15 glasses of water?!

klkateri
klkateri Posts: 432 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
OK, I know that water is amazing for us and that it helps to keep us hydrated, full and can aid in weight loss. So I started looking around for how much water I should be drinking in a day. Now, several places (sorry, I don't specif websites or anything) say you should drink about half your weight. Ok, sounds legit since we are composed of, what... about 75% water.

So, I did the math.

I weigh 240/2= 120/8 = 15 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY!?!

This seems crazy high to me!! I mean I run to the bathroom all day as it is since I don't hold onto salt so I don't retain water as much as I should so in my mind 15 pretty much means I'm about to live in my bathroom.

Thoughts? Suggestions? Is this right? Does this seem high to you as well?

(*Right now I aim for 8 a day which I sometimes hit but not generally.Maybe that's why it seems so high to me)
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Replies

  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
    It probably doesn't have to be 15 per se, but if you are drinking enough water, your urine should run almost clear or very pale yellow, and you will be peeing all the time. All. The. Time.

    Try to get at least 8, a little more if you're working out extra hard or if it's hot out and you are sweating. I carry a water bottle around everywhere and I am usually on track with 9-12 glasses of water daily.
  • hush404
    hush404 Posts: 95 Member
    I think the urine color thing is a decent measure to go by. I don't think 15 is necessary though *shrugs. I try to get at least 8, some days im doing 12 or more without thinking of it.
  • klkateri
    klkateri Posts: 432 Member
    my urine is always clear... except in the morning but even then its not that colored anyways.

    I just feel like 15 is such a crazy number!!
  • littleworm23
    littleworm23 Posts: 341 Member
    Honestly all I drink is water and black coffee. On a typical day I drink 12-16 glasses of water and 1-1.5 pots of coffee (yes that was pots not cups lol). I will admit that I do go to the bathroom a lot but not so much that it interferes with work, errands, etc. Each person is probably different though.
  • bonjalandoni
    bonjalandoni Posts: 136 Member
    I can do 15 easy on cardio days. On other days 10-12. 15 is not that high really...
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    I personally aim for around 8. When I'm at work, I try to finish one of those Poland Spring size cups from our bubbler each hour. Sure, I take frequent restroom breaks, but I feel hydrated and awesome!

    15 sounds like a lot; I'd aim for 64oz a day minimum, and stagger it out to whatever works best for you.
  • I_love_frogs
    I_love_frogs Posts: 340 Member
    I drink at least 12 a day, with a slice of lemon or mint floating around in it. When I am not drinking water? I drink tea, or chicken broth. For me, its easy to get it all in during the day, but I know for others it is hard.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    I routinely drink up to 120 oz of water in the form of coffee (12 oz), tea (64 oz) and water/soda (the rest) every day. Now if I counted my beers...
  • ybee1991
    ybee1991 Posts: 106 Member
    I think for most people, no matter what they weight, 8 is a good number. I get about 10-14 cups a day, but it's super easy when you own a 32 oz water bottle. I actually really hate water, so my water bottle is a godsend!
  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
    15 is a little ridiculous. It make sense that someone who weighs 240 would need more than someone 120 lbs, but 4 liters is shanaenae. Plus the water in other beverages and foods counts too. You're supposed to go by the color of your pee and adjust as necessary.
  • Bebubble
    Bebubble Posts: 938 Member
    OK, I know that water is amazing for us and that it helps to keep us hydrated, full and can aid in weight loss. So I started looking around for how much water I should be drinking in a day. Now, several places (sorry, I don't specif websites or anything) say you should drink about half your weight. Ok, sounds legit since we are composed of, what... about 75% water.

    So, I did the math.

    I weigh 240/2= 120/8 = 15 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY!?!

    This seems crazy high to me!! I mean I run to the bathroom all day as it is since I don't hold onto salt so I don't retain water as much as I should so in my mind 15 pretty much means I'm about to live in my bathroom.

    Thoughts? Suggestions? Is this right? Does this seem high to you as well?

    (*Right now I aim for 8 a day which I sometimes hit but not generally.Maybe that's why it seems so high to me)

    I drink 12 glasses a day. And lately I try for more everyday. I weigh just about that amount also. I am not eating as much so I have room for the water! When I was working on increasingly amount to 12 I used lemon and oranges and even apples to flavor it. Always drink it cold! I would suggest getting a large cup or two or even a few water bottles. Maybe a couple of fun ones. Measure out what each one holds. And fill them every am. Then when you get home you can see exactly how much more you need to drink. in fact once you get to that amount you might find it hard to not drink that amount because you feel sluggish and headache!Good luck! It is very doable.
  • rideontechnology
    rideontechnology Posts: 54 Member
    Oh, yeah, definitely normal, my calculations were somewhere close to 150 oz (almost 19 cups!) a day. Since I drink a lot of water anyway (like a fish seriously), I usually do around 120 but 140 proves to be a challenge some days!
  • 1princesswarrior
    1princesswarrior Posts: 1,242 Member
    I drink 3-4 of those 32 oz bottles
  • grumblefluff
    grumblefluff Posts: 17 Member
    I was drinking that anyway, since I didn't calculate that my water glass was 16oz, so each of my 8 glasses was actually 2, now I just keep it at that because it seems to be working for me LOL
  • thingofstuff
    thingofstuff Posts: 93 Member
    I drink roughly 8-14 cups of water a day (including milkless, sugarless herb and green teas and coffees as I work at 5AM). I pee quite frequently but it does not interfere with my work or life, and I snack less when I always have a water bottle with a bit of lemon in it. This article says the average lady should drink about 8-9 glasses of fluid a day and men should have around 13.
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256
    (I have some faith in this source because my dad was at risk of developing a cardiovascular condition and the Heart Health centre at our hospital suggested he follow many of the guidelines set out by the Mayo Clinic. He lost more than his prescribed 30 pounds and does not have to take medication to lower his cholesterol now!)
  • Nolangela
    Nolangela Posts: 7
    I'm doing one of the Beachbody programs and it says on Les Mills Combat that you cut your body weight in half and that's the recommended amount of ounces you should be drinking daily....that is a very scary amount of ounces for me!! LOL I just do what I can :) Maybe someday I'll make that requirement...
  • toadg53
    toadg53 Posts: 302 Member
    once you start drinking more water, your body/bladder adjust and you will find you can go longer between your bathroom breaks.
  • RedHotHunter
    RedHotHunter Posts: 560 Member
    Yes, 15 cups per day is high. However, that's also how much I drink if not more. Everyone has their own preferences but I've been drinking an average of 16 servings per day for about 2 years and I'm 100% sure that my body is happier than before. :drinker:

    ETA I'm referring to pure water. I don't count what I might use in a protein drink, coffee, or tea. Water used for those things is a bonus.
  • mikemsu
    mikemsu Posts: 77 Member
    I drink 16 - 20 glasses every day and have had up to 24 on occasion. Do I pee a lot - YES. But I think it has been a factor in keeping hydrated and my joints very lubed. Going from 375 lbs. to now 215; and from every joint in my body aching to no pain anywhere; and from especially horrible knee pain because of no cartilage in them to no pain in the knees .... I believe the water has helped greatly.
  • mercergirl2008
    mercergirl2008 Posts: 63 Member
    a glass is considered to be 8oz or about the size of a coffee cup. When you look at it that way it isn't a lot of water. I know some ppl prefer to buy a 2-3 liter water bottle and they try to drink one of those a day.
  • Kamirose9047
    Kamirose9047 Posts: 21
    Just remember that there *is* such a thing as too much water!

    I just go by my urine color. I try to keep it slightly colored. If it's clear, I've had too much, if it's looking more like lemonade/apple juice I know I'm not drinking enough.
  • RLMsFitnessPal
    RLMsFitnessPal Posts: 81 Member
    I've always heard eight 8 oz glasses of water per day as a rule of thumb. Tracking my water intake on MFP, I've discovered I drink 10 glasses of water on an average day. That's including my coffee and tea. I only count coffee and tea if I'm using Splenda like I do at home. If I drink sweet tea when I go out to eat, I don't count it. If I drink coffee with sugar or anything other than Splenda and a little nondairy creamer, I don't count it as a water ration. I probably drink even more than that because I do visit the water fountain several times a day to take a few sips. I don't count those because it's just a few sips here and there. Every little bit adds up, though.

    Personally, I think you'll be fine doing what feels right to you so long as you are mindful about it. The main thing, in my own opinion, is to be honest with yourself and check the results as you go. You can always fine tune your habits as needed. I go with the assumption that my body will tell me whether what I'm doing is right or wrong so long as I listen and pay attention to what it's telling me.

    For those who don't like plain water, I will suggest doing pitchers of fruit and herb infused water or Mio flavorings. I experimented with infused water pitchers last summer and lost 16 pounds just making that change. Since then, I've taken to drinking infused water rather than sodas. I like infused water much better than diet sodas, and I can change it up with club soda for a little carbonation. Keep some frozen fruits on hand for infusing in water. My wife and I recently did a couple of pitchers of apple cinnamon water, and that was quite good. I also tend to like oranges and other citrus fruits. Cucumber and watermelon is also good, but you'll want to change out the watermelon chunks much more frequently than other fruits. I've been looking at other recipes to try. I'm also one of those who is more likely to drink ice cold water.
  • Chris_Pierce
    Chris_Pierce Posts: 267 Member
    I drink at least that much. More when it's hot and I working outside. I weigh 184 currently.
    Try it and see how you feel.
  • viciouslitany
    viciouslitany Posts: 187 Member
    uh... yeah. I don't do less than 12 a day. per that calculation, I need 13.75. I go from 12-18. one day last week, I even did 22.
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    I weigh 240/2= 120/8 = 15 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY!?!

    I wanted to ensure the flip side was presented. Anything in excess usually isn't so great for you.

    First, are you over-hydrating? Look at your pee. Aim for a "pale straw color". If you pee clear, back off!

    http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/10/what-the-color-of-your-urine-says-about-you-infographic/

    Second, heard of hyponatremia? It's a fancy scientific term for drinking so much water you die. That doesn't require a gallon a minute, rather a few liters of water over a few hours. Look up "Cindy Luceros".

    While I doubt you will die of over-hydration, ask yourself if there are any serious studies showing benefits to such high water consumption? How will you replace any minerals, etc. you lose? How will you avoid going too far? Many in the medical and scientific communities have transitioned from "Drink ahead of thirst" to "Drink to thirst" for health and performance. Good luck choosing what's best for yourself! :)
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    If you actually track how much you drink on a given day (any liquid) you might be surprised at how much it is.

    I don't track it myself but I can kind of think back on my day.

    2 12 oz coffees, so 24 oz. Two 17 ounce juices, so 34 oz. One cup of juice, 8 oz. Three 12 oz bottles of juice, 36 oz.

    24+34+8+36 = 102 ounces. I weigh 177 pounds so I'm actually drinking more than that formula naturally without even thinking about it really.

    15 glasses (120 ounces) might sound like a ton but if you track what you are drinking currently you might find its already close to that.
  • punjabirocks
    punjabirocks Posts: 8 Member
    I DRINK Like 1.5 gallons of water everyday. That's like 192 oz = 192/8 ... I LIFT 5 DAYS A WEEK , 90 MINUTES EACH DAY. IF YOU WORKOUT.. ITS FINE. IF NOT, ITS STILL FINE. AS WATER DOESN'T HURT UNLESS YOU ARE DRINKING MORE THAN 1-2 GALLONS A DAY. WATER SHOULD BE DRUNK THROUGH OUT THE DAY.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
    Its in one of these https://www.youtube.com/embed/videoseries?list=PLYdkxp9hJ4i58l583rJV7r2LMAiYFJ9gm episodes that Eric Helms makes a couple of statements about water/fluid intake. If I'm not mistaken, I think the suggestion is if you have 5 or so urinations a day that are on the clear side, then you are hydrating enough.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    If you actually track how much you drink on a given day (any liquid) you might be surprised at how much it is.

    I don't track it myself but I can kind of think back on my day.

    2 12 oz coffees, so 24 oz. Two 17 ounce juices, so 34 oz. One cup of juice, 8 oz. Three 12 oz bottles of juice, 36 oz.

    24+34+8+36 = 102 ounces. I weigh 177 pounds so I'm actually drinking more than that formula naturally without even thinking about it really.

    15 glasses (120 ounces) might sound like a ton but if you track what you are drinking currently you might find its already close to that.

    This. People have distorted ideas about serving size for beverages too. 8 oz is not very much--one of those small water bottles is 16 and there's water in all your beverages (and food too). I try to drink a good amount of plain old water since I don't want to drink calories and can easily go overboard on coffee if I'm not drinking water (I like to have a beverage by me all day when I am working), but there's no reason that you need to add in that much water if you are already drinking lots of other beverages.

    Also, like others, I say just go by the color of your urine and don't worry too much. I do find that when I work out and when the weather is warmer (or especially both) I tend to drink more naturally.
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
    I DRINK Like 1.5 gallons of water everyday.. AS WATER DOESN'T HURT UNLESS YOU ARE DRINKING MORE THAN 1-2 GALLONS A DAY. WATER SHOULD BE DRUNK THROUGH OUT THE DAY.
    1.5 gallons (6 liters) total is coincidentally what killed Cynthia Luceros. A post-mortem showed she would have died sooner if she had sat more that day (she ran 20 miles), had drank pure water instead of sports drinks, or drank it more quickly than over the course of several hours. Thus, the above statement is false. If you're going to drink in excess, it's worth learning more about the limits of the human body to avoid catastrophe, or alternatively simply drinking in moderation for peak health and performance.

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