Do You Drink Enough Water?

[Winchester]

After reading some stories from another board about people who ended up hospitalized because they never drank enough water, I'm trying to drink more. It's not easy.

Symptoms supposedly range from being overly tired, stomach issues, nausea, headache, dry skin, dizziness, etc. Even heart palpitations can sometimes be caused by being severely dehydrated.

I did read that coffee and tea, while acting as diuretics, do count as part of one's water intake, as do some fruits and vegetables.

I figure I probably get about 32 ounces of liquids during a normal day, but that's including coffee and Diet Mt. Dew. I read that you divide your weight in half and that's how much water you should drink every day. Obviously, I need to do better.

What about you? Do you drink enough water?

 

[1CatOverTheLine]

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Over-hydration is more likely in the modern world - and equally dangerous. Too much of a good thing:

Study Says to Drink Only When You’re Thirsty | Clean & Clear

MMS: Error
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[Mystikal kitten]

Nope. In order for me to drink enough water I would have to drink around 110 lbs of water in a day.
THAT'S A LOT OF WATER!!! I don't think I could handle that much even though I've been known to drink 5-6 ( 16.9 oz) bottles of water within a couple of hours but that's on those really hot muggy days when I'm outside working. Other than that my normal regular water intake is around 2-3 (16.9oz) bottles/day. I drink LOTS of coffee and soda (Pepsi) which I'm trying to cut back on because of all the carbs (attempting to watch my carb intake).

 

[Kieka]

The recommendation of how much water one should drink in a day is all over the place.

If you do the simple 8 x 8 rule (8 ounces 8 times a day) then I probably drink enough. I have usually about 8 ounces first thing in the morning, keep a 16 ounce bottle on my desk that I usually go through it once before and a second time after lunch, another 8-16 ounces at lunch (usually some sort of carbonated water lately), at least two glasses at dinner and another glass after dinner. I don't drink coffee, soda or alcohol but sometimes the morning drink is tea.

When I am working out, which I need to do start doing again, I usually drink another 8 ounces per 30 minutes of working out. I also tend to carry two 24 ounce bottles and force my niece to drink every time I drink when we are at outdoor events. At those I probably am drinking 8 ounces every 30-60 minutes depending on activity level, sun and temperature. I know I refill at every water fountain and/or drink vendor (I love the ones who will give me free refills of water but I will buy bottles when I have to). I have had heat stroke before and found that since then I need more water when active or I really feel it.

There is the theory that you should take your weight (in pounds) and divide it in half to give you the number of ounces to drink. By that method I don't drink enough water. If I try to force myself to drink more than the normal (without the increased activity level) I feel like I am running to the restroom every 5 minutes .

 

[artiemom]

I drink a ton of water every day. I always have at least a 32 oz container next to me, in the car, and anywhere I go.

I think I drink at least half a gallon a day...many days more than that. I have only one cup of coffee or tea for breakfast, perhaps another one later in the day, and do not drink soda at all.

I do not add the coffee or tea in my allotted amount. It is just something that I do. I have done this for years. Gave up the soda, perhaps 15 years ago; never was much of a fan of it.

 

[betsygee]

I drink lots of water. I keep a 16 oz. glass of water by my bedside and drink the whole thing before I get up every day. Then after coffee I have another 16 oz. glass with a packet of Emergen-C vitamins dissolved in it. I drink another 16 oz after exercise, and in the afternoon and evenings I like seltzer or mineral water with ice. I think what got me into drinking lots of water was that I seemed to be on allergy meds about half the year which made me feel dehydrated, so I was always reaching for water. Now it's just a habit.

 

[mightyboosh]

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Over-hydration is more likely in the modern world - and equally dangerous. Too much of a good thing:

Study Says to Drink Only When You’re Thirsty | Clean & Clear

MMS: Error
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I think it's a modern day obsession. I'm just waiting for another advice u turn about water. The 'experts' are always doing it over here - eggs, butter, red meat etc.etc. One minute they're bad for you, the next minute they're ok. It keeps em in employment at least.
I always go back to what nature intended ie. drink when you're thirsty or top up if you'll be going awhile without. Just my unscientific opinion.

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Your meassures just mean nothing to me
2 L a day is supposedly the recommend daily amount of water, or so say doctors in Spain. I drink between 2 and 4 a day, but I am onda a thirsty person xD

 

[sivyaleah]

I hate water.
So, no probably not but I have yet to feel that this is a detriment for my health.
I'm like a cat - I get it from my food sources LOL

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Maybe. I tend to drink the most in the evenings. My DH is one of those "obsessed with getting enough water" types. I've come to the conclusion I just don't NEED as much as he does. Or I'm getting more from my food than he is. I find it hard to drink plain water unless it's very cold and I chug it. I've had my stomach cramp and get nauseous from it. Now if it's hot and I'm outdoors; sure I drink more.

I find it a little easier to add a small amount of 100% juice. I don't drink juice full strength. I think when I chug water it goes through me faster; so that's not as helpful as you'd think. But if I add a little juice; I can drink more and drink it over a period of time.

 

[sivyaleah]

Maybe. I tend to drink the most in the evenings. My DH is one of those "obsessed with getting enough water" types. I've come to the conclusion I just don't NEED as much as he does. Or I'm getting more from my food than he is. I find it hard to drink plain water unless it's very cold and I chug it. I've had my stomach cramp and get nauseous from it. Now if it's hot and I'm outdoors; sure I drink more.

I find it a little easier to add a small amount of 100% juice. I don't drink juice full strength. I think when I chug water it goes through me faster; so that's not as helpful as you'd think. But if I add a little juice; I can drink more and drink it over a period of time.

Yes, MUST be ice cold for me to drink it also!

I did forget to mention I do drink carbonated water, Pellegrino is my favorite. We always have that in the house but it's too expensive to be chugging all day LOL. It's a one glass w/dinner kind of thing

 

[kashmir64]

I live in Arizona.....so, yes.

 

[muffy]

I don't get enough water. I only drink about 2 bottles of 23.7 fl oz of deer park water a day. I also drink it at night. I also drink 2 bottles of diet coke a day. I'm sure that is not enough and I really need to drink more. I do like water and I love it when it is ice cold and I'm sweating.

Muffy

 

[Willowy]

I try to do the "half your weight in ounces" thing. Probably don't succeed most days; I don't obsess over it or anything. But if I don't get enough---which varies depending what I'm doing---I have a headache all the next day :/. Ugh.

I have a 20-ounce water bottle, and a 10-oz cup near the sink. So when I wake up I have a cupful, then at work I try to drink 1 bottle before lunch and 1 bottle after lunch, then a few cupfuls the rest of the day. So I'm pretty sure I get at least 80 ounces most days, and that's approximately the amount I need to get to not get a headache.

I can't drink very cold water unless I'm really hot. It. . .hmm, it doesn't hurt my teeth exactly, but my teeth don't like it somehow. Also it hurts my stomach for a few seconds until it warms up.

 

[LTS3]

You can get some of your water through food: fruits, veggies, soups, gravies, etc.

I try to drink about 16 oz of water a day throughout the day. Being dehydrated aggravates my hypotension and I get dizzy and lightheaded or worse.

 

[betsygee]

I like the taste of water--but I like it room temperature and no ice. If it's mineral water, though, it has to be cold and with ice. Whatever works.

 

[muffy]

I hate water.
So, no probably not but I have yet to feel that this is a detriment for my health.
I'm like a cat - I get it from my food sources LOL

I gave bottled water to my cats and they loved it. I believe they had less UTI with the bottled water.

Muffy

 

[neely]

I like the taste of water--but I like it room temperature and no ice.

Ditto, me too!

I actually like to drink water but no ice for me as well. We get our water from Lake Michigan so I drink it straight from the tap. Growing up we never had pop/soda in the house so I'm used to drinking water. I keep a 16 oz. glass near the kitchen sink and drink frequently when I'm home. First thing in the morning it's a black cup of coffee then water the rest of the day even on the days I work at school.

 

[arouetta]

I'm not drinking as much as I have been, which is probably a bad thing. But my water intake is a bit on the excessive side due to my medication making me thirsty as all get out.

You do have to watch out for water intoxication though, if you increase your water intake. I bordered on that one day, after my stress test, it just makes you feel icky. Don't drink more than 27 ounces an hour (8/10 of a liter). If you do you're drinking faster than your kidneys can get rid of the excess fluid and that will dilute your sodium levels too much. (I found this out when I wondered why I felt icky after the stress test and wondered if the two liter sized bottles I consumed during the test, which took 60-75 minutes total, could have caused it. Whoops!)

Drinking only when thirsty isn't good advice though. Thirst can disguise itself as other feelings. I've found the best way to tell how thirsty I am is to make myself a glass of water the way I personally like it best, ice and a straw, and sip it. If the glass sits there long enough for the ice to melt I'm not thirsty. If one sip leads to a lot of drinking, I'm clearly in need of water even if I don't feel thirsty and I'll make myself another glass.

 

[Norachan]

I start the day with two big glasses of water, have about another three glasses during the day and then another before I go to bed. Plus about 4 or 5 mugs of tea and coffee.

It's hot here and I exercise a lot, so I think I need to drink plenty of liquid. I never have any trouble drinking that much so I guess I need it.