I would try to increase your water consumption by 2 oz a day. You should be getting close to half your body weight (in pounds) in ounces of water. So for 240 pounds (me), my daily water goal (or fluids) is 120 oz.

Water detoxifies your body, carries away burned fats and their wastes, nourishes cells, and all manner of things. For me, getting enough fluids is critical to long term success. Particularly when low carbing, because carbs hold in water to process themselves, and when we don't hold in as much water, we naturally dehydrate.

Dehydration makes a sodium/electrolyte balance all but impossible.

Start a reasonable goal and bump up daily. Add lemon or lime slices to your water, or even the squeezy pod add ins if necessary at first while increasing. You may not need the double amount, but most low carb diets recommend a flat 100 oz as a minimum, etc.

Some folks get a lot of fluids in the foods they eat...so their drinking requirement is less. There are water tracking apps for nearly every smart phone platform.

I personally recommend increasing slowly, and finding the taste for plain water, even if you've never had it before, because it will serve you well over time... Good luck!

I never understood the advice to drink a bunch of water, so I ignored it. I figured thirst should be a pretty good signal.

I may have been wrong. I think I'm the only one on this forum to get a kidney stone while restricting carbs, and they say dehydration is the major factor in stone formation.

Now I drink more. I can't tell if it makes a difference.

In theory, you need about 2.5 liters/day of fluid intake. The source shouldn't matter. About half of that normally comes from food intake.

It MAY be different for low-carbers due to a couple reasons. The food we eat tends to be dehydrating (e.g., dry foods or high-protein foods). We can also lose a lot of sodium on this diet, and water follows sodium -- that's why there's a big initial water-weight loss. In the latter case, both sodium intake and water intake should help.

Large amounts of protein is hard on your kidneys, esp w/o consuming water-retaining carbs. Drink your water.

I guess I'm a "middle-of-the-roader". I am like you and have to force myself to drink all the water the experts say you have to have. I drink 8-10 cups a day. The way I know I'm not dehydrated ~ is to see what color my pee is. When its clear, its good. If you Google Images:

urine color chart dehydration

You'll find dozens of charts to gauge if you're dehydrated or not.

With that said, I have only drunk less than 10 cups of coffee IN MY LIFE. If you are a coffee drinker, then you have to drink more water, or you'll get dehydrated. Coffee is a diuretic. There is some ratio of how many cups of coffee you drink and how many you should additionally drink to keep you from dehydrating. I don't know what the component is in the coffee that is diuretic, maybe caffeine. If so, to a lesser degree, you may supplement if you drink Tea with caffeine in it.

You have to drink more if you do any exercise or sweat.

You have to drink more water if you eat a lot (and I mean a lot) of salt.

And I agree with WAB, if you don't drink enough, stones will form and they are very painful. I think if you study Bariatric Surgery results, that there is some dynamic with rapid weight loss that causes stones to form. If I remember correctly, they recommend that a person drink a lot of water. I'm not saying you are getting Bariatric surgery, but that "rapid Weight loss" of any diet can cause stones.

I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
Current weight: 198.5, 115.5 pounds down, 19.5 to go. 13 months on diet
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric Surgery! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Previous Discussions on the LCD & Keto Groups
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups Updated
DittoDan's Keto Sub Groups Blog
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet Updated
DittoDan's Keto Blogs

DittoDan wrote: »

I guess I'm a "middle-of-the-roader". I am like you and have to force myself to drink all the water the experts say you have to have. I drink 8-10 cups a day. The way I know I'm not dehydrated ~ is to see what color my pee is. When its clear, its good. If you Google Images:

urine color chart dehydration

You'll find dozens of charts to gauge if you're dehydrated or not.

With that said, I have only drunk less than 10 cups of coffee IN MY LIFE. If you are a coffee drinker, then you have to drink more water, or you'll get dehydrated. Coffee is a diuretic. There is some ratio of how many cups of coffee you drink and how many you should additionally drink to keep you from dehydrating. I don't know what the component is in the coffee that is diuretic, maybe caffeine. If so, to a lesser degree, you may supplement if you drink Tea with caffeine in it.

You have to drink more if you do any exercise or sweat.

You have to drink more water if you eat a lot (and I mean a lot) of salt.

And I agree with WAB, if you don't drink enough, stones will form and they are very painful. I think if you study Bariatric Surgery results, that there is some dynamic with rapid weight loss that causes stones to form. If I remember correctly, they recommend that a person drink a lot of water. I'm not saying you are getting Bariatric surgery, but that "rapid Weight loss" of any diet can cause stones.

I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
Current weight: 198.5, 115.5 pounds down, 19.5 to go. 13 months on diet
It's Ketogenic or Bariatric Surgery! How I Found the Ketogenic Diet
Previous Discussions on the LCD & Keto Groups
Blog #10 Keto: Abbreviations, Acronyms & Terminology Used on the LCD & Keto Discussion Groups Updated
DittoDan's Keto Sub Groups Blog
Blog #13 DittoDan's Milestone's, First's And Good Changes Since Starting the Ketogenic Diet Updated
DittoDan's Keto Blogs

I recently read an article, regrettably, I can't recall where, but it stated that the whole thing about coffee being a diuretic was overblown and not nearly as much of an issue (like way less than half what they say) as it was made to be. It had more to do with heart doctors not wanting folks to drink the caffeine or something. If anyone else read the article or knows what I'm talking about, please share.

Here is one I found, though this isn't the one I read initially. http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/01/13/262175623/coffee-myth-busting-cup-of-joe-may-help-hydration-and-memory

Another: http://acsh.org/2014/01/hydrate-coffee-maybe-new-study-says-diuretic/

ambergem1969 wrote: »

KnitOrMiss - I was about to type this too. Here's a bit of a summary of the science: medicinenet.com/caffeine/page4.htm

I count my coffee as fluid. I'm not a huge water drinker and go by instinct - if I get thirsty, I drink.

I agree. While my goal is the 120 oz or whatever, I consider it kind of random, similar to my calorie goal...lol. I drink if I'm thirsty. The only time I'll force it is if I'm under 40 oz for the day. What's really odd though, is I struggled for over 2 months (July and August, I think) averaging about 80 oz or less, and then September was good, as I started tracking everything again.

Last night, I was just under 90 oz, and this morning I woke up with my lips dry and flaky. That hasn't happened since I was doing the all day outdoors event I worked back in April! Nothing else was different, other than I broke out in a weird facial rash, I think it was Monday? So strange! So I'm focused on at least breaking 100 oz. today.

But, it also seems like the more I drink, the more I crave. It has actually gotten to the point that even when my urine and tracker indicate I should be well-hydrated that I've got dry mouth and constant thirst - and now I'm freaking about possible diabetes - and the possibility that my hypothyroidism has flipped and become auto-immune hypo (I have other symptoms and tests pending)...

I don't know of any normal reasons to have perpetual dry mouth feeling - does anyone else?

Sjogren's can cause dry mouth so if it persists you may need to check with your doctor Knitormiss

I too am rarely thirsty. Since starting keto I have significantly upped my daily "real" water total to approximately 32 oz. The rest of my drinks are unsweetened hot or iced teas and coffee. So far I seem to be doing ok and not showing any signs of being dehydrated. I find it really hard to drink when I don't feel thirsty.

anglyn1 wrote: »

Sjogren's can cause dry mouth so if it persists you may need to check with your doctor Knitormiss

I too am rarely thirsty. Since starting keto I have significantly upped my daily "real" water total to approximately 32 oz. The rest of my drinks are unsweetened hot or iced teas and coffee. So far I seem to be doing ok and not showing any signs of being dehydrated. I find it really hard to drink when I don't feel thirsty.

Glad to say that dry eyes (another common with Sjogren's) are not something I suffer now, nor have ever...

I see my endocrinologist for my 6 month check up on the 16th, and I just sent him a request for bloodwork prior to the appointment, so I'll report back if I learn anything.

Yes, I remember hearing for years, by the time you feel thirsty, you're already dehydrated. I don't know if it is true, but...

It occurred to me that I retain water when I don't get enough salt, and not in a fun way. Since I started midday fasting, sometimes I'd added salt midday, and sometimes I hadn't. On a whim, I added some salt just now, and the dry mouth feeling is gone. I'll repeat next week to see if it works again.

I was shocked at how little water I drank in a day, when I started Keto and MFP. Logging made me aware. At first I bought 4 cup containers to bring water to work, but soon bought 2 -8 cup containers to ensure I drink enough. I fill them half-way then freeze them, filling them up with cold water when I leave the house, tomorrow's bottle is already frozen and ready for me. This makes it effortless. My workplace is very dry, so I find I am glad to have lots of water with me, and most days I manage to drink the whole container at work. I log my 3 cups of coffee along with my water, and I never have to worry about drinking enough. Maybe 1 cup of tea and I've had 12 cups of water easily.

Life or death in my case.

I drink a lot. It helps fill me up and I have more energy.

This website states 5 cups (1.2 liters) is minimum per day:

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/womenshealth/features/watermyth.htm

I hope this helps,
Dan the Man from Michigan
Keto / The Recipe Water Fasting / E.A.S.Y. Exercise Program
Current weight: 198.5, 115.5 pounds down, 19.5 to go. 13 months on diet

Re - the water myth - I believe for the most part its a myth - - I don't count. I routinely go walking in heat waves - drink a glass or 2 before I leave if I feel thirsty and carry no water. However - I'm wonder of keto changes your balance and your built in instinct to drink does not re-adjust right away.