Water - More than Enough Water!
 

Hi Club - Has it been a while since the TDC talked Water?

I'm wondering -
How much water do you drink per day?
Is it easy or difficult for you to drink "enough", every day?

How did you determine your desired intake level?

I've heard your "output" will level off/equalize after your body gets used to being fully hydrated. Has this been true for you?

Thanks for your comments and sharing!

(And yes - I'm having real issues with my own water level right now - I've recently posted to the "water purists" thread in the General Health section & a long one in my journal last night.)

I hope this will be of help to all. Have a swimmingly good low carb day everyone!

I was consuming well over 100 ounces of water a day and close to 200 on days where I work out. However, lately I have found it harder to consume as much water. Most days I now get between 85 and 100 ounces. Summer is almost here and my activity level and water levels will probably increase though, I hope ;)

WOW! 200 oz! ! :exclm:

I've been a water drinker for a long time, but I don't even know how I could drink that much! I'm usually around the minimum 64 after supper & usually have 2 or 3 bottles (20oz) after that.

I can't imagine how often I'd be in the bathroom with any more.

I've been a water drinker for a long time & I my output has never 'leveled off'.

Water is a difficult one for me, too -- especially on workout days. (The bathroom is way too far from the weight room!)

For a while I was drinking 3-4 quarts a day, but in order to get it down before evening (say 5:00) I literally had to watch the clock and be sure I had 4-6 big swallows every 15 minutes. (I even set a timer at first!)

Unfortunately I had a really bad sore throat for about three weeks in February, and I stopped drinking because it hurt too much. Now I'm stuck around two again, and trying to argue myself into doing more.

--Ruth

Who is still working on her first quart of the day. :(

At the risk of being booted off the forum for being a heretic, I will admit that I do not measure my water. I try to drink water regularly through-out the day -- we have a water cooler at work and that helps -- and I always have a big glass or two after I exercise. However, I am adverse to measuring anything these days -- water, calories, even carbs (I kind of know how many carbs I can eat without measuring). I'm trying to make drinking water and eating low carb foods something I do without thinking about it and focusing on quantities makes it seem too much like a diet to me.

This is not intended as advice to anyone else -- I've been low carbing for almost nine months so it has become almost second nature to me. I think that people who are new at this process really do need to measure.

I realize that I may be slowing my weight loss a little by approaching low carbing this way. However, I think I am increasing my chances of keeping the weight off once I reach my goal. I want to incorporate this way of eating as a natural part of my life and I can't imagine spending the next 50 years measuring my food and water.

I'm like Liz: I don't measure. I just keep drinking. At first, I practically pitched a tent in the bathroom, but it has leveled out a bit and I don't go as much as I was at first.

How much water?
 

I was interested in the two responses before this. I have been low carbing for 20 months now, but I still keep a tally in my note book of the number of drinks I have a day. I assume that one mug is 250 ml as most of my water intake comes from a 500ml water bottle. Thus most days I now have 9 of those as a minimum, 10 is better. When I go to the gym it is between 4 and 6 more. When I am in a warm environment, like yesterday, I also may have 2 to 4 more. Therefore my minimum daily intake is 2.5 litres.

I have found that my water intake has increased with time and it is certainly necessary to keep my body fully hydrated for weight loss. Keeping the water bottle on my mouse mat whilst I am at work means that I just sip it as I go and it is amazing how quickly the bottle empties without me realising it.

I have also found that I wake often during the night, my mouth as dry as a desert! I am literally *gasping* for water! The first time this happened I couldn't figure out why, but oh my, I have *never* been so parched in my life! I keep water by the bed, and carry a squeeze bottle with me everywhere I go now.

I drink a bottle before each meal, and then sips with the meal, and about 30mins after I eat, another full bottle. The rest of the time I find myself sipping because I am dry mouthed and really thirsty.

I find myself now not craving, or even being satisified with other types of liquids, ie: tea, SF sodas, etc.

I am making a conscious effort to drink water *with* my coffee (I still have headaches that require caffiene to soothe - coffee is a medicine for me), to counter the effects of the caffiene. My bottle is 24 oz, and I am trying to be sure I fill it at least 6 times a day, though usually more. Sometimes, I thirst for it, as above, other times, I have to make a conscious effort to just *drink*, sorta like taking medicine. You just gotta do it! Lol.

I LOVE Water, I always drank about 2 litres a day whilst at work and now I drink about 3L plus about 4 glasses (about 300ml) at home ... so I guess all up about 4.2L per day :D

I just drink till I'm not thirsty anymore and I have to say that along with this WOL my skin looks great, more hydrated and smooth and soft....I attribute that to both the eating and the increased amount of water I'm drinking

I'm a waterbaby :baby:

Can you ever drink *too much* water? ... Not that I'm likely to do so, but for future reference...

You can, but it is pretty difficult for an adult to do. There have been some documented cases of babies who swallowed too much water in swimming pools and diluted their blood to the point that it caused medical problems and even death. For an adult to do that is almost impossible.

I drink about 200oz+ a day I don't even think about it really I have a 52oz mug I fill 6 times a day min.

Well, I'm much closer to Liz175 way of LC...I keep an eye on what I eat, but I'm no longer NEARLY as calculating as I was when I first started...

but I'm really bad about my water. Meybe I should start keeping closer tabs...even setting the timer.

Of course, I have a tiny bladder anyhow, and I know I'd just be living in the bathroom as soon as I drink more. *sigh*

I feel like I drink about 4 litres of water a day. I had once upon a time been drinking low sugar drinks,but this has had a fairly negative effect on the Ketone strips so I have stopped. You can't drink enough water on this diet.

Kenny