Water!!!

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canadacatman
canadacatman Posts: 224 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I was wondering how much water you actually need to drink. I know the 8 8oz cups but I do not think all people need the same would a 200 pound male need the same amount as a 400 pound male. I read half your body weight in ounces so I did the math and for me it would be 5.9 liters.

I was wondering what your thoughts are on this and is it 8 8oz cups of water or total liquid.

Thanks

Replies

  • Lasmartchika
    Lasmartchika Posts: 3,440 Member
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    I just aim for the 8 glasses of water...
  • reba020
    reba020 Posts: 55 Member
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    I do the half my weight in ounces and I feel great. I definitely notice a difference in my body when I don't drink it all.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    edited October 2014
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    If your thirsty drink. The 8 glasses a day is just a made up number (actually by the marketing department of a mineral water company) and has no basis in science. 70% of your food is made up of water also you get fluid that way and through other drinks. the best indicator is thirst as long as you have no medical conditions. Some people seem to get very evangelical about water. I have absolutely no idea how much I drink a day. The only time I drink water as a plain drink is on long runs (over 10 miles) and even then it has an electrolyte in it. I've lost 145 pounds so it's made no effect on my weight loss
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    Unless you have a physical or mental issue that causes you to drink too much or too little, you can trust your thirst. If you drink water only and have water around, you will drink enough. :)
  • jeepskate
    jeepskate Posts: 16 Member
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    I think there is a such thing as too much water, at least for me. I was crushing 10-14 cups a day and all I did was run to the bathroom, a lot. I also think that I was retaining more than normal for some reason and it reflected on the scale. I cut back to no more than 10 per day and BAM, weight started coming off again. It may be coincidence, it may not be. If my urine is clear as water, then I cut back a little bit. I would listen to your body, if you are thirsty drink water. That all said, I try to get in a cup or two of water in before my bike rides to get a head start on hydration and finish with whatever is left in my 32 oz Nalgene bottle. My rides are kinda short right now, but I ride pretty hard.
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
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    canadacatman wrote: »
    I was wondering how much water you actually need to drink. I know the 8 8oz cups but I do not think all people need the same would a 200 pound male need the same amount as a 400 pound male. I read half your body weight in ounces so I did the math and for me it would be 5.9 liters.

    I was wondering what your thoughts are on this and is it 8 8oz cups of water or total liquid.

    Thanks

    8 8oz cups is total liquid, stemming at one point from a survey of behavior in the 1940s. It was a descriptive, not a prescriptive, number, that included coffee, tea, beer, soup, and the liquid in, for example, bread to get to the total.

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp
  • Basilin
    Basilin Posts: 360 Member
    edited October 2014
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    I drink 6 cups of pure water a day (barring exercise, then I'll drink more), and I believe the other two come from food/other beverages. 8 cups would be the amount given for my body weight (half of weight (kg) in ounces). I feel great drinking this amount. Don't be afraid to push your intake level higher even if it's hard at first. If you're dehydrated for a long period of time, sometimes it can be a little difficult to drink more at first, but when you hit the sweet spot you'll know it. At least I did. :smile:
  • deup
    deup Posts: 129 Member
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    depends i normally drink 10 cups a day, however when my body is detoxing i tend to drink 15-20 cups daily.
  • VCopple
    VCopple Posts: 56 Member
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    I find that when I drink more water throughout the day I am less hungry. I remember a nutrition class I took at University which informed me that the thirst mechanism in our bodies is actually inefficient. When you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. I was also told that when we are hungry, we should always drink a glass of water first, because our thirst mechanism is again, inefficient.

    As a follow up to the first paragraph, I lose more weight when I drink more water. If it is because I am eating less, or if it is because I am retaining less sodium, I am not sure. But what I do know is that I don't drink enough water in a regular basis. I am trying to increase my water to at least 2 liters a day.
  • Falcon
    Falcon Posts: 853 Member
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    I find the less water I drink, the more I want to eat when I'm actually in need of drinking water. If I feel hungry and I haven't been drinking enough water, then I reach for a glass of water and then I suddenly feel full. There might be some truth to it.

    If you don't drink enough for a couple of days, then your body holds onto excess water for a few days. Thats what I find anyways...
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Drink when you're thirsty, stop when you aren't. It really couldn't be more simple.
  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
    edited October 2014
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    @canadacatman
    Body Weight (lbs) / 2 = oz water, i think that's a helpful guideline
    I usually have twice as much, and only H2O is considered "water" for me, some people start adding all sorts of stuff, but those just make me thirstier therefore i don't count them.
  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
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    VCopple wrote: »
    I remember a nutrition class I took at University which informed me that the thirst mechanism in our bodies is actually inefficient. When you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. I was also told that when we are hungry, we should always drink a glass of water first, because our thirst mechanism is again, inefficient.

    +1
  • Basilin
    Basilin Posts: 360 Member
    edited October 2014
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    crisb2 wrote: »
    @canadacatman
    Body Weight (lbs) / 2 = oz water, i think that's a helpful guideline
    I usually have twice as much, and only H2O is considered "water" for me, some people start adding all sorts of stuff, but those just make me thirstier therefore i don't count them.

    The only reason I add other "stuff" is because 6 cups seems to be best for me even though I'm supposed to drink more according to whatever measure. Drinking more makes me feel really gross/bloated/pee-clear-every-ten-minutes, and since I eat a lot of fresh fruit and drink tea, I'm assuming that any more water I need is probably coming from that if the measure is accurate. Perhaps other stuff makes you thirstier if it contains sodium. Soda (which I don't even drink anymore) used to make me thirsty, but tea never does.
  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
    edited October 2014
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    @Basilin wrote: »
    crisb2 wrote: »
    @canadacatman
    Body Weight (lbs) / 2 = oz water, i think that's a helpful guideline
    I usually have twice as much, and only H2O is considered "water" for me, some people start adding all sorts of stuff, but those just make me thirstier therefore i don't count them.

    The only reason I add other "stuff" is because 6 cups seems to be best for me even though I'm supposed to drink more according to whatever measure. Drinking more makes me feel really gross/bloated/pee-clear-every-ten-minutes, and since I eat a lot of fresh fruit and drink tea, I'm assuming that any more water I need is probably coming from that if the measure is accurate. Perhaps other stuff makes you thirstier if it contains a lot of sodium. Soda (which I don't even drink anymore) used to make me thirsty.

    Well, I wasn't really talking about you, but ok...

    This is what I do and anyone else can do whatever they think is right for them. I also don't drink juices, soda, alcohol, flavored waters that have calories or carbs, or coffee. That's why I drink so much water. But, before, when I used to drink all that, they would all make me even thirstier, that why I've never counted them as water. I also think that if drinking water makes people feel sick, it usually means electrolytes are out of whack. But that's my opinion, and what I do. Everyone else can do what they feel is best for them.
  • Basilin
    Basilin Posts: 360 Member
    edited October 2014
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    crisb2 wrote: »
    @Basilin wrote: »
    crisb2 wrote: »
    @canadacatman
    Body Weight (lbs) / 2 = oz water, i think that's a helpful guideline
    I usually have twice as much, and only H2O is considered "water" for me, some people start adding all sorts of stuff, but those just make me thirstier therefore i don't count them.

    The only reason I add other "stuff" is because 6 cups seems to be best for me even though I'm supposed to drink more according to whatever measure. Drinking more makes me feel really gross/bloated/pee-clear-every-ten-minutes, and since I eat a lot of fresh fruit and drink tea, I'm assuming that any more water I need is probably coming from that if the measure is accurate. Perhaps other stuff makes you thirstier if it contains a lot of sodium. Soda (which I don't even drink anymore) used to make me thirsty.

    Well, I wasn't really talking about you, but ok...

    This is what I do and anyone else can do whatever they think is right for them. I also don't drink juices, soda, alcohol, flavored waters that have calories or carbs, or coffee. That's why I drink so much water. But, before, when I used to drink all that, they would all make me even thirstier, that why I've never counted them as water. I also think that if drinking water makes people feel sick, it usually means electrolytes are out of whack. But that's my opinion, and what I do. Everyone else can do what they feel is best for them.

    No need to get defensive... you brought up the topic of "what about that other stuff", which is a good topic for the discussion of water consumption. I'd be curious to know why drinking juice would make you (or anyone) thirsty.

  • crisb2
    crisb2 Posts: 329 Member
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    @Basilin
    I don't think I'm being defensive. You addressed me about something I said, I'm clarifying it's just my opinion.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    crisb2 wrote: »
    VCopple wrote: »
    I remember a nutrition class I took at University which informed me that the thirst mechanism in our bodies is actually inefficient. When you are thirsty you are already dehydrated. I was also told that when we are hungry, we should always drink a glass of water first, because our thirst mechanism is again, inefficient.

    +1

    This is actually the exact opposite of reality. The thirst mechanism is incredibly efficient, as it recognizes and responds to actual physical changes in hydration on a cellular level, and can measure an effect as small as 0.5% hydration loss. Hunger, on the other hand, is a trained response driven by hormonal responses, which is far less efficient and far more susceptible to habit.

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