Water consuming question

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Mammawto9
Mammawto9 Posts: 16 Member
in Food and Nutrition
How much water should i be drinking a day? is To much water unhealthy? Does anyone have a formula for drinking water?
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  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    I'll try to get in first on this one...

    The average person needs the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


    As for tea/coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

    di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
    adj.
    Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
    n.
    A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

    Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


    http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

    http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

    http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

    http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

    http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

    http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php

    http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/do-caffeinated-beverages-cause-dehydration.htm

    http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5552790&page=1#.TrQWc0O5_oo
  • janeite1990
    janeite1990 Posts: 694 Member
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    Who is an average person? I'm 5'3" and my husband is 6'2". Weights are vastly different, too. Why does everyone get the 8 cups a day prescription? I drink water constantly, so I don't have a problem with drinking water. I just hate that everyone gets the same standard number when this question comes up or on nutritional charts.
  • Mammawto9
    Mammawto9 Posts: 16 Member
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    Ok, I have researched an answer to my own question....It seems that as we are losing weight, the formula I searched out is equal to 1/2 of our body weight is ounces of water.....SO, 249 lbs, is 124.5 oz of water a day....WOW, Lots of sacrifices to The Potty God...lol What do the rest of you think?
  • ErinBethy
    ErinBethy Posts: 3
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    JudyCarden... yes that's what our nutritionist at the hospital advises for her patients as well. Your weight in pounds divided in half is the amount of ounces of H2O you should TRY to achieve. But if you are eating raw foods (fruits and veg's) you are getting in more than you may think, so do not be hard on yourself if you don't reach a daily water drinking guzzle goal.

    Me.. Currently 178 trying to get to 150 goal weight.

    178 divided by 2 = 89... Therefore I should try to drink 89 ounces of water a day, or 11 glasses... could you imagine?!?! I'm lucky to get in SIX pure H2O glasses. The remaining is my 2 cups of coffee a day (decaf of course), my 2 protein shakes made with water and Whey protein, and the multitude of veg's and sparse fruits I consume.

    Happy dinking! :drinker:
  • Denjo060
    Denjo060 Posts: 1,008
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    I am 5'5 and 183 and drink an average of 12 to 15 8 oz glasses a day I work out a lot and I have a 24 ounce refillable bottle with me all the time
  • TechxyGirl
    TechxyGirl Posts: 6
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    To hit my goal of 1/2 oz to every pound... I drink water throughout the day a little at a time. You shouldn't drink too much too fast, that's my best tip. The more you drink water, the more you will crave it too.
  • rattyk1
    rattyk1 Posts: 1
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    I never used to drink much water, but it does seem to stave off hunger when you know you shouldn't be taking in more calories..
  • Biggestloserfan
    Biggestloserfan Posts: 123
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    My nutritionist has also told me to take your weight in pounds and divide in half and that is how many ounces you should be drinking a day. Especially if you are working out you may even need to increase this number!!

    I usually drink between 6 to 8 bottled waters a piece which are 16.9 oz. I should be drinking at least 8 but I know that I get some of my water intake in the foods that I drink so i don't stress if I can't make 8 a day.

    Everyone needs to at least be hitting 64 oz of water a day and this is a minimum that you should be drinking!!
  • auntiebabs
    auntiebabs Posts: 1,754 Member
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    My nutritionist told me 1 glass of water for every 25 lbs of body weight.
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
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    You get most of the water you need from the food you eat. The 8 glasses of water per day myth has been debunked.

    http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=eight-glasses-water-per-day

    http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2011/07/no-really-you-dont-need-drink-eight-glasses-water-day/39892/
  • bicoastalgirl
    bicoastalgirl Posts: 85 Member
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    Ok, I have researched an answer to my own question....It seems that as we are losing weight, the formula I searched out is equal to 1/2 of our body weight is ounces of water.....SO, 249 lbs, is 124.5 oz of water a day....WOW, Lots of sacrifices to The Potty God...lol What do the rest of you think?

    This is the minimum amount I strive to consume. Based on my weight I should be getting in about 10 glasses per day (75 ozs rounded up), but while I was actively losing weight, I tried to drink a minimum of 15 glasses, preferably more. Now that I'm maintaining, I still try to drink 15-20 glasses a day. That includes a small amount of decaf iced tea.
  • bubbab666
    bubbab666 Posts: 54
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    I always use 1.5L per 100lbs, PLUS approximated amounts for loss during exercise. So a 200lbs man would be 4L a day approx.

    Oh BTW the diuretic effect of water itself only lasts for a couple of weeks following a higher regular intake: it takes about that long for your hormones to adjust to the increased DAILY intake. So water is NOT really "a diuretic".
  • opus649
    opus649 Posts: 633 Member
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    Seriously, if your "nutritionist" is telling you that you need 64 oz or more of water each day, it's probably time to find a new nutritionist. Just Google it... it's everywhere...

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/monica-reinagel-ms-ldn-cns/dehydration-myth_b_1080956.html

    http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18563_162-3991145.html
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    How much water should i be drinking a day? is To much water unhealthy? Does anyone have a formula for drinking water?

    Looking at the thread, you have a decent answer to the first and third questions.

    As to the second, yes, too much water is very unhealthy. You can drown in it, for one. ;)

    Seriously, you can actually harm yourself through nutrient flushing or simple tissue damage if you drink too much water. But we're talking about GALLONS a DAY.

    Personally, I get liquids from other sources - coffee, vegetables, etc. I still drink 64oz of water a day, more if I work out heavily.

    Why do I do this?

    Because a little extra doesn't hurt, it takes a LOT extra to hurt you.
  • giadatje
    giadatje Posts: 59
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    The average person needs the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

    That's good to know! If I can add tea, coffee, juice and milk, I can easily make it to 8 cups per day. :smile:
    I thought they had to be pure neat water. In that case, I can't never drink more than 6.
    Counting water in fruit and veggies is to difficult, so I will skip it in the calculation.

    Thank you for sharing! :flowerforyou:
  • dhakiyya
    dhakiyya Posts: 481 Member
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    the amount of water you need depends on how much you sweat, not just how big you are. it changes according to the weather and how much exercise you do. Formulas based solely on body weight are misleading. If you sweat more, you need more water. And bear in mind if it's hot and dry, you won't know you're sweating as it will evaporate off your skin before you know it's there.

    Sorry to be gross but the best way to tell if your hydrated is by the colour of your urine. If it looks like water, then you're drinking enough water. If it's dark then you need to drink more water.
  • bubbab666
    bubbab666 Posts: 54
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    the amount of water you need depends on how much you sweat, not just how big you are. it changes according to the weather and how much exercise you do. Formulas based solely on body weight are misleading. If you sweat more, you need more water. And bear in mind if it's hot and dry, you won't know you're sweating as it will evaporate off your skin before you know it's there.

    Sorry to be gross but the best way to tell if your hydrated is by the colour of your urine. If it looks like water, then you're drinking enough water. If it's dark then you need to drink more water.


    ^Best Answer.
    The idea i give above is a good starting point though.
  • carjatmuj
    carjatmuj Posts: 1
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    I heard Billy Banks stating this water intake formula(half of body weight in oz of water). It sounds great, because you want to flush out all the toxins and fat while you exercise and eat right, and regenerate and replenish your cells..
  • JMJohnson1005
    JMJohnson1005 Posts: 222 Member
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    Body Weight/2 + 15 oz
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    I don't think drinking a set amount of water has any scientific validity, and I ignore the 8x8 rule completely.

    I drink if I'm thirsty.

    Here's a link that deals with the topic pretty well, including some of the other myths like "Thirsty is too late," and "Dark Urine Means Dehydration."

    http://calorielab.com/news/2006/05/28/8-glasses-of-water-a-diet-urban-legend/

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