Is there such thing as drinking TOO much water?

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WelshPhil1975
WelshPhil1975 Posts: 138 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don’t track my water intake because I rarely drink coffee, I never drink tea, sodas, etc, so the only fluid I ever take on is water (plus the occasional glass of milk and about 1 cup of coffee a month) and I am therefore satisfied that I drink my fair share of it.

I keep a 750ml bottle by my desk which I aim to drink each day (plus I’ll drink before & after I get to work). I am wondering if there is any kind of upper limit with regards to water retention, any effect on the scales, etc.

Apologies, I know this is probably a daft question, but it’s not an area I know too much about.

Replies

  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
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    Only to the point you kill yourself...

    But if you drink normally, you will be fine.
    I keep a cup of water with me at my desk or in the house at all times
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    You can die of water intoxication, but that involves consuming A TON of water in a short time frame.

    Other than that, it has no ill effects.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
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    You can die of water intoxication, but that involves consuming A TON of water in a short time frame.

    Other than that, it has no ill effects.

    What he said!
  • 143tobe
    143tobe Posts: 620 Member
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    I drink about 4, - 750ml bottles of water each day. That comes out to about 13 cups of water. The others are right, you can die from drinking too much water but what your describing is totally normal water consumption.
  • asarwe
    asarwe Posts: 73 Member
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    Well, if you want to get technical there is. As the above poster said, you will die if you drink A LOT of water in a short time period. You might also need to pee often, which may or may not be an issue depending on your job. This applies to drinking tap or mineral water.

    If you were to, for some inexplicable reason, get the idea of drinking "chemically pure" (de-ionized) water, however, that might screw you over big time. Since there is nothing except for water in that water you would screw with the osmotic balance of you cells. That's a big no-no. On the other hand: Why in the world would you do such a thing? Only a chemist would have access to water that pure, and they normally know not to. Just don't drink only destilled water and nothing else and you'll be fine.
  • kaaaaylee
    kaaaaylee Posts: 398
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    Don't chug 2 gallons in 10 minutes, and you should be fine. Drink when you're thirsty, and maybe a little more. :)
  • links_slayer
    links_slayer Posts: 1,151 Member
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    just be careful. 100% of people who drink water die.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    I too keep a 750 ml bottle at my desk! I have dorky coworkers, so we all track our water consumption on a dry erase board. I drink the most, refilling my 750 ml bottle an average of 5 times a day. One day I hit 6 because I had a spicy lunch and I skipped coffee. I also drink 2 Americanos (1 shot of espresso + 4 oz water) every day and sometimes an extra 8 oz of herbal tea. All of this is from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm. Once I get home, I work out and drink even more water. I have never tracked my home consumption, but I bet it's the equiv of maybe 2 or 3 more 750 ml bottles.

    I've had steady weight loss. I don't think my water consumption has negatively impacted my health or weight. Drinking an excess of water can lead to dizziness, confusion, headaches, nausea, and bloating. I know that I drink a lot of water, so I am careful not to chug my water. I have never experienced negative symptoms.
  • trying_to_burn
    trying_to_burn Posts: 58
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    You need to be careful with water, believe it or not.
    Water can upset the balance of sodium I believe. The exact mechanism I don't know, but it can be fatal even. If you want I can try find the tutorial on it and post it up :)
  • dmenchac
    dmenchac Posts: 447 Member
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    You need to be careful with water, believe it or not.
    Water can upset the balance of sodium I believe. The exact mechanism I don't know, but it can be fatal even. If you want I can try find the tutorial on it and post it up :)

    -_______________________________-
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
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    Only if you drink about 3 gallons in an hour, otherwise...no. It takes a lot of water to cause a problem. I drink at least a gallon a day wtihout a problem.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
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    It is not how much water so much as how fast you drink it, which should not be too fast. If you eat enough sodium and drink water at a moderate pace, you are not going to hurt your body, and if fact if you overdo it on the sodium (which is easy to do), it might help some.

    My blood pressure has gone back to double digits, but that is the blood pressure numbers I always had until I gained weight, my Doctor is happy about that. If I don't drink enough water, I actually retain more water.
  • Erikalynne18
    Erikalynne18 Posts: 555 Member
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    yes there IS such a thing as too much water (water intoxication) and it can kill you! However just drinking water at your desk you will probably not drink enough casually to hit this level. If you are worried though, maybe add in a few drinks with electrolytes. An imbalance of electrolytes is what is the reason for concern when it comes to water intoxication so drinking something with electrolytes can help fix that issue :)
  • deliacm
    deliacm Posts: 66 Member
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    Unless you're chugging a few gallons or so in 30 seconds, you aren't drinking too much water. In fact, most people follow the 8-8 ounce glasses a day rule which is woefully insufficient for any adult over 150 pounds.

    In order to ensure you are getting an adequate amount of water in a day and avoid water retention, you need to divide your weight by 2.2 ounces. So, if you are a 150 pound woman, you should be consuming 68 ounces of water; likewise, if you are a 300 pound woman you should be consuming 139 ounces of water each day. Any less than what your body needs to sustain itself and you will have water retention.
  • perseverance14
    perseverance14 Posts: 1,364 Member
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    I drink twice what my body needs according to that formula, but it is working well for me.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
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    just be careful. 100% of people who drink water die.

    Yeah and breathing oxygen is a gateway drug!

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