Question about water intake

[DISNEYFANRI]

How many oz of water should I be drinking per day?? If I am goign to be serious about this I better start keeping track.

 

[Luvinit]

I know I always read 8 -8oz glasses of water plus whatever else you consume...I really think that 64oz is a minimum for ME. It seems that the more WATER I drink the better I feel and the MORE enegry I have. I can workout longer and harder if I drink Water while doing it.

It was a VERY big challenge for me to start drinking more water...I was a diet coke addict, now I drink 1 can a day, and hardly anything else but Water. I find that this is one of my biggest accomplishments...I have always wanted to be a "water drinker" and never thought I could...but thanks to WISH.........I am!!

 

[ohiominnie]

Recnetly they (whoever THEY are) came out with the statement that the 8 glasses of water a day is a bunch of hype. Apparently someone figured out how much water it takes for metabolism to occur. When this research was reported the reporters FAILED to print the next lines of it "most water is actually consumed in food." Watermelon is something like 95% water, broccoli is 75% water and even bread is something like 35% water.....

So if you are eating food at all, you are getting a lot of that water.

This new water research actually said (and as an EX-RN I can understand the physiology) that drinking TOO much water is bad---it can lower your blood sodium levels too far and cause problems.

 

[bunnyfoo]

I was actually wondering about water intake myself today I've started to drink the 8oz of water. I think my coworkers are starting to wonder about me to since I'm taking more frequent trips to the washroom *lol*

I didn't realize how much water is in the foods we eat... especially things like bread. Thanks for pointing that out ohiominnie!

I found this on Dotti's site about water intake ... Interesting reading

http://www.dwlz.com/WWinfo/water.html

 

[mum4jenn]

I have read that you should take your weight and divide it in half. Then take that amount and those are the ounces you should drink. For example if you weigh 200 pounds you should drink 100 ounces of water.Do not know if it is right or wrong but I try to use that method.

 

[Luvinit]

Bunnyfoo...that was a great link...it made alot of sense..."they" must really know what they are talking about!!! And I don't eat bread or watermelon anymore...so I have to drink my H2O!!

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by Luvinit
"they" must really know what they are talking about!!!

Yes, I used to always think "they" knew what they were talking about. Seems like everything I read made sense and I prescribed to their way of thinking. But "they" have changed their mind too many times.....

5 years ago you had to avoid eggs at all costs because they were SO terribly bad for you. Now they encourage you to eat a few eggs a week because they are good for you. (and the Atkins people, my goodness--if eggs were that terrible for you, they'd all be dead!)

I remember when my dad first had heart trouble....we switched from butter to margarine because butter would slowly clog your arteries and kill you. NOW they are coming out with the information that the ??transfattyacids (or poly unsaturateds or whatever it is) in margarine is actually BAD for you and should be avoided at all costs!

So if you try to keep up with all of their proposed research (often times limited sample sizes with skewed results and not accounting for other factors) you will go crazy changing your diet every 3 months as new "research" comes out that tells you what you are doing is wrong.

This isn't a food related study, but let me show you how researchers can twist the info in their studies and reports to "scare" people.....

About 3 years ago they came out with a study that looked at thousands of families with small babies. What they "found" is that *babies who had nightlights in their rooms all night were MORE LIKELY (by a wide margin) to develop near sightedness as they grew up*

YIKES! Sounds awful. It was in all the parenting magazines about how we should yank those nightlights from our precious babies rooms.

But, what the researchers FAILED to mention, or account for, was that near sightedness is genetic. Did they stop and think for a moment??? MAYBE those near sighted PARENTS used a night light in the babies rooms at night because when the parents went to check on the baby they could do so without turning on an overhead light!!! The night light gave these near sighted parents just enough light to check on the sleeping baby (or care for the baby that was up at night to eat) YES, the babies, as they grew, became near sighted. Hmmmmmmm.

Was it caused by a night light? Or would it have happened anyway because they had the genetic pre-disposition for it?

So they took research, found ONE thing they were trying to find, and found it. But didn't account for the other factors.

BE VERY CRITICAL OF RESEARCH! It's usually skewed in favor of whoever is doing it or whoever is funding it. Sad, but true.

My point is....if you want to drink 200 oz of water a day and spend your life in the bathroom because that is what research says to do, then do it, but I choose to listen to the God given cues in my body to tell me what my body needs. Sometimes that's fat, sometimes carbs, sometimes a big old scoop of high fat ice cream on a sugar cone. Sometimes I want a nice cold glass of water, sometimes a coke.

If you're up for some more interesting research, check out the completely flawwed study about how breastfeeding prevents ear infections!! Of course they don't take into account the fact that most women who breastfeed are middle to upper class and stay home with their babies....therefore the children are not exposed to the viruses that can cause ear infections in their day cares all day, plus these women are less likely to smoke (smoking decreases the motility of the cilia in the eustacian tube leading to the ear--therefore allowing more germs up into the middle ear) etc etc etc. Case in point....I only breastfeed my daughter for 3 months, then went back to work. She went to day care. She had one ear infection growing up. I breastfed my son for 9 months, he hardly ever left my side and never went to day care. He had a perforated ear drum from an ear infection at 6 weeks. He only had TWO ear infections between 6 weeks and 13 months---one lasted 5 months, the second lasted 7 months (trying multiple antibiotics each time with no improvement) He got ear tubes at 13 months.

So in this case....the baby exposed to more viruses and formula fed had one ear infection. The baby breastfed and "isolated" had 12 months worth. So much for their scientific research!

Off my soapbox and donning my flame retardant suit!

 

[TigH]

Hi, Paula!

I have read that drinking water helps your body metabolize fat. I have about 3 years worth of back issues of Muscle and Fitness magazine and practically every issue stresses the importance of drinking water. It seems that lots of the BIG body builders drink a gallon or more of water a day.

I know that I feel GREAT when I drink lots of water. I usually have a cup of hot tea at breakfast and then start drinking my water for the day around 10:00 in the morning. I drink quite a bit of water when I eat lunch and dinner. I'm not sure how much I am drinking per day, but I do have quite a bit more than I used to. It seems to keep me energized.

A friend of mine told me that she cut out her morning coffee and has started drinking more water. She said one day she noticed that the words on her monitor were kind of fuzzy. Then she had some water and everything got sharper! So now she says, "I don't need glasses, I just need water!"

 

[Debbie]

I choose to listen to the God given cues in my body to tell me what my body needs.

ohiominnie, you have said a lot of good things in your post. (no flames, sorry )

I think that the above quote is the best, though. We each need to research and do what we feel is right for ourselves. And chatting back and forth here IS research, informal, but informative!

I've heard the too much water claim, and I personally think that you'd have to drink a lot to get to that point.

I fully understand where Dottie's site is coming from.

I, too, have heard the suggestion that mum4jenn has posted. And that would be my goal.

For me, I know that if I don't have my water, I am up in weight before you know it. So for me, water is high priority-and lots of it. (and the trips to the bathroom DO ease as your body adjusts to the increased water! )

Bottom line, test and determine what is right for you. (Today it was a toasted tomato sandwich. Mmmmmmmm. )

 

[bunnyfoo]

Originally posted by Debbie

(and the trips to the bathroom DO ease as your body adjusts to the increased water! )

That's good to know Debbie! One of my coworkers said "You know, you wouldn't have to go so much if you didn't drink so much water." Some people just have too much time on their hands

 

[Luvinit]

Paula....I am sorry that your simple question about water has turned into such a nightmare. Please don't think that this is what WISH is about, and please don't be afraid to ask any questions. Wish has alot of new comers and I would hate for anyone to feel intimidated or afraid to post replies or questions.
I have always prided myself on making sure WISH is a positive experience for everyone. I hope you got some answers to your important question.

Tracy

 

[DISNEYFANRI]

To Tracey and all the other wonderful posters...I'm not at all bothered by the varied responses. After all if we were all on the same "plan" life would be pretty dull.

Thanks for all the great comments.

 

[ohiominnie]

Originally posted by Luvinit
Paula....I am sorry that your simple question about water has turned into such a nightmare.

I'm hoping that this isn't referring to my post! I did not intend it to be a nightmare! I'm was just pointing out the other side of the water "research."

Luvinit, if this WAS directed at me, please PM me. I'd really like to talk about it. If it wasn't, then you don't have to PM me and I'll assume all is well. (that's my paranoid side coming out...)

 

[bunnyfoo]

I know what you're talking about ohiominnie with all the different studies... I work for a media organization, so one day, I'll see a study saying one thing and then the next day there will be another study saying the complete opposite You raised a lot of good points in your post, lots of things to keep in mind