Lots of people don’t realize the true importance of drinking enough water everyday and how it can impact both your health and your weight loss efforts. According to experts in a recent study, drinking just 2 cups of water, which is smaller than the size of a bottled soda, before meals helped dieters lose an extra five pounds yearly and help you maintain your weight loss. Additionally drinking the right amount of water daily can actually speed up your metabolic rate and help to curb overeating when your body confused hunger and thirst. But how much water is enough? Here is how to calculate how much water you should drink a day for both health and weight loss benefits.
How much water should I drink based on my weight?
The average person needs to drink around half of their weight (in pounds) in ounces. For example, a 200-pound individual needs around 100 ounces (3000 ml) of water daily.
Keep Track By Your Container
One thing that has proven to help people consume enough water daily is to buy a special container for their water, like this one or this one, and set a goal of how many times they will fill an finish the container. For example, if you buy a 16 oz container and need to drink 80 ounces of water a day, your goal would be to drink 5 of those daily. Need to drink more water? Try a larger container.
Life Stage
Similarly, when someone is pregnant, they require additional fluids to maintain amniotic fluid levels and keep the baby growing steadily, as PennState discusses. If you’re nursing a growing baby, you’ll need to drink more fluids so that your body can make enough milk, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Are Your Drinking Enough Water?
Tracking your daily water intake using a nutrition tracking app is an easy way to tell if you are hitting your water goals each day. But you can also pay attention to how you feel and your urine output.
Even mild dehydration can negatively impact your workouts and health, so making sure you are staying on top of your fluids is key!
Signs of mild dehydration to watch out for can include:
- Thirst
- Not peeing
- Dark yellow urine
- Dry skin
- Feeling dizzy
- Lack of energy
Drink 30 to 40 ml of water for every kilogram of body weight.
If you measure your weight in kilograms, multiply that number by 30 and 40 to get the range of how many milliliters of water to drink each day. For example, if you weigh 54 kilograms, drink between 1,620 ml (1.6 L) and 2,160 ml (2.1 L) of water each day.[2]
Where you fall exactly within this range depends on other factors, such as your activity levels, metabolism, and other health conditions.
How to know if you’re drinking enough water
No formula needed for this one: To check if you’re hydrated, take a quick look at your urine. If it’s pale yellow, you’re probably drinking enough water. On the other hand, a dark yellow colour could be a sign that you need to amp up your hydration. Just bear in mind that urine colour isn’t a perfect indicator. A darker colour can also result from certain health conditions, medications, vitamin B2 supplements, and natural pigments in certain foods.
How to calculate how much water to drink a day
As there’s no one-size-fits-all answer and water intake is individualized, you should check with your doctor about the right amount for you.
If you don’t drink enough water each day, you risk becoming dehydrated. Warning signs of dehydration include urine that’s dark yellow in color, weakness, low blood pressure, dizziness, or confusion.
How does a Water Intake Calculator work?
A Water Intake Calculator works based on the following formula.
Daily Water Intake = Body Weight (in kilograms) x 0.03. For example, if someone weighs 70 kilograms, their daily water intake would be 70 x 0.03 = 2.1 litres.
Note that this formula is just a general guideline and may vary depending on individual factors such as activity level, climate, and overall health. It’s best to consult with a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.
