How much water?

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  • Just a quick question, how much water should I be drinking a day? I know it should be quite a bit and I have been drinking alot, but I want to check I am getting enough, I only drink water at the moment except for a glass of orange juice in the morning, is that good for my body?

    Thanks, looking forward to seeing your ideas about this.
  • I drink 64 oz (8 8-oz glasses) a day, often more. Most people think water is good for weight loss, but some claim it doesn't make a difference or is harmful.

    I just know that the weeks where I drink a ton of water, I lose the most weight. I found this article to be particularly enlightening:

    http://www.inch-aweigh.com/water.html
  • Hi Neleh!! You should be drinking atleast 8 glasses of water each day (64oz) or more. I usually drink water & diet soda throughout the day. My goal along with eating better is to eventually eliminate the diet soda all together and drink water. It might take a while. I love my diet soda
  • Well yes, water is good for weight loss to a point. If you find you're down on the scale during the weeks you drink more water than usual, that's because since your body is getting a constant supply of fluid, it's not having to retain any of it. The less water you drink, the more your body will hold onto. Give it plenty of water and *whoosh!*, it lets go of the excess, therefore dropping anywhere from 2-4 pounds of water weight.

    It's great for flushing excess sodium from the body and it also helps your liver to metabolize foods and fats better. So yes, in many ways, water is good for weight loss. But not in the sense that some people believe when they say, "Just drink a ton of water! You'll lose weight!"

    It's not quite that 'simple', I'm afraid, but it all works in the end to help metabolize fats better and keeping excess sodium (and therefore excess poundage) off of the body

    Now, whether or not water helps speed the metabolism is, according to a recent study I read, still in debate. In some people, a higher rate of metabolism DID show after drinking ice water. Actually any cold drink will work because your body 'metabolizes' the cold drink to bring it down to body temperature, hence speeding your metabolism. But whether or not it's significant enough to even make a difference is still in question. I'm guessing not, but I'm no expert. I doubt it makes a significant difference.
  • I think it's very important to remain hydrated, not just for weight loss, but for lots of health reasons.

    However, the argument that we all need to drink 8 8 oz glasses of water is being held up to more of a microscope these days.

    And the debate on water also extends to what "counts" as water. Lots of the foods we eat have lots of water. I think OJ certainly adds a lot of "water". And many believe that caffeinated beverages actually provide liquid and do not have nearly the negative diuretic consequences that have been so publicly argued...

    So, it's not such an easy question to answer!
  • I don't like plain water and rarely drink it. I try to drink a glass of water with lunch and with dinner and a glass of water after I work out. Otherwise - nada. I drink a lot of tea during the day (herbal and caffeinated). Didn't seem to have any affect on my weight loss.

    There are so many things to worry about when losing weight - calories, fat, protein, am I eating enough vegetables, should I stop eating after 8, should I eat 3 meals or 6 meals, how much water should I drink - I just couldn't worry about everything. I decided that drinking a lot of water just made me feel sloshy and have to pee every 30 minutes, I picked other battles. I made other weight loss efforts a bigger priority.

    If it feels important to YOU, makes you feel better, makes you feel like you are more successful, drink as much water as it takes. If it doesn't, don't worry about it.
  • Thanks guys, it seems I'm doing well with this then, I certainly feel better when I drink alot of water, only time will tell how much a difference it makes. I appriciate the advice.
  • Quote: I think it's very important to remain hydrated, not just for weight loss, but for lots of health reasons.
    Oh definitely, that's even more important to me than the weight thing. When I drink water, I look at it as giving my internal organs what they need to function properly, lol.
  • I drink 192oz a day that is 24 8oz glasses a day. It keeps me feeling good!
  • I drink 100oz per day. and my weight loss, too, is always higher on weeks when I drink a lot, then during weeks when I haven't. Its too late to tell me it doesnt work, lol, I've seen it in action. Either way, it's good for you! Drink up!! Oh, and some good points you made, Glory.
  • sotypical - Are you kidding me? You must be in the bathroom every 15 minutes.

    I drink around 80 to 100 ounces...
  • Not not kidding you here, but I do go to the washroom about once an hour! haha
  • When I first started drinking a lot of water, I used the bathroom frequently, but eventually my body adjusted.
  • We've started getting water in at work recently which helps, although I think its going to drive my boss mad that I'm drinking so much of it. Well all I drink really now is water, although last night I had a Pepsi Max when I went to the cinema as a treat, it felt so good hehe.

    Ok I shall keep drinking lots of water, thanks
  • I think for most of us a minimum or 6-8 glasses of water is the way to go.. but the question really is about hydration. Many people who eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and grains that are cooked in water probably don't need to drink as much water as someone who has a meat based diet with less vegetables. The same goes for soups. Someone who eats soups daily .. broth type ...especially wouldn't need to run to fill a cup all day.

    There are so many factors... what we eat, our activities, our weight, the climate..