Drinking more water is part of the common advice for helping with weight loss. How do you know how much water to drink every day? Especially after weight loss surgery, when you need to pay attention to getting all the nutrients your body needs too.
Hydration is an important factor often overlooked with exercise tolerance, enjoyment and thus motivation. Dehydration can cause muscle fatigue and cramps,lead to overheating, and contribute to joint pain. Yet, there is very little scientific evidence about how much water our body really needs in a day. The rule of thumb to drink 8, 8oz glasses of water a day does not have any scientific backing. How much water IS enough?
It is no surprise that your best guide is your body. Just as we have discussed with knowing how much exercise is enough for you, “listening” to your body is your best guide. The easiest way to know how much water to drink is to pay attention to your urine. If it is dark with a strong odor, your body needs more water. If it is a light color with only a slight odor, you are probably on track with getting enough water. Everyone is different and our body changes day to day. There is no absolute hard and fast rule when it comes to staying hydrated. Once again, staying present to your body provides a wealth of useful information!
Check out this article for more tips and information about how our body needs water and different ways to get more water.
Keep Moving, Be Well,
Janet
Please share these posts with anyone you know interested in losing weight with or without weight loss surgery. Click here to learn more about the UMass Memorial Weight Center
These weekly blogs are general guidelines. These guidelines apply to patients who are cleared by a physician for the type of exercise described. Please contact your physician with any concerns or questions. Always report any symptoms associated with exercise, such as pain, irregular heartbeats, and dizziness or fainting, to your physician.
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