You’ve most likely heard concerning the significance of staying hydrated, and consuming sufficient water has been hailed as the answer to many well being points — from dropping pounds to clearing pores and skin breakouts. However how a lot water must you be consuming per day, and what occurs to your physique once you up your water consumption? To seek out out extra, and separate reality from fiction, I crammed my greatest water bottle a number of occasions and drank a gallon of water day-after-day for a month.
On the subject of how a lot water you need to drink every day, the jury is out, with each the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) (opens in new tab) and the Meals and Diet Board (FNB) (opens in new tab) saying you need to drink to thirst. That mentioned, the FNB says as a objective, ladies ought to goal for round 2.7 liters per day, and males ought to drink about 3.7 liters of water. A gallon of water is 3.7 liters.
From dashing up your metabolism to brightening your pores and skin and decreasing complications, consuming a gallon of water is meant to convey quite a lot of well being advantages. As I sipped on my water, I stored a detailed eye on any adjustments, each when it comes to my starvation ranges and my pores and skin. Learn on to search out out what occurred.
How a lot is a gallon of water?
As talked about above, a gallon of water is 3.785 liters of water. I already drink lots all through the day, however for this problem, I ensured that this water depend was solely water, not espresso or natural teas.
I drank a gallon of water a day for a month — right here’s what occurred
It seems that guzzling extra water wasn’t the magical cure-all I hoped for. Right here’s what I discovered a month later.
1. I wanted to pee, lots
This one isn’t that shocking, or fairly, however seems that consuming a gallon of water means you are taking much more journeys to the toilet. It’s fairly easy actually — the extra liquid you drink, the extra that comes out. That mentioned, science says this isn’t a foul factor — the extra you pee, the extra toxins you’re flushing out of your physique. It may additionally assist your physique break down its meals extra simply, and research (opens in new tab)have discovered consuming sufficient water can relieve constipation.
At the start of my month, I seen that the bathroom journeys didn’t cease after I did and that I used to be getting up within the night time to go for a pee. As somebody who prioritizes eight hours of sleep per night time, this wasn’t enjoyable, so I began having my final drink of water a few hours earlier than my bedtime to make sure I didn’t want that midnight pee.
2. I felt much less hungry
Whereas the primary few days of upping my water consumption left me a bit of bloated, as soon as that subsided, I positively seen that I snacked much less all through the day. And there’s a easy cause for this — consuming water, particularly earlier than mealtimes, may also help you are feeling extra full, and due to this fact eat much less.
Whereas I’m not making an attempt to reduce weight, research (opens in new tab)have discovered that growing your water consumption can help weight reduction because it will increase your metabolism, and forestall you from feeling as hungry. After all, long-term weight reduction comes from consuming a nutritious diet, exercising, and sleeping properly, so sipping water alone isn’t sufficient, but when weight reduction is a objective, including extra water to your day can’t damage.
3. I didn’t discover any enhancements in my pores and skin
I hoped, after a month of consuming a gallon of water a day, I’d have the ability to say I had the glowing pores and skin of a basis industrial, however alas, I nonetheless have breakouts. Most of my spots happen round my jawline, which is commonly brought on by fluctuations in hormones, nevertheless, and no quantity of water goes to assist that.
The pores and skin is made up of three completely different layers, and if the outermost layer of the pores and skin, the dermis, doesn’t comprise sufficient water, your pores and skin can lose elasticity. But after doing a little digging, there doesn’t appear to be any analysis that proves that consuming extra water has a lot affect on the pores and skin’s hydration. As an alternative, it appears to be what you set on your pores and skin that makes a distinction.
4. I nonetheless had hormonal complications
In line with analysis (opens in new tab), dehydration is a standard explanation for complications and migraines, so I assumed consuming a gallon of water a day would assist eliminate mine. Whereas I didn’t get as many complications as regular in the direction of the tip of my working day (one thing I all the time put right down to looking at my laptop computer for too lengthy), I did nonetheless get complications very first thing, though in keeping with my interval monitoring app, these is perhaps hormonal.
5. I needed to time my water consumption with my exercises
Water may also help transport oxygen and glucose round your physique, which in flip, may give you extra power throughout your exercises. Dehydration may also negatively have an effect on your exercise efficiency — dehydration happens once you lose as little as 2% of your physique’s water content material, nevertheless once you’re sweating, you may simply lose greater than this when figuring out.
As a normal rule, I all the time drink to thirst throughout my exercises and after I’m working. Whereas I didn’t discover any dramatic distinction in my athletic efficiency, I did discover that I needed to time my final drink at the least half-hour earlier than heading out the door, as in any other case I’d really feel sluggish, and develop a facet sew. I additionally think about that as a result of I used to be consuming a gallon of water a day, I wasn’t dehydrated in any respect throughout the previous month, which means I wasn’t struggling any indicators of dehydration throughout my lengthy runs and power periods.
I drank a gallon of water a day for a month — My verdict
Different advantages of consuming a gallon of water embrace decreased hangovers, much less puffy under-eye luggage, and higher power ranges. I solely had a few glasses of wine over the previous month, so remained hungover-free, and I didn’t discover a lot distinction within the puffiness round my eyes. That mentioned, I did really feel extra energetic and I used to be capable of focus higher at work.
I additionally discovered to like the style of water. Earlier than this month, I’d typically go for a drop of squash in my water bottle, however that felt like dishonest for this problem. After sipping gallons of the stuff, I discovered the simplest approach to benefit from the water was to chuck a few ice cubes into my insulated bottle, which means the water stayed cool for a number of hours. I’d additionally combine issues up by including a slice of cucumber right here and there. (Take a look at our picks for the greatest water bottles.)
My verdict? After a month, the behavior of getting my water bottle by my facet is properly and really established. Whereas I received’t be preserving as shut a watch on my consumption ranges going ahead, I’ll proceed to sip water all through the day. When you’re struggling day by day complications, and power slumps, and discover you’re completely grazing, this is perhaps a problem to strive — simply don’t anticipate miracles with regards to your pores and skin.
It goes with out saying, sure medical situations might require a restricted water consumption to keep away from fluid overload. In case you are present process therapy, it’s value checking together with your physician earlier than altering your fluid consumption.
On the lookout for extra exercise inspiration? Learn what occurred when I took 10,000 steps a day for a month right here. Plus, check out what occurred when our health author tried this dumbbell ab exercise, and this Pilates abs and glutes exercise.