Water Intake

What’s up fellow T-men! I wanted to know how much water is really necessary for optimal nutrient and protein absorbtion aswell as reducing water retention. I drink about a gallon and a half but it frustrates me to have to go the bathroom every 15min. Especially since I do so much driving around throughout the day. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks fellow T-warriors!

Tell me about it, I drink 2 gallons a day and I weigh 170 lbs. I am thinking of changing my forum name to thimble bladder.

I always use a simple technique regarding how much water to drink. I would say I drink well over a gallon a day, but don’t really keep track, but what I do is just judge by the color of my urine, if it has any color I need to drink more, if it’s clear, then I figure I’m pretty well saturated and go drink some more anyways, I think I may have some sort of water addiction.

The ‘standard’ is 64 oz. That is for minimum body function, not accounting for working out, or added stress, etc. If you’re going every 15 minutes you could probably cut back with no big detriment…

I don’t know how much water is supposed to be optimal, but I’ll bet it’s a lot more than most of us think.

I just put my diet in order last week (started the T-Dawg Diet) & upped my water to a gallon plus a day. Because the Diet is clogging up my plumbing big time, I’ve had to take Metamucil. The last time drank water by the gallon & took Metamucil, I was trying to pass a kidney stone. (I was on Codine for the pain, & it is incredibly constipating.) Not the happiest of memories…

At any rate, water in quantity isn’t an issue with me. I have a huge bladder. In fact, it’s probably the only “huge” muscle I have.

In my next “appetite” column I address this very question from a scientific perspective (which is not how most nutritionists address it).

John, great idea for an article can’t wait! I usually drink about two gallons or more when I’m on a low carb diet. I get much thirstier during a ketogenic diet, and it keeps my stomach full and those slight hunger pains and urges away. Two gallons may sound eroneous, but I’ve always been able and like to drink a lot of fluid, which has always bit me in the ass after a Friday night out at the clubs:)

Tom Incledon recommends that you take your bodyweight and divide it in half. This would be how many ounces you need to survive on a daily basis. This is a starting point. Then you need to add for your activity level and how much you lose from sweating.

I don’t know the science behind it but I was taught to drink: Body weight in pounds mulitiplied by .7 that equals how many ounces in a day.