How much do you drink a day?

I drink a cup of tea first thing, and then another one when I get to work. I also have a glass of orange juice at work (my attempt at having my 5 a day). After that, it's water from the water cooler. I guess I drink about 1 to 1.5 litres at work, depends on if I'm on my own. If my friend is having a desk day, we encourage eachother to drink lots as we take it in turns to go to the water machine. She has squash though as she doesn't like water. Would that help you?

In the evening I have a glass of water when I get home and then probably another one with dinner. Then it's a herbal tea before bedtime (rock and roll lifestyle!)

So I guess in total I must easily drink between 1.5 and 2 litres of various liquid a day.

Good luck in your quest to drink more. Remember, it's not just water that counts towards your 2 litres a day, although alcohol doesn't count. Would it be easier to drink squash?

I have about a pint of water or juice with every meal plus more inbetween. I tend to drink more if Im out for the day, I take a bottle of water with me and buy another as soon as that one is finished so I always have one with me. Im not sure when I started doing this but I really hate feeling thirsty. Also have a glass of milk before bed (I have done since I was a child). We actually have more drinks in our fridge than food. Never noticed before, I probably drink quite a lot! ?

Thanks Spamboule.

Squash might be a bit easier although i don't really have an issue with water. Perhaps keeping a big bottle of water next to me would help?

ETA thanks Liz, crossed posts there. That is a lot but i bet you have nice skin ?

I drink loads, and feel really dehydrated if I don't. I've just got myself my 4th pint of squash today as I was feeling dehydrated....

On an average day (working) - a grande coffee from Starbucks, then 500ml water, often a can of diet coke with lunch (or 500ml water), then 500ml of water, always a pint of squash with dinner, and usually one or two more pints of squash as well before bed.

On a non-working day, no coffee, maybe a small glass of diet coke, a pint of squash as soon as I get up / with breakfast, one with lunch and one with dinner and maybe 2 or 3 more pints in between.

Spring i have this problem too!

Sometimes i get to the end of the day and start feeling really ill, then i remember that i've only had two cups of tea and a glass of squash all day! No wonder i'm starting to feel ill really!

I can't explain it really, i don't feel thirsty and i just forget to drink! I have to consiously think about how much i've had to drink during the day which is really annoying. My mum says i've been like this since i was a toddler, and she had to keep tabs on how much i was drinking because she used to get worried about me!

I was rubbish at drinking and when I worked on the unit I would drink about 2 maybe 3 cups of decaf coffee a day, since being in this job I drink 2-3 litres of weak squash my colleague and I encourage each other and make sure our bottles are filled up. I forget to drink when I get home though.

ETA - My H is rubbish at drinking enough. I pour him a pint of squash when he gets home which he usually downs really quickly. I then refill his glass and make sure if I get myself a drink I get him one. Can your H do this for you?

Thanks Ladies. I'm not on my own then.

Spam believe it or not my H drinks so much. It's actually very expensive for us as he likes his juice more than squash and would never drink water on it's own. I suppose i could ask if he could get me a drink when he gets himself one but then again it's rare as i am the one always getting it ?

I just have to give myself a kick up the bum i think. My Dad had kidney stones. Is this something you get from not drinking enough?

What exactly are you worried about when you say you don't drink enough Spring?

It's very hard to actually dehydrate yourself if you have functioning kidneys and an ability to get water into you.

I drink hardly anything although have lots of watery fruit and veg. Doesn't bother me at all.

I suppose i'm worried about not being able to when i need to if i don't do it now. I also worry that there is a recommended amount you should drink for your body to stay healthy?

It's so dependent on the individual, the climate and the amount of exercise you do. People often forget that many foods give you fluid intake too.

A good rule of thumb is that if your wee is pale yellow or clear, you're fine. If it's particularly dark - drink more. I routinely use this method of assessing hydration status with patients in hospital. It's is far more sensitive and specific to you than trying to make the magic "8 glasses a day" rule (which has no scientific evidence).

The guidance you see about drinking 8 glasses of water (or whatever) is a complete myth put about by bottled water companies. The amount you need to drink depends on all sorts of things- your activities, climate, what you eat- so it's hard to give a minimum amount. If you feel thirsty or dehydrated, have a drink. If not, you're probably ok. Also, almost everything counts towards your liquid intake- food, tea and coffee, juice etc. Only booze doesn't count.

I sat next to a urologist at a wedding a while ago and quizzed him about all this, inc about the fact that my husband drinks black coffee and alcohol and nothing else, and his opinion was that it matters not a jot if you have functioning kidneys etc.

Thanks R-A and Knownowt. I'm now on wee watch ?

Great minds KN ?

I don't drink tea or coffee. I drink about 10/12 pints of squash a day! I am breastfeeding bt have always drunk loads

I always feel better when I drink lots of water. I drink far too much tea every day, and try and swop it out for herb tea instead. I didn't use to drink juice, but since discovering purple grape juice I get though a carton of that every week now because it is so yummy. I hardly ever drink squash because I think it is wasted calories and don't drink the sugar free stuff because my mum had problems with aspartame so I avoid that just to be on the safe side. I never drink anything with the word 'diet' on it for the same reason. I hardly ever drink alcohol, I think I've had about 10 units of alcohol all year! If I go to the pub I have a lemonade even though it is ful of sugar or a still water (I'm such a fun date ), but generally I'd rather have a cup of tea!

So - mainly water and tea then, but several pints of both a day! And no I don't wee a lot, I think your body gets used to it!

I drink about 2 -3 litres of water a day and then I have 2 cups of tea and 1 glass of fruit juice a day. I still feel dehydrated even though I drink a lot so it totally depends on the individual. I am BF so probably do get a bit thirstier.

The One Show done a good article about how much we should drink on a normal day this week.

My running coach despairs of the 'must drink x amount' that is bandied about. He believes that forcing yourself to drink when you are not thirsty just to get x amount into your body actually messes up your natural 'thirst' receptors a little.

His thinking must have rubbed off on me a lot because the other day there was some advert for the 'volvic 1 litre challenge' and they were saying how they felt more alert and energised by drinking all of this (expensive, bottled ?) water and I started ranting at my husband about what a load of tosh it is ?

I follow the golden rule, that is if my urine is not pale yellow and golden then I need to up my fluids a little.

As has been said, if your wee looks alright then you'll be fine. Although I am trying to drink more water at the moment just to try and stop me from snacking!

I've got a litre bottle I filled about an hour or so ago and I'm half way through that now. Also someone suggested that you grab a glass when you're in the kitchen and drink it, or when you're waiting for the kettle to boil.

I think because I've heard so many people say that their skin seems to feel so much better when they have drunk lots, and they have more energy that I'm going to give just water a go. I do also manage to drink at least two cups of normal coffee, and 3 or 4 decaff coffee's during the day and still feel sluggish!

I suppose you may be best off just aiming for one extra glass a day, then work your way up ?

I drink quite alot- about 2L during the day with another 1L if I go to the gym. Maybe 2/3 cups tea/herb tea/ coffee. I am thirsty when I drink and always check my wee, which is fine. I also try to have a glass of fruit juice to help me absorb Iron and in the (probably misguided belief) grapefruit juice is supposed to help spider veins.

I've found as I get older I "look" dehydrated if I don't drink as much- more wrinkly and unhealthy. Its shows up particularly during a hangover, which I think is the dehydration.

when I was younger I too only drank black coffee and alchohol.

I'm the same as you Spring, a couple of coffee's a day and that's it. Maybe a squash or diet coke with dinner but not much else.

I just don't tend to feel thirsty and therefore don't remember to drink. I also don't like drinking water on it's own so wouldn't ever just have a bottle on my desk to drink throught the day.

I know I should drink more but I've no idea how I would....

Spring and Hepburn, I am the same.

I try to have a glass before I leave in the morning, one before lunch, one at lunch, one in the afternoon, and usually that's about it. In the evenings I just tend to drink whatever H is having. I rarely feel thirsty.