How many bottles of water are you supposed to drink

Another good way to determine your fluid status is by taking a peek inside the toilet after you pee. "If your urine is light yellow, you're probably getting enough fluids. If it's dark or smells strongly, you probably need more water," Levinson says.

Here are some subtle signs that you’re not drinking enough water:

If you’re not drinking enough water, you run the risk of dehydration. Some of the signs of dehydration are fairly obvious—but others aren't. If you're thirsty, you should drink. That's a no-brainer. But, for some folks, dehydration doesn’t always include feeling thirsty. There are a few other signs of dehydration that aren’t as obvious.

1. You’re feeling super dry.

When your body is begging for hydration, the need can manifest in various signs of dryness, including dry mouth, chapped lips, dry skin, reduced sweating, and a lack of tears.

2. You feel faint, light-headed, or you have headaches.

Doctors aren't quite sure why, but they think it might be because when hydration levels drop, so does blood volume, which can reduce oxygen supply to the brain, the Merck Manual explains.

3. Your muscles feel weak or crampy.

Cramping, muscle spasms, and generally feeling weak or fatigued can all be indications of dehydration.

4. Your breath is randomly stinky.

Having bad breath can be a tip-off that you need to sip some water. That goes with the dry mouth thing: Saliva has bacteria-fighting properties; when your saliva levels go down, so does your mouth’s ability to fight odor-causing germs.

5. You feel confused.

In addition to the above, confusion and delirium can all be signs of severe dehydration, the Mayo Clinic explains. If you have these symptoms, you should reach out to your doctor immediately.

In rare cases, you can also overhydrate.

Most people aren’t at risk for overhydration, but it's more likely to occur during endurance activities, like running a marathon. Additionally, overhydration is more likely in older people because kidney function becomes less effective as you age, the Merck Manual explains. (Your kidneys are responsible for filtering waste and fluids from the body, the Mayo Clinic explains.) Overhydration can cause a condition known as hyponatremia, which happens when the sodium levels in your bloodstream become unusually low, leading to your cells becoming waterlogged, the Mayo Clinic explains. Signs include feeling nauseated, confused, run-down, and irritable. Overhydration can also cause seizures and put you into a coma if it’s not caught in time.

For athletes that are worried about overhydration, your best bet is to take strategic water breaks (instead of guzzling fluids to avoid dehydration). The National Association of Sports Medicine (NASM) recommends you drink 14-22 ounces of fluid two hours before rigorous activity, rehydrate at least every 20 minutes while working out, then drink some more when you’re done. Those are just general guidelines, so experiment to figure out what helps you feel hydrated enough without feeling too full of liquid. If you’re exercising for an hour or less, water should do the trick, but if you’re going for longer, you might consider a sports drink, NASM explains.

Finally, a quick note about the idea that drinking more water can help you lose weight:

You may have heard this thrown around from time to time, so we figured we'd clear the air. Staying hydrated is great for all sorts of reasons, from preventing headaches to helping you crush your workouts. But if losing weight happens to be a goal of yours, just know that drinking a ton of water isn’t some magical key to weight loss. That said, for some people, thirst and hunger cues are easy to confuse. If you’re feeling famished and you’re not sure why, using the above methods to determine if you’re getting enough water (like checking your pee) is one step you can take, along with things like making sure you’re actually eating enough and remembering that pandemic stress can naturally have an effect on your appetite (and that there’s nothing wrong with that). Aside from that, you should aim to get enough water because it helps you feel great—end of story.

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January 21, 2015

The answer for most of us is probably no. But the good news is that drinking more water can have a number of positive health benefits, and it’s a great New Year’s resolution that you can easily stick to.

Before you hit the road to better hydration, here are a few water consumption facts that we’ve put together with the help of our friends at “A Healthier Michigan.”

How much water should I be drinking?

While this is a matter of some medical debate, a good goal for improving your daily water intake is to aim for eight, 8-ounce glasses per day. Other medical experts recommend drinking at least half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink at least 75 ounces of water each day (that’s approximately four and a half 16.9 oz. Absopure water bottles).

Maintaining proper hydration is especially important around this time of the year, as the winter months also tend to be peak cold and flu season. Getting your daily-recommended amount of water every day can help keep your immune system running in tip-top shape.

How can you tell if you’re not drinking enough water?

When you start to feel thirsty, dehydration has already started. Dehydration can also cause fatigue, headaches, sleepiness and lack of concentration. Don’t wait for the symptoms to set in before you grab a glass of water. Instead, drink a glass during every meal (and a few more in between).

Be sure to keep tabs on your consumption too! For simplicity, use some of these water and food tracking apps.

What are some other ways to increase your water consumption?

Increasing your water intake isn’t just about how much you drink, it also includes what you eat. In fact, there are a number of healthy fruits and vegetables that are full of vitamins and antioxidants and also contain a lot of water.

Cucumbers, pears, celery, strawberries, tomatoes and grapefruit, among other fruits and vegetables, contain a high water content that can help you reach your goals.

There are plenty of good reasons to drink more water, and getting started is as easy as filling up a glass.

How do you make sure you’re getting enough water every day? Share your tips in the comments below. We might feature them in an upcoming post!

Is 4 bottles of water a day enough?

We all know that we are supposed to drink eight glasses of water a day, and most of us prefer bottled water over tap. A typical glass of water contains eight ounces, so ideally we should each consume 64 ounces per day which is equivalent to four bottles of water.

Is 2 bottles of water a day enough?

Health experts commonly recommend eight 8-ounce glasses, which equals about 2 liters, or half a gallon a day. This is called the 8×8 rule and is very easy to remember. However, some experts believe that you need to sip on water constantly throughout the day, even when you're not thirsty.

How many water bottles a day is too much?

Anything over 4 litres in 24hrs could be too much water. Your body is in a delicate balance between H2O and salts in the blood, and by drinking too much water we can actually over hydrate the cells in our body. This can be dangerous and in very rare cases can even result in death.

Is drinking 3 bottles of water a day good?

Drinking 3 liters (100 ounces) of water per day may aid bowel regularity, prevent kidney stones, alleviate headaches, improve mood, and strengthen physical performance.