I've been looking for some reliable information on water consumption. I know we've all heard the tip - drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day for weight loss. Well, any time I try that, I end up having to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes and several times at night when I need to be sleeping! I've been told that my body would get used to the increased intake, but even weeks after starting the program, I'm still getting lots of exercise running to the bathroom.
I figured that if I really needed 64oz of water a day, I wouldn't start running like Niagra Falls when I got it. Still, underhydration is one way to retain weight, not to mention reducing the body's performance, so I do want to make sure I'm getting enough. So how much is enough?
It also states that other beverages count toward that water intake. Of course, there are concerns when you get your water from high-calorie beverages, but my two cups of coffee in the morning seem to count.
So... who's drinking what and how much? I think what I'll do is start with my 2 cups of coffee, then have some extra water before and after workouts and after going to the bathroom.
I started out drinking a 1L bottle of water every day at work in like May or June, and gradually increased only because if there is a drink next to me I'll keep drinking it haha. I originally had to pee all the time, but now I'm up to approximately three liters a day and have what I consider a normal bathroom schedule (I never wake up having to pee in the middle of the night, and how often I have to go usually depends on how fast I drink the bottle). I find myself thirsty if I have less than 2L a day. I guess it just takes a while for your body to get used to it, or maybe you just don't need as much water as I do. I'm sure everyone is different in that aspect.
I figured that if I really needed 64oz of water a day, I wouldn't start running like Niagra Falls when I got it.
That's not really true.
Your body gets used to the amount of water/liquid you give it. If you make it a habit of NOT drinking water, then your body will hoard whatever you give it - camel like. If you suddenly go from drinking very little to drinking a lot, your body doesn't know what to do with the sudden influx of water and will get rid of it. It takes a good 4-6 weeks for your body to adjust to having more or less water.
Note that I'm using "water" here as a catch-all phrase for any liquid, but I think we'd all agree that there are some liquids that are better for you than others, and plain water will be less of a burden on your kidneys and liver than other liquids will.
It took me a good month of drinking a lot more water than "normal" before I had to stop running to pee what seemed like every 5 mins. Now I regularly drink somewhere between a gallon and a gallon-and-a-half a day and I don't go to the bathroom all that often any more. In fact if I don't drink at least 1 of my 1/2 gallon bottles per day, I find myself getting headachy and cranky and feeling bloated the next day.
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Last edited by PhotoChick; 09-04-2008 at 02:00 PM.
I recently found out it depends on where you live too. We just move to a higher altitude and I'm thirsty ALL THE TIME! I swear, it's not possible for me to drink enough water.
PhotoChick is right though. Your body will get used to it. I have, according to my friends, the smallest bladder in the world. I used to drink nothing but soda and tea; I was always in the bathroom. Once I switched to water, that slowed down a lot after a few weeks. I think my body is able to use water better then other beverages.
I don't track how much I'm drinking these days (since I'm always drinking something it seems), but I was drinking 2-3L per day when I was actively losing.
I was on Weight Watchers and drinking 64oz of water a day for several months and *still* had to pee at least every hour, sometimes more. I don't do that on less water and I don't have any of the other symptoms of diabetes (and my mother's doctor recently ordered a lot of blood work on me and didn't mention any).
I really think this is something I'm going to have to work out through experimentation. We don't all need the same diets, nor do I believe we all need the same water intake.
drinking problem?
