbs your overweight.

    As well as flushing the toxins out, our organs function better when they're hydrated.

    I found this on a website.

    What kinds of symptoms result from drinking too little water? Most commonly I see constipation, dry and itchy skin, acne, nose bleeds, repeated urinary tract infections, dry and unproductive coughs, constant sneezing, sinus pressure and headaches.

    You might ask how a lack of water intake can cause this wide array of symptoms. Water is required by every cell in the body as nourishment and to remove wastes. When water becomes scarce, the body tries to limit the amount it loses through breathing, mucous production, urination, perspiration and bowel movements

    http://www.viewzone.com/water.html
  • Questfor250
    Questfor250 Posts: 155
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    well once my morning trips flush out the multi vitamins - yellow plus blue makes green :)p - my urine is a clear stream most of the day. if I drink 1/2 my weight I am looking at 150 ounces. If I divide by 6 I am looking at 180. I think my 134 ounces will have to be enough. At least I learned to front load it and shut off at dinner.
  • SugarHi
    SugarHi Posts: 452
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    I consume 1.5 to 2 gallons of water a day. I sleep about 3 to 5 hours every 24 hours. 3 weeks of hitting the potty every 20 minutes until my body adjusted to having so much liquid. I say - drink more than 8 and the rest is really up to you :)
  • sineadmm
    sineadmm Posts: 190
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    why do you sleep so little @sugar?
  • thumper44
    thumper44 Posts: 1,464 Member
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    well once my morning trips flush out the multi vitamins - yellow plus blue makes green :)p - my urine is a clear stream most of the day. if I drink 1/2 my weight I am looking at 150 ounces. If I divide by 6 I am looking at 180. I think my 134 ounces will have to be enough. At least I learned to front load it and shut off at dinner.

    Questfor250 -
    Your morning trips do not flush out your "multi vitamins". What you are seeing is extra multi vitamin that your body didn't absorb. To slow down absorbtion, make sure you take multi vitamins with food.

    I also had to learn to "front load my drinking". At first I was drinking all day and before I left work, which also meant stopping on my commute home. Same thing, had to stop at dinner. It does get better.
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    There was quite a debate going on about this subject.

    I know for a fact I do not drink enough water until I make an effort to do so, then after about a week I crave my clear liquid.

    For me 135/.-5 = 72 oz. I drink at least this much each day.

    Some of the debate was about things like tea/coffee/crystal light being considered water.

    A doctor gave me a clear (pardon the pun) illustration as to the difference between clear cool water and the others.

    Would you clean your clothes or dishes with anything but water? Why?

    Because they would be stained with the tanic acid in tea, the discoloration of coffee, and the artificial ingreds in crystal lite.

    Take a coffee filter and pour any drink but water thru it and you will see........this is addl substance the body must work to remove.

    For me :drinker: water 1st, coffee and tea 2nd..........and I LOVE my coffee and tea:wink:

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