Is drinking a gallon of water a day healthy?

elizabethdzenitis
elizabethdzenitis Posts: 63 Member
edited November 22 in Health and Weight Loss
So, if you didn’t already know there’s this huge drink a gallon of water a day stuff going around. My friend did it one day and I’m just like there is no way that can be healthy... or is it?
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Replies

  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
    Maybe, maybe not ... depends on where your sodium level is.
  • ptrcmcc6
    ptrcmcc6 Posts: 103 Member
    I'm no expert but I wouldn't think it to be healthy. I have a friend who drinks a ton of water and she's been hospitalized a few times because her sodium levels drop too low. Now, she's also on water pills so I don't know if that has anything to do with it but, I would think, unless you're drinking something which contains electrolytes, along with all that water, you would just be flushing your system of all it's essential minerals. That's just my opinion though. I could be wrong....... :neutral:
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,365 Member
    I typically drink about a gallon most days--a liter or so at the gym, another liter or so through the day at the office and a couple at night. I couldn't chug it all at once, but it doesn't seem like a particularly excessive amount for me. I rarely even wake up in the night to use the restroom.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    Probably not necessary for most people. Probably won't hurt most people, if spread out throughout the day.

    Never drink large amounts of water because someone else (who is not a medical professional or poison hot line call-taker) is urging you to, daring you to, betting you to ...

    Drink if you're thirsty. Drink if it's been a couple of hours since you needed to urinate. Drink if your urine is bright yellow or dark yellow (although some vitamin supplements can cause this, which means, congratulations, you've just spent money on vitamins to make expensive pee). See a doctor if it's regularly dark yellow or brown.
  • ptrcmcc6
    ptrcmcc6 Posts: 103 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    I typically drink about a gallon most days--a liter or so at the gym, another liter or so through the day at the office and a couple at night. I couldn't chug it all at once, but it doesn't seem like a particularly excessive amount for me. I rarely even wake up in the night to use the restroom.

    Wow!! You're lucky.......lol. If I drank anything even close to that I'd be in/out the bathroom all day.......lol.
  • ptrcmcc6
    ptrcmcc6 Posts: 103 Member
    Noel_57 wrote: »
    elizabethdzenitis wrote: »
    So, if you didn’t already know there’s this huge drink a gallon of water a day stuff going around. My friend did it one day and I’m just like there is no way that can be healthy... or is it?
    I drink 2 gallons. I haven't lost any weight, but I just got a job in Kansas irrigating a cornfield. :|

    LOL
  • BrookeLynn18
    BrookeLynn18 Posts: 22 Member
    It depends. It is a good way to dilute your electrolytes if it's something you aren't used to. Personally, I drink 1-2 gallons of water a day. I drink a lot.. I feel better the more water I drink. If it were me, I would build up to drinking that much to give your kidneys the opportunity to get used to it. Your body works better if you are well hydrated, but it is possible to over hydrate. After a really salty meal, water helps to flush out the excessive sodium and get rid of water retention.
  • Sp1tfire
    Sp1tfire Posts: 1,120 Member
    Depends on your activity and sodium intake. If you eat a lot of ramen/processed food you'll probably be doing yourself some good drinking that much. If you eat a raw/vegan/plant based/whole foods diet with little added salt you could do some damage.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited November 2017
    As others have said depends on their sodium intake. Sodium/water is a balance. Generally with the American diet people tend towards too much sodium and not enough water to balance it out. That is probably why for *health* lots of websites recommend low sodium and more water, because they are making the assumption your sodium intake is too high.

    If your sodium intake is not too high then drinking a gallon of water a day is if anything doing you more harm than good. You'll end up with a very low sodium level which is not particularly good and in extreme cases can be dangerous. Best case scenario drinking that much water is overkill and a waste of time and effort unless you subside on canned beans and chips or other high sodium foods.
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    In the summer, I can drink up to 6 liters a day. I sweat a lot...a LOT. Never had any problems with my bloodwork. A gallon a day is my norm.
  • RalphRoberts
    RalphRoberts Posts: 2 Member
    If you drink the 8 glasses of water that mfp states you should, you would then be consuming at least a gallon of water a day...or is 64oz a half-gallon?
  • RalphRoberts
    RalphRoberts Posts: 2 Member
    My bad...128oz equals a gallon. They only advise us to drink a half-gallon a day.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    If you mean drink a gallon of water in addition to all the other fluids you drink to stay hydrated, then it is neither healthy nor unhealthy. But you will be making trips to the bathroom more often. If you are counting all fluids in your "gallon a day" then a gallon is about right, but it is better to drink to thirst than to set some arbitrary amount you are going to drink.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I drink at least that much. I've been doing it for decades so it's not a big deal. I keep a bottle of water next to me and sip fairly frequently and after exercise I always drink a lot since I sweat a lot. Coffee and other beverages add another half gallon or more.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    elizabethdzenitis wrote: »
    So, if you didn’t already know there’s this huge drink a gallon of water a day stuff going around. My friend did it one day and I’m just like there is no way that can be healthy... or is it?

    There's lots of "water" theories around. Some say drink half your lbs weight in ounces of water. So a person weighing 180lbs should drink 90 ounces. A gallon is 128 ounces, so that would be good for someone weighing 256lbs.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    elizabethdzenitis wrote: »
    I’m just like there is no way that can be healthy... or is it?

    if you did it all at once it might be dangerous. if you did it all at once before a long freeway drive, definitely dangerous unless you've got someone else driving the car. still not very good for the car, or at least its upholstery.

    i drink a gallon, some days. different people are different and to me personal trial and error makes a lot more sense than just doing something the internet tells you to do. 4l is my personal feel-good threshold but it's not something i even achieve half the time. it's by no means necessary.
  • ptrcmcc6
    ptrcmcc6 Posts: 103 Member
    RalphRoberts wrote: »
    If you drink the 8 glasses of water that mfp states you should, you would then be consuming at least a gallon of water a day...or is 64oz a half-gallon?

    64 oz. is a 1/2 gallon........128 oz. is a gallon.
  • ChrisQueen67
    ChrisQueen67 Posts: 22 Member
    I drink a gallon daily and I can easily guzzle it, especially after a workout. I find that it keeps me satisfied throughout the day. I never mind the bathroom breaks; that expected. Personally, I feel as though my body needs that quantity - but that's my body. I still include salt in my diet and get electrolytes from sports drink as necessary.
  • Ketomaniac9
    Ketomaniac9 Posts: 108 Member
    I can barely stomach 8 cups of water a day.. much less 16.. wow how do you people drink 16 cups of water a day?!
  • PowerliftingMom
    PowerliftingMom Posts: 430 Member
    I drink at least a gallon of water daily. On a heavy lifting day, I can easily drink 40 oz. of water in an hour. The place I train at has no air conditioning and even in the winter, it can get hot in there. I ONLY drink water, no tea, no coffee, no milk, juice, etc. It's really only dangerous to drink lots of water if you don't consume a lot of sodium.
  • mlinci
    mlinci Posts: 402 Member
    Just to add a different voice: no, I drink nowhere near that. I probably drink about a litre or so of liquid, mostly water and green tea. On top of that I'd have one or two coffees. Any other fluids come from fruit and other foods. I am not in any way dehydrated.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    I typically drink about a gallon most days--a liter or so at the gym, another liter or so through the day at the office and a couple at night. I couldn't chug it all at once, but it doesn't seem like a particularly excessive amount for me. I rarely even wake up in the night to use the restroom.

    Ditto, as long as you're spreading it out, and you're not restricting dietary salts/electrolytes, you should be ok.
  • xxzenabxx
    xxzenabxx Posts: 948 Member
    Don't drink it all in one go. Spread it out through the day. Also, the more you sweat, the more you drink. It's all about replacing fluids lost in the body. Just like everyone eats different calories according to their height, weight, activity level etc we should drink according to that. The drink 8 glasses of water a day is BS. It's all individual. I drink 3 litres of water a day..sometimes abit more if I'm exercising loads and sweating and sometimes less when I'm not feeling too thirsty. Also if you drink a lot of caffeinated drinks, then you need to drink MORE water.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    elizabethdzenitis wrote: »
    So, if you didn’t already know there’s this huge drink a gallon of water a day stuff going around. My friend did it one day and I’m just like there is no way that can be healthy... or is it?

    Generally speaking, any diet or weight loss advice that is "going around" is likely a lot of unnecessary nonsense that is based on woo and pseudoscience.

  • DoNotSpamMe73
    DoNotSpamMe73 Posts: 286 Member
    It is not hard to get enough sodium in your diet. Hell, a lot of people do extended water fasts with no salt and are actually healthier in the long run.
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    DoNotSpamMe73 wrote: »
    It is not hard to get enough sodium in your diet. Hell, a lot of people do extended water fasts with no salt and are actually healthier in the long run.

    Define extended.

    Water fasts have very little provable health benefit(read almost none). Although when done with proper preparation they do show positive spiritual/emotional/mental impacts.
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