How much water a day?

libby328
libby328 Posts: 287 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've spoken to two trainers who have recommended 1-2 gallons need to be drunk per day. I'm trying to up my water in take but that seems soooo much to me. How much do you drink?

Replies

  • Pawsforme
    Pawsforme Posts: 645 Member
    I drink whenever I'm thirsty or want something liquid (i.e., a cup of coffee). Unless you have a medical condition and a doctor has recommended it, there is no reason at all to push fluids or to measure your intake. In fact too much water can be harmful and even deadly.
  • FoxyLifter
    FoxyLifter Posts: 965 Member
    Drink however much liquid you need to make your urine light yellow in color.
  • libby328
    libby328 Posts: 287 Member
    That's exactly what I said. I knew it wasn't healthy to over drink water. Of course we have to stay hydrated but that seems like an excess of water to take in. I don't think I physically would be able to drink a gallon unless I wasn't eating. But, 2 gallons isn't possible for me.
  • hamlet1222
    hamlet1222 Posts: 459 Member
    That 8 glasses of water a day myth has been widely debunked recently. Just drink when you're thirsty. The only time I would make an effort to force myself to drink more is if I'm somewhere hot, where I'm sweating a lot - doesn't happen often in the UK. Also I like to start a workout nicely hydrated (but not liquid sloshing around in the stomach hydrated), and make sure I replace the lost fluids after.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,388 MFP Moderator
    Each persons body is a little different. I drink 120-150oz a day. Even with a desk job and only working out 6 hours a week, my body just tends to crave a lot of water. But my wife only needs about 60oz. Just try to drink enough that your pee is lighter than the color of a light lager.
  • GillianLF
    GillianLF Posts: 410 Member
    I'd drink about 2 litres a day, it can be up to 3 though. I drink more when I'm in the office because the aircon makes me feel dehydrated. Or on intense workout days. If I'm not working out and I'm just at home I might have about 1 litre.
  • kwtilbury
    kwtilbury Posts: 1,234 Member
    hamlet1222 wrote: »
    Just drink when you're thirsty.

    I've always been told that thirst is a sign of dehydration.
  • debrakgoogins
    debrakgoogins Posts: 2,034 Member
    edited October 2015
    There are many different ideas about how much water is enough water per day. I suffer from kidney stones so hydration is important for me. My urologist has me using the body weight method. Take your weight, divide it by two and drink that many ounces per day. So, if you weigh 200 pounds, divide that in half = 100; you would drink 100 ounces. Drink more if you are working out or sweating more then normal. Admittedly, I am not always perfect about drinking my water but having a cup on my desk with the actual ounces on it helps.

    There are 128 ounces in a gallon. Two gallons is 256 ounces. Using this method, you would need to weigh 512 pounds for the numbers to add up. That is way too much water!
  • Spike_G
    Spike_G Posts: 149 Member
    I try to drink 3.5 - 4 litres a day as if I don't my urine is quite dark and I'm obviously under hydrated. Just to note I do have hyperhydrosis so lose a lot of fluid through sweat.
  • biggie569
    biggie569 Posts: 4 Member
    I think it is hard to say what is right for you specifically. It really depends on what your daily out put is. I work in manual labor type of job plus I typically do around 45 to 50 min of cardio 5 days a week. On my average day I drink around 1.5 to 2 gals to stay hydrated. On my off days I drink less water usually only pushing .5 to 1 gallon. If you are drinking a lot of water to replace what you have lost you also need to make sure that are in-taking enough minerals, vitamins, and sodium to make sure you do not dilute your system to much.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    Each persons body is a little different. I drink 120-150oz a day. Even with a desk job and only working out 6 hours a week, my body just tends to crave a lot of water. But my wife only needs about 60oz. Just try to drink enough that your pee is lighter than the color of a light lager.
    ^ Best advice in the entire thread right there. As long as your urine is pale yellow or lighter, you're adequately hydrated. Also keep in mind, you don't only get water from drinking water - you also get it from whatever else you drink during the day (ignore any dolt who tells you that coffee, soda, tea, etc. doesn't count as water), as well as many of the foods you eat.

    Hydration needs vary from person to person and there's no hard and fast rule about how much to drink. A person who trains intensely or does a hard labor job outdoors will have different needs than somebody who sits in front of a computer in an air-conditioned cubicle all day. The two trainers who told you that sound like the kind of "bros" who walk around the gym carrying their gallon water bottle, lol.
  • libby328
    libby328 Posts: 287 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Each persons body is a little different. I drink 120-150oz a day. Even with a desk job and only working out 6 hours a week, my body just tends to crave a lot of water. But my wife only needs about 60oz. Just try to drink enough that your pee is lighter than the color of a light lager.
    ^ Best advice in the entire thread right there. As long as your urine is pale yellow or lighter, you're adequately hydrated. Also keep in mind, you don't only get water from drinking water - you also get it from whatever else you drink during the day (ignore any dolt who tells you that coffee, soda, tea, etc. doesn't count as water), as well as many of the foods you eat.

    Hydration needs vary from person to person and there's no hard and fast rule about how much to drink. A person who trains intensely or does a hard labor job outdoors will have different needs than somebody who sits in front of a computer in an air-conditioned cubicle all day. The two trainers who told you that sound like the kind of "bros" who walk around the gym carrying their gallon water bottle, lol.

    Sunny D containers actually lol

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