Too much water?

picklesuccess2013
picklesuccess2013 Posts: 18
in Health and Weight Loss
I was curious if anyone thought drinking too much water may have hindered weight loss. I probably drink about a gallon or two a day. Sometimes I wonder if it's washing out some of my nutrients. Any perspectives on this?

Replies

  • doubleduofa
    doubleduofa Posts: 284 Member
    I don't know if I stalls weight loss, but I'd cut down. A gallon per day is plenty if you are exercising as we'll. 2 -3 liters if not.

    Do you drink just water or are you counting things like coffee and tea in that total?
  • Woomytron
    Woomytron Posts: 253 Member
    From what I understand you can't drink TOO much water. If you are taking about plain water. Just drink water when you are thirsty. =)
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
    Yes, you can screw up your electrolytes with too much water which can even lead to death. The recommendations I have seen say one oz for every two lbs.
  • hastinbe
    hastinbe Posts: 130 Member
    Gallon/day is nothing to worry about
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
    Just make sure you are tossing in some juice or something every once in a while, so your electrolytes get replenished. But, no water won't really hinder your weight loss..nor will it truly make you gain. Water is great because it helps flush toxins from your body. But keep in mind you get water from everything you eat and drink too, so as long as your pee is light yellow/clear then you are hydrated enough.
  • tj1376
    tj1376 Posts: 1,402 Member
    I copied this from the article - Its the very last paragraph. Are they right, maybe.


    Intakes of water that are too high cannot be compensated by the excretion of very dilute urine (maximum urine volumes are about 1 L/hour in adults) and can lead to water intoxication, possibly leading to swelling of the brain. This is a serious condition, with occasionally fatal consequences. No maximum daily amount of water that can be tolerated by a population group can be defined without taking into account individual and environmental factors.

    http://www.europeanhydrationinstitute.org/hydration_needs.html?gclid=CKm-16bZzLUCFQLznAodbmwAIg
  • khampton357
    khampton357 Posts: 14
    I do believe that Sunnyside 1213's comment about drinking 1 ounce for every 2lbs is accurate and pretty safe.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    " It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!

    The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition. "

    Copied from this webpage: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/5/f/blwaterintox.htm

    Sadly it is possible to drink too much water. It happened to my Grandma, she was hospitalized and had to have her stomach pumped because she drank about 3 gallons of water in less than 24 hours.
  • Sweets1954
    Sweets1954 Posts: 507 Member
    I have always drank water and tea as opposed to coffee, soda, etc. I do drink some juice but not as much as in the past due to my diabetes. When I am working I often drink a gallon or two a day and have suffered no ill affects. I believe as long as you are not drinking that amount all at one time and not allowing your body to metabolize it you will be okay. Another thing to factor in is the temperature. When it is hot and you are sweating, you will need more water to replace what you are losing. Thirst is a sign of dehydration, you can't always wait until you are thirsty to drink.
  • Pspetal
    Pspetal Posts: 426 Member
    I drink about 4-5 liters everyday. That is more than 16 cups. I get thirsty, I drink. So far, it hasn't hindered weight loss in any way. You should be fine if you get enough salt daily, which we usually do, and as long as you don't drink a gallon in about 2 hours. Drink up I say! :drinker:
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    no such thing as too much water... well i guess you can get water poisoning but the only case i have heard that from was when a woman had to drink 5 gallons as fast as she could for like some sort of contest or something like that but during the day drink as much water as possible... i typically drink 1-1.5 gallons a day.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    From what I understand you can't drink TOO much water. If you are taking about plain water. Just drink water when you are thirsty. =)

    You can drink too much water... There have been people who have died from drinking too much water. Too much is normally considered about a litre in like 15 minutes but you can drink too much where it causes your electrolytes to be too low.

    Also, drink BEFORE you feel thirsty. When your body feels thirst you are already dehydrated.

    OP, you won't wash the nutrients out of your body. Too much water in a short period of time can be dangerous however if you have it spread throughout the day you are fine.
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    I was curious if anyone thought drinking too much water may have hindered weight loss. I probably drink about a gallon or two a day. Sometimes I wonder if it's washing out some of my nutrients. Any perspectives on this?

    1-2 gallons should be fine, 3-4 gallons then you'll be in the hospital. I drink on my heavy exercise days about 2 1/2, but usually my intake is about 1-2 gallons a day, as well
  • Woomytron
    Woomytron Posts: 253 Member
    From what I understand you can't drink TOO much water. If you are taking about plain water. Just drink water when you are thirsty. =)

    You can drink too much water... There have been people who have died from drinking too much water. Too much is normally considered about a litre in like 15 minutes but you can drink too much where it causes your electrolytes to be too low.

    Also, drink BEFORE you feel thirsty. When your body feels thirst you are already dehydrated.



    OP, you won't wash the nutrients out of your body. Too much water in a short period of time can be dangerous however if you have it spread throughout the day you are fine.


    I'm talking over the course of a day, I'm not telling to OP to chug as much water as she can. But if you drink when you feel the need to then you will be fine. No one that doesn't haven't something medically wrong with them is going to feel the need to chug 5 gallons of water.
  • PaulaDygert
    PaulaDygert Posts: 148 Member
    A couple years ago I drank too much water and put my body into what is called hyponatrema. It is where you wash the electrolytes out of your body, almost just like drinking saltwater because you are taking in too much water. I was drinking 40 + cups of water a day. I ended up almost shutting down my kidneys they were only working at 10%, messed up my liver function and I was collapsing because of it. No permeant damage tho. I would suggest cutting back on water after I did this the dr told me to take in more electrolytes for a while and only drink 1/2 my body weight in ounces feel free to message me if you have any questions.
  • adfabus
    adfabus Posts: 178 Member
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