Gallon of Water a Day

Just having it nearby is enough fo rme to sip on it. Thirst may not always be enough to let you know that you need some water, for me, I'm very cold in my office, so I tend to not drink it if I don't have it on hand, I think the cold must distract my body or something?

Please use the urine colour charts mentioned above, water is good but having too much for some is as problematic as not having enough. The body can looses salt and other minerals more quickly if you are one of few who can't cope with higher water/liquid volumes.

small steps... I start the morning with breakfast and a 12 ounce glass of water (no ice). have a 24 ounce water bottle with my lunch...then have 2 more 12 ounce glasses of water (one with my evening meal and one before bed... now that ain't 64 ounces... BUT there's water in food, (lettuce, tomatoes etc... ) and IF I am working out I drink another 24 ounce bottle... so...WHEN you eat drink water, every time... no exceptions... when you exercise drink water... once you get into the habit you will wonder how you ever managed to NOT drink as much water as you do...

Water consumption gets really hyped on mfp. You can drink less than a gallon and be fine. And, if you include all the other stuff you're drinking, you really don't need to haul a gallon of water around. Jeez. I'd get fired if I drank that much and had to leave to pee every 20 minutes...

RaphaBianchi wrote: »

For the people drinking several litres/gallons of water a day, how often do you go to the toilet? What goes in must come out. At 2-3 litres a day I feel like I always need the toilet. I don't know how people can manage drinking more.

For some/most people, if you gradually ramp up your consumption, your body will adapt a bit.

For women (don't know about men; I'm less familiar with the equipment), it will help if you don't immediately yield to the urge to go, but try to hold on for just a bit longer than optimal comfort (assuming facilities are handy so no crises occur!). That can help with tuning up the pelvic floor muscles that are part of improving your body's dealing with more water in the bladder. (I didn't make this up. I was told it by a medical specialist in a lecture that was explicitly about urinary continence for women.)

That said, I'm also in the "hydrate adequately but no need for a gallon for everyone" camp. But I know that many of us are under-hydrated at the start and may need to adapt.

Personally, one of my strategies was to get a couple of stainless-steel water bottles (with a sippy top!), and a carrying strap. They're easy to take with me, whether at the office, in my car, even on a hike or the like (though I'd put it in my day pack if I had one there, rather than just using the strap). I take one in the boat with me when I row, and take one to the gym.

I keep it nearby, closer than snacks and "junk" food. I find I'm pretty lazy, and will consume what is closest to me when I'm working. It's better if I'm drinking water, or an infusion instead of adding calories.

ButterballBookworm wrote: »

I was thinking about this "fact" about water the other day. If you think back (as much as we can) to humans back in the day, before communal water, was there a hope in heck that they drank 64oz of water minimum a day? No way. Unless they were to sit by the stream and drink water all day, they'd never find that much just hanging around. I can definitely see try to drink a fair bit, but to have a set "minimum" for health just seems weird when we never would have had access to that much in our "natural" environment.

Humans "back in the day" had a very short life expectancy. They suffered with a myriad of other risk factors modern, "civilized" humans do not have to deal with. Many were nomadic, and trekked miles on a daily basis for their basic needs. Modern humans have the privilege of feeling proud of hiking on a treadmill for approximately half a mile once a week and calling it a workout. Apples and oranges, or in this case, nomad vs. couch potato

ButterballBookworm wrote: »

I was thinking about this "fact" about water the other day. If you think back (as much as we can) to humans back in the day, before communal water, was there a hope in heck that they drank 64oz of water minimum a day? No way. Unless they were to sit by the stream and drink water all day, they'd never find that much just hanging around. I can definitely see try to drink a fair bit, but to have a set "minimum" for health just seems weird when we never would have had access to that much in our "natural" environment.

There's a reason that early historical settlements tended to be on rivers or lakes. Read any diary of early pioneers, and you'll find water source as a very important (and often time-consuming) concern.

But I agree with the point about myriad differences between "back in the day" diet/activity and now. Finding our modern balance is the important thing.