Are you really drinking enough?
 

Apologies ahead of time if this has been posted somewhere but I couldn't find it if so...

I came across this app for smart phones that is a great tool in making sure you get your water in. It's free (of course that means ads but they're not too annoying). It's call water your body. You can customize it and it will remind you every hour to drink whatever amount you had selected.

I just thought I was getting all my water in. I was wrong!

Hope someone finds it useful!

This may not be the place to post this question, and I don't mean to hijack your thread frawniemae, but thought since they are both about water it might be alright :)

I've seen people saying that you should be drinking a maximum of 1/2 your body weight (ounce-wise) for water. My center hasn't said anything about this, just said to drink a minimum of 64 oz. Why wouldn't you want to drink more than half your weight? Some days I drink 120-130 oz., and I weigh 190 currently. Am I drinking too much water?

This will help me. On bust days I realize I didn't drink anything. No time to fill my cup and no time wasted on bathroom breaks but not healthy either!

There is such a thing as too much water. Not sure what that magic number is though.

I've never seen the "1/2 your body weight" number being used as a maximum, just as a recommendation to aim for.

That said, there is a maximum safe amount of water per day. You can strip your body of electrolytes if you aren't doing enough to replace them. From Mayo Clinic:

"Although uncommon, it is possible to drink too much water. When your kidneys are unable to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte (mineral) content of the blood is diluted, resulting in low sodium levels in the blood, a condition called hyponatremia. Endurance athletes, such as marathon runners who drink large amounts of water, are at higher risk of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking too much water is rare in healthy adults who eat an average American diet."

So if you're super into drinking water and think you're going to get too much, pinch a little salt in there. :) (That is my not-a-medical-professional advice, which I've heard others give, too.)

Yep it's called water intoxication, I had a friend almost die from it - it presents like dehydration so she kept drinking water.

Thanks Frawniemae! I just downloaded the app. Hoping this will help me keep up with my water. This is something I struggle with often.

ErrThough slightly different, my Mom has Diabetes Type 2 and has drank too much water several times. It washes out her sodium, etc and she winds up in the ER dizzy, lethargic and confused. :(

PS I know that I, myself, don't drink enough water. On good days I'll drink 4 glasses. On bad days, 2. I need to be drinking more, however I don't want to always be running to the bathroom. ;)

I saw the topic and the first thing that came to mind was:

"No! I'm not drinking "enough"! I gave up all the "good stuff"!!" :tantrum:

:rofl: :joker:

Oops...guess I should have added ''water" in the title! :D I don't think I can edit it...


Glad others are finding it helpful! I know it has made a difference in my intake!

Thanks everyone for your advice on this! I looked up water intoxication last night, and I honestly think I drank too much water yesterday and flushed by electrolytes, and it made me feel pretty crappy. I ate some salt and stopped drinking water, I feel SO much better today. No headache, not exhausted, much better overall. So thank you again to everyone who provided advice!