Water; How much is too much?

Options
johnjeverhartiii
johnjeverhartiii Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
I am exercising and eating healthier than I ever have. I am over six foot and have a BMI near 32. Does anyone know of a water calculation that lets you know how much is too much for healthy levels?

I frequently surpass 120 oz of water per day and wonder where i should stop.

Advice needed.

Thanx

Replies

  • LabRat529
    LabRat529 Posts: 1,323 Member
    Options
    There's really not a 'calculation'- at least I don't know about one.

    Really, is it making you uncomfortable? Do you have to pee every hour? Are you losing sleep because you're waking up in the middle of the night? If the answer is yes, then I think you're drinking too much.

    You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated- if your pee is pale yellow, you're fine.

    If it's clear, you're over-hydrated, but that's really not an issue for most people. Over-hydrated is usually fine as long as you don't over-hydrate too quickly.

    You can theoretically drink enough to kill yourself, but it's normally under extreme circumstances, such as drinking a lot of water quickly or after a marathon or something.
  • batalina
    batalina Posts: 209 Member
    Options
    i've always heard that you should divide your weight in pounds in half, and then drink that number in ounces of water. so if you weigh 200lbs, you need to drink 100 oz of water.

    i'm sure someone else will chime in with a more customizable/scientific way to figure it...
  • Cndressing
    Cndressing Posts: 36
    Options
    I don't think there is really too much water intake. I do know that too much of a good thing is bad, but maybe when you are forcing it down that might be a sign to slow down? That is my best guess. I drink alot of water but i do hit a point when i feel sick of it. Hope this helps.
  • mes1119
    mes1119 Posts: 1,082 Member
    Options
    There's really not a 'calculation'- at least I don't know about one.

    Really, is it making you uncomfortable? Do you have to pee every hour? Are you losing sleep because you're waking up in the middle of the night? If the answer is yes, then I think you're drinking too much.

    You only need to drink enough to stay hydrated- if your pee is pale yellow, you're fine.

    If it's clear, you're over-hydrated, but that's really not an issue for most people. Over-hydrated is usually fine as long as you don't over-hydrate too quickly.

    You can theoretically drink enough to kill yourself, but it's normally under extreme circumstances, such as drinking a lot of water quickly or after a marathon or something.

    ...this.

    I probably drink too much, but I figure that being over-hydrated is way better than being dehydrated. It's not like I'm chugging gallons or anything. Plus I honestly LOVE water. And I like to drink it at night when watching tv instead of mindless eating :)
  • srmchargue
    srmchargue Posts: 37 Member
    Options
    500oz is the level at which you can get water toxicity. I'm 5'4" and I frequently drink upwards of 200oz, but usually only on days i'm working out. Normally I'm at about 144oz. As a general rule you should try to drink about a gallon, but don't know of any calculator to make sure your water is at an optimum value. Would be interesting to see. As with most thing it probably comes down to the individual persons needs, chemistry, activity level etc.
  • jenny95662
    jenny95662 Posts: 997 Member
    Options
    i've always heard that you should divide your weight in pounds in half, and then drink that number in ounces of water. so if you weigh 200lbs, you need to drink 100 oz of water.

    i'm sure someone else will chime in with a more customizable/scientific way to figure it...

    this is what i go by as well
  • theoriginaljayne
    theoriginaljayne Posts: 562 Member
    Options
    If you drink too much water, you do run the risk of water intoxication, hyponatremia, and possibly death.

    However, it's very unlikely that you would "accidentally" drink enough water for this to happen. You would have to consume a large volume of water in a fairly short amount of time, which I imagine would be a highly uncomfortable experience.

    I hate to cite a Wikipedia article (everything scholarly within me is twitching in agony), but here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

    Bottom line: I wouldn't worry about it. Drink when you're thirsty, but don't force yourself to drink if you're not, and you'll be fine. Also, if you're regularly consuming a lot of water, you may want to watch your sodium intake (as in, don't let it get too low – but from most of the MFP diaries I've seen, that won't be a problem).
  • johnjeverhartiii
    johnjeverhartiii Posts: 3
    Options
    Thank you all for your insightful replies. I truly appreciate the advice. Keep up the good fight everyone.

Categories