How much water do you drink every day?

I usually have a tea in the morning with breakfast and then generally 3-4 glasses of water during the day whilst at work, sometimes hot, only drink an occasional coffee. janeainsworth when we were on holiday in Cyprus(I think it was) whenever my husband ordered coffee they automatically served a glass of water too, told us they had to because of the dehydration effect of the coffee.

I have carried a bottle of water for years since before it was fashionably recommended. There is always one (fresh) in the car and I have a large bottle on a strap to carry when I am out walking or at the gym. There is also one by my bedside which is usually 3/4 empty at least by the morning. The bottles are all filled with tap water though I buy new bottles regularly. I get through about 5 500ml bottles a day on average (more in the summer) and never seem to need the loo more than usual except if I drink more than 2 or 3 cups of tea or coffee a day. I get headaches if I don't drink enough water which I assume means I am dehydrated.

When Mr absent had a stroke – fortunately, a very mild one – the hospital immediately put him on a no-salt diet, which he hated. A few days later, they decided that he had a dangerously low sodium count, so they restricted how much water he was allowed to drink. Consequently, he was constantly thirsty and found his meals almost unpalatable. Not relevant, but they also checked the box for obesity on his admission sheet; he barely weighs 8 stone.

I drink tea in the early morning, coffee in the late morning, wine in the evenings at the weekend and beer and water (not together) in between as the mood takes me. I am quite happy with tap water which is not heavily chlorinated where I live, except recently when major local road upgrades were taking place. However, I do like to have a bottle of sparkling water beside my bed as I wake up frequently during the night and suspect that I sleep with my mouth open; the fizz cuts through the guck. [TMI emoticon]

I hate the taste of water so drink none but I do drink plenty of sparkling flavoured water close to a bottle a day plus drinks of jasmine tea or coffee throughout, so aren't worried about my fluid intake

BlueBelle I had forgotten how much I like jasmine tea. I haven't drunk any for ages so I have put it on the shopping list attached to my fridge. Thanks.

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I slice up a lemon and a lime and put them in a bag in the freezer and then add a slice to my glass of water and it is delicious. I drink 2 or 3 glasses of water a day.

I do that too Kate.

Ana, if you do most of your weeing in the same loo it is quite easy to check the colour each time.

I hope all the people who are drinking bottled water are filling the bottle from the tap and not buying endless bottles

On the contrary, Kitty, people shouldn't refill their plastic water bottle with tap water. The bottle harbours bacteria after a couple of uses without thorough soapy washing. Also the chemicals in the plastic release harmful toxins into the water after several uses. It is more advisable to buy those plastic flask containers.

I started drinking lots of water many years ago in order to increase my breast milk supply (Midwife's advice) and then cut out salt to try and reduce mega high blood pressure. Just continued the water drinking habit until recently when I was urgently called back for a repeat blood test - dangerously low sodium levels. So now I've cut back on water and guess what; blood pressure numbers rising again!

123 were you told to have more salt as well? When my sodium levels were low the doctor rang me to say put salt on my chips etc! Also cheese has quite a bit of salt apparently - the cardiologist said to me about that - he said that woman eat too much cheese! Whereas the GP asked me if I still ate cheese as it was important for calcium levels! Here in France the GP has far more say over your treatment than anyone - the surgeons and specialists in this area speak to the GP and discuss the treatment with them.

I drink water at home but not so much at work as it just wouldn't be possible to hold on until break time therefore I always have a fear of being caught short I have a cup of coffee at lunchtime and maybe tea in the evening

Does anyone have a water filter jug? They seemed to be all the rage about fifteen years ago but I got fed up with replacing cartridges, cleaning the limescale spots off the Perspex and it took up too much room in the fridge.

The DGCs did like to have a glass of cool water when they came in from the garden though. I was looking after them quite a lot in those days so it served a purpose. I've wondered about getting another one this summer because it will prompt me to drink more water on hot days.

If I drank 2ltrs of water a day I would be too full to eat anything! I drink sparkling water if I go out anywhere, but at home it's just tea, coffee and, occasionally, milk. Not even wine at the moment as I'm doing Dry January

Bellasnana That's one of the advantages (if you're trying to not put on weight, or lose it) of having a glass of water with a meal, that you feel fuller quicker, and stay feeling full for longer.

I remember watching a TV programme (might have been Michael Moseley) in which they compared a group of people who took fluid (soup or water) at lunch time, with those who didn't.
The soup and water drinkers didn't snack so much in the afternoon as the control group.

One cup of black coffee with breakfast then usually just water for the rest of the day, around 2 litres. A habit I got into when working in temperatures in the 40s most days. Not sure how this will pan out in the future though as I have just been diagnosed with bladder cancer and after a 9 week cycle of chemo I have got to have a cystectomy and a bag, don't think they hold as much as a bladder! Anyone got any experience or advice on this?

Merlot we always use the water filter jug, water here tastes horrible so a lot of people do.It's worth all the jug cleaning and cartridge changing just to drink pleasant cool water.Only in the fridge in Summer though, otherwise in a cool pantry.

I got a Wilko water filter jug, half the price of a Britta. Filters last a month.

Have to be careful... refilling, be sure you check under the lid as mould will collect there.

Oddly, we have very very hard water but I do not get any limescale residue even in the top reservoir as I do with a kettle spout/lid.

I love that in the morning, my night-table glass of water is clean and clear and not cloudy with limescale scum!

Missdeke a friend of ours as had this op and 7weeks down line is managing his bag very well equipment needed is delivered to house . Good luck hope chemo not too hard on you ?

I've had this problem lately and I find that drinking anything other than water irritates it which is annoying as I really miss my cups of tea and I don't like water much so have to force myself to drink it. I couldn't drink three litres but I have to force myself to drink more than I particularly want to.

hulahoop Thanks for that, I must admit I'm not looking forward to the chemo as reading the side effects it appears that I already suffer from most of them, e.g. tinnitus, IBS, persistent cough and numbness of the feet and hands! Did your friend have chemo first or go straight for the op?

Oh how I loathe those people who come to meeting and sit glugging away at bottled water all the way through.......so rude....and they are pious about it too. First world problems, nothing a nice cup of tea to dunk your mobile in wouldn't cure.

Lillie and Kitty Cancer Research advises that it isn't harmful to re-use plastic water bottles
www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/cancer-controversies/plastic-bottles-and-cling-film

Also, why should a plastic water bottle harbour any more bacteria than a plastic or metal flask?
I just put the water bottles in with the usual washing up, as long as the water isn't too hot.

Since being told by my GP about 20 years ago that I was consuming far too much caffeine and that I needed to drink water only for a week to flush me out and then being violently sick after drinking my first cup of tea I have only drunk water - both hot and cold.
Recently I was having some tests and had to record what I drank type/quantity/time and the output too. I was drinking an average of 3.4 litres a day.
We have voluntary health check ups at work and my results showed I am dehydrated and need to drink more water. All my colleagues just laughed as they know how much water I drink, none of them were dehydrated and the drink probably half the quantity I do and none of it is plain water.

Glass of hot water in the morning with lemon, helps the digestion, then breakfast and a cup of tea. Bottle of water on my coffee table which I drink through the morning then another one in the afternoon. Take tea and coffee through, the day and get up to the loo in the night. Have a bottle of water by my bedside table. If I don't do this I feel sluggish all day