H2O Consumption

[mlschop]

I was wondering if anyone else had this problem...

...a personal trainer I saw (this was last year btw) told me that I should drinking a gallon of water a day (this is 128 oz. i believe...too lazy to look it up). This wasn't the first time I've heard it either...

...I'm trying to stay away from ALL beverages 'cept water (even diet/low cal drinks)...BUT...I notice somewhere around the 40-60 oz. mark (3rd bottle of water...i drink out of a 20 oz bottle), I start to feel sick of it...kinda like "whoa that's too much water...i think i might be sick" feeling.

anyone else get that? any solutions? I'd like to keep to the "8 glasses of water a day" routine...especially on a diet...but I'm not gonna make myself uncomfortable and sick over it :-P

[_BullDog_]

When ever I drink water durin gthe day I end up drinking around 80oz while at work, for some reason I drink a lot less if I drink soda. Well can't say I have your problem but have you tried running your water through a filter with coffe in it, then add some sugar and cream to taste, goes down much easier then.

[sticks1839]

How spread out are those bottles of water? Your body can only process something like a liter an hour IIRC, so you might just be getting a sorta bloating feeling. Also, if you just started this regimen, you need to give your body time to adjust to drinking that much water. I had similar problems when I started drinking water religiously. I probably go through 1-1.5 gallons a day now.

[E. Blackadder]

It's supposedly a myth that drinking large amounts of water has any beneficial effect on health. What it is good for, is waking up in the middle of the night.

[mlschop]

it's something i've been trying to do now for over a year...and i can't seem to get above the 64oz. mark. i'm pretty sure i'm spreading it out as far as i can go...:-P 20oz. in the morning, 20oz. in afternoon, 24 oz. at home...anything more than that starts to feel uncomfortable. maybe that's my limit?

i have a 20oz coffee in the morning...and that's my only non-water beverage ('cept for the rare eat out...i'll enjoy me a light beer or diet cola then)

[The Drunken Actuary]

Here's a handy article. A gallon seems to be a bit on the high side. I think your 64 oz is more than adequate if you're getting that sick feeling like you've had too much to drink. There's no reason to try to double that just because some guy at the gym says so.

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html

[Maine-iac]

From the mayo clinic site:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html

[The Drunken Actuary]

From the mayo clinic site:

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/library/NU/00283.html What, you have me on ignore? :(

[_BullDog_]

Also drinking to much can be bad.

[_BullDog_]

In case you care.

Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Athletes can also suffer from water intoxication. Athletes sweat heavily, losing both water and electrolytes. Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes.

What Happens During Water Intoxication?
When too much water enters the body's cells, the tissues swell with the excess fluid. Your cells maintain a specific concentration gradient, so excess water outside the cells (the serum) draws sodium from within the cells out into the serum in an attempt to re-establish the necessary concentration. As more water accumulates, the serum sodium concentration drops -- a condition known as hyponatremia. The other way cells try to regain the electrolyte balance is for water outside the cells to rush into the cells via osmosis. The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from higher to lower concentration is called osmosis. Although electrolytes are more concentrated inside the cells than outside, the water outside the cells is 'more concentrated' or 'less dilute' since it contains fewer electrolytes. Both electrolytes and water move across the cell membrane in an effort to balance concentration. Theoretically, cells could swell to the point of bursting.
From the cell's point of view, water intoxication produces the same effects as would result from drowning in fresh water. Electrolyte imbalance and tissue swelling can cause an irregular heartbeat, allow fluid to enter the lungs, and may cause fluttering eyelids. Swelling puts pressure on the brain and nerves, which can cause behaviors resembling alcohol intoxication. Swelling of brain tissues can cause seizures, coma and ultimately death unless water intake is restricted and a hypertonic saline (salt) solution is administered. If treatment is given before tissue swelling causes too much cellular damage, then a complete recovery can be expected within a few days.
It's Not How Much You Drink, It's How Fast You Drink It!
The kidneys of a healthy adult can process fifteen liters of water a day! You are unlikely to suffer from water intoxication, even if you drink a lot of water, as long as you drink over time as opposed to intaking an enormous volume at one time. As a general guideline, most adults need about three quarts of fluid each day. Much of that water comes from food, so 8-12 eight ounce glasses a day is a common recommended intake. You may need more water if the weather is very warm or very dry, if you are exercising, or if you are taking certain medications. The bottom line is this: it's possible to drink too much water, but unless you are running a marathon or an infant, water intoxication is a very uncommon condition.

[Katie.]

64 oz. is plenty I think. You get water from all the food you eat too.

[mlschop]

ok...i guess i don't feel bad anymore. i'll just stil to my 64 oz. a day then.

[Maine-iac]

What, you have me on ignore? :(

Nope, just totally missed that post. Sorry. I've dropped the mouse on the floor one too many times and I'm having a few technical difficulties . . .

[Loner]

Unless you are a large person who exercises and sweats out a lot, I would think 128 oz is way too much.

[wat?]

I'm not finding it at this moment, but wasn't there a thread a little while back that talked about the dangers of drinking too much water? Body can't process, flushes out the good stuff along with the bad, etc.

[SykoChikka]

2.5L per day is what I aim to drink. I heard that it varies from person to person, so the best thing to do is just drink whenever you feel thirsty. Like many people mentioned before, sometimes when you're hungry, you're actually thirsty. It all depends on how active you are, I guess. What might be enough water per day for one person might not be enough for another.

[LoneGirl]

If you fins it difficult to drink water because you get bored/can't stand the taste, you might try the new Crystal Light to go packets. You mix them with a bottle of water and you're all set. I find it much easier to get my servings of water in if they taste better!