Question for those who drink over 10 cups of water a day

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IsMollyReallyHungry
IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been trying to up my water intake and I have been doing good. I don't mind getting up once a night to use the washroom. Yesterday was an all time high for me on water consumption. I did about 8 bottles of 16 oz. Which I was excited about and that still is not enough?

But I was unexcited about it when I had to get up 3 times to let the water out! So today I am stopping at 6 bottles which is 12 cups and at 7 pm also because I can't do that again. 6 bottles is what I have been averaging. I also suffer from insomia but I guess I was tired enough last night I was able to go back to sleep.

Help! Your thoughts, wisdom and experiences? I was thinking it may be better if I get the 16 or more in before six. I just know I can't continue getting up that many time during the night.

Thanks in advance for your help.
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Replies

  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    I think that once you go over a certain amount of water, the additional benefit you get from it decreases. I typically drink 10 to 14 cups, occasionally 16, but not too often. When it was hot outside and I was working out every day, my doctor told me to drink 12-16 cups per day because I was having symptoms of dehydration at 7-10 cups/day.

    12 cups per day would probably be more than enough, unless you have unusually active sweat glands! Especially if you're eating healthy foods that contain water - fruits and veggies - you will be fulfilling some of your water needs with your food.

    Also - please remember that it's important to spread the water out over the whole day and not chug a bunch at once (more than a few cups). Drinking too much at once can stress your kidneys and cause an imbalance in your electrolytes, but if you spread the water out over the day then you'll be fine. :flowerforyou:
  • ashiteru
    ashiteru Posts: 47
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    good to know!
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I stop drinking water by 7 or 8 and that helps...I try to get all my water for the day in by 5 or 6 when I leave work. Have a glass with dinner and be done with it.
  • foxylady8098
    foxylady8098 Posts: 57
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    Once you get used to drinking larger amounts of water, your body will get used to it and you won't be using the bathroom quite as often.
  • ashiteru
    ashiteru Posts: 47
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    i really dont know what to say because i go at least 4 times thru the night! no matter what time i stop drinking! i i go alll day long! i thought it was normal when you are drinking 8 - 10 bottles of water
  • AnAbsoluteDiva
    AnAbsoluteDiva Posts: 166 Member
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    Mollie,

    Why are you doing this?

    Hyponatremia mean anything to you?
  • Sumatra
    Sumatra Posts: 181
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    I drink a gallon to a gallon and a half of water everyday and I probably drink 12-16 oz after dinner. I don't force myself to drink more water, that's just how much water I drink. I do live in a very dry climate, which could be part of it, but I'm just usually thirsty. Usually the only time I have to go to the bathroom during the night is when one of my children wakes me up. I think your body will get used to it and not wake you up anymore.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Mollie,

    Why are you doing this?

    Hyponatremia mean anything to you?

    Hyponatremia is actually rare and is not something most people have to worry about, as long as they are in good health (functioning kidneys), spreading their water out over the whole day, and not running a marathon. When you're doing extreme sports like that, your water processing ability decreases, so you have to be careful.

    Our (healthy) kidneys can process 3-4 cups of water (approximately) every hour! So, as long as she is spreading the water out over the whole day and not chugging 8 cups at once, she should be fine. it's better to drink a little extra water (which will just be processed out of your body as waste) than it is to drink too little.
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
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    I try to get at least half my body weight in ounces daily (about 90 oz right now), but have failed miserably this week & even passed out last night. Really concentrating on getting my 90 in today. Make sure to spread it out (I'm doing 30 oz at breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
    I don't normally have issues with it waking me up in the night to use the toilet. I think your body adjusts when it becomes used to receiving that much on a daily basis.
  • Grokette
    Grokette Posts: 3,330 Member
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    Mollie,

    Why are you doing this?

    Hyponatremia mean anything to you?

    Electrolyte imbalances, kidney stress and water intoxification take way more water than the amount the original poster is drinking in a days time and she would have to drink it in a very short amount of time also........

    The kidneys are capable of filtering about 15 liters of water per day.................with no strain on them.

    It is advised that you drink at least half your weight in water each day. So the more you weigh, the more water you should drink.......

    For instance, a 130 pound person should be drinking about 65 ounces of water per day... where as a 300 pound person should be drinking at least 150 ounces of water per day if not more.
  • MichelleFirestone
    MichelleFirestone Posts: 212 Member
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    how do you drink that much? I try to drink alot of water. I even drink water with most of my meals. and I still only drink 4-5 water bottles a day. They recommend 8-10 glasses of water a day. a glass of water is only 8floz. A typical water bottle is 16floz. So each water bottle is 2 servings. Getting enough water is great! but why so much? why force yourself to drink that much? Maybe because I have an office job, and not physical, I don't feel the need to drink that much. But even after I work out, its hard for me to drink a full water bottle at one shot.
  • Lindsay7360
    Lindsay7360 Posts: 99
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    Good info, thanks!
  • tater8589
    tater8589 Posts: 616
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    As your body gets used to the water the trips won't be so often. I drink 3-4 32oz bottles a day, if i don't get atleast that 3rd bottle in I'm thirsty all night.
  • groggyfrog
    groggyfrog Posts: 15
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    Mollie,

    Why are you doing this?

    Hyponatremia mean anything to you?

    While it's true that it is rare "water intoxication" really should be considered. The stakes are high, a close friend is now dealing with his mother who seems very healthy, annual check-up didn't show anything wrong with the kidney's and there were no prior symptoms that she was aware of. She is now in the hospital in a comma, she consumed 14 - 18 cups of water a day, all bottled water. My friend said that he thinks she drank it through out the day from breakfast to sleeping. She was active but no marathon runner. EVERYTHING in MODERATION even water intake.
  • bobspdx
    bobspdx Posts: 198 Member
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    I get in at least 12-16 glasses (8oz) a day. I still feel like I am always thirsty but I sweat a ton during my workouts.
  • Mindful_Trent
    Mindful_Trent Posts: 3,954 Member
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    Mollie,

    Why are you doing this?

    Hyponatremia mean anything to you?

    While it's true that it is rare "water intoxication" really should be considered. The stakes are high, a close friend is now dealing with his mother who seems very healthy, annual check-up didn't show anything wrong with the kidney's and there were no prior symptoms that she was aware of. She is now in the hospital in a comma, she consumed 14 - 18 cups of water a day, all bottled water. My friend said that he thinks she drank it through out the day from breakfast to sleeping. She was active but no marathon runner. EVERYTHING in MODERATION even water intake.

    Sorry to hear about your friend's mother - she may have had other heath issues going on that simply hadn't been detected. I don't think that 14-18 cups would put an otherwise healthy person in a coma, as long as it's spread throughout the day. Water needs are going to vary for all people - I was instructed by my doctor to drink 14-16 cups/day because I live in a dry climate, at a high altitude and I was exercising almost every day outside. (plus I was experiencing dehydration symptoms at 7-10 cups/day). Perhaps she didn't consume enough sodium (which is rare, but could happen) - so drinking that much water would cause a serious sodium dilution in that scenario. Most people consume more than enough sodium to keep their levels from becoming too imbalanced even with a large consumption of water. If someone is concerned about this, then they can substitute one or two glasses of water with an electrolyte rich drink.

    That said, most people would probably be just fine at a reasonable 8-12 glasses a day, as long as they are eating water-rich veggies/fruit. People need to talk to their doctors and look at their lifestyle and figure out what makes sense for them. Certain things increase water need - altitude, dry climate, heavy/extended exercise and perhaps some medical conditions.
  • Jennyzfit
    Jennyzfit Posts: 175 Member
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    Okay I have to reply on this thread. If your toilet boil is very light yellow or that you can read a newspaper in the toilet after you go pee then you are getting enough water. If your urine is to yellow then you are eating to many carbs. I hope you find this usefull. But I just had to say to help your concerns.

    Thank you for reading


    JR
  • nelsaphine
    nelsaphine Posts: 212 Member
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    Once you get used to drinking larger amounts of water, your body will get used to it and you won't be using the bathroom quite as often.

    I agree with this. Just like anything else your body needs time to get used to something new. Do try to watch your sodium intake as it will retain fluids and it will show up in the scale.

    I start with my water first thing in the morning at 6:00a and drink water with all my meals. I first fill up my 32oz bottle and drink about 10oz & the other 22oz while I'm getting ready for work. By the time I leave the house I've drank 4 glasses of water. I have a 24oz bottle at work and drink 2 of them through out the day (48oz =6 glasses). When I get home at 5:00p I fill up my 32oz bottle again and drink about 1/2 of it while I'm working out and the rest between 6 - 9p. By the time I go to bed at 10:30-11p I've drank 14 glasses of water.

    It's definately doable, but it will take your body some time to get used to it.
  • candlegal
    candlegal Posts: 220 Member
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    Mollie, You are doing a super job! Glad you are here. Hyponatremia, I don't think you need to worry about that. You would have to be doing incredible amounts of exercise and sweating along with drinking large amounts of water in order for that to occur. You are doing fine. Your body does get use to the water and you won't be going to the bathroom as much once your body gets use to drinking the new larger amount of water. I was the same, up a couple times a night. Now I don't get up at all! I drink 8 to 10, 8oz glasses of water everyday! I will tell you I feel sooooo much better when I drink more water. If I don't drink enough water in a day I can really feel it. If you don't already and you probably know this, I highly recommend taking a multivitamin and also LOTS of Vitamin D! In fact if you can at the next dr. apt. have them check your vitamin D levels. So many people are super deficient in vit. D. :flowerforyou:
  • dnsrmr
    dnsrmr Posts: 99 Member
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    Hi Mollie,

    I was drinking way over what I should have been too, until I met a now good friend of mine who is a personal trainer.
    He told me 8-12 glasses is more than enough per day. Even 6-8 glasses is plenty.
    He told me something that will stick in my mind always - that if we consume too much water, we lose nutrients.
    I told him I took a multimineral vitamin, fish oil, and natural senna (since I do low carb and don't want to get constipated), but he said it's definately not good to over-consume when it comes to water or liquids each day (same as food).
    I now drink up to 12 but most of the time it's around 8 or 9. I limit my intake to 12 just like the carbs. I try to limit my carbs to 20-30 or below (on a good day :o)
    Don't forget, if you drink iced tea or anything water is added to, that can count too, but there is nothing like a plain glass of fresh water.
    Good post - it wasn't only needed for your benefit, but to educate others as well.
    Alot of good answers.

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