I don't know if this is really a nutrition question...but how much water should I drink? I used to drink a gallon a day (back in the day when I was really healthy), but it was really annoying because I had to go to the bathroom ALL the time, even though I was really active and sweat a lot. With the way my job and school schedule is now, I can't be "going" all the time like I used to, but I want to drink enough water! I know that being well hydrated is a big part of successful weight loss (and just being healthy in general), but it seems like I either don't drink enough, or I drink too much, and all I drink is water. Bottom line, I am 5'6" and 184 (right now), I do at least 30 minutes of cardio activity a day and I eat between 1000 and 1500 calories - if any of that makes a difference about the amount of water I should drink. Any help would be greatly appriciated!

On the average a person should drink eight 8-ounce glasses every day. That's about two quarts. However, the overweight person needs on additional glass for every 25 pounds overweight. The amount you drink should also be increased if you exercise briskly or if the weather is hot and dry.

This is actually the subject of an urban legend.

Not a Sop to Drink

"The best general advice (keeping in mind that there are always exceptions) is to rely upon your normal senses. If you feel thirsty, drink — if you don't feel thirsty, don't drink unless you want to."

On the one had that article states that our thirst mechanism is askew and then in another paragraph it says to rely on your thirst to and to drink when you are thirsty ... I wonder which one is right? I've read that if your urine is clear you are drinking enough, if it is dark you need more water... For myself I find that if I sip my water throughout the day and not in one shot that I don't go to the washroom as much. I also find that after time your body adjusts and you just don't go that often anymore, which is now the case for me. I drink 8/8 of water/day at least....

Don't forget, it is not just water, it is almost any liquid you drink (that doesn't have the opposite effect of dehydrating you, like coffee), like milk, soups, juices. Also water rich foods too, like a lot of fresh fruits, jello, popsicles, etc.

Go by how you feel. If you feel thirsty, your mouth is dry, feeling abit lethargic, low energy - you may need something to rehydrate you. A nice glass of cold water, perhaps with a squeeze of lemon or lime, may also help to ward off the hunger pangs, or the urge to reach for some other snack item.

I remember a couple of years ago reading an article about how people who had a full glass of water before each meal tended to eat a certain percentage less at the meal too.

Water is essential but you can't go by thirst alone. By the time you get thirsty, you're already dehydrated. Got a headache? Study's show that a lot of times it from dehydration and the water you drink to take the headache medication with does more than the pill to relieve the pain! Alos, coffee, althought a diuretic, does count for some of the fluid. And it also has some benefits. Studys show that it can delay alheimers and it's also good for preventing some kinds of cancers. Too much is not good for you of course. Like everything, moderation! I agree, green tea is beneficial. I just cannot get the taste for it. I have tried some of the newer ones with the extra flavoring and find them a little better. I usually start my morning with coffee, drink water through out the day, and green tea in the evening. Not too late though, it does still have some caffeene!

Thanks for all the info everybody, that helps a lot!!!

Actually, it is once you have a headache that you're already dehydrated... thirst itself is a warning signal.

Just to supplement the Snopes link that Bicker posted...

Recently there have been interesting articles (in O Magazine and Yoga Journal - that I've seen; probably in other magazines) based on studies that show that much of what has been generally believed about water intake does not hold up in scientific fact.

I posted about this back in July in the 'Does it Work' forum; here's a link to my post, which includes links to the studies

Interesting reading - particularly that second study which found, for example:

• The liquid found in foods we eat counts towards your water intake.
• Despite popular belief, caffeine-containing beverages such as coffee, tea, soda, etc all count towards water intake.
• "Thirst is too late" is a myth.

As someone who used to shoot for a gallon or more of water a day myself, I have to admit that I'm GLAD for this study. Now, I drink water when I feel like it (usually during the day and when I'm working out, tapering off at night) and I've stopped monitoring my water intake.