How Much Water Should I Drink?

The average human being should be drinking about 96 ounces of water per day.  This means you should not wait until you are thirsty to drink! If you are trying to lose weight add 8 ounces extra for every 25 pounds you are overweight.  For example, if I was trying to lose 50 pounds I would drink 112 ounces of water per day.  Why?  Well, drinking water helps the liver to function properly and will actually help your body burn more calories from fat. 


It is also important to consume plenty of water before, during, and after exercise.  Drink 16 ounces of water about 2 hours before you exercise.  Then drink 20-40 ounces of water for every hour of exercise.  If you are exercising for more than an hour you may need a sports drink...but we will discuss that another time.  After exercise drink 20 ounces of water for every pound of body weight lost during exercise.  This should keep your body happy and hydrated!


Other fun facts about water:

• About 60% of your body weight is water.
• If you are on a high protein diet drink lots of water! Protein requires almost 7 times the amount of water it takes to break down and use carbs or fat. 
• When increasing your fiber intake also increase your water intake.  Fiber keeps your digestive system regular but if not consumed with enough water will have quite the opposite effect!