Water By The Hour! (the water "Cheat Sheet")
 

I got this idea yesterday.
We all want to avoid dehydration (gaining water in most cases). It´s time for me to fine-tune my water routine by drinking/thinking "water by the hour" and smoothly balancing it over the day. It is also important not to drink to much.
My allergy (grass pollen) got a bit worse last week, unfortunately the side effects of the meds (most of them it seams) are dry eyes, mouth .. and I have promised myself to avoid all foods, meds. supplements ... that cause fluid retention reactions. An allergy reaction from an allergy medication is contra productive . . . and I want to avoid dehydration as much as possible. I will check if I can get my prescription changed or find another solution on Monday.

I started a few months ago to fill up three bottles so I can see (drink) them durring the day - placing them on the sink as one new routine.
I have a "Cheat Sheet" wallet, keys, watch, meds, water ( a steel bottle I use ever day) on the back of a business card that I away can see on my desk near the exit. It works. On longer trips I bring 2 more (glass bottles). I am going to write a cheat sheet for my "water by the hour" on a new card.
How du you guys stay hydrated durring the day? How do you balance the salt/mineral intake with your water without getting the unwanted water retention? Have a good one!

Really?

You don't need to guzzle water on a schedule to avoid dehydration. In fact, too much water dilutes your electrolytes and can make you feel miserable.

I have a 32 oz. cup I fill up and drink at least 2x a day, which is working for me so far. I don't really do anything to reduce water retention, though, and would be interested in what others do.

I don't do anything special. If I'm thirsty, I drink water and I assume my body knows when it needs it. If the urine is completely clear, then I know I drank too much water.

In the first few months of eating low carb, I heard all the scary stories about keto-flu so I purposely drank more water than usual (and salt) but started feeling dizzy all the time whenever I got up from a lying position. Once I stopped drinking all the extra water, the problem quickly went away.

About 2,5 liters (84,5 oz) is what I usually get recommended to drink. I always thought it seamed a bit "too much". I do believe it is individual, people have different needs, metabolism, sensitivities and how our bodies "hold water". But when I do drink that extra I always feel better. I am easily distracted and can forget to drink water/forget to bring extra water. When I am working I forget time. I put elder flowers in my water yesterday ... that was so refreshing.

Fluid retention
 

Check out the thread "The Waterfall Diet | Water retention" if you are curious.

In Chinese medicine obesity symtoms are in most cases linked to fluid retention.
Some claim it is the root to overweight.
So eliminating foods that your body reacts to like on many low carb diets, detoxes, raw food diets and so forth relieves us ... Fluid retention can be dangerous - our arteries, organs ... the pressure and stress on our intestines (causing leaky gut and more).

Since I know of one of the young moms who died during a marathon, adding here that the problem of over-hydration in sports is serious. Why Dr Noakes wrote the book Waterlogged

Dr Noakes on Hyponatremia:
http://www.outsideonline.com/190080...ndurance-sports

(don't know how this popped up under "New Posts, since it's old)

I do the exact same thing: Fill up 3 bottles, to empty (drink) during the day. It's helpful to have a visual reminder.

**OP didn't say she was drinking huge amounts. 3 bottles isn't that much. She is not over-hydrating. These examples of people dying from drinking water didn't happen because someone drank 3 bottles' worth.

Also - I was hospitalized with dehydration twice this year. As you age, your sense of thirst starts to fail. If I only drank water by whether or not I felt thirsty - that just would not work. It's not one-size-fits-all.

I allow my cravings for caffeine to dictate my water intake. Not saying it's right, it's what I do.

Doctor asked me if I was drinking enough water. I asked her if coffee counts. She said yes - so I said yes - I get plenty of water. :D

But that's only until noon - I drink water after that, but only when I'm thirsty. I have been badly dehydrated in the past, but only when I was ill. That does spur me on sometimes to drink extra water, but that's self-correcting - I get tired of running to the bathroom. :o

When I was at goal weight back in 2015, I ended up in hospital due to passing out, thanks in part to dehydration and low bp.

I still struggle to drink enough water, but have gotten off the 4+ cups coffee per day that contributed to my incident!

A good balance of water and salt (I use sea salt mostly).
I too have to remind myself to drink enough water.
Drinking decaf and herbal teas, a glas of water with some lemon .. that is also hydrating. Soup, preferably bone broth - love it. There you have good water, protein and salt.

Most of my allergies I mentioned in the first post of this thread have healed.