As a general rule, drinking plenty of water is good for everything from your skin’s health to preventing kidney stones. A person’s level of health, the weather and climate, and how much exercise they get each day all go into how much water they need to drink on a daily basis, according to the Mayo Clinic.
How many bottles of water should I drink a day? Six to eight glasses of water or other fluids per day is the typical recommended. Each day, you should drink at least 48 to 64 ounces of water. You should drink eight cups of water a day because each cup contains 8 fluid ounces. Since the average disposable water bottle holds around 16 ounces, a daily water intake of three to four bottles is reasonable.
Benefits of Drinking Water
It’s important for your health that you get enough water in your system, and there are numerous advantages to doing so.
According to the Mayo Clinic, water accounts for 60% of your body weight. Almost all of your body’s systems run on water. Drinking a lot of water is good for your muscles, your skin, your kidneys, and your bowels, according to WebMD‘s list of health benefits of drinking enough water.
Preparation
In order to prepare for my water experiment, I purchased a water bottle that holds around 32 ounces of water. For the sake of motivation, I decided to create a schedule for myself and put notes on my water bottle.
To meet my daily water consumption goal of 64 ounces, I calculated that I’d need to drink two 32-ounce water bottles. This is the water bottle I used to record the time.
In the morning, I’d drink a whole bottle of water before getting started. At around 3 p.m., I would have finished the first bottle of water and would need to restock. To make matters worse, I’d be done with the second bottle of water by the time the clock struck 11.
Day 1
To be honest, I was a little worried coming into this. I’m used to having a few glasses of water during the day, but a week of nothing but water bottles? Sounds tricky, doesn’t it?
Drinking a lot of fluids has never been one of my strong points. It was a constant source of frustration for my father when I would leave half-drinks in the fridge in high school since I couldn’t finish them all at once! After my shaky start on day one, I was very certain that I would have to push myself to drink water most of the time.
Although it was meant to be brunch time at my friend’s house, I couldn’t resist a cup of coffee as soon as I got up. My journey to the subway station was cut short when I arrived at the platform to find that my train had broken down.
I finally boarded the train after a half-hour wait, but I soon realized it was beyond 11 a.m. and I hadn’t even started drinking water. I had a few sips of water, but then I saw a female across the train with an iced coffee and was instantly envious. To top it all off, I had a coffee hangover. The week was already looking long.
Day 2
On the first day, I was able to drink the entire bottle of water twice. I was eager to start a water-drinking regimen on Monday morning as I drove to work.
To be honest, I didn’t think it would make a difference when I wrote the times on my water bottle, but it saved my life. A quick glance at my computer’s clock and a check of my water intake were all that were needed.
On day two, I slipped behind, but I was certain that my evening barre session would help me catch up. By the end of the night, I’d consumed both of my water bottles, and I was shocked to discover that I was looking forward to the third day of the challenge.
Day 3
An electrical failure on another train halted my commute to work on the third day, forcing me to sit on the train for more than an hour and a half until I finally made it home safely. Due to temptations like iced tea and lemonade, working from home proved more difficult than expected.
Even though I’m a slacker at work, I was even lazier at home, which resulted in a decrease in my thirst level overall. However, by day three, I was relieved to discover that my headaches had finally subsided.
Day 4
No surprises and I was able to complete my water bottles without incident on day four. This wasn’t an issue for me on day four; I really found the 64 ounces of water easy to drink. This was the first day that I could see myself regularly consuming so much water (and not just for the week).
Day 5
On day five, I began to notice that I was desiring soda, but I continued to drink water. As soon as I felt the urge to sip on something other than water, I would tell myself how much better it was for me to stick to the glass.
When I finished my water for the night on the fifth day, I was startled to find that I actually craved more water, even though I was craving other beverages.
Day 6
Day six went by without incident. Water cravings remained strong even after I finished my water intake for the day, as they had been the day before.
I made it a point to keep a water bottle in my bag throughout the week; at first, I was worried it would be cumbersome and inconvenient, but by day six, it had become second nature to fill the bottle and pack it in my bag before I left the house.
Day 7
My dentist’s appointment and lunch followed on day seven. The dentist numbs your mouth, so I drank as much water as I could before my visit to prepare myself.
While having brunch, I realized I had run out of water, so I ventured outside into the rain to collect a few sips (as you can see in the photo). Despite the fact that it wasn’t a real answer, it pointed out that even a week into the trip, my water planning was still lacking.
There were at least 15 pees in the afternoon and evening of day seven. I couldn’t believe it had taken me until day seven to realize this, but I felt like I was being drained of all my fluids at once.
Just How Beneficial Is It to Consume 64 Ounces of Water a Day?
I was ready to call it a week on the experiment by the conclusion of the week. I wanted to be able to drink whenever I wanted and not have to rely just on water.
Drinking adequate water, in my opinion, should be an ongoing lifestyle change rather than a one-time experiment. After a few days of caffeine withdrawal, I did find that I had more natural energy for the remainder of the week. The frequency of my bowel movements was also noticeably better than usual.
Since I wasn’t consuming any calories from liquids, it appeared as though my hunger was stable. I didn’t see any substantial improvements in the health of my skin, but I did notice that I was less oily in the mornings.
How Much Is Too Much Water?
Drinking too much water is conceivable (but extremely unusual among healthy persons who eat a balanced diet), according to the Mayo Clinic.
Your kidneys are unable to expel the excess water if you consume too much water. You may get hyponatremia if the minerals in your blood are diluted, causing your sodium levels to drop. Unless you’re an endurance athlete (like a marathon runner), you don’t need to worry about drinking too much water. There’s no particular amount of water that’s regarded as too much.
After a week of drinking a lot of water, I was glad to have done so, and I intend to keep up my water intake in the future. It’s a good idea to attempt to drink extra water if you’re considering it. A lot less difficult than you think! Drinking so much water was surprisingly easy for me.
