You Don’t Need 8 Glasses Of Water A Day

ascrit
ascrit Posts: 770 Member
in Food and Nutrition
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/you-dont-need-8-glasses-of-water-a-day

TL;DR there is no downside to drinking water all day but don't obsess over it.

:drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
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Replies

  • JenniDaisy
    JenniDaisy Posts: 526 Member
    When I was vegetarian I found I needed to drink less water, I guess from eating a lot of vegetables.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Yeah no surprise there.

    I'm still amazed that some people really believe that drinking water helps with weight loss.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Yeah no surprise there.

    I'm still amazed that some people really believe that drinking water helps with weight loss.

    well for some people it can- mostly because sometimes when you think you are hungry- you are really just thirsty- and if someone tends to reach for food before hydration- if you just mentally task yourself to drinking more water- you could be reducing that need to grab food.

    Your body likes to trick you with hunger signals sometime in order to get things- hunger sometimes really only means- thirsty- but you weren't listening to the thirsty signal.

    so it can be helpful- but that's a deeper thing than drinking water = weight loss LOL.
  • prettychelly
    prettychelly Posts: 112 Member
    I drink 100 + ounces a day of water. I like it and I'd rather save my calories for food.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
    Still quite good for you though.
  • prettigirl01
    prettigirl01 Posts: 548 Member
    Yeah no surprise there.

    I'm still amazed that some people really believe that drinking water helps with weight loss.

    well for some people it can- mostly because sometimes when you think you are hungry- you are really just thirsty- and if someone tends to reach for food before hydration- if you just mentally task yourself to drinking more water- you could be reducing that need to grab food.

    Your body likes to trick you with hunger signals sometime in order to get things- hunger sometimes really only means- thirsty- but you weren't listening to the thirsty signal.

    so it can be helpful- but that's a deeper thing than drinking water = weight loss LOL.
    I agree. it does help with weight loss. different things work for different people. there is no right or wrong way to do what you need to do to lose weight
  • Cortneyrenee04
    Cortneyrenee04 Posts: 1,117 Member
    I always wondered where the idea of 8 glasses a day came from - interesting! (I think I would pass out if I only had 8. I'm closer to 18!)
  • redversustheblue
    redversustheblue Posts: 1,216 Member
    Yeah no surprise there.

    I'm still amazed that some people really believe that drinking water helps with weight loss.

    well for some people it can- mostly because sometimes when you think you are hungry- you are really just thirsty- and if someone tends to reach for food before hydration- if you just mentally task yourself to drinking more water- you could be reducing that need to grab food.

    Your body likes to trick you with hunger signals sometime in order to get things- hunger sometimes really only means- thirsty- but you weren't listening to the thirsty signal.

    so it can be helpful- but that's a deeper thing than drinking water = weight loss LOL.

    It also helps to flush sodium out of your system which can sometimes mask weight loss. So yeah, I think it does help.

    I've found it very helpful to get in 64-100oz of water a day, but it's not the one and only thing I drink.
  • MisterZ33
    MisterZ33 Posts: 567 Member
    i drink anywhere between 10 to 16 cups per day.

    drinking water has become routine for me now. i dont crave juice and pop like i used to a few months ago.
  • nogreenthumb
    nogreenthumb Posts: 96
    I drink a fair amount of water each day because it makes my skin look nice. That's about it.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    I drink 8 glasses of water before my workouts.
  • PixieGoddess
    PixieGoddess Posts: 1,833 Member
    It helps me with weight-loss - b/c it helps keep me regular! :wink:

    (Although I'm usually fine with just 4-6 glasses plus the other fluids I tend to drink throughout the day)
  • Jennkies
    Jennkies Posts: 382 Member
    Personally, I disagree.. not sure the cause and effect of the correlation, but I always find that I lose significantly more if I focus on drinking 8 glasses a day. Helps with my digestion and other stuff.
  • shadowofender
    shadowofender Posts: 786 Member
    Yeah no surprise there.

    I'm still amazed that some people really believe that drinking water helps with weight loss.

    well for some people it can- mostly because sometimes when you think you are hungry- you are really just thirsty- and if someone tends to reach for food before hydration- if you just mentally task yourself to drinking more water- you could be reducing that need to grab food.

    Your body likes to trick you with hunger signals sometime in order to get things- hunger sometimes really only means- thirsty- but you weren't listening to the thirsty signal.

    so it can be helpful- but that's a deeper thing than drinking water = weight loss LOL.

    Yep. It's not a direct equation, but it holds true for me. The more water I drink, the less "hungry" I am for random snacks. It also keeps me from getting as sore after workouts, and I just feel better. The weeks I consciously drink a lot of water are the weeks I lose the most, probably because it keeps me from snacking. I'm not an idiot, I know it's not a direct translation, but no one ever said it was.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    Drink liquid until you are hydrated.

    /thread :wink:
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    One's individual hydration needs will vary substantially from individual to individual. If I only drank 8, 8 oz glasses of water per day, I'd probably wither up and die...and minimum I would be very dehydrated. But I live at elevation over a mile high in the desert and I'm very active and sweat like a beast...plus I'm on a diuretic.

    The whole 8, 8 oz glasses of water deal is just a reasonably good guideline for staying hydrated for the average person...it's not a hard and fast rule...the important thing is to be hydrated.
  • FemWeight
    FemWeight Posts: 96
    I drink 100 + ounces a day of water. I like it and I'd rather save my calories for food.

    I agree! Water calories 0 so more food intake vs whatever is in a pop :D:drinker:
  • 33Freya
    33Freya Posts: 468 Member
    Good point- some people do obsess over it :) I just drink water throughout the day and call it good :) If you don't like water, try flavoring it with sliced cucumbers or strawberries or lemon/lime.
  • DAM5412
    DAM5412 Posts: 660 Member
    I think the myth the OP is trying to deflate is that "8 glasses" is some magic number for weight loss, not that water is not a benefit. At least, that's my take after reading the linked article.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I read this article... and immediately grabbed my water glass and chugged two glasses.

    Why? Because I'm chronically dehydrated. If I'm not conscious of my water - of trying to get to 8 glasses - then I will have zero. And I have found that when I'm dehydrated, I weigh more and I snack more. So, yeah... the 8 glasses a day "myth" is a good thing for me. :)

    Interesting article though. :flowerforyou:
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    I lose weight and feel better when I drink a lot of water. I usually get about a gallon while I'm at work and another gallon while I'm training. I sweat a lot more than most people though which is why I drink so much while training.
  • EmotionalEater84
    EmotionalEater84 Posts: 311 Member
    Honestly, this article just made me thirsty .. Was that the intent? O.o
  • ChefSteveUrso
    ChefSteveUrso Posts: 84 Member
    If I don't drink around 3ltr of water a day, or let myself get dehydrated I have a gout attack. Being fully hydrated also alleviates aches and pains that are often attributed to "just getting older" and arthritis. Also I personally lose weight easier on the days that I get a full 3 ltr's of water.
    It's becoming more obvious to me everyday that there are at least 2-3 different archetypes of human metabolism concerning health and weight loss, ie, some people process carbs well and lose weight, while to much protein bogs them down, another type loses weight on high protein and carbs make them gain and feel sluggish. It looks like there are variants on individual water consumption as well.
    It would be great if we could verify and catalog the different archetypes, and then create an optimum health and fitness plan for each type.
  • WelshPhil1975
    WelshPhil1975 Posts: 138 Member
    I think the myth the OP is trying to deflate is that "8 glasses" is some magic number for weight loss, not that water is not a benefit. At least, that's my take after reading the linked article.
    This is how I took it aswell.

    It does help where regulation of sodium is concerned, but the figure is not a magic “8 glasses and you are sorted”, in my experience. I have never been a big fan of soft drinks or coffee, etc, so all I’ve ever drank all my life is water with the occasional Diet Coke thrown in and I am very overweight, so whilst I have always drunk about 10-12 glasses a day (give or take) I am not at an advantage over anybody else because of it.

    The bottom line is you should aim to stay hydrated and the best way I find to do this is – and it’s never the most pleasant thing to explain – to keep checking the colour of your urine. Too dark and you are dehydrated. Your best level is lightly yellow. Just check whenever you go (easier for men, I’d guess); if it’s too dark, drink some water. It’s not worth fretting over, though.
  • gmoneycole
    gmoneycole Posts: 813 Member
    Drink up
  • royaldrea
    royaldrea Posts: 259 Member
    The point is not that water is not good for you, or that you shouldn't drink lots of water, but that you don't definitively need 64oz of plain water a day to be hydrated. We get water from different sources - other beverages, fruits, etc.
  • thechairman18
    thechairman18 Posts: 1 Member
    The idea that you NEED 8 glasses of pure water is a complete nonsense.
    Ask any dietician, or doctor to show you proof, they can't.
    Some time ago, some students ( American, I think ), were asked to determine, how much water the human body loses in a day, via sweat, pee and poo.
    After tests, they came up with the conclusion,that the human body loses approx 2 litres/8 glasses of water a day.
    Which is AUTOMATICALLY REPLACED BY FOOD AND DRINK.
    THERE IS NO NEED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 2litres/8 glasses of water a day.
    Think of food and drink which are mainly water, ie lettuce,tomatoes , potatoes,cabbage,milk,tea,coffee,beer,coke,etc.
    Some quick thinking smart assed water company salesman, chose to hide and ignore the students conclusions, and so the myth was born.
    Remember the old saying - eat when you are hungry, drink when you are dry.
  • BraveNewdGirl
    BraveNewdGirl Posts: 937 Member
    I just drink water when I feel thirsty! That usually amounts to 4 glasses per day if I don't work out and 8-10 glasses if I do. I'm basically the Gallon Of Water Guy at the gym.

    Disclaimer: I totally drink a bunch of my calories in the form of orange juice and skim milk. Not even sorry!
  • nilbogger
    nilbogger Posts: 870 Member
    Of course this depends on your activity level, diet and the climate in which you live. I'm sure some people need twice that amount, and some only need a couple glasses a day.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member

    Remember the old saying - eat when you are hungry, drink when you are dry.

    except people lose track of what those signals mean- or their body is saying X and meaning Y.

    Using your hunger or your thirst as a point to act is wrong- when you are thirsty- typically you are already dehydrated. ... and if you MISS that mark- you're body will send you hunger signals- when it's just dehydrated- this is precisely why that's a poor way to guage what you need- and why having a number to shoot for is useful.

    The idea is to just drink more water- and stay hydrated- most people don't think about it because lets face it- people can be very stupid- so if you give them a rule of thumb then mentally they can shoot for it.

    I agree- it's nonsense that we need an exact number of water every day- nothing about us is that precise- but using thirst and hunger to fuel yourself is not wise. You have to be more proactive.

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