Hi, I'm New... To Drinking Water

_Khaleesi_
_Khaleesi_ Posts: 877 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello MFP'ers! After a week of 0 weight loss, I did some soul searching (more like diary searching) and noticed that my sodium intake was way over the recommended amount. Chatting with others on here has taught me that high sodium can lead to retaining water. I never drink water. I never really drink anything. SOoooo I decided to transition into a low sodium and high water type eating pattern. For the past 2 days I have been under my sodium and I have consumed 8 glasses of water (this was super hard). I have noticed that this water consumption has lead me to have to go to the bathroom a ton... like instead of 4 times a day, it's 8. I know that if your urine is clear it's supposed to be a good sign of hydration, but this seems ridiculous. Is this helping at all?!

Anyone share a similar situation? Does it get better? Should the pounds be melting off my tomorrow morning? lol

Replies

  • i_love_vinegar
    i_love_vinegar Posts: 2,092 Member
    water helps clean out the body, so hopefully that will help. :) think of yourself as a piece of beef...if you are beef jerky, it is hard to change what is...but if you are filet mignon, you can cut your fat xD

    I dont drink enough water either btw...but I need to too! >_<
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    My friends and I started a water drinking challenge a few months ago. After sticking to 8 glasses a day for 2 weeks it is a lot easier to do. I gained 4 pounds the first 4 days and after that it all flushed out. After you have been drinking 8 glasses a day for a while (as little as a week) you won't have to go to the bathroom as much. I can't say it has helped with weight loss but it's good for me and it hasn't hurt weight loss.
  • TopazCarey
    TopazCarey Posts: 263
    I'm in the same boat as you. I have never had to use the restroom so much in my life. But I read that it gets better, your body is just flushing out the access water that it no longer needs to hold on to and the sodium and things of that nature.
  • jacmomma
    jacmomma Posts: 4
    It does get better and your body will adjust. I struggle with hydrating enough, too. Since I have started working out regularly, and it has gotten hot - I have had two episodes of kidney stones, from being dehydrated. Not fun! I recently read that people should drink half of their body weight in ounces of water, and it will boost your metabolism. I've started FORCING myself to drink water - and have noticed the scale has begun to move after sitting at a plateau for some time. Yay! For me, it helps to squeeze some lemon in it, or drink sparkling water, like LaCroix. Hope this helps!
  • Burly34
    Burly34 Posts: 5
    Your body will get used to the amount of water you drink and you should reduce the number of times you need to go to the bathroom as long as you maintain the amount you drink each day. It might take a few days but it will get better.
  • sspetersen
    sspetersen Posts: 11 Member
    It can be very hard to drink 8 glasses of water a day for me too, but I have been really pushing myself to do this since I joined MFP and it has made a big difference for me. The pounds do seem to come off easier on the days that I drink the water I am supposed to. There is an adjustment period though, like anything else you change in your diet. I don't find myself hitting the restroom nearly as often now as I did when I first started. As a side benefit, my skin is looking great too :)!!
  • Jenncoc86
    Jenncoc86 Posts: 203 Member
    Water is good no matter what, that being said a resent study shows that in people 40 and younger water consumption showed little to no effect on weight gain or loss. People over 40 drinking water help them maintain and loss weight. If you are worried about water retention the try grapefruit women are often told to eat grapefruit before and during their periods to ease bloating. It works great for me and may help you instead of water.
  • Gojira74
    Gojira74 Posts: 57 Member
    Water is necessary for the break down of nutrients and is an important factor for living things. You can live for a month without food, but you will die in a few days without water. Sodium does make you retain water and will increase your weight a few lbs over all.

    Low sodium is good for a number of things, but it is important to balance sodium and potassium, which is something I have been working on lately. 8 cups or 64 oz of water isn't as much as it may seem. That is one super big gulp. A 0.5 liter bottle is over 2 cups. You cannot over do it on water consumption in a realistic scenario (water toxicity requires the intake of several gallons of water an hour). Keep it up, and it will reward you with better heart health and a loss of a few lbs out of the gate. Remember to balance Potassium :)

    Good luck
  • jazzism1984
    jazzism1984 Posts: 6
    I started drinking water from 2-3 glasses a day to about 10-12 glasses a day now. To be honest, this was the best decision I made. I know what you are saying about wanting to go to bathroom quite a bit more, but its all worth it. It has helped with my weight loss, I dont look so bloated anymore and I feel quite a bit energetic.
  • kenzietea
    kenzietea Posts: 614 Member
    Your body will acclimate with the frequent bathroom trips =) Also, have a gallon jug that you carry around with you and finish it! Weight loss takes more water than a normal person, so try to get more than 8 glasses if possible =)
  • nurse_carolyn
    nurse_carolyn Posts: 348
    Yes it is helping. You know when celery gets wilty.....well take that celery and put it in water and it will crisp up. Our bodies need water to function properly. Every system in our body runs with water and when one system doesn't work it affects others, like a domino affect. I found it hard at the beginning to drink my water too but what seemed to work for me is to always have a glass of water on hand. If it's sitting right there I seem to sip on it......and yes, you do pee alot, downside
    Good luck:)
  • butterfly1445
    butterfly1445 Posts: 81 Member
    Keep up with it and it will get better. If it is hard to drink because you don't like it, try Tru Lemon packets, it's just freeze dried lemon as far as I can tell and it is easy to keep at your desk or in the cabinet without worry about spoiling or stickiness, etc.

    Good luck!
  • Katie3784
    Katie3784 Posts: 543
    It also helps with digestion(going #2), which will help with weight loss as well.
  • _Khaleesi_
    _Khaleesi_ Posts: 877 Member
    Thanks guys! I really appreciate everyone sharing their experiences. I'm going to keep at it and hopefully things will change and this "plateau" will only last a week. It's tough to not see that scale move when it has moved consistantly in the past...
  • Kohadre
    Kohadre Posts: 316
    I bought one of those 8 a day water bottles at walmart for like 1.50, it has my entire day's worth of water in it so it helps me keep track of where i need to be so to speak. I actually drink about 20 cups (20*8floz) a day so thats about 2.5 fillings worth. Still, for the average person its a pretty easy and straightforward way to meet your required daily intake of H20 :)
  • AEROBICVIC
    AEROBICVIC Posts: 159 Member
    it will come as part of your daily routine. i fill up my gallon jug everyday before i leave for work, along with packing my small meals. i put ice in it but prefer my water to be room temp.....you will find a jug or bottle of water around me 24/7. yes i do hit the bathroom several times a day but for me, i look at it as a good thing, it's just a part of healthy living. my goal is to finish my jug before i leave work at 5:00 pm. i teach aerobic/cycling classes in the evening so i will drink about another half gallon before i end my day. my body is used to it. i've been drinking that much for years. i will notice that if i get busy on the weekends and don't drink enough, my body will feel different and i'm so thirsty. i drink nothing else....no coffee, no pop, nothing but water. it's habit to sit at my desk and drink every couple mins. i really don't think about it. our bodies must stay hydrated every day! good luck with the change!
  • juleseybaby
    juleseybaby Posts: 712 Member
    8 cups or 64 oz of water isn't as much as it may seem. That is one super big gulp. A 0.5 liter bottle is over 2 cups.

    Agreed - so I started thinking about those 0.5 liter bottles being a little over 2 cups... drink one with each 'main' meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and then incorporate one more bottle somewhere in the day (like maybe when you work out :happy: )

    4 of the .5 liter bottles and you're done - you've got your 8 cups for the day.
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