How Much Liquid Do You Drink Every Day?

#1

Hi,
This is probably an odd question for this place. But I need some idea where I am compared to everyone else.
I’m in my 50’s and I typically only drink about 16-24oz of liquids per day. That includes my morning cup of coffee. Most days it leans more towards 16oz. or less. My body simply never wants or asks for more liquid than that.
A few months ago I noticed the area below my eyes getting darker. But I assumed that was due to normal ageing. * Getting old sucks! *
So of course I went on the internet to see if I could find any information. And I was shocked that the general recommendation is Eight 8oz glasses of water per day.
There’s no way in hell I could ever drink that much!

What I’m doing now is taking one or two regular sized gulps of water every 30mins. But it’s been tough. I feel full and bloated all of the time now.
Frankly I feel like I’m drowning myself.
At the end of the day I’m now drinking about a total of 32oz. Which is still far short of the 8x8oz rule. I’ve only been doing it for a couple of days so I don’t know if it’s helping yet.
Can I please ask you folks how much liquid you’re drinking per day? I need to get an idea where I fit in with everyone else.

In case it matters. My body stats are :
Height 5’9"
About 178 lbs.
Athletic type build.

Thanks,
-ScottA

#2

This idea of forcing down water because “the internet” says so is bizarre. I remember that there was a case here in Sweden where a women died from water poisoning. She was about to attend some yoga retreat and they recommended that the participants drank A LOT of water before hand to “cleanse” their bodies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication

An article on the subject from the Swedish research institute that selects the noble prize winner in medicine:
http://ki.se/en/research/stop-gulping-away-youre-not-short-of-water

Conclusion. Everything in moderation.

#3

Thanks for the reply.
I’m looking for actual numbers though. I’m just curious to know where I am related to everyone else.

-ScottA

#4

Such an odd topic for a CG related forum, but hey…

I typically drink about 24-32oz daily because I sit for most of the day. If it’s a hot day, I drink more. If I do a lot more walking (an hour’s worth or about 4 miles), I drink more. If I talk extensively for a presentation or at a meeting (my daily quota of talking doesn’t go far beyond greetings and mealtime conversations), I drink more. So if your daily routine is similar to mine, then you and I are in the same ballpark on daily drinking quota.

This topic was discussed in my social circle before (and water intoxication was brought up too), and somebody mentioned that it does not address the amount of water already in food consumed. Like, for example, soups and fruits. So if you eat cereal with milk for breakfast, that’s gotta contribute toward the “recommended” 64oz total, right? We never reached a definitive conclusion about that, but it seemed like a reasonable thing at the time.

#5

I’m also 5’9, just turned 45, and weigh 156 lbs. I drink around 64 oz. a day. I didn’t used to drink that much–just whenever I got thirsty. But after reading the same “8 glasses of 8 oz. a day” that you did several years ago, I got in the habit of drinking more. I buy large 64 oz. drinking containers like this and drink out of it all day (I don’t drink tea or coffee): http://shop.coolgearinc.com/64oz-cove-bottle/

Next to my bed I have a 24 oz. bottle, and the first thing I do when I wake up is to drink at least 16 oz. of water to hydrate myself.

When I go out, I make sure to carry that same 24 oz. water bottle in my car. It’s too easy to forget to drink water when you’re out, and buying any kind of soft drink or bottled water (or coffee) while out is just a waste of money to me, not to mention most of what you can buy isn’t healthy (too much sugar).

Although 64 oz. isn’t necessary for everyone, especially if you live a dormant lifestyle (which I do), but 16-24 oz. is way too little IMO, no matter your age/size. Our body requires enough liquid to flush out all the toxins and to work properly, and especially for older people who are at risk for heart conditions, you need to make sure your blood isn’t too thick, making it more difficult for your heart to pump (and maybe make it more dangerous for strokes too?).

#6

I’m 61, 5’9 145lbs, I drink about 45-60 oz of liquids a day (coffee, water, milk) and don’t for get you also get some liquids from food. I stay active from work and working out ( 5 to 7 days a week ). in general taking in liquids helps your body in various ways but each individual is different. my intake is good for me. I would suggest increase it by 8 or 12 oz daily and see how that goes and adjust up/down.

#7

Thanks a lot folks. Exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
I know it’s a strange subject for this place. But I’ve posted here for years. And you’re all people. So you’re just as good as any other group of people to ask.
On the water from food part. I should have said that I don’t eat a lot. So I probably don’t get much water from that either.
I watch the amount I eat very carefully. In order to maintain a 34" waist. It’s just something I’ve always done to try and stay healthy.

I don’t know how you people can drink that much (64oz). I can’t do it. My body doesn’t want it.
But I’m going to keep trying to get at least near there.

Drinking every 30mins. isn’t working for me. So I’m going to try drinking larger amounts spaced farther apart next.
After three days of drinking more. I do think the dark area under my eyes is getting better. So I think it’s helping. I just need to find a way to be more comfortable.
Just goes to show that you can’t always do what your body tells you.

Thanks a lot for the feedback,
-ScottA

#8

Everybody is different. The whole eight 8oz cup rule is just something somebody made up because it sounded good. In reality, based on your body type, size, and exercise level, what you need is different than what the next person does.

That said, a relatively safe rule of thumb tends to be:
Halve your weight and drink that in fluid ounces.
So, for example, you weigh 180lbs. Half of that is 90. Drink 90oz.

It sounds like a lot, but it really isn’t. Drink a 20oz bottle of water in the morning and in the evening and you’re already almost halfway there. Have one with lunch and dinner and you’ve already hit 80z. You’ll actually hit your mark rather quickly. This is especially true since you’re actually getting some of that water from the various foods you consume.

Just keep in mind that, if you exercise, you should always replenish whatever you lose. This is in addition to your basic requirements.

Also beware of coffee. Yes. Coffee has water. HOWEVER, caffeine is a known diuretic and can actually do more harm than good. Instead of adding to your water consumption, you may actually be dehydrating yourself with that java.

Caffeine isn’t all bad, but you have to be aware of what it is you’re drinking. For example, a typical 8oz cup drip coffee contains about 5x as much caffeine as ONE 12oz can of Coke. That’s why you feel so buzzed after that 2nd cup. You just about had a case of cola. :stuck_out_tongue: Of course, brands can make a huge difference too, as does brewing method. Size too. Watch out for that grande.

Still, in moderation, you can have some caffeine and it won’t take away too much from your body’s water supply.

And if you’re worried about peeing too much with all of that water… You’ll get used to it.

Don’t overdo you water consumption though. You can actually die of acute water poisoning/intoxication. Too much water and you can severely offset your electrolyte balance. That can lead to a disturbance in bodily functions, including your brain, and ultimately result in death. People have died of water intoxication before. It’s not all that uncommon.

#9

This is a great read, Waterlogged , mostly focused on athletic types, but the information about hydration is universal. A good rule of thumb, don’t force yourself to drink huge quantities of water to the point of bloating, we are not camels. I wouldn’t worry about water intoxication, that takes an extreme consumption of water. Listen to your body, and if something seems off, it may be unrelated to water consumption, e.g. salt or sugar intake, gaps of time through the day not drinking water, etc.

#10

I’ve seen that weight formula too. And there’s no way in hell I can drink anywhere near that much liquid every day.
I’m having trouble just getting 32oz down per day. So I don’t think I’m in danger of over hydration.
I’ve trained my body to live on very little food and very little water for decades. And my body has had no negative effects from that until recently.
It’s not difficult for me at all to not have ANY water at all for an entire day. Some days I would be very busy and forget to drink something.
My urine was never overly dark and my stool has always been textbook perfect. And I’m in very good shape for my age. Not many men my age have a six pack and 34" waist like I do.

It wasn’t until recently that I noticed that my eyes were getting very dark (which is partially hereditary from my father). And some other things I won’t go into.
So It’s very strange how suddenly now, after all of this time, I’m seeing negative effects from my diet and water intake. I guess it just took about four decades to catch up with me. shrug
Drinking more water has definitely helped. I just can’t seem to get down more than 32oz per day. My body doesn’t like it. So I guess I’ll need to retrain my body.
Pretty strange how it’s much harder for me to learn to eat and drink more, than it was to eat and drink less.

-ScottA

#11

In this industry, or any where you are sitting all day, its always going to eventually catch up to you if lifestyle does not change over time. It sounds like its just catching up with you, I have never seen a case where it has not. I work with folks who have been in the industry for 30+ years, its caught up with them all in some way, some more, some less depending on how they edited their lifestyle over time. It doesn’t take extremes to see improvements…or, in the case of 50+, general maintenance to stay at the health level you are. You cant avoid aging, be glad you were generally healthy until 50, I see people in their 20’s doing much worse health wise due to lifestyle.

#12

The old “eight glasses of water per day” trope
is meaningless nonsense based on nothing,
likely fomented by the bottled water industry.
In modern western societies there are many threats to our health
Dangerous Dehydration is not among them

The myth busting guy Adam Connover(sp?)
(“Adam ruins everything”) ,addressed this question and
According the actual physician he intervewed on his show

“We should ignore any set formulas and realize that the human body
has a perfect built in mechanism to avoid Dangerous levels of
dehydration…thirst.”

Drink until you no longer feel thirst

I am 54 and workout 3 days a week ( weights and cardio)
I perform religous fasting every other day from sunrise to sunset.

I weigh 200lbs at 5 foot 10’’.

I doubt I drink 30 oz even on my non fasting days
As I write this, I feel thirsty so I suppose it is time to gulp down a few
ounces of H20 until the feeling is gone…cheers.

#13

Scott, from what I read, and what my times in hospitals made me understand is that 2 - 3 liter (70-90 oz) is recommended based upon your height/weight. I’ve got 2 nicely damaged kidneys but never once did any of my doctors who I see on a regular base, talk to me about how much or less I need to drink. That will change once my kidney function goes below a certain point but for now I’m still not at that point (it will happen one day though).
I’m 52 and drink + 2 liters a day, purely hot tea around 0.8L and the rest soda water. I’ve sworn off alcohol 2 years ago and don’t eat much at all.
I recently read that the lighter the color of your pee shows the better hydrated you are. :smiley:

I think whatever you feel best with, should be ok for you. Don’t force anything.

If you’re really worried you should ask a professional though.

#14

Yeah, and the scientific reason why it’s a myth is that you get a lot of water from just eating food.

[Edit: D’oh, someone already pointed it out.]

#15

Yeah, that’s how I get headaches.

#16

I’m just wondering how many doctor’s forums have discussions about 3d graphics.:suprised:

btw, drinking lots of water also helps with kidney stones.
Pete