Yes - the importance of water cannot be overstated, for numerous reasons.

If found a very personal one - gout. LC'ing has a tendency to raise your uric acid levels and if you get dehydrated they can form needle shaped crystals in your joints - usually beginning at the ball of your foot. Sound painful? It sounds no where near as painful as it is. I would have been willing to talk to anyone with morphine and a bone saw - and the morphine was negotiable!

The rule of thumb is 64 oz plus an additional 8 oz for each 25 pounds you need to lose. Minimum. For you that would be 80 oz which is about 2.3 liters. That may sound like a lot, but many of us are in the 5 to 7 leter per day range. To be sure, it takes a while to get used to it and you will be making many trips to the bathroom but your body adapts and your bladder capacity will increase with time.

Keep the Faith!