Dehydration Recovery and how much water per day?

[Art&Science]

I've been lazy the last month and haven't been drinking water basically at all, the only water I am getting is from the food I eat or coffee/diet soda as that's all I've been drinking.

How much water should I be drinking to get "back to normal" and how much should I be taking in each day? I'm 6 feet tall and 230 pounds.

 

[deadken]

The amount of water you should drink each day varies based upon who you listen to. The old standard is 8 cups of 8 ounces of water a day (64 ounces). From what I've heard that 'standard' isn't rooted in science, but it is easy to remember so it seems to have become the norm. I think most people suggest around 100 ounces a day for men. A big indicator to determine if you are getting enough water is the color of your urine. If it is darker than straw (pale yellow), you likely could use more water intake. Of course if you take vitamin supplements I think the urine color test won't be effective for at least part of the day.

You should also consider that drinking certain things: Coffee, alcohol, etc... actually cause you to pee out more fluid than you drank in. So, they increase the likelihood that you'll end up dehydrated. Do a google search for diuretic for a list of things to avoid if you are worried about becoming dehydrated.

The easiest thing for me to do in order to make sure that I drink enough water was to buy a good water bottle. Once I got a good one, I carried it around with me everywhere and drank from it often. Of course, I lost a few of them in the beginning (put it down and forgot to pick it back up), so I'd start with buying a few of them when they are on sale.

I also make sure to refill my water bottle at night and leave it on my night table so I drink a lot of water as soon as I wake up. Remember, if you get 7 hours of sleep, that is 7 hours without any fluid intake. So, it is a good idea to drink in water as soon as you wake up. It's a good habit to get into and some people swear that by flushing out your kidneys as soon as you wake up, you'll lessen the chance of getting kidney stones.

A lot of people will tell you that the easiest way to reduce the calories you take in during a day is to not drink any calories. Skip the soda, sugary sports drink, etc... just drink water. I keep a few bottles of flavored seltzer around and that helps me get past any cravings for soda. After drinking seltzer water for a few days, you'll likely find that soda tastes ridiculously sweet!

 

[Sixguns]

I drink anywhere between 1-1.5 gallons a day but that is all I drink. I have some milk with protein shakes but other than that just water.

 

[slashbinslashbash]

Yeah, urine color will tell you if you're dehydrated / how dehydrated you are. Most people can get by with the stuff in their food and other drinks (the coffee/soda/caffeine dehydration thing is a myth.... ok, so caffeine acts to slightly dehydrate, but the amount of water you're drinking along with it more than balances it out) on a daily basis. A light yellow urine color is ideal. That way you're not just pissing away water but you have the right amount of bodily water to safely excrete your body's metabolic products. If your urine starts turning darker yellow then you need to drink some water.

As mentioned above, vitamins or other supplements can screw with your urine color and make it yellower than it would normally be.

 

[z1ggy]

I weight about 190lb and I drink around 96oz per day, plus whatever is in my food and that's generally okay for me.

Just remember things like coffee will dehydrate you, so if you drink that, you should have a little bit extra to compensate for that.

 

[tsiunltdus]

Doctors say the required amount is 8 8oz glasses of water a day as being sufficient. Most Doctors will also tell you to watch the color of your urine. Light yellow is good. Dark yellow need to rehydrate.

 

[Art&Science]

Well an update, a month later (appreciate the replies...).

I've been drinking 144 oz (give or take) a day. Feel a lot better.

 

[Blanky]

Drink whatever you want. The stuff about drinking certain particular goals is mostly if not all entirely junk science and baseless myth. Your body will tell you what it needs with rare exception.