I am sure you’ve asked the question, “how much water should I drink?” And I assume you’ve probably received the same basic answer, you should drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day.
But, a grown man of 250 pounds needs more than a woman that is 100 pounds. Never mind the weight, men need more than women, and adults need more water than children.
Your activity level, weight goals, gender, age, and the climate you live in, all effect how much water your body needs to stay hydrated.
There are so many variables to figuring out the answer to the question, “how much water should I drink?”!
Some doctors say six to eight 8oz. cups of water a day is enough, others say up to twelve 8oz cups of water a day.
It is also advised that men drink about 13 cups of water a day, and 1-2 1/2 more if you’re working hard and sweating a lot.
Women are advised to drink about 9 cups a day and also add 1-2 1/2 cups if you’re exercising, or doing something that makes you sweat more than usual.
CELLULAR DEHYDRATION
My chiropractor has a body fat percentage scale that uses bioelectrical impedance. In my pursuit of reaching my ultimate body fat goals, I would jump on it periodically to measure my body fat. It seemed that no matter how much I exercised, I was consistently at a much higher body fat percentage than I thought I should be.
Just to give you some perspective, I am a 5’ tall, 100lb female who eats a (mostly) vegan diet and exercises at least 5-6 days a week.
I thought my body fat percentage would be around 12-18%, because that’s what I feel like I look like I should be. But I was so frustrated. My body fat percentage was sitting at 24%.
I asked my chiropractor why my body fat percentage always read so high. I assumed his machine was broken.
He explained to me that the bioelectrical scale gauges the amount of lean mass, water, and fat in your body by sending a current from the metal plates under your feet through your body.
He said that at the cellular level, I was probably dehydrated, which will throw the accuracy of my body fat numbers off.
I quickly countered with, “but I drink eight, 8oz cups of water a day! That isn’t possible!” (This is 64 ounces of total water).
He chuckled and told me that ideally, I should be drinking a minimum of 12, 8oz cups of water a day, (96 ounces).
Of course, he said this also depends on the amount of exercise I am doing, as well as other factors that play in, (as I mentioned above).
He said that if I am drinking water regularly, it’s probably cellular dehydration that is throwing me off.
Sigh.
So I went and bought myself a 32oz Nalgene water bottle. (My new best friend, I’ll have you know).
I was determined to get my ninety-six ounces of water in a day by drinking 3 of those bottles of water a day.
This is not easy, but it is possible. I am here to testify that it can be done.
What most people think is enough water, really isn’t enough.
When I am training clients, my number one piece of advice is always, drink your water. I usually get a reply like, “I’m doing so good! I drank two 16oz bottles of water yesterday!”
My proverbial flower petals just wilted and I smile weakly, but encouragingly nonetheless, and say, “good job! Lets make that 3 tomorrow!”
Many simple health problems can be reversed with an adequate, daily intake of water.
When you drink 8-12 cups of water a day, your risk of kidney stones and UTI’s go down significantly. So do troublesome things such as, digestive problems and weight gain. When you stay hydrated, you’re also less likely to feel tired and low in energy.
More water throughout your day also helps with bad breath, poor sleep, dry splotchy skin, lackluster hair, sore muscles, muscle cramps, and prolonged sickness, (i.e. flu and cold).
All of those pesky things can be less troublesome simply by drinking plenty of water. Preferably 92oz a day (I suggest this for man or woman. It’s a safe starting place).
If you’re not sure, always ask your doctor what he/she advises for your daily water recommendations.
Eight to 12 8oz cups of water a day won’t hurt you. This is a great starting point. I find that I feel better when I get twelve (12) 8oz cups per day.
In the blogs to come, I show you how to drink 96oz of water in a day.
I also talk about how to make water taste good. I personally love how refreshing water tastes. However, I have met some people who cannot stand the taste of plain water. So for those of you who hate the taste, this is for you.
How much water do you drink in a day? How do you make it happen? You can comment below, and, if you want to follow me on social media, come on over! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.
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