Benefits of lots of water?

LuFindy
LuFindy Posts: 28
edited November 11 in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

This is going to sound like such a stupid question, because I know I should be drinking lots of water.

I am trying to drink a few jugs of water a day to make sure I drink 8 cups.

What have you all felt since you started drinking lots more water? It makes me feel a bit heavier (obviously because of all the liquid) Did you feel more energised etc?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Not really. I drink when I'm genuinely thirsty. I don't believe in the whole "DRINK 999 GALLONS A DAY" thing.

    It does however flush out sodium, which is good. And also helps eliminate excess water weight you might be holding. But, like you said, it makes me feel heavy as hell when I TRY to hit 8+ cups a day.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
    :# gorgeous skin/face that do it for me. i drink 2.5 L daily and yes it definitely makes you feel heavier.
  • emmalou25mk
    emmalou25mk Posts: 25 Member
    I drink around 3-4l daily (Type 1 Diabetic so thirst often kicks in if I have an above average B/G level) and hate how heavy it makes me feel. But after a massive glass of water I feel alot better than after if I had the equivalent of diet coke. Plus my skin is clear and glows!
  • LadyVengeance13
    LadyVengeance13 Posts: 5 Member
    100% clearer skin and less hungry the more water i drink - 2.5-3L a day :)
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
    Dehydration also makes you hungry, so your instinct is to eat more, when all you really need is something to drink.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    Well it makes me have to get up once or twice in the night to pee. Then I'm wide awake, so that is annoying.

    That said after a few days of drinking more water than anything else, I do feel better. I don't feel as sluggish. And my skin is not so dried out. I usually strive to get 6 -8 glasses but sometimes instead I have 5 or 6 glasses and some coffee or tea. Plus if you eat lots of fresh veggies and fruits, they add hydration to your body as well.

    Water is just one part of a health plan - it does help keep me feeling "full" so I'm less likely to reach for M&M's or something like that. ;)
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    As others have said, I feel fuller and my skin has improved dramatically.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    There is no benefit to drinking excessive amounts of water, in fact it can kill you.

    You need to drink enough to stay well hydrated, more than that is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Just be aware that most people operate 24/7 in a dehydrated state.

    There is a pinch test you can do to your skin to have an idea of how hydrated you are.
  • Athos282
    Athos282 Posts: 405 Member
    Lots of bathroom breaks.
  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
    edited January 2015
    I drink enough fluids to keep my urine a straw yellow.( sorry if that is a TMI) Usually that's around 2.5-3L. (I go by how many times I refill my nalgene). Too much water over time can throw off your kidney's but it has to extreme amounts of water over a very short period of time. I feel my skin has cleared up a bit after increasing my water. Just an FYI- If you increase your fluid intake suddenly be prepared to run to the bathroom every 15mins haha ;)
  • Nicola0000
    Nicola0000 Posts: 531 Member
    your brain is made up of 75% water. Add to the water in your blood, muscles etc, that's a lot of water! If you drink when you're thirsty, then you're alredy dehydrated. Just drink enough so your pee is like lemonade. If it's like apple juice, then you're dehydrated!!
  • njitaliana
    njitaliana Posts: 814 Member
    wizzybeth wrote: »
    Well it makes me have to get up once or twice in the night to pee. Then I'm wide awake, so that is annoying.

    Same here. But, I don't notice any other difference. I try to drink 6 glasses a day.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    I fill up my blender bottle with water 4 times per day. That's 96 oz, or 12 cups per day. I don't force it; it just happens that way. I drink one during my workout, one between breakfast and lunch, one between lunch and dinner, and one between dinner and bedtime.

    I ALWAYS go over 2300 mg sodium, so water helps me not retain a bunch of fluid from that. Keeping myself well hydrated also means I don't feel starved all day - a lot of times people mistake thirst for hunger, which leads to excessive calorie intake. I don't feel "heavier" from drinking water at all. I do pee a lot, though.

    I usually drink less water on weekends and end up guzzling down a whole bottle at the end of the day because I'm so thirsty. They say that by the time you feel thirst, you're already dehydrated. I don't know how true that is, but being thirsty sucks, so I try to avoid it.

    A lot of people go overboard, though. You don't need to carry around a gallon of water with you all day in order to get an adequate amount of fluids in. Also, things like coffee and tea count toward fluid intake as well. Soda and alcohol, not so much, but it doesn't have to be plain water.
  • phil6707
    phil6707 Posts: 541 Member
    martyqueen52 wrote: »
    Not really. I drink when I'm genuinely thirsty. I don't believe in the whole "DRINK 999 GALLONS A DAY" thing.

    It does however flush out sodium, which is good. And also helps eliminate excess water weight you might be holding. But, like you said, it makes me feel heavy as hell when I TRY to hit 8+ cups a day.

    When you are thirsty, you already are in water deficit and your body is letting you know about it. You should not wait to be thirsty to drink
  • phil6707
    phil6707 Posts: 541 Member
    beemerphile1 wrote: »
    There is no benefit to drinking excessive amounts of water, in fact it can kill you.

    You need to drink enough to stay well hydrated, more than that is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Just be aware that most people operate 24/7 in a dehydrated state.

    There is a pinch test you can do to your skin to have an idea of how hydrated you are.

    There is also no global warming, GMO are not an issue for health, blah blah blah...Incredible. DO you any idea of how much water you would have to drink before you are in danger of death???
  • brandigyrl81
    brandigyrl81 Posts: 128 Member
    I'm not an advocate of drinking a gallon a day - that's just too much. I have noticed, however, when I drink at least 64 ounces a day, I am less likely to do unnecessary snacking and I am more regular. Speaking of regular, once your body becomes accustomed to being hydrated, the excessive bathroom breaks will diminish. You'll still go to the bathroom, but it won't be as much as it is at first. Other benefits include healthy looking skin, healthy hair and the flushing of excess sodium, which causes water weight.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Like others, I found water to make me feel fuller, my skin looks better, I know my internal bodily functions are working well, and I have been able to almost eliminate the mindless snacking by substituting mindless water drinking. If I need to put something in my mouth, it helps to reach for my water.
  • aSearch4Me
    aSearch4Me Posts: 397 Member
    I'm a close to a gallon-a-day drinker most days, distributed evenly throughout the day. The personal benefits I see: 1) improved skin tone & texture, 2) improved gut motility, 3) decreased appetite, 4) increased bathroom breaks at my desk job, meaning I move more during the workday....

    It's worth it for me, but isn't for everyone. Regarding "it can kill you" point...that's extremely, extremely rare....
  • pinkiezoom
    pinkiezoom Posts: 409 Member
    I drink about 8 cups a day, i usually wander to the loo and grab a glass from the water filter on the way when I am at work, then 20 mins later.... same thing, but it is increasing my steps, keeping me hydrated and I def dont hold onto sodium weight with this method. My skin is a bit better i suppose, but i havent noticed anything major, and i am still suffering from headaches, and i hoped it was lack of water, but looks like it isnt :( x
  • BABetter1
    BABetter1 Posts: 618 Member
    To avoid waking up to go, try to get it all in by dinner time and drink very lightly with your meal. I realize every BODY is different, especially the strength/capacity of the bladder. But this has helped me. And, I do drink a lot of water, usually a gallon per day. Like others have said, my skin looks great, and it helps flush out sodium and water weight. It also helps regulate the bowels . . .
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    You have to drink lots and lots and LOTS of water in a short period of time (as in liters and liters and liters of it!) for it to be a danger. http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/water-intoxication
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    edited January 2015
    phil6707 wrote: »
    martyqueen52 wrote: »
    Not really. I drink when I'm genuinely thirsty. I don't believe in the whole "DRINK 999 GALLONS A DAY" thing.

    It does however flush out sodium, which is good. And also helps eliminate excess water weight you might be holding. But, like you said, it makes me feel heavy as hell when I TRY to hit 8+ cups a day.

    When you are thirsty, you already are in water deficit and your body is letting you know about it. You should not wait to be thirsty to drink

    I'm pretty sure I know my own better body better than what you assume.

  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,787 Member
    edited January 2015
    I feel more energetic and less bloated/lethargic when I make sure to drink plenty of water. I also find it easier to identify my true hunger cues. My skin and hair look better and my lips aren't chapped and rough. I don't bother with eight precise cups a day, though; I just try to make myself chug down a glass every couple of hours.
  • beemerphile1
    beemerphile1 Posts: 1,710 Member
    phil6707 wrote: »
    beemerphile1 wrote: »
    There is no benefit to drinking excessive amounts of water, in fact it can kill you.

    You need to drink enough to stay well hydrated, more than that is unnecessary and potentially harmful. Just be aware that most people operate 24/7 in a dehydrated state.

    There is a pinch test you can do to your skin to have an idea of how hydrated you are.

    There is also no global warming, GMO are not an issue for health, blah blah blah...Incredible. DO you any idea of how much water you would have to drink before you are in danger of death???

    No I don't but I know of at least one girl who found out. She entered a radio contest and part of it was consuming a large amount of water, it killed her. Do a search for 'Jennifer Strange water contest'.
  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,578 Member
    According to one article, Jennifer Strange drank nearly two gallons of water in over three hours.

    And there you go drinking an excessive amount of water in a relatively short period of time...Most people don't drink a gallon in an entire DAY let alone 2 gallons in 3 hours. Plus it was a contest where she was not supposed to pee either.

    Driving a car can kill you too.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I've always drank lots of water so I couldn't really tell you.. I love ice water
  • nolabone
    nolabone Posts: 117 Member
    wizzybeth wrote: »
    According to one article, Jennifer Strange drank nearly two gallons of water in over three hours.

    And there you go drinking an excessive amount of water in a relatively short period of time...Most people don't drink a gallon in an entire DAY let alone 2 gallons in 3 hours. Plus it was a contest where she was not supposed to pee either.

    Driving a car can kill you too.

    Ugh, just reading this makes me have to pee.
  • prettyfitchick
    prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
    omg!!! people on this whole drinking too much water can kill you I am sure she is not planning chug 5 gallons with in an hour but anyways I keep a gallon jug at my desk I try to drink it all most days i am lucky to drink half but the best benefit to drinking more water is when you are hydrated working out especially cardio is easier to do when are dehydrated working out is much more difficult and muscles tend to be more sore afterwards this is my experience
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    Just drink when you're thirsty. Plain and simple.
  • MikeSanchez2323
    MikeSanchez2323 Posts: 30 Member
    I am a big water drinker and the days I don't drink enough my body certainly responds. I get headaches and feel terrible. i have never had any neg side effects to drinking too much though. You would really need to drink a lot to have a neg experience.
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