Daily water intake: Let's discuss

Hey everyone,

I know there’s a ton of different subforums where I could have dropped this question, but honestly, it feels most relevant to health—plus, I figured I’d get a more straight-up answer here rather than over in food, fitness, or some random off-topic thread.

So, how realistic is it to actually drink 2L of water every day?

I mean, I can definitely push myself to hit that amount...

But is there any actual danger in suddenly flooding my system with all that liquid?
(especially since I used to be stuck at just half a liter or maybe a liter a day)

mistyseal11 said:hey everyone,

there are just a ton of different subforums where I could have dropped this question, but I figured this one hits on health more than anything, so I'm guessing I might actually get a straight answer here instead of just endless chatter about food or hobbies or random off-topic nonsense...

so, basically, how realistic is it to drink 2 liters of water a day?

I can force myself to hit that amount if I really try...

but is there any actual danger in suddenly overwhelming my system with all that liquid?
(considering I used to be stuck at maybe half a liter or a liter a day)

Look, you can do it if you want, but you don't have to, because honestly, what does it even matter how much water you're drinking? Is this based on that ridiculous theory about needing several liters a day? Even the author mentioned they were talking about total fluid intake, including everything from food to other drinks. It's just another bit of nonsense floating around the news media... Don't go stuffing yourself with water if you aren't thirsty, because if you actually needed it, you'd feel it. Sure, it's healthier than soda or whatever else since it doesn't have all the sugar and carbs our food is packed with when we aren't even doing much physical activity...

driftinggull13 said:Look, you can do whatever you want, seriously—no pressure at all if you're not feeling it—but man, what's the big deal with how much water you're actually drinking? Like, does it even matter that much?

Just for keeping everything running smoothly under the hood, you know? For some basic bodily maintenance.
Honestly, I have zero clue what all those theories about drinking water are even supposed to be about...
So I was doing a little deep dive into some stuff about detoxing your system... and that whole concept keeps popping up everywhere.

driftinggull13 said:Is that stupid theory about needing like, eight glasses of water a day actually for real? Because honestly, it sounds like total nonsense to me.

If we flip the script just a little bit—honestly, I’ve completely lost my appetite...
So, what you're saying is I shouldn't even eat? Like, at all? Even if I'm absolutely starving and forcing it down?

driftinggull13 said:So, the author was actually talking about total fluid intake—like, everything combined, including all the water in his food plus whatever else he’s drinking.

I mean, obviously I'm turning down the juices, smoothies, fruit, and all that stuff...
Honestly, I wouldn't touch anything else if you took all the soda and juice in the world away—I’m strictly on that water grind.
Just so we're clear, when I say those half-liter to liter amounts per day, that’s my actual average—it includes everything I'm drinking.
By the way, I’m actually trying to kick the whole carbonated drink habit entirely—and I mean everything, even the zero-sugar stuff like sparkling water or Diet Coke.
I don't even touch those natural juices anyway...

driftinggull13 said:Just another load of absolute nonsense clogging up the news cycle.

Who even came up with that whole story anyway?
And where on earth do people get the idea that this stuff is actually healthy?

driftinggull13 said:Don't go overdoing it with the water, man. If you actually needed it, you'd be thirsty.

That "don't" thing carries such a heavy negative vibe... honestly, it’s almost like saying "you're gonna regret this" or "this is gonna end badly for you."
So, here’s what I really want to know—are there actually any real risks involved with this whole thing I'm about to dive into?

-----

And yeah, honestly, does it even matter if I’m just sipping on water or some kind of herbal tea? As long as it smells good and stays caffeine-free, I'm totally down.

Like, say, from cherries... or something like that...
I'm totally down for yellow tea... or even some rooibos!

mistyseal11 said:for the body to actually function normally...
honestly, I don't know anything about these theories regarding water intake...
...I was doing a little reading on detoxing the system... and this keeps popping up

if you look at it from another angle—I've totally lost my appetite...
does that mean I shouldn't eat? even if I have to force it down?

okay, obviously I'd pass on broth, juice, fruit, whatever...
I wouldn't drink anything else besides plain water.
(by the way, in that half-liter to liter a day average I usually hit, everything is included)
and while we're at it, I really want to kick the soda habit, even the diet stuff (all those sparkling waters, Diet Coke, etc...)
I don't drink natural juices anyway...

who even came up with this whole concept in the first place?
and where did people get the idea that this is actually healthy?

this whole "don't do this" thing carries such a negative vibe... like "you're gonna feel terrible"
so I'm specifically wondering—are there any actual dangers tied to what I'm planning to try next

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and yeah, should I still be drinking water or maybe some tea... just something with a scent, decaf or caffeine-free...

like cherry flavored... or something like that...
could be yellow... or maybe rooibos!

There’s no such thing as a "water drinking theory," because tea is basically just water with some spices, and honestly, almost any drink you touch is at least 95% water, and most of the food you eat is mostly water too. This whole "detox" thing is a myth; your body doesn't need some crazy fad to clean itself out, it's already doing the work on its own. Sometimes when people who drink heavily stop hitting the booze, their enzyme levels stabilize—that's about as close to a "detox" as you get. The modern obsession with "detoxing" is just nonsense that doesn't change how your biology works. Though, if you just call eating better and living healthier a "detox"... then sure, fine.
Thirst is a much more primal, fundamental signal because water is more essential than food. If you needed hydration, you'd be thirsty. You aren't going to feel sick; your body is clearly getting enough liquid. Water or tea... it's all the same to me.

There’s this persistent myth floating around, and honestly, even some doctors seem to buy into it, regarding that famous rule about drinking eight glasses of water a day. Not too long ago, you couldn't walk down a street in Washington, D.C. without seeing billboards everywhere—all over the country, really—asking things like, "Have you had your eight glasses today?" It turns out that whole thing is mostly just an urban legend. Don't get me wrong, staying hydrated is vital and you definitely need to drink enough fluids, but I know plenty of people who feel forced to chug water even when they aren't thirsty just because of those ads. They'll sit there with a massive bottle next to their desk, forcing themselves to sip constantly all day long. Is that actually necessary?

Eight glasses—that's like 1.6 liters?

...just to give you some context on my situation:
I've been weaning myself off a bunch of different medications lately, and on top of that, I've dealt with food poisoning a few times over the last couple of weeks...

I just really want to "flush" all that junk out of my system... 🙂

Lately, I’ve been seeing it everywhere—from mainstream news outlets to actual medical journals—where people are claiming the whole "eight glasses a day" hydration rule is total nonsense.
Honestly, I could never force myself to chug that much water in a single day, so I just stick to my own vibe and drink whenever I actually feel thirsty.
It works for me, though; my skin is glowing, I’m staying fit, and I don't deal with any dryness at all...
What’s your take on all this?

amberskipper3 said:Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more media reports and even some academic papers claiming that the whole "eight glasses a day" rule is complete nonsense.
Personally, I’ve never been able to force down that much water in a single day, so I just stick to drinking whenever I actually feel thirsty.
My skin looks great, my weight is fine, and I don't have any dryness issues...
What’s everyone else’s take on this?

I’m right there with you.🙏 I actually read somewhere that overdoing it can mess with your sodium balance. Unlike you, my skin stays pretty dry regardless of how much water I chug. Plus, most of what we eat is already about 70-80% water anyway.
👍Just drink when you're thirsty!
☕

amberskipper3 said:I've been seeing more and more lately—both in the news and in health journals—that the whole "eight glasses of water a day" rule is actually complete nonsense! It’s funny because I used to obsess over hitting that number every single morning, but now it seems like everyone is realizing it's just a myth.
I’ve never quite managed to hit those huge daily water goals, so I just stick to my rule of drinking whenever I actually feel thirsty!
I honestly feel like I hit the jackpot with my skin! I’ve got such a great complexion—no dryness at all, and I definitely don't have any issues with weight. Just feeling really good about it today!
What do you all think about this?

And you're staying healthy too! 😁

I’m totally with you on that!
I actually drink way more than those eight glasses of water a day! I always make sure to stay super hydrated.
I just really need one, honestly—I'm absolutely parched!
That’s just how it always goes!
He’s actually a great choice for me! I’ve got a few extra pounds to lose and my skin gets as dry as parchment, but as long as I stay healthy and avoid any diseases, I'm happy. 😬

My doctor suggested I aim for two liters of water a day, but I simply

can't manage it. Overhydration just gives me a headache.

I stick to drinking when I'm thirsty—sometimes more, sometimes less.

I've put on a few extra pounds (far too many, actually 😁), and my skin is oily... No matter how much

water I consume, nothing seems to change.

I suspect it might be hormonal, so I'm scheduling some tests soon.

By the time you actually feel thirsty, you’re already about one-third dehydrated.
The old rule of thumb says eight glasses a day is the magic number for total fluid intake, but people forget that "fluid" isn't just straight water from the tap. We're talking about everything from the broth in your lunch to the tea you sip with breakfast, or even the moisture found in oatmeal or fruit.
Bottom line: you have to adjust your actual water intake based on what kind of diet you're running through the day.

That’s just nonsense. We aren't all built the same way, and we definitely don't all need the same amount of water. I just drink when I'm thirsty; I don't feel the need to force myself to hit some arbitrary two-liter goal just because someone said so. Sometimes I drink less, sometimes more—it all depends on what I'm eating that day.

I’ve been digging through some international news and scrolling through random threads online, and honestly? I’m starting to get the feeling that this whole "eight glasses a day" mantra is nothing more than a massive marketing ploy cooked up by big beverage corporations and shoved down our throats via medical associations.
It’s pretty obvious—it started right here in the United States and just kept spreading.
Every single doctor I’ve ever brought this up with just laughed in my face when I mentioned the idea of "hydrating" your skin from the inside out.

amberskipper3 said:Every single doctor I've ever talked to just laughed in my face when I brought up the whole idea of "hydrating" your skin from the inside out.

Look, it's not like your skin is the only thing that needs water, obviously. Your entire body needs it just to function without falling apart. Like, my husband deals with some serious spinal issues, and his GP—who also happens to be a nutritionist—straight up told him he needs to drink more water because his spinal discs are basically drying out (and the guy barely touches a glass of water all day).

Then again, I guess we're all wired differently. Some people need tons of fluids while others don't care as much. Personally, I’m obsessed with water and usually knock back about 1.5 to 2 liters a day. I rarely touch anything else besides water, unless you count the drinks I have when I'm actually out on the town.

I'm not a water person.🙂 But that’s exactly why I live for fruit, veggies, hearty soups, and fresh-pressed juices.🙂

Even over in the foodies' circles, they were getting into this debate— just not drinking enough water.

I’ve been obsessed with water since I was a kid—honestly, it’s pretty much my one true love. I drink a massive amount of it, especially when the summer heat hits. I’m also a huge fan of soups. My daily intake tends to fluctuate quite a bit depending on whether it’s winter or summer, and obviously, it all comes down to how active I am and what I’m eating throughout the day.
If you’re an athlete or someone hitting the gym regularly, it’s a given that your fluid requirements are going to be higher. Similarly, if your diet leans toward heavier, spicier, or just generally "unhealthy" foods, your body will likely demand more hydration—I can certainly think of a few nights where a salty plate of bacon and a late-night session at the local gym 😁 made me crave it. For me, though, I almost never touch anything else besides water.

amberskipper3 said:Lately, the media and even medical journals are starting to claim that the whole "eight glasses a day" rule is total nonsense.
Personally, I could never chug that much water in a single day. I just stick to drinking whenever I actually feel thirsty.
My skin looks great, I’m fit, and I don't deal with dryness...
What do you guys think?

It's all just marketing gimmicks.
You get hydration from plenty of different sources, not just by slamming down John or Evian or whatever else.

Morgan Wilson7 said:honestly, it's all just marketing fluff
I mean, you can hydrate your body in a million different ways without needing to chug John or Evan or whatever else they're peddling

It’s honestly hilarious watching my coworker sneak over to the water cooler and drain five little half-liter bottles during her shift, acting all devastated because she "doesn't feel any difference"
like drinking water is magically erasing her cellulite or shrinking her waistline.
But hey—to each their own, I guess.
Personally, I don't buy that drinking water is going to transform your skin, your hair, or anything else significant enough to write a book about—unless you count how much money it makes the bottling companies.

For instance:
http://dms.dartmouth.edu/news/2002_h...02_water.shtml

Or maybe this:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0809071640.htm

Cut out the nonsense about needing two or three liters a day. Honestly, the best advice I can give you is this: just drink whenever you actually feel thirsty. 👍 Obsessing over exact measurements isn't going to get you anywhere.