The Ideal Amount of Water

Is it 64oz each day for everyone?

And do all teas count? (and decaf coffee?)

As elementary as it seems, there are so many conflicting bits of advice out there, that you start to question even the basics.

 

Also, which is true:

- drinking plenty of water flushes out toxins/excess water/glycogen build-up ("water weight" & sluggish fluids)

- drinking plenty of water causes your body to HOLD ON to these fluids.

 

Argh. Just want some clarity on H20 issues.

Thanks.

Just to clarify, water consumption helps to reduce your retention of water by stimulating your kidneys.

About the 64 oz. a day rule, I think teas would count, as well as foods with lots of water (fruits and veggies). I'm not completely sure though, so feel free to correct me. :o

i tend to be a very thirsty person, i have no idea if this is healthy or not but i drink like 8-12 16 oz. of water a day. = 0 and i drink veggie/fruit juices on top of that

never really been a problem though. my blood work is good. electrolytes and such.i just pee alot.

Well the other day I was feeling very bloated so i chugged 2 huge glasses of water. I had to pee every hour, which got annoying, but after i balanced out i wasn't bloated at all anymore. Just from that experiance i believe drinking water gets rid of extra water weight. :)

A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water.

Example;

I weigh 155

half of 155 is 77.5

so I drink at least 77.5 ounces of water a day (get really close to 100 ounces a day, but work outside in the sun and am a runner, so I sweat a lot...gross, probably TMI).

Keep in mind that a lot of foods also contain water, so don't beat yourself up if you only drink 40 ounces of water but eat half a watermelon. heheh.

Also, drink water slowly. Sip, don't gulp.

i drink a gallon min a day almost 2 a day... but im active the entire day, im a welder and sweat pretty 18 hours a  day..  but thats just me, i just drink when im thirsty so i don't really keep tract of exactly how much

Original Post by skookum:

A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water.

There must be a limit to this.  I'm 210 lbs, so I should be drinking 105 ounces of water a day??  I don't think so!

That's about right.... 105 flozs = just over 5 pints which is about 2.5 litres.  If you spread that over a day with water, tea, coffee, soups and other fluids it's not as much as it sounds.  Maybe try it for a day or two and see if it makes a difference? 

The average is about 1 - 1.5 litres extra fluids... more if you're in a hot environment or if you're doing a lot of exercise.

I work in a call center so it's not too hot - I drink about 2 liters a day and that seems to work for me.

Edit: By my math, 105oz is just over 3 liters.  3.2 to be exact.  Is my math wrong?

I'm getting my litres and my kilos mixed up!!  105 imperal fl ozs is just under 3 litres.  US fl ozs is just over. 

In US fluid ounces it converts to 3.1 liters.

in any case, the daily fluid replacement needs for an average adult is 2 liters.  This includes fluids you drink as well as fluids that come from your foods.  ALL food has water, even the driest of foods.

If you exercise heavily, live in a dry climate, or otherwise perspire profusely then you will need to replace more fluid than the average person will.

I drink at LEAST 2.5 L of water a day. I'm 5"2' and 145 lbs. When I workout it can go up to 4 L of water for the day.

I have heard the 1 oz per 2 pounds guideline as well. 

At 320-something, that works out to a tidy 5 liters a day, which is doable...if I set my PC to remind me to drink every 5 minutes.  Nothing beats that popping up in the middle of showing someone some data!!!

I find that if I workout in the morning, I can usually drink 3 liters before lunch, and then struggle for my final two liters in the afternoon.  Regardless, I try not to drink after I leave the office so that I can finish ridding myself of all my water BEFORE I go to sleep...

Cheers and good luck!