Is all this water flowing through my body really good for me?
 

Last night I weighed myself before bed - 82.4 kilos. This morning 80.4 kilos (overall - 200g on body weight so I'm not complaining about that!)

What worries me is that not only am I getting up several times for the loo every night but that 2 litres of water is passing through me - this is about 5 American pints!

I stop drinking plain water at about 6pm but I still wee all night!

Is this huge flow of water through me every night good for me?

(I am losing weight by the way).

Robert

P.S. Yes, I do take a full range of suppliments including potassium, magnesium and calcium as well as vitamins, fish oil and flaxseed oil.

Hi Robert, I think the water is good for you. I believe that it keeps the kidneys flushed (no pun intended:D).
One of the reasons that I changed my WOE was becasue my kidneys were aching dully all the time. I believe you need to keep on drinking the water to remove the ketones especially when you do the Stillman's.

Hi Robert :) . I'm with you - I know the water is good for me and it flushes out ketones as you burn fat, but is the lack of sleep good for me? I haven't slept more than an hour or so at a time since going low carb in January because of my loo trips. The bags under my eyes are horrid :eek: !

Definitely good for you!! :thup:

Actually,
 

not to be graphic, but what's the output like? Do you feel like you are really emptying your bladder on each trip? Is the stream strong and steady or does it come in fits and starts? Do you have the same frequency of bathroom trips during the daylight hours too?

If you notice a sensation of not feeling "empty" or your stream lacks vigor, you might want to consult your doctor about your prostate.

Prostate symptoms like the ones I mentioned above become very common in men after age 50 or so.

Now, yes, of course, the water is good for you, but it really isn't normal to have to get up several times during the night if you are making a conscious effort to stop drinking so long before bedtime.

You might want to take this quiz rather than answer here with what might be construed as rather personal questions... :)

HTH,
Lisa

Only time I pee like that is if I have like 0 salt for a day or when I drink diet sodas. I once lost 6lbs in a day drinking a bottle of diet sprite.. :confused:

Maybe you're drinking too much and your body doesn't need it so it's just flushing it right back out?

Dear lperk002,

Thank you for the link. Having looked at the website and done the questionnaire I dont think I have any problems of that kind - but I will get myself checked out when I go back to the UK soon.

I think it's just a question of quantity. 2 litres of water is a lot to have to get rid of overnight. Because I stop drinking water at 6pm that doesn't mean I stop fluids. There may be a cup or two of decaff, a cup of cocoa and several glasses of s/f pop after 6.

I think I've just been reading too much literature of the 'I drink a gallon a day' type and have gone a bit overboard on the fluids in general. It still feels wrng to me to force myself to drink water when I'm not thirsty - but I do it.

I just don't know whether to cut down the water. I'm doing Stillmans at the moment and I'm in quite deep ketosis.

Any more opinions anyone?

Well, Robert, I'm quite glad to hear that!

Good to have the old prostate checked out; here in the states, they run a simple PSA test that provides a wealth of information quickly and painlessly - nothing approaching mammogram territory for male diagnotic tests ;)... if that is an accepted practice in the UK, the medical establishment there probably has an age related protocol for when they start administering the test.

That being said:

1. Stillman's is probably very diuretic due to its higher protein nature
2. All those pre-bedtime beverages have stimulants or artificial sweetners, again known diuretics.

So, Slim Shady was probably the "rightest" of all of us with the "diet soda" + excessive urination connection...

I'd try limiting those other beverages, and see if that helps... you can also cut back on the water a bit. There's no need to float, and the minimum doctors suggest here is 64oz. (okay, I don't know the metric equivalent of that!).

A reduction might be in order.

Lisa

Well, as everyone said, the water is good for you. BUT, too much water is NOT good for your body. I had a friend who moved to Arizona from the midwest, and thought since it was so hot that she had to drink a lot more water (she was drinking almost a gallon a day). She is not a very big person, and her body could not handle it. She was hospitalized in critical condition and was in and out of consciousness for several days. Apparantly she was drinking more water than her body knew how to process, and therefore her organs were overworked and caused serious problems. She has since recovered and now drinks moderate amounts of water.

But, you may want to mention it to your doctor and see what he/she might say.

Best wishes!

2 liters of water per day is not excessive. That's about the amount recommended for most folks (eight 8 oz. glasses). What may be causing your nighttime bathroom trips may be all the other stuff you drink after 6 when you are done with your water. If you were going to cut back on anything, I'd suggest cutting back there first.
There are also times when you are losing weight quickly that you may notice an increase in urination. Your body has to get rid of the byproducts of fat metabolism and they do it via the kidneys, so deliberately restricting fluids could actually slow you down and put more stress on your body.

Well, sweetie, if you're drinking pop and coffee and things like that after dinner, of course you'll be up all night peeing! Actually, if you're drinking that many diuretic beverages, you should probably drink more water. And I know you're tired of reading this sort of remark, but yes, I drink four to five litres of water every day, drink up until nine p.m. and only have to get up once during the night. I also never drink anything else, except two coffees in the morning and one in the afternoon.

People with (even undiagnosed) kidney problems who abruptly begin drinking large amounts of water can indeed seriously harm themselves--their organs, as you said, cannot process it. However that is not a water issue, it is that individual's health issue. Most water intake should be gradually increased.

There is an interesting book called "Your Body's Many Cries for Water" that I recommend. The author is a little bent about the American medical system not appearing to be on the side of genuine health (gee, like that's a surprise...) but other than that, his explanations are good, there are little drawings that example what he's talking about, and it really spells out how the body uses water, and why it needs it, and the effects of dehydration.

PJ

I think I've cracked it! ;)

I was buying and drinking 1.5 litres a day of Belarusian mineral water. I checked the mineral content. Guess what it's full of salt!!! :( And it's supposed to be good for you :mad:

The last few days I've switched to bon agua (unfortunatly made by Coca Cola) but without added minerals. Now I'm not retaining so much water and I'm not up weeing all night!

Robert
:wave: