water intake

[yes]

i've read several times the recommendation to drink 2 litres of water a day - aka about 8 glasses. it also said to drink stuff w/ "no sugar added", no sodas, no pop, etc.

 

i'm wondering if this is valid because surely it depends on your body weight... i weight 117 lbs, and i wonder if anyone knows how much i'm supposed to be drinking?

 

i find that my habit is to drink 3-4 glasses a day, so i suppose I should be increasing that amount.

 

how much do people out there drink? didja ever talk to your doctor or somebody who should know about it?

 

thanks,

-yes

[Ryan]

The general recommendation is to get about 64 ounces, which is 8 glasses at 8 ounces apiece or about 2 liters. The amount of water that one's body needs does vary due to things such as size, lean body mass, metabolic rate, diet, and activity level.

 

 

Whenever people ask me about how much water they should drink, I typically answer with one word: more. However, I do not suggest that people go from 4 glasses to 8 glasses immediately. Water intake should be increased gradually and I tend to avoid using the notion of a certain number of glasses. Water should be consumed in small quantities over regular intervals, not one 8oz glass at a time. It is typically much easier to increase one's water intake by having some sort of sports bottle or reusable container from which you can take small sips throughout the day. Do not FORCE yourself to drink water....just take the small sips maybe once every 5-10 minutes. This will better ensure even hydration.

 

Over time, your urinary system will become better at processing water such that you can handle a significantly greater volume without running for the bathroom constantly. It has to be done in a gradual fashion though. Keep a container in your refrigerator for when you are at home and a smaller bottle for when you are on the go. I would recommend filling the smaller bottle about 1/3 full and freezing it so the water stays cold as you drink.

 

As for my personal experience, I can remember about 4 years ago I would drink approximately half a gallon (64 ounces) a day. I was at a bodyweight of 160 pounds. Over those 4 years, my water intake crept to the level it is today, which is approximately 2 gallons per day. My bodyweight has also increased to about 210 pounds (by way of muscle mass, not bodyfat). I have done nothing different over that time other than carry some sort of container with me to sip from and keep one at home. The containers have grown as my need has grown.

 

I believe you are capable of reaching the target 64 ounces if you give yourself adequate time to build up to it.

[quankanne]

you might find that as you gradually increase your water consumption, you're going to lose your desire for other drinks, esp. stuff like soda or other sugared beverages. The water just *tastes* better ... like eating fresh fruit for a period of time then realizing that other types of sweets are just too sweet ...

[Tony T]

The question of the amount of water we should take in each day has recently been called into question by medical researchers. There are a number of factors in an individual's lifestyle that may need to be taken into consideration.

 

Click on the following link to read about these recent findings: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/05/earlyshow/health/health_news/main511220.shtml

 

I personally don't know what the answer is but I do know that these days information changes so rapidly you can get dizzy. One day eggs are bad for you, the next day they are great and the following week they're bad again.

 

The world is getting very confusing!!!

[Ryan]

I noticed a few things in that article that I disagree with:

 

You can also meet your daily water intake from beverages such as juices, coffee and colas, which have high concentrations of water, says Yates.

 

Juices might count, but caffeinated beverages do not. Caffeine is a diuretic, which means it extracts water from your body. I am generally hesitant to give "water credit" to beverages that are not water because it is a bit misleading.

 

Probably most people who are not very physically active get the majority of their water needs, 60 to 70 percent, from the foods they eat,

 

That would have to be a LOT of fruits and vegetables. I'm skeptical about this suggestion due to the sheer volume of food that would be required for even a sedentary (which is another problem in itself) individual.

 

Adults have built in mechanisms such as thirst and sweat that tell them when they should drink water.

 

The problem with this is that thirst is an indicator that one is already dehydrated. The trick is to get to the point where you AREN'T feeling thirst by way of regular and sufficient water consumption.

 

 

BTW, eggs have never been bad.....people's opinions have.