Drink that water?

The more water the better, for an extra little edge make the water as cold as you can stand to drink it so you have to burn calories to maintain you core temp. They say to get 8 cups I have heard as much as a gallon. I've tried a gallon is damn hard to drink in one day and when your first getting used to it you will probably make a few extra trips to the restroom.

I try to get in at least 3 liters a day. It helps to flush some of the extra sodium from your body, and believe it or not, too little water will actually make you retain fluids. I thinks its part of that whole starvation mode thing.

I agree with drinking a lot of water. When I don't drink a decent amount of water I retain 5-7 lbs (I know, I'm a champ) for a few days. Plus I've noticed I feel better when I drink more. Hardest thing ever for me was quitting the Diet Pepsi habit. It has been a week now and the first few days were a crabby, head-achey bundle of unfun.

I found some great info on why drink water when dieting.

Drinking a big glass of water whenever you feel hungry and before a meal or snack fills the stomach briefly and makes you feel fuller and stop eating sooner.

Breaking down body fat and body muscle during weight loss produces wastes that must be eliminated through the kidneys. Drinking enough water is important to keep the kidneys functioning to remove these wastes.

Popular high-protein diets produce more waste products from digestion, let alone from breaking down stored fat. Kidney function is even more important when on a high-protein diet.

Drinking Water Briefly Increases Metabolism

Drinking 500 mL of water (a half-liter or about a pint) increased the study participants' metabolism briefly - for about a half hour. In that time they burned an extra 25 calories. That's about a quarter of a piece of sliced bread, or 5 M&Ms. The researchers theorized that most of the effect comes from warming the water in the stomach. In the male participants the calories came mostly from stored fat, in the women it came from stored carbohydrates. The paper was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, December, 2003. It was conducted by researchers in Berlin.

Eight Glasses of Water a Day?

The study provides some support for the general recommendation to drink eight glasses of water a day while dieting. For most people that would add a liter or two to their regular water intake. The extra calorie-burn would be about 100 calories a day if drinking 2 liters (2 quarts or 4 water-bottles full) more than usual.

Dangers of Too Much Water

Don't start drinking an extra gallon of water a day - that can kill you, especially if you are fasting or eating very little. Water taken in must be in balance with body salt - electrolytes. The body needs to maintain salt balance or risk hyponatremia with heart attack and even death. Drinking too much water dilutes the salt in your blood and tissues - and can kill you. Healthy athletes have died from drinking too much plain water and not replacing salt. Dieters should not plunge into drinking gallons of water a day in hopes of burning a few more calories. Drink an extra few glasses, yes. But a gallon is too much.
Drinking and Walking

Exercise causes the metabolism to rise and body water to be lost through increased respiration and sweat. Drink a large glass of water an hour before exercise. Drink during exercise as you get thirsty.

Good luck on your journey.

Some of the posts on this thread make me a little nervous -- drinking TOO much water can be harmful to your health as well. Most of us will likely never experience medical hyperhydration, but it's just good to be aware that it's possible.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

Also, excessive thirst can be a sign of diabetes. Again, if you've always drank a lot of water, it's probably not cause for concern, but if you experience increasing thirst along with a few other signs, you might want to talk to a doctor about testing for diabetes.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-symptoms/DA00125

All that said, I usually drink 64 - 96 oz. a day (three Nalgenes). I can't say it's helped me lose weight because I've done it for years while my weight has gone up and down, but I do think it helps me feel a little bit fuller. If nothing else, it forces me to get up and walk down the hall to the bathroom now and then!