How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day – Water Are you Drinking Enough
by patient-advocate
Filed under Health-E Living
Are you Drinking Enough Water?
Our bodies are made up of over 70% water and it is involved in almost every aspect of keeping our body’s biological processes running efficiently.
Not counting perspiration, it is estimated that as adults we lose about 4% of our total body weight per day in water losses. This means, it is important to replace not only this water, but also the water we lose when participating in activities, especially in the summertime.
How do you know how much water you should drink?
Experts vary in their recommendations and the exact amount depends upon your body weight, where you live, how much exercise you do per day, and the type of environment in which you are living. But as a general rule, one quick way you can estimate how much you should be drinking is to take your body weight in pounds and divide that number by two. The result is the number of ounces that you should be drinking per day in terms of your water consumption.
For example, if you are a lady and weigh 125 pounds/2 = 62.5
So you should be aiming for at least 62.5 ounces of water per day.
Plain water is generally the best for hydration. Avoid caffeine or alcohol as these can dehydrate you further. However, if you are working out in the heat and or perspiring extensively, then it is important to replenish the electrolytes that your body loses with either an electrolyte supplement or sports drink.
Hydration and Heat
You need to increase the amount of fluids you drink if you are out in the heat. Plan your water intake before you start working out. Because everone is different it is difficult to state exact fluid requirements, but as a starting point here are some general guidelines you can use, and then modify the amounts based on your individual circumstances:
If you will be outdoors or working out extensively you should drink 2-3 cups of water before your workout (about 2-3 hours prior to exercise). During your workout a good rule of thumb is to drink about 1 cup of water for every 10-15 minutes that you are working out. Sodium is actually important if you are working out heavily, so consider adding a sports drink like the low sugar version of Gatorade (the G2) or my personal favorite which is the Crystal Light Hydration Lemon which has 10 calories per a 16 ounce bottle of water, 150 mg sodium and 70mg potassium in order to replenish the electrolytes that your body loses during exercise and sweating.
A good tip is to weigh yourself before and after exercise, and any weight loss immediately after exercising is the weight you will need to gain back in water. As always, consult with your doctor before beginning an exercise program and if you have any medications conditions that may affect your fluid intake and or exercise program make sure to ask your doctor about planning the proper amount of hydration and what types of exercises are safe for you.
Summary and Tips:
Do Drink Water Before, During and After Your Workouts
Consider Adding in a Sports Drink to Replenish Electrolytes Lost If Working out Strenously or if you’re spending time outside in the Heat or if you’re working outside
Stay away from liquids containing caffeine or alcohol, (avoid beers, colas and other similar beverages)
Signs of dehydration:
weakness or lightheadedness
exhaustion
thirst
pale skin
loss of appetite
dark colored urine
dry mouth
muscle cramps
nausea and vomiting
sweating may stop
If the dehydration continues, confusion and weakness, and then possible organ failure can occur if the dehydration is not treated.
I like adding lemon to my water, or just a bit of some electrolyte mix like some Emergen-C. This gives me some energy and also helps flavor the water so that I can drink more during the day.
I always thought I was drinking enough water until I realized that when you are already thirsty–it’s too late, and you’re already likely to be somewhat dehydrated. When I fill up my jug and put it on my desk in the morning it seems like it’s the only way I can make sure that I drink enough liquids. Otherwise, I always intend to have more water, but the day always gets the best of me and before I know it—it’s afternoon and my fluid intake isn’t enough.
Drinking water helped me finally drop about 10 pounds that I couldn’t get rid of over the holidays. So water can be good for you in other ways:-) Also, one thing I found was that when I drink diet Coke I seem to retain water and can’t seem to drop a pound. But by increasing my plain water intake–made some progress with the weight and wasn’t as hungry. I think sometimes I would eat when I was really more thirsty than hungry.
I thought I stayed fairly well hydrated, but you know it makes a difference if you actually count your intake. I was actually consuming far less water than I thought! And adding in my one cup of coffee per day means that I have to find a way to also drink another 2 cups of water in exchange for the coffee. I add a bit of sea salt to my water because some of us for medical reasons actually need salt in our diets.