How Much Water Do You Need To Drink

So how much water should you be drinking? Some folks follow a rule of thumb that recommends half your body weight in ounces. That’s fine if you weigh 150 pounds or 200 pounds, but if you’re 350 pounds or more, that’s more water than you need.

I usually tell my clients between 90 ounces and 128 ounces. You can break it up like this:

before 9 a.m.: 32 ounces

before noon: 32 ounces

before 3 p.m.: 32 ounces

before 6 p.m.: 32 ounces

That’s about 10 ounces per hour throughout your day. You will be running to the bathroom a lot! TMI here, but if your urine is pale yellow or clear, you’re hydrated. Now, you can still sip water after 6 p.m., but stopping about three or four hours before you go to bed will help keep you from waking up five times go to the bathroom.

If you’re only drinking 30 ounces of water a day now, you are dehydrated. Try to bump it up to 40 or 50 ounces today and for the next week, and see how you feel. Then work your way up to 60 ounces, and 70 ounces, until you get to 128 ounces – a gallon – a day. And some days, especially if it’s hot, you’re going to want more. Start small, add slowly, and get the water you need to stay properly hydrated.