water, how much is too much?

2

Replies

  • marycmeadows
    marycmeadows Posts: 1,691 Member
    I think waiting til you are thirsty to drink is not good - i've heard many times that by the time you're thirsty you're already getting dehydrated. I drink typically between 15-20 glasses a day, sometimes more.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    Drinking extra water is not going to magically cause you to lose extra weight.

    There is also no set amount of water you should drink. You should drink enough water that your urine stays light yellow to straw-colored. Some days, that might be 6 cups of water, some days it might be 12 cups of water.
  • bearxfoo
    bearxfoo Posts: 81 Member
    Water poisoning is incredibly rare. You'd have to consume an obnoxious amount of water in A VERY VERY short amount of time for it to be fatal.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication
  • vade43113
    vade43113 Posts: 836 Member
    This is one reason, I asking... everyone has their own opinions.

    First off, I am not forcing my self to drink it. The bottle is sitting near me, most of the times. And I take a drink when ever, just doing that alone is enough to make me want fill it 3-4 times a day.

    Second, If I do the .... weight/2= ounces.... rule then I am just a 1/4 of a gallon over.

    Third, I switched to drinking water instead of pop.... and now some of you are telling me I should move to powerade? (because it has electrolytes.... )

    agk... confused
  • mcleodconnor
    mcleodconnor Posts: 70
    Water is not only necessary to survive, but it is necessary for me as a mental tool. By this I mean that drinking water not only keeps me alive, but it prevents me from over eating. I have always had issues with portion control. To control this, I simply drink water. Whether it be 1 or 2 glasses, I always drink before a meal. This gives my body the illusion of being full.

    In short, drinking lots of water not only helps me eat less and therefore lose weight, but it is also good for me.
  • nikkiprickett
    nikkiprickett Posts: 412 Member
    I drink water when I'm thirsty, it's the ONLY thing I drink and I drink about 3-4 gallons a day..and yes I pee all day long but I'm cool with it :)

    I wouldn't force yourself to down a gallon if you're not even thirsty, though...I don't think more water=more weight loss, maybe they meant if you stop drinking pop and start drinking water?? I'm not sure...
    but I sure do loveee my water <3
  • taziarj
    taziarj Posts: 243 Member
    Unless you are doing extended workouts, water drinking contests or running a marathon, you will have a hard time drinking too much water.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    This is one reason, I asking... everyone has their own opinions.

    First off, I am not forcing my self to drink it. The bottle is sitting near me, most of the times. And I take a drink when ever, just doing that alone is enough to make me want fill it 3-4 times a day.

    Second, If I do the .... weight/2= ounces.... rule then I am just a 1/4 of a gallon over.

    Third, I switched to drinking water instead of pop.... and now some of you are telling me I should move to powerade? (because it has electrolytes.... )

    agk... confused

    Who is telling you to drink powerade? I did not see that.
  • vade43113
    vade43113 Posts: 836 Member
    This is one reason, I asking... everyone has their own opinions.

    First off, I am not forcing my self to drink it. The bottle is sitting near me, most of the times. And I take a drink when ever, just doing that alone is enough to make me want fill it 3-4 times a day.

    Second, If I do the .... weight/2= ounces.... rule then I am just a 1/4 of a gallon over.

    Third, I switched to drinking water instead of pop.... and now some of you are telling me I should move to powerade? (because it has electrolytes.... )

    agk... confused

    Who is telling you to drink powerade? I did not see that.
    I used powerade as an example, but

    SeekingKarma
    There is such a thing called water intoxication. To put it simply, you can die from ingesting too much water. Too much water can literally wash away much needed electrolytes and such.
  • markmarkda
    markmarkda Posts: 9
    The color of urine is the rule I go with. Some athletes drink 1 gallon of water a day to train themselves to hold less water so they can make weight. In the marines they made us drink lots of water, some people threw up the water but never saw anyone get water intoxicated.
  • michaelgilstrap
    michaelgilstrap Posts: 74 Member
    Activity level, weather, etc... are all going to be huge factors here too. I have been trying to workout a lot and have been told by my trainers and my doctor to drink a ton of water. I know it helps flush some of the things being released into my body from workouts too. I've also been told that it helps with quicker and less painfull recovery from soreness due to exercise, etc... We're all different though, you need to find what works for you, and maybe even consult a doctor if your concerned enough, but 2 gallons isn't very much spread throughout the day. I just wouldn't drink to much in one sitting. Like downing a gallon and than going and trying to workout or do anything for that matter doesn't work well.
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
    Hydration is good - and it would take ALOT more to be too much. But the losing 10lb in a week - that is pretty much nonsense so I would ignore the advice of the person who told you that. You MAY lose some water weight as you become more hydrated and as such MAY retain less - but 10lb, highly unlikely.

    Actually, I lost about 7 in my first week. It's very possible as most of what you will lose is excess water weight. ^-^ But, that high loss in the first 1-2 weeks didn't stick around and I lost 1-2 lbs a week after that water weight came off.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    everyone is different, but in my case, I was told by my urologist, after a major kidney stone (14mm) that the reason I got it was because I was chronically dehydrated, even with pale urine! My second round of 24 hour urine tests showed that with 3-4 liters a day I was properly hydrated, but that my potassium was WAY to low.

    I constantly have a water bottle that is 21 ounces minimum near me. Currently I am using a 32 oz container. If you are worried about washing away electrolytes, try adding propel or gatorade powder to at least one jog of water a day. I tend to use crystal light, propel, or something of that nature. I like a mild taste, so I put one stick in 32oz instead of 16....
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Hydration is good - and it would take ALOT more to be too much. But the losing 10lb in a week - that is pretty much nonsense so I would ignore the advice of the person who told you that. You MAY lose some water weight as you become more hydrated and as such MAY retain less - but 10lb, highly unlikely.

    Actually, I lost about 7 in my first week. It's very possible as most of what you will lose is excess water weight. ^-^ But, that high loss in the first 1-2 weeks didn't stick around and I lost 1-2 lbs a week after that water weight came off.

    You lost 7lb - which is not unusual - 10lb is. Also, its unpredictable, so someone telling her she WILL lose it is just wrong.

    ETA: to be clear - 10lb is possible - just not common.
  • EarthyChocl8AKA
    EarthyChocl8AKA Posts: 69
    There is such a thing called water intoxication. To put it simply, you can die from ingesting too much water. Too much water can literally wash away much needed electrolytes and such.

    That 8 glasses a day should be a limit but it's kind of a misnomer considering that everything you eat has water in it.

    I just drink water when I'm thirsty and stay away from soda, juices, and alcohol. That for me is for when I go out


    It really only becomes toxic if you do not release water through urine and sweat. You can't just drink it and keep it in. Yes as stated above take your weight and divide by two.
  • vade43113
    vade43113 Posts: 836 Member
    Hydration is good - and it would take ALOT more to be too much. But the losing 10lb in a week - that is pretty much nonsense so I would ignore the advice of the person who told you that. You MAY lose some water weight as you become more hydrated and as such MAY retain less - but 10lb, highly unlikely.

    Actually, I lost about 7 in my first week. It's very possible as most of what you will lose is excess water weight. ^-^ But, that high loss in the first 1-2 weeks didn't stick around and I lost 1-2 lbs a week after that water weight came off.

    ^^^^ That is what they was telling me, to down water to help get rid of the water weight so normal weight loss could start
  • umachanxo
    umachanxo Posts: 926 Member
    Hydration is good - and it would take ALOT more to be too much. But the losing 10lb in a week - that is pretty much nonsense so I would ignore the advice of the person who told you that. You MAY lose some water weight as you become more hydrated and as such MAY retain less - but 10lb, highly unlikely.

    Actually, I lost about 7 in my first week. It's very possible as most of what you will lose is excess water weight. ^-^ But, that high loss in the first 1-2 weeks didn't stick around and I lost 1-2 lbs a week after that water weight came off.

    You lost 7lb - which is not unusual - 10lb is. Also, its unpredictable, so someone telling her she WILL lose it is just wrong.

    My friend lost 12. Though, her weight was higher than mine. Of course, guaranteeing for anyone will never be accurate. But it remains possible! ^-^ Just keep up the great work and stay hydrated, I suppose!!
  • gogojodee
    gogojodee Posts: 1,243 Member
    Water intoxication or hyponatremia can be fatal. My mom's cousin died from too much water when they were younger, as in young children. They went for a hike in the middle of day and didn't bring any water. They were just kids who wandered out and when they came home, her cousin drank at least a gallon in a span of a couple of minutes. She ended up dying. You can literally wash away electrolytes like potassium and sodium which are necessary for the body to function.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    This is one reason, I asking... everyone has their own opinions.

    First off, I am not forcing my self to drink it. The bottle is sitting near me, most of the times. And I take a drink when ever, just doing that alone is enough to make me want fill it 3-4 times a day.

    Second, If I do the .... weight/2= ounces.... rule then I am just a 1/4 of a gallon over.

    Third, I switched to drinking water instead of pop.... and now some of you are telling me I should move to powerade? (because it has electrolytes.... )

    agk... confused

    Who is telling you to drink powerade? I did not see that.
    I used powerade as an example, but

    SeekingKarma
    There is such a thing called water intoxication. To put it simply, you can die from ingesting too much water. Too much water can literally wash away much needed electrolytes and such.

    She was not telling you to drink something like powerade, just what water intoxication can do. At the levels you are drinking, this should not be an issue.

    If you are doing long endurance cardio, you may want to drink something to replace them - but not from just drinking water.
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
    Hydration is good - and it would take ALOT more to be too much. But the losing 10lb in a week - that is pretty much nonsense so I would ignore the advice of the person who told you that. You MAY lose some water weight as you become more hydrated and as such MAY retain less - but 10lb, highly unlikely.

    Actually, I lost about 7 in my first week. It's very possible as most of what you will lose is excess water weight. ^-^ But, that high loss in the first 1-2 weeks didn't stick around and I lost 1-2 lbs a week after that water weight came off.

    You lost 7lb - which is not unusual - 10lb is. Also, its unpredictable, so someone telling her she WILL lose it is just wrong.

    My friend lost 12. Though, her weight was higher than mine. Of course, guaranteeing for anyone will never be accurate. But it remains possible! ^-^ Just keep up the great work and stay hydrated, I suppose!!

    I did not say it was impossible.

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