Weight-Loss Death by Drinking TOO MUCH Water
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Weight-Loss
Drinking too much water is bad for you??
I just came across this article this morning in the daily paper. I'm confused as I always thought drinking more water than required would be a benefit and not a downfall.
*****
Getting enough water? I'll drink to that
Your body loses a lot of fluids during a day and needs to replace them. But choose your sources wisely
LESLIE BECK
Globe and Mail Update
Read Bio | Latest Columns
July 11, 2007 at 8:39 AM EDT
We've all heard it's important to drink plenty of water, especially in the summer, to replenish the fluids lost due to heat and physical activities.
But if you wait until you're thirsty to reach for your water bottle, chances are you're already becoming dehydrated.
Losing as little as 1 to 2 per cent of your body weight from fluids can impair your physical performance and your ability to think, not to mention increase your risk for heat stroke.
Normally, an average adult loses more than 10 cups (roughly 2.5 litres) of water each day just by breathing, sweating and excreting wastes. When it's hot outside, your body loses even more water through sweat, especially if you're active. For instance, an hour of singles tennis can drain one to 2.5 litres of water from your body, and a round of golf as many as four litres.
Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, making up roughly 60 per cent of our weight. Your body needs water to regulate its temperature, transport oxygen and nutrients to your cells, keep your skin moist and cushion your joints.
Water can keep you healthy in other ways, too. Research suggests that drinking adequate water can guard against kidney stones, constipation, some cancers and possibly heart disease.
Because your body is constantly losing water, you need to replace it by drinking fluids and, to a lesser degree, eating watery foods such as fruit and vegetables. If you don't consume enough fluids to replace losses, you'll start to feel dizzy, lightheaded or fatigued, and may get a headache and develop muscle cramps.
Other signs of mild to moderate dehydration include thirst, decreased urine output, flushed skin, dry mouth and eyes, nausea and loss of appetite. A child's irritability on a hot day may also indicate he or she is dehydrated.
If dehydration progresses, extreme thirst, lack of sweating, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, muscle spasms and heat injury can occur. At its most serious, it can lead to life-threatening heat stroke.
Some people are at greater risk of suffering the effects of dehydration. Young children, older adults, people working outdoors in hot weather and people with poorly controlled diabetes or other chronic illnesses are more susceptible to becoming dehydrated.
And there's the exercise factor. If you don't drink enough before, during and after exercise, your heart beats harder, your body temperature rises and, ultimately, your performance suffers.
But it is possible, if uncommon, to have too much of a good thing.
If you drink too much water, the kidneys can't keep up and are unable to excrete the excess. Your blood becomes diluted, resulting in low blood sodium (hyponatremia), which can lead to swelling of the brain.
Even if you drink a lot of water, you're unlikely to experience hyponatremia as long as you do it over the course of the day as opposed to drinking an enormous volume at one time. Endurance athletes such as marathon runners and triathletes, who drink large amounts of water, are at greater risk.
It turns out that all beverages - excluding alcoholic ones - count toward your daily water requirements: water, fruit juice, milk, soy beverages, soft drinks, even coffee and tea.
(While older studies demonstrated caffeine to have a weak, short-term diuretic effect, recent studies do not. The body adjusts to caffeine within five days of regular use, greatly reducing its mild effect of fluid loss.)
Even so, there are some better fluid choices, particularly if you're counting calories. Research suggests that we don't register the calories we drink as well as the ones we eat.
A U.S. research panel reviewed studies on beverages and health, and has proposed a guide for choosing what to drink. Published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the "beverage guidance system" ranks drinks based on their calorie and nutrient content.
Plain water outranked all other beverages because it has no calories, no sugar, no sodium and may provide some calcium, magnesium and fluoride.
Water was followed by, in order, unsweetened coffee and tea, low-fat milk and soy beverages, diet drinks, calorie beverages with some nutrients (fruit juices, sports drinks) and sugary beverages (soft drinks, fruit drinks).
To avoid consuming too many calories from beverages, the panel recommends limiting drinks to at most 10 per cent of daily calories. In other words, you shouldn't sip more than 200 calories, if you follow a 2,000-calorie diet.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based
dietitian at the Medcan Clinic,
is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Visit her website at lesliebeck.com.
*****
How much to drink
The U.S.-based Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends the following daily intake of water:
Adult men: 13 cups (3.2 litres);
Adult women: nine cups (2.2 litres);
Children ages 4 to 8: five cups (1.2 litres);
Children ages 9 to 13: eight cups (two litres);
Teenaged girls: eight cups (two litres);
Teenaged boys: 11 cups (2.6 litres);
Pregnant women: add one cup (250 millilitres);
Breastfeeding women: add four cups (one litre).
When exercising
Before: two cups (500 ml) fluids;
During: one-half to one cup (125 to 250 ml) fluids every 15 to 20 minutes. Sports drinks are recommended if exercising longer than an hour;
After: Two cups (500 ml) fluids for every pound of body weight lost.
Leslie Beck
How to fight fluid loss
Know the signs of dehydration.
Have a glass of water when you first get up.
Drink fluids with each meal and throughout the day.
Keep a pitcher of water on your desk as a reminder.
If you don't like plain water, flavour it with a splash of blueberry or pomegranate juice. Or add a slice of lemon.
When you travel, carry a bottle of water with you.
Have a water bottle handy when you exercise.
Leslie Beck
I just came across this article this morning in the daily paper. I'm confused as I always thought drinking more water than required would be a benefit and not a downfall.
*****
Getting enough water? I'll drink to that
Your body loses a lot of fluids during a day and needs to replace them. But choose your sources wisely
LESLIE BECK
Globe and Mail Update
Read Bio | Latest Columns
July 11, 2007 at 8:39 AM EDT
We've all heard it's important to drink plenty of water, especially in the summer, to replenish the fluids lost due to heat and physical activities.
But if you wait until you're thirsty to reach for your water bottle, chances are you're already becoming dehydrated.
Losing as little as 1 to 2 per cent of your body weight from fluids can impair your physical performance and your ability to think, not to mention increase your risk for heat stroke.
Normally, an average adult loses more than 10 cups (roughly 2.5 litres) of water each day just by breathing, sweating and excreting wastes. When it's hot outside, your body loses even more water through sweat, especially if you're active. For instance, an hour of singles tennis can drain one to 2.5 litres of water from your body, and a round of golf as many as four litres.
Water is the most abundant compound in the human body, making up roughly 60 per cent of our weight. Your body needs water to regulate its temperature, transport oxygen and nutrients to your cells, keep your skin moist and cushion your joints.
Water can keep you healthy in other ways, too. Research suggests that drinking adequate water can guard against kidney stones, constipation, some cancers and possibly heart disease.
Because your body is constantly losing water, you need to replace it by drinking fluids and, to a lesser degree, eating watery foods such as fruit and vegetables. If you don't consume enough fluids to replace losses, you'll start to feel dizzy, lightheaded or fatigued, and may get a headache and develop muscle cramps.
Other signs of mild to moderate dehydration include thirst, decreased urine output, flushed skin, dry mouth and eyes, nausea and loss of appetite. A child's irritability on a hot day may also indicate he or she is dehydrated.
If dehydration progresses, extreme thirst, lack of sweating, low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, muscle spasms and heat injury can occur. At its most serious, it can lead to life-threatening heat stroke.
Some people are at greater risk of suffering the effects of dehydration. Young children, older adults, people working outdoors in hot weather and people with poorly controlled diabetes or other chronic illnesses are more susceptible to becoming dehydrated.
And there's the exercise factor. If you don't drink enough before, during and after exercise, your heart beats harder, your body temperature rises and, ultimately, your performance suffers.
But it is possible, if uncommon, to have too much of a good thing.
If you drink too much water, the kidneys can't keep up and are unable to excrete the excess. Your blood becomes diluted, resulting in low blood sodium (hyponatremia), which can lead to swelling of the brain.
Even if you drink a lot of water, you're unlikely to experience hyponatremia as long as you do it over the course of the day as opposed to drinking an enormous volume at one time. Endurance athletes such as marathon runners and triathletes, who drink large amounts of water, are at greater risk.
It turns out that all beverages - excluding alcoholic ones - count toward your daily water requirements: water, fruit juice, milk, soy beverages, soft drinks, even coffee and tea.
(While older studies demonstrated caffeine to have a weak, short-term diuretic effect, recent studies do not. The body adjusts to caffeine within five days of regular use, greatly reducing its mild effect of fluid loss.)
Even so, there are some better fluid choices, particularly if you're counting calories. Research suggests that we don't register the calories we drink as well as the ones we eat.
A U.S. research panel reviewed studies on beverages and health, and has proposed a guide for choosing what to drink. Published last year in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the "beverage guidance system" ranks drinks based on their calorie and nutrient content.
Plain water outranked all other beverages because it has no calories, no sugar, no sodium and may provide some calcium, magnesium and fluoride.
Water was followed by, in order, unsweetened coffee and tea, low-fat milk and soy beverages, diet drinks, calorie beverages with some nutrients (fruit juices, sports drinks) and sugary beverages (soft drinks, fruit drinks).
To avoid consuming too many calories from beverages, the panel recommends limiting drinks to at most 10 per cent of daily calories. In other words, you shouldn't sip more than 200 calories, if you follow a 2,000-calorie diet.
Leslie Beck, a Toronto-based
dietitian at the Medcan Clinic,
is on CTV's Canada AM every Wednesday. Visit her website at lesliebeck.com.
*****
How much to drink
The U.S.-based Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences recommends the following daily intake of water:
Adult men: 13 cups (3.2 litres);
Adult women: nine cups (2.2 litres);
Children ages 4 to 8: five cups (1.2 litres);
Children ages 9 to 13: eight cups (two litres);
Teenaged girls: eight cups (two litres);
Teenaged boys: 11 cups (2.6 litres);
Pregnant women: add one cup (250 millilitres);
Breastfeeding women: add four cups (one litre).
When exercising
Before: two cups (500 ml) fluids;
During: one-half to one cup (125 to 250 ml) fluids every 15 to 20 minutes. Sports drinks are recommended if exercising longer than an hour;
After: Two cups (500 ml) fluids for every pound of body weight lost.
Leslie Beck
How to fight fluid loss
Know the signs of dehydration.
Have a glass of water when you first get up.
Drink fluids with each meal and throughout the day.
Keep a pitcher of water on your desk as a reminder.
If you don't like plain water, flavour it with a splash of blueberry or pomegranate juice. Or add a slice of lemon.
When you travel, carry a bottle of water with you.
Have a water bottle handy when you exercise.
Leslie Beck
foreveryoung
New member
ive always known about water. having had kidney problems since birth ive had it drummed into me to have enough but not too much. when i wake up i have a glass of warm water with a slice of lemon gets your body waking up with ya
Most people just aren't at risk for the "too much water is really bad for you" thing. It is almost always limited to elite endurance athletes who drink like a fish while competing, and even then it's really rare. I don't know why it's been mentioned here so much.
Basically when you're in something like a marathon, your kidneys can almost shut down during the event. Then, if you drink way too much straight water during this time, you have wayyy too much in your system, and this can dilute key electrolytes such as sodium but it can also dilute and wash away other things such as potassium, which leads to cramps. So basically what ends up happening is that every now and then you'll get somebody who crosses the finish line at the Boston Marathon, collapses and dies, then everybody who wants to exercise more and lose weight and therefore reads about proper water intake just freaks out.
Basically when you're in something like a marathon, your kidneys can almost shut down during the event. Then, if you drink way too much straight water during this time, you have wayyy too much in your system, and this can dilute key electrolytes such as sodium but it can also dilute and wash away other things such as potassium, which leads to cramps. So basically what ends up happening is that every now and then you'll get somebody who crosses the finish line at the Boston Marathon, collapses and dies, then everybody who wants to exercise more and lose weight and therefore reads about proper water intake just freaks out.
Are you saying that 8x8 is way too much? That's only half a gallon. If that is way too much, then what is proper... half that? That's barely over just one of my water bottles, all day. I can't imagine doing that.
TomO
0
This "8x8" myth came out a report issued several years ago on how much water the typical person needs. The recommendation was about 64 ounces. But what got left out of it was the sentences after that recommendation, where the authors made it clear that all the foods you ingest count toward that 64 ozs as far as water content - coffee, fruit, etc.
Instead, "gurus" picked up on the 64 oz. idea, made it into a convenient phrase, "8x8", and the myth prevailed from that point on. It has gotten so ridiculous that the biggest problem in marathons now is not from dehydration; it's from people drinking too much water.
Along with that myth came the preposterous assumption that everyone on the planet is walking around in a constant state of dehydration. That one is especially amusing, given that people today have far more access to water (everywhere but Africa, at least) than they ever had. If everyone is dehydraated today, how did the human race survive all these millions of years?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an advocate of dehydration. But generally, your body will tell you when to drink water. If you're on a long bike ride, you don't guzzle a gallon of water every hour just because of some myth. If you're like most riders, you drink about 1 bottle an hour, unless it's extremely hot and/or humid outside.
The reason I don't like the "8x8" myth is the same reason I don't like any weight-loss "gimmick", e.g. the one about not eating anything after 7pm. These gimmicks give you a false sense of what is going on in your body, and in some cases create a paranoia that is completely ridiculous.
Well, this is exactly what I was talking about. I just really don't think it's as big of a problem as alot of people think. It's very rare for people to get this condition due to drinking too much water, and even when it does happen it is often an insane amount of water (and usually only water... nothing with sodium and electrolytes) in a very short period of time often under very grueling conditions. For example, look at the Wikipedia post... one of the guys mentioned drank 3 gallons of water on a 12 mile bike ride. Big difference in that and saying that 64 ounces all throughout the day is more than enough. Usually this condition is causes by some other medical condition. The death rate for this condition is extremely high, yet you might hear of one case per year of this happening, from anywhere in the world. In 2002 there were a whopping two deaths at marathons, one at Boston and one at the Marine's, and apparently that caused alot of people to be highly concerned. Hundreds of thousands of people racing in marathons all across the globe and one or two people at the most dies per year from getting too crazy drinking... now all of a sudden everybody, including non-elite runners and even people who don't exercise much, are all freaked out about it.
People are getting freaked out about a condition that happens extremely rarely and is almost always caused by an insane amount of water intake, which you should know better than to do. You've got a much better chance of getting run over by a car. I don't understand the fear.
Yep, I did that Sunday morning, and still got crazy dehydrated to the point of everything locking up and didn't wizz for hours. I don't recommend it. Actually I don't recommend drinking water at if you're doing anything athletic, as you need to be taking in electrolytes. I always use PowerBar mix and get some sodium back into me. I still came up way short on Sunday.
Last edited:
theleip
2
Tom I pretty much agree with you but I don't at the same time.
While your claim that they are taking how dehydrated people are to extremes, you are extremely DOWNPLAYING as well.
There is a reason why people think pee should be yellow. Most people have it, and it is a sign of partial dehydration.
You mix the air quality, exercise and general activity in a day and yes people need more water than they are taking in. No coffee, not crystal light, not diet coke, but water. Why not those items? Because they cause more dehydration.
And your mention of the body will tell you if you are dehydrated, that is incorrect. Just like when you under eat the body suffocates hunger signals to use less energy, the same happens with dehydration. You may feel more "thirsty" the more hydrated you are actually, just as hunger increases the more you feed. Rarely when you do get a signal it is not of thirst usually but "hunger pains". People confuse hunger very often with dehydration.
So I am pretty much with you, i don't think you need to be downing jug after jug of water in one sitting. However, really solid hydration is very important in life fat loss or not, but especially in fat loss.
sirant
New member
I gotta go with corndoggy and leigh on this one
Whereas Tom makes some good points, and there is water in food and other drinks, I think in the long run it is healthier to have people drinking the 8X8 glasses of water a day as opposed to not. 8X8 is not excessive or dangerous in the slightest. When drinking water becomes dangerous is when people guzzle gallons at a time for no apparent reason. Add up all the cases not involving marathons or extreme sporting events or stupid contests and it becomes apparent this is not a "death by water" epidemic by any means. never has been.
But, if by drinking 8X8 glassed of water a day is helping people to control their appetites and psycologically helping them to overcome their weight loss hurdles, is not a little extra peeing worth the long term benefits of losing weight? Seriously. Anything, any single thing, whether water, beer, icecream, apples, whatever, consumed to excess is bad for you. Bottom line. We all know that already. Water is not some magical culprit which is more lethal than anything else. There are however, many, many research studies on dehydration in America and how it affects a larger part of the population than we might think. For myself if I dont drink enough water a day I get killer headaches. Bottom line and every time. I am certainly not alone.
My big concern on the constantly rehashed "water myth" is that some readers might become paranoid and begin drinking less and less water in the fears of dying and begin really suffering from dehydration, which is MUCH worse than peeing more often IMO.
Seriously. Myth or not, show me 1 example of someone dying from drinking 64 ounces of water a day and compare that to 1000's if not millions who have used those 64oz to help them (even if just psycholigically) to lose weight..... IMO any system that can help someone get over the hurdles that make losing weight so hard is valuable, peeing aside. So technically we don't "need" 64 ozs a day, would it be better to control our appetites with hoodia or ephedrine instead? If we could even afford them in the first place. For myself I would rather see everyone in the world drinking 8X8 a day if it stood the slightest hope of helping them become healthier, rather than scare them into thinking drinking water is bad or that 8 cups of coffee is the same as 8 cups of water (which of course it is not, nor is it healthy to drink that much coffee daily).
So, which "myth" is more dangerous?
One that causes us to pee too much but maybe lose weight?
or
One that scares people into not drinking water anymore?
sirant
Whereas Tom makes some good points, and there is water in food and other drinks, I think in the long run it is healthier to have people drinking the 8X8 glasses of water a day as opposed to not. 8X8 is not excessive or dangerous in the slightest. When drinking water becomes dangerous is when people guzzle gallons at a time for no apparent reason. Add up all the cases not involving marathons or extreme sporting events or stupid contests and it becomes apparent this is not a "death by water" epidemic by any means. never has been.
But, if by drinking 8X8 glassed of water a day is helping people to control their appetites and psycologically helping them to overcome their weight loss hurdles, is not a little extra peeing worth the long term benefits of losing weight? Seriously. Anything, any single thing, whether water, beer, icecream, apples, whatever, consumed to excess is bad for you. Bottom line. We all know that already. Water is not some magical culprit which is more lethal than anything else. There are however, many, many research studies on dehydration in America and how it affects a larger part of the population than we might think. For myself if I dont drink enough water a day I get killer headaches. Bottom line and every time. I am certainly not alone.
My big concern on the constantly rehashed "water myth" is that some readers might become paranoid and begin drinking less and less water in the fears of dying and begin really suffering from dehydration, which is MUCH worse than peeing more often IMO.
Seriously. Myth or not, show me 1 example of someone dying from drinking 64 ounces of water a day and compare that to 1000's if not millions who have used those 64oz to help them (even if just psycholigically) to lose weight..... IMO any system that can help someone get over the hurdles that make losing weight so hard is valuable, peeing aside. So technically we don't "need" 64 ozs a day, would it be better to control our appetites with hoodia or ephedrine instead? If we could even afford them in the first place. For myself I would rather see everyone in the world drinking 8X8 a day if it stood the slightest hope of helping them become healthier, rather than scare them into thinking drinking water is bad or that 8 cups of coffee is the same as 8 cups of water (which of course it is not, nor is it healthy to drink that much coffee daily).
So, which "myth" is more dangerous?
One that causes us to pee too much but maybe lose weight?
or
One that scares people into not drinking water anymore?
sirant
sirant
New member
hmmm, another thought....
Is peeing more really too bad?
Based on all the emails and company bulletins put out here in my company and all over the world in big corporations, we all sit at our desks (those of us with deskjobs anyways) too much as is. People are constantly being reminded to get up and stretch and move around to not only keep us fitter but also to ward off blood clots and other very serious ailments that come from sitting too long in the same position. I get up and walk around several times a day, but I know most of my coworkers stay planted from 8:30-5:30, not even getting up for lunch.... And I am noticing after being here a year, I am getting smaller and they are gettin bigger..... Coincidence?
Maybe frequent pee breaks can be helpful too.
Just a thought...
sirant
Is peeing more really too bad?
Based on all the emails and company bulletins put out here in my company and all over the world in big corporations, we all sit at our desks (those of us with deskjobs anyways) too much as is. People are constantly being reminded to get up and stretch and move around to not only keep us fitter but also to ward off blood clots and other very serious ailments that come from sitting too long in the same position. I get up and walk around several times a day, but I know most of my coworkers stay planted from 8:30-5:30, not even getting up for lunch.... And I am noticing after being here a year, I am getting smaller and they are gettin bigger..... Coincidence?
Maybe frequent pee breaks can be helpful too.
Just a thought...
sirant
foreveryoung
New member
i think its better to drink more than 8x8. somedays i drink 4 litres of water in a day! as long as you know WHEN and WHY to drink water, and drink it sensibly eg not gulping down a litre a time youll be fine. and its good to pee as often as you can. its good for ya kidneys. when i was young and my kidney was failing i used to drink a pint of water when i woke up to take the pills i had to for the morning. and if you look at pics of me when i was young i was skinny as a rake. this is beacuse i used to drink so much water, i never used to excercise, kidney pains either left me asleep or lying down tryin to sleep. when i had my offending kidney removed, i had free reign over drink and food and put on A LOT OF WEIGHT. the last year ive been getting back into the habit of drinking water again, as i had a kidney scare, kidney is ok now but ive learnt how good water is for you and for weight control. so drink water if you want to loose weight.
i think its BS how some websites say coke and fizzy drinks counts as water. the only place you can get real pure water is plain water, no fizz, no sugary shit, just water. stop drinking the fizzy shit and passing it off as "part of your 8x8" and get real, it wont help you loose weight even if it has diet written on the side.
i think its BS how some websites say coke and fizzy drinks counts as water. the only place you can get real pure water is plain water, no fizz, no sugary shit, just water. stop drinking the fizzy shit and passing it off as "part of your 8x8" and get real, it wont help you loose weight even if it has diet written on the side.
I agree with Tom and btw how did you get down to 13% body fat? Nice.
I drink when I'm thirsty, I never force myself to down some water based on some 8x8 urban legend. Tom is right, when they did the study it included what you consume in food as well, and pale yellow is normal btw. If you want to make me a convert on the 8x8 theory show me a scientific study that is peer reviewed, then I'll believe you.
I've never had a problem with dehydration and if being thirsty is a sign of dehydration why do I never show any other symptoms?
Drinking to curb your appetite is a short cut, the real problem is self discipline which a lot of people don't want to hear.
I drink when I'm thirsty, I never force myself to down some water based on some 8x8 urban legend. Tom is right, when they did the study it included what you consume in food as well, and pale yellow is normal btw. If you want to make me a convert on the 8x8 theory show me a scientific study that is peer reviewed, then I'll believe you.
I've never had a problem with dehydration and if being thirsty is a sign of dehydration why do I never show any other symptoms?
Drinking to curb your appetite is a short cut, the real problem is self discipline which a lot of people don't want to hear.
I've seen one study that says SOME people can drink as little as 1.2 liters of water all day without showing signs of dehydration, and that seems to be the lowest amount possible. That's still about 5 glasses. I don't see why that saying that most people actually need 8 is all that crazy.
Besides, once you consider that if you're exercising and sweating hard, you can lose that much and more in a single hour, it's really not crazy at all. Yes, you can sweat out 5 glasses worth in a single hour, or more. I've seen examples showing fluid loss of being about 1.2 liters per hour, but one study I saw had some people losing nearly 4 pounds worth of fluids in one hour. That's within a few ounces of being half a gallon... which, is your entire 8x8 amount, all in one hour! Does 8x8 all day really seem to be that insanely high of a number with that in mind?
Besides, once you consider that if you're exercising and sweating hard, you can lose that much and more in a single hour, it's really not crazy at all. Yes, you can sweat out 5 glasses worth in a single hour, or more. I've seen examples showing fluid loss of being about 1.2 liters per hour, but one study I saw had some people losing nearly 4 pounds worth of fluids in one hour. That's within a few ounces of being half a gallon... which, is your entire 8x8 amount, all in one hour! Does 8x8 all day really seem to be that insanely high of a number with that in mind?
Exotic_Wind
New member
I think is kinda scary just having one kidney and drinking 4L a day. Really. I just came from a college exam about kidney physiology so I guess I must know what I'm talking about...
TomO
0
See, this is exactly why I don't like the 8x8 myth. People think they actually lose weight because of the water they're drinking! They lose weight, barring some glandular abnormality, because they are expending more calories than they consume. Drinking a lot of water can be a "gimmick" that will work for some people to make them feel full. But it won't work for everyone, and if you're getting enough fluid, you shouldn't fret about being "dehydrated".
The thing about the 8x8 myth is that is starts with 8 glasses a day, and goes up from there. Yes, when I work out hard, I drink more water. If I go on a 6 hour bike ride, I'll probably drink at least one bottle an hour, which would come to about a gallon and a half. But on days I don't work out, I'll only drink a glass or two a day. However, I drink 3 cups of coffee a day, and eat lots of fruit -- in other words, I'm getting my 64 ozs., only in other forms.
As for not being able to lose weight if you don't drink "enough" water, well, as far as my history goes, that's crap.
8x8 isn't that high and with intense exercise I can easily go over that number. The other day I tried drinking 12 oz. before a one hour workout. Well...the water sloshing around in me was very uncomfortable and I'll never do that again, my stomach felt like choppy waves on the ocean.
What I object to is the hysteria, exaggeration and complete lack of scientific evidence. Here is a recent true story...
A co-worker of mine who is always up on the latest trends offers to drive me to a meeting. We leave our air conditioned office and walk 50 feet to the car. As I sit down the AC is cranked on to full blast and we pull off. I can't help but notice the two chilled water bottles, obviously one is for me. A few minutes into the 15 minute drive (to another air conditioned place) the inevitable begins....
Co-worker: "I always carry water around with me, it is important to be well hydrated."
Me (slightly embarrassed): "Mmm, hmm".
Co-worker: "Have some, I brought you a bottle."
Me (feeling obliged now): "Not really thirsty but I'll have a little sip."
Co-worker: "Good, good, don't you feel better already? Keep drinking. You know we won't have any water during the meeting and it may last an hour. Our body is 80% water you know, drinking will keep your skin young."
Me (am I sitting next to a talking billboard?): "Indeed...come to think of it maybe that is why animals who live in the sea have such smooth skin, except of course for sharks, wonder why they are different..."
Co-worker (ignores my sarcasm): "We are almost there, have some more before we go in."
Me: "Um sure, do you remember where the bathroom was?".
Co-worker (pride in voice): "Oh yes I frequent it often, down the stairs, to the left and then it is the last door on the right."
Me: (vicariously imagining this person in a broken down car in death valley) "Thanks!"
Co-worker: "They really should provide water for these meetings, I'm going to bring it up during the open session".
What I object to is the hysteria, exaggeration and complete lack of scientific evidence. Here is a recent true story...
A co-worker of mine who is always up on the latest trends offers to drive me to a meeting. We leave our air conditioned office and walk 50 feet to the car. As I sit down the AC is cranked on to full blast and we pull off. I can't help but notice the two chilled water bottles, obviously one is for me. A few minutes into the 15 minute drive (to another air conditioned place) the inevitable begins....
Co-worker: "I always carry water around with me, it is important to be well hydrated."
Me (slightly embarrassed): "Mmm, hmm".
Co-worker: "Have some, I brought you a bottle."
Me (feeling obliged now): "Not really thirsty but I'll have a little sip."
Co-worker: "Good, good, don't you feel better already? Keep drinking. You know we won't have any water during the meeting and it may last an hour. Our body is 80% water you know, drinking will keep your skin young."
Me (am I sitting next to a talking billboard?): "Indeed...come to think of it maybe that is why animals who live in the sea have such smooth skin, except of course for sharks, wonder why they are different..."
Co-worker (ignores my sarcasm): "We are almost there, have some more before we go in."
Me: "Um sure, do you remember where the bathroom was?".
Co-worker (pride in voice): "Oh yes I frequent it often, down the stairs, to the left and then it is the last door on the right."
Me: (vicariously imagining this person in a broken down car in death valley) "Thanks!"
Co-worker: "They really should provide water for these meetings, I'm going to bring it up during the open session".
I know that if I sit through a long meeting without water, I go nuts. My mouth will start feeling really weird and will almost start foaming. So, I basically unapologetically carry a 650mL Nalgene or 750mL CamelBak water bottle pretty much everywhere, but I don't preach to my coworkers about it. I'll usually go through 5 of those a day, plus a little milk and juice, plus more water and/or sports drinks if I workout in the heat and sweat alot. I probably average a gallon and a half of fluids daily. I'll go wizz every 1.5 to 2 hours or so. I don't exactly call that extremely frequent.
One thing that gets overlooked is the dilution of chemicals. The chemicals and particles that your kidneys are filtering out can cause kidney stones and other complications if they are too concentrated. So yes, even though you may not be thirsty and your muscles and digestive systems may be working ok... you may be harming your kidneys. The people who are saying that coffee, diet coke, and even water from your food counts just as much as water does just don't understand this.
One thing that gets overlooked is the dilution of chemicals. The chemicals and particles that your kidneys are filtering out can cause kidney stones and other complications if they are too concentrated. So yes, even though you may not be thirsty and your muscles and digestive systems may be working ok... you may be harming your kidneys. The people who are saying that coffee, diet coke, and even water from your food counts just as much as water does just don't understand this.
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sirant
New member
Boy this is getting silly..... Again!
A lady dies in a stupid contest and a few uniformed extreme athletes die from SEVERE water consumption and its the warpath again on water....
These debates over whether to drink 64oz a day are kinda useless in a way, no offense. The reality of the situation is simply "different strokes for different folks" What works for you likely doesnt for a hell of a lot of other people.
Technically yes, Tom is right, some people can happily live with 1 glass of water a day and get by with water found in other sources.
*No argument. There are many people out there exactly the same.
Drinking water is not a "miracle weight loss cure" or appetite suppresant.
*I agree. There is no guaranteed weight loss cure. We all know that already dont we??
The amount of water you drink will not directly affect gaining or losing weight.
*100% true IMO. You can drink water till the cows come home while eating crap and not lose weight, in fact you could gain.
However......
On the other side of the coin,
Drinking 64oz a day (not 5 gallons in one sitting after running a marathon) will NOT kill you.
*Please show me 1 (only 1 and I will shut up forever) example of someone dying from drinking 64 oz of water over the course of a day. I am not talking people with kidney problems or other water realted types of problems here, those of course should be handled by a doctor anyways. I am talking about myself and the average joe blow on the street. I drink much more than 64ozs daily and I dont pee levery 30 minutes either.
Drinking water DOES suppress appetite for some of us, myself included. And thus, it DID help with my weight loss.
* So is my 65 pound success invalid because I used a "false" or "mythical" tool to lose weight? I believe it is VERY shortsighted to say it doesnt work. Even if purely psychological it worked and continues to work for myself and many many others. Makes me feel good. Whats wrong with a gimmick like that? No harm no foul.
Drinking water may not in itself make you skinny or fat, nor will dieting, exercising, positive thinking, joining weight loss programs or any other technique.
* weight loss is something that is a combination of several factors, biggest of all being the right mind set to do it for real. No one technique on its own is guaranteed. I never claimed to lose all that weight just form drinking water, but by god it sure helped me a lot! For the record I dont do HIIT, I dont go to the gym, I dont lift weights, I dont do a lot of the things many people say will make you lose weight. I commute home from work by running and watch what I eat more carefully. According to many out there I shouldnt be losing weight, but here I am doing it....
********************************************************
In my very honest (perhaps too honest) opinion, this whole debate is an exercise in futility. For every person out there who tells you Hoodia works and makes the difference, there are just as many who claim its crap. For ever person out there who think its great I run everyday, there are just as many telling me I am an idiot and ruining my life for the future. For every person who cuts carbs out of their diet their are just as many who tell them what a bad idea it is. For every anti-ephedra advocate out there, there is a person who lost all their excess weight because of it. And for everyone who thinks drinking 64oz of water a day is bad for you or unnecessary, there are just as many whose lives have changed for the better as a direct result. Myself included.
I think the most important thing we are ALL missing here is the big ole' bottom line. If it works for you, do it! If it don't, don't! Plain and simple.
Whereas I would never preach to people they should force themselves to drink more than they are comfortable with, I would also never reccomend they NOT drink as much as they needed. Myself, I do get dehydrated and get headaches. I did lose a bunch of weight and I truly believe controlling my appetite with drinking lots of water helped. Does the fact some consider it a "gimmick" mean I should forget about it even though it is working for me?
Come on people. Enough with the scare tactics and warnings. Myth, gimmick, fad or whatever, 64 oz drunk over the course of a day isnt going to kill the average joe. Why not concentrate these efforts on those poor bastards out there taking dangerous stimulants and drugs to lose weight? I think they are in much more dire need than us water drinkers.
And really, why try to scare people anyways? Water is not ephedra, expensive weight loss pills, a starvation diet, or dangerous chemical mixture. Its just drinking water. As discussed here over and over, so far the worst case scenario with 8 glasses a day is peeing more than you are comfortable with, not death or massive injury. Certainly less scary than "You will DIE if you drink to much water!"
For the record, there are a few posts here after the first round (that I saw anyways) of this silly topic of people here saying "OMG, I had no idea water was so bad! I will switch to gatorade or other drinks instead!" Not too cool....
Should I stop drinking 8 glasses a day even though I dont pee every 30 minutes and I am losing weight and I do feel fantastic? Would you take the most successfull and happy time in my ENTIRE life away from me because you believe my water consumption is bad for me?
Seriously now, can't we just let this issue die already?
sirant
A lady dies in a stupid contest and a few uniformed extreme athletes die from SEVERE water consumption and its the warpath again on water....
These debates over whether to drink 64oz a day are kinda useless in a way, no offense. The reality of the situation is simply "different strokes for different folks" What works for you likely doesnt for a hell of a lot of other people.
Technically yes, Tom is right, some people can happily live with 1 glass of water a day and get by with water found in other sources.
*No argument. There are many people out there exactly the same.
Drinking water is not a "miracle weight loss cure" or appetite suppresant.
*I agree. There is no guaranteed weight loss cure. We all know that already dont we??
The amount of water you drink will not directly affect gaining or losing weight.
*100% true IMO. You can drink water till the cows come home while eating crap and not lose weight, in fact you could gain.
However......
On the other side of the coin,
Drinking 64oz a day (not 5 gallons in one sitting after running a marathon) will NOT kill you.
*Please show me 1 (only 1 and I will shut up forever) example of someone dying from drinking 64 oz of water over the course of a day. I am not talking people with kidney problems or other water realted types of problems here, those of course should be handled by a doctor anyways. I am talking about myself and the average joe blow on the street. I drink much more than 64ozs daily and I dont pee levery 30 minutes either.
Drinking water DOES suppress appetite for some of us, myself included. And thus, it DID help with my weight loss.
* So is my 65 pound success invalid because I used a "false" or "mythical" tool to lose weight? I believe it is VERY shortsighted to say it doesnt work. Even if purely psychological it worked and continues to work for myself and many many others. Makes me feel good. Whats wrong with a gimmick like that? No harm no foul.
Drinking water may not in itself make you skinny or fat, nor will dieting, exercising, positive thinking, joining weight loss programs or any other technique.
* weight loss is something that is a combination of several factors, biggest of all being the right mind set to do it for real. No one technique on its own is guaranteed. I never claimed to lose all that weight just form drinking water, but by god it sure helped me a lot! For the record I dont do HIIT, I dont go to the gym, I dont lift weights, I dont do a lot of the things many people say will make you lose weight. I commute home from work by running and watch what I eat more carefully. According to many out there I shouldnt be losing weight, but here I am doing it....
********************************************************
In my very honest (perhaps too honest) opinion, this whole debate is an exercise in futility. For every person out there who tells you Hoodia works and makes the difference, there are just as many who claim its crap. For ever person out there who think its great I run everyday, there are just as many telling me I am an idiot and ruining my life for the future. For every person who cuts carbs out of their diet their are just as many who tell them what a bad idea it is. For every anti-ephedra advocate out there, there is a person who lost all their excess weight because of it. And for everyone who thinks drinking 64oz of water a day is bad for you or unnecessary, there are just as many whose lives have changed for the better as a direct result. Myself included.
I think the most important thing we are ALL missing here is the big ole' bottom line. If it works for you, do it! If it don't, don't! Plain and simple.
Whereas I would never preach to people they should force themselves to drink more than they are comfortable with, I would also never reccomend they NOT drink as much as they needed. Myself, I do get dehydrated and get headaches. I did lose a bunch of weight and I truly believe controlling my appetite with drinking lots of water helped. Does the fact some consider it a "gimmick" mean I should forget about it even though it is working for me?
Come on people. Enough with the scare tactics and warnings. Myth, gimmick, fad or whatever, 64 oz drunk over the course of a day isnt going to kill the average joe. Why not concentrate these efforts on those poor bastards out there taking dangerous stimulants and drugs to lose weight? I think they are in much more dire need than us water drinkers.
And really, why try to scare people anyways? Water is not ephedra, expensive weight loss pills, a starvation diet, or dangerous chemical mixture. Its just drinking water. As discussed here over and over, so far the worst case scenario with 8 glasses a day is peeing more than you are comfortable with, not death or massive injury. Certainly less scary than "You will DIE if you drink to much water!"
For the record, there are a few posts here after the first round (that I saw anyways) of this silly topic of people here saying "OMG, I had no idea water was so bad! I will switch to gatorade or other drinks instead!" Not too cool....
Should I stop drinking 8 glasses a day even though I dont pee every 30 minutes and I am losing weight and I do feel fantastic? Would you take the most successfull and happy time in my ENTIRE life away from me because you believe my water consumption is bad for me?
Seriously now, can't we just let this issue die already?
sirant
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