Water, Water and more water! - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

JennRG · 12-17-2006, 12:09 AM

Hi All,

There seems to be a million different ideas on water out there. Some say 64 ozs, others say you should drink 1/2 your weight in water a day. So what do you all do??

I have always drank water for the most part but have increased my water intake to 100 ozs a day. Boy do I go to the bathroom all the time!!!!

CLCSC145 · 12-17-2006, 12:29 AM

I try to drink more water than any other liquid and try to avoid getting thirsty (always sipping on something throughout the day; water, diet coke, iced tea), but aside from that I don't aim for any particular number of ounces.

rockinrobin · 12-17-2006, 01:16 AM

I drink a lot of water. I"m not a lover of diet soda, so for me it's not a problem to drink at least 64ozs. a day, sometimes more. We just had a thread on this in the Support Forum, titled "Drink your water or else". There were lots of different opinions on the matter. I find if nothing else that the water fills me and therefore I'm less hungry. And if I am hungry I have a glass of water first.

crazynette826 · 12-17-2006, 05:00 AM

I agree with rockinrobin. Water helps fill me up, and a lot of times when I'm hungry I drink water first, and realize that I was just thirsty. I usually drink 70-100 ounces. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I've always loved water though.

mthrgoos68 · 12-17-2006, 10:18 AM

I drink water all day long too, but don't worry about a certain amount of ozs. It helps fill me up, but also, when I'm going to the bathroom all day long, I figure it's helping to flush the fat out of my body. Makes me feel better when I'm getting out of bed in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom!

PNG 2 · 12-17-2006, 04:43 PM

I was measuring by bottles of water, was trying to get in 6 half liter bottles a day... I always managed to get down to the last 2, and feeling utter bloat lol... so now I've switched to a huge mug, it holds about a liter and a half, I guess... and I'm trying for 2 full ones or more... regardless, it's always at my side, so I can grab a drink whenever

truelies · 12-17-2006, 09:37 PM

I heard that 64 oz. was a good number. I usually drink a minimum of 4 bottles away, it helps to keep me full. Also, sometimes if you are hungry you should drink water because you could be confusing hunger for thirst. Good luck

Heather · 12-17-2006, 10:09 PM

Here's the thread rockinrobin mentioned:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99663

My take on it is that it we NEED hydration, and water is an excellent way to stay hydrated (but not the only way). But how much water we need (as water only) may not be as much as we've heard. There doesn't seem to be research evidence that we need even 64 ounces of pure water per day. Here's the article I linked to on the other thread regarding that point:
http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/co...ull/283/5/R993

That being said, it's hard to drink too much water. If you like it and it helps you on a daily basis -- drink! And be sure to drink following workouts and in the heat. It IS important to be hydrated.

But, if you're like me and don't drink that much actual water, take heart. If you drink fluids (not just coffee) and eat lots of fruits and veggies (and soup, etc) you're probably getting enough.

Again, my opinion...

Lifeguard · 12-17-2006, 11:05 PM

I try really hard to get the water in but I do not like it naturally, except when I work out because then it is the only thing I want to drink. On the days I workout I easily get 2 x 1L of water. On the days I don't workout I struggle to get any water in.

SuchAPrettyFace · 12-18-2006, 01:07 AM

I'm up to 2 gallons per day.

thewife · 12-19-2006, 10:13 AM

I love coca cola and sweet tea so I had to quit them cold turkey.

At minimum, I drink one glass of water before each meal, during each meal and after each meal. And then any time between meals that I am thirsty, I drink water. I do have one glass of milk in the morning though. I think water intake requirements really differ from person to person. The important thing to remember is that the brain sends out the same signal for thirst as it does for hunger. So, when hunger pains hit, drink a glass of water and see if that gets rid of them...if not, then you know you need to eat something.

GR8 2B48 · 12-21-2006, 06:35 PM

I read somewhere that you should drink half your body weight - in ounces- of water daily. 64 oz. would be sufficient for a person who weighs 128lbs. plus up to 24 lbs. over your normal weight so that would be 64 oz. + 8 oz. for every 25 lbs. you are over weight.

Saoirsee · 12-22-2006, 10:33 AM

Wow, this is interesting. I've heard all sorts of things about how much water you should drink. And it's all been way higher than 64 ounces! In fact, I drink 4-5 litre bottles of water a day, which is about 170 ounces.

The thing with water is, it actually HELPS your body burn fat. You want to decrease bloating? Drink water. You want to lose weight? Drink water. You want to feel more energy? Drink water.

If you're not a big fan of water, you could switch up your bottles every once in a while with a flavoured water, which has no calories or carbs. This could be with Crystal Light type drinks, or the flavoured waters produced by companies like Dasani.

You'll find that the more you make lots of water in your diet a habit, the less you'll be running to the bathroom. Your body adjusts to the greater intake. Also if you try to drink at least a mug full, if not half a small bottle of water at least 30 minutes before a meal you will notice a dramatic decrease in your hunger, and your ability to monitor your portion sizes is so much easier!

Try drinking water with your meal, and if it helps, even be sure to have a drink every 2 bits of food. This helps in numerous ways. It'll help you slow down your intake, so you're aware of how full you actually are, while you're eating. The water helps to fill you up so you don't consume as much. Plus your body will digest it, and be able to extract the important stuff much easier with added water.

As well, when drinking water, do your best to spread it out. This will solve the 'bloated' feeling you might get, if you forget to drink it, and then slam a whole bottle down at once. If you ingest it all at once and too quickly, your body will not know what to do with it all, and end up dumping it. In that case, the water does you no good at all!

Anyway. I'd love to hear more people's thoughts on water, and how much they drink a day.

Cheryl14 · 12-22-2006, 11:28 AM

In the summer I can down 4-5 32 oz. bottles of water a day EASY. During the winter I don't tend to drink as much -probably half the amount I drink in the summer.

I DO drink coffee, tea, an occasional diet soda and juice, too, but I have made a concerted effort to save money in restaurants by ordering water with lemons to which I then add sweetener. My son calls it "Poor Man's Lemonade."

I also keep water with me as I'm driving. For some reason I really get thirsty in the car.

My son and future daughter-in-law are runners and down a gallon of water a day year 'round!

We have a Brita filter that fits on our faucet in the kitchen. We fill up our bottles and put them in the fridge. The filtered water tastes great!

Cheryl