too much water

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jameslucy
jameslucy Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering if anyone thinks Im drinking to much water. I would drink about 51/2 to 6 litres a day, sometimes more. Would this be normal enough.

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  • NikkiTaber
    NikkiTaber Posts: 190
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    I would say yes, you do drink way too much water but I don't know what your day looks like. Are you extremely active? Sweat a lot through out the day? Live in a very dry, hot area? Sometimes extenuating circumstances will make it necessary to consume more water then normal.

    The rule of thumb I have heard is drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces. So if you are 200lbs you would want 100oz.

    In extreme situations people have died from too much water so make sure you listen to your body. Don't force yourself do drink water if your body is rebelling against it.
  • karematt
    karematt Posts: 25 Member
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    my aunt is a fitness guru!! somehow that skipped over me LOL!
    she said that the more water you drink, the more you pee... and the more you pee the more you lose.
    she told me to drink half my weight (in ounces) per day. and then another 8 ounces per 25 lbs you want to lose.
    i haven't tested it, but i figure it's worth a try.
    i think you should be good unless you're retaining water.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Depends. Are you working out in the heat and sweating a lot? If so, that amount of water may be perfect (even necessary). When I do an all-day hike in the summer, I occasionally will drink up to 4-5 liters of water. But, I sweat buckets!

    However, if you're not sweating that much and not working out that hard, I think this much water is probably too much. I'm sure some people will disagree, but really... you're not going to get any additional benefits from overhydrating. The excess water is just filtered through your kidneys and is urinated out.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    Sounds a lot. But you don't say much about your circumstances (very hot climate? Lots and lots of exercise?)

    Healthy kidneys can clear out about a liter an hour. In terms of serious and immediate health danger, you want to ensure you' re not consuming a lot in a very short period of time. Consuming too much too quickly can cause water intoxication.
  • JaelynSmith89
    JaelynSmith89 Posts: 22
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    I breastfeed, so I drink a TON of water too. I'd listen to your body. If your body isn't protesting the intake of that much water, you should be fine :happy:
  • ćmaa10261664
    ćmaa10261664 Posts: 1
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    i've read an article once about amount of water you should drink each day. don't remember what they said exactly but both drinking too much and too little is not well for health. as far as i remember they recommended around 1,5-3 litres per day
  • jennfer71
    jennfer71 Posts: 38 Member
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    Related question here: What if water is your primary beverage all day? I drink A LOT of water also, but rarely drink other beverages. I also talk a lot with my job & do feel thirsty when I drink so I don't feel I am forcing myself to drink as much as I do. :drinker:
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
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    Are you drinking more since you have chnged the way you eat? Or are you drinking more because you are have a continual thirst?

    As everyone has said, it is difficult to judge without knowing the exact circumstances that you are in.

    If you have a real bad thirst and you constantly drink then it could be diabetes...but this is the worst possible scenario and I am sure you would have other symptoms
  • netchik
    netchik Posts: 587 Member
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    Constant thirst should send out alarm bells for Diabetes. Worth getting tested!
  • TexasSunny
    TexasSunny Posts: 87 Member
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    I googled it.... this is from about.com:

    It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!

    The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Excessive amount of water drinking will dilute your electrolytes (not good for your muscles and/or heart), and in the presence of a low sodium diet it may also damage your kidneys.

    I agree with the other posts that if you exercise and sweat a lot, or live in a hot and dry region, you may need to drink more water; so the water intake should be increased or reduced according with our physical needs.

    And the statement that if your drink more you pee more, and you will lose more; well, the pee part is true the loosing part is not. The only thing that you will lose is water; we don't eliminate body fat in the urine.
  • overzoelous
    overzoelous Posts: 161 Member
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    If you're working out and sweating, you're losing electrolytes. If you replace the fluid that you lost with only water and not those salts, you could be hyponatremic aka "water toxicity". Your body needs these electrolytes (salts) to perform basic functions.
  • jameslucy
    jameslucy Posts: 85 Member
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    Thanks everyone. Well in answer to your questions - I live in Northern Ireland so even in the summer we never get it really warm. I do about 3/4 spin classes a week and some cardio. I have also started the 30ds. Although I sweat when I work out I dont sweat excessively. I also dont think I pee as much as I should. Im not sure if its more habit now that I have to be constantly drinking water ( i dont drink anything else at all) or if it comes from when I was on a total food replacement called Lipotim. I was taking up to 7/8 ltrs and still thirsty and wasnt peeing at all. It turned out that my body wasnt hydrating like it should , i wasnt absorbing the water. Obviously I came of Lipotim when I realised this. I dont think im diabetic as I dont suffer any other symptoms and am not overly thirsty. Think I will try and cut back.
  • AZTrailRunner
    AZTrailRunner Posts: 1,199 Member
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    I googled it.... this is from about.com:

    It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!

    The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.

    THIS!!! Finally, someone answers a question with facts and not guessing, or dwelling on severe extreme remote possibilities.

    If you EAT during the day, like 99% of the population do, the chances of you diluting the minerals and sodium out of your system are about the same odds as winning the lottery.

    Are you suffering some effects from your water intake (besides frequent potty breaks)? Are you drinking all of that water in one sitting? Do you have any preexisting health issues (kidneys)? Is this a new trend for you to be drinking this much water?

    If you answered NO, then keep doing what you are doing.

    I've been drinking 100+ ounces of water per day for years, and I pee clear several times per day, and I'm not suffering any consequences, and I also don't worry about it.
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,616 Member
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    THIS!!! Finally, someone answers a question with facts and not guessing, or dwelling on severe extreme remote possibilities.

    I suspect I made very similar points, based on those funny factual thingummies further up thread.

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