Why MUST I drink lots of water on low carb?

Hi folks,

I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
gave no reason.

Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?

Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
because that organ HATES ketone concentration.

Your help is appreciated,

J.

This is from the Atkins website. hope it helps.

On any eating regimen, a minimum of 64 ounces, or eight 8-ounce glasses, of
water per day is the usual recommendation. Many people, particularly women,
suffer from inadequate hydration, so it is important to be diligent about
drinking water throughout the day. Water consumption will also help flush
toxins from your body and combat such problems as constipation and bad
breath. Note that coffee, tea and diet sodas do not apply to the daily
minimum.

I couldn't find how the water was related to ketosis, but I have heard that
you must drink alot of water because you may develop kidney problems as you
mentioned b4.

hugs,

Tonya
www.lowcarbcrew.com

"John E" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
gave no reason.

Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?

Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
because that organ HATES ketone concentration.

Your help is appreciated,

J.

Quoted message said:

I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
gave no reason.

Quoted message said:

Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?

Drinking plenty of water is always important. Particularly on a diet,
because people who don't drink enough water often end up eating more food so
that their body gets water from the food.

Quoted message said:

Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?

Yes

Quoted message said:

Does it give you energy so you won't give up?

Well, if you are dehydrated you won't have as much energy... so I suppose

Constipation is a common side effect of low-carb, and that can be helped by
making sure you are getting enough water.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tonya' Ton(nospam)@radz.net said:

"John E" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
gave no reason.

Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?

This is from the Atkins website. hope it helps.

On any eating regimen, a minimum of 64 ounces, or eight 8-ounce glasses, of
water per day is the usual recommendation. Many people, particularly women,
suffer from inadequate hydration, so it is important to be diligent about
drinking water throughout the day. Water consumption will also help flush
toxins from your body and combat such problems as constipation and bad
breath. Note that coffee, tea and diet sodas do not apply to the daily
minimum.

I couldn't find how the water was related to ketosis, but I have heard that
you must drink alot of water because you may develop kidney problems as you
mentioned b4.

According to the Eades (Eadeses?) in Protein Power, a low-carb diet has
a natural diuretic effect. If you don't drink enough of it, you could
end up dehydrated.

Some also say that water is an important component of the "fat-burning"
process. Either way, drink your water! 🙂

Stan

You don't have to drink anywhere near as much water as most people think you
do. The idea that you don't get thirsty until you are dangerously
dehydrated is a myth that has been perpetrated by the people making a lot of
money selling bottled tap water.

Read this medical journal article "The Water Myth" for some scientific fact.
http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/00365.2002v1

I have been low carbing for 5 years and never drink more than a few glasses
of liquid a day, including coffee. My kidneys are fine as are just about any
other blood chemistry you might want to measure (and which my doctors have
measured over the years.) I am below my goal weight after losing almost 30
lbs.

If you can't drink a lot of water (which I can't due to a damaged urinary
tract) drink as much water as you feel comfortable drinking.

-- Jenny - Low Carbing for 5 years. Below goal for weight. Type 2 diabetes,
hba1c 5.7 .
Cut the carbs to respond to my email address!

Jenny's new site: What they Don't Tell You About Diabetes
http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/

Jenny's Low Carb Diet Facts & Figures
http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/

Looking for help controlling your blood sugar?
Visit http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/Newly%20Diagnosed.htm

"John E" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
gave no reason.

Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?

Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
because that organ HATES ketone concentration.

Your help is appreciated,

J.

Drink all the water you can handle. I usually drink about a gallon a day.
Sometimes more, sometimes less, but never less than a half-gallon.

It's just good for you, and will do a lot towards revamping your feeling of
well-being. How much more reason do you need?

John E wrote:
| Hi folks,
|
| I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
| lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
| gave no reason.
|
| Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?
|
| Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
| Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
| Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
| because that organ HATES ketone concentration.
|
| Your help is appreciated,
|
| J.

You will hear many people recite that you have to drink gallons of water or
very bad things will happen to you, blah blah blah yada yada. None of it is
true IMO. If they want to have to pee every 10 minutes to get rid of the
extra water they drink, that is certainly their perogative. But rest
assured, this is merely their opinion and what they choose to believe; it is
not a universal truth. They usually forget to add "YMMV" and "IMHO" to the
posts, and state the super-hydration opinons as if it were fact.

Most vegetables are 90+% water (this is why juicers work) and meats are 70+%
water. O a low-carb regimen you will get plenty of H2O, and you will feel
thirsty and drink when your body needs extra water. I have yet to see
anyone prove that somehow low-carb dieting shuts off the thirst reflex when
our body needs water. Or that it somehow dehydrates us when xactly the
opposite is true. Some say that you have to drink pure water, that the tea,
iced tea, decaf coffee, SF soda, etc., doesn't count towards your daily
water intake. This is simply a case of misery loves company IMO adn makes
no sense at all.

If someone wants to drink tons of water, more power to them; it's certainly
fine by me. Maybe it's something that gives them a psychological edge in
their weight loss, and that's a good thing. But for myself (and others), I
have not made a point to drown myself in water; I drink when I'm thirsty,
and am plenty hydrated. The former rough dry skin on my hands and eczema on
my elbows, knees and knuckles have cleared up on low-carb. My hair looks
shinier and healthier than it has in years. At 52 years old I have smooth
skin on my face with almost no wrinkles. I have normal bowel movements
since I eat plenty of healthy vegetables. A recent complete physical exam
showed normal electrical activity in my heart. I see no reason to force
myself to drink all that extra water; nor do I see why anyone else should --
unless they really want to.
--
Peter
270/215/180
Before/Current Pix:
http://users.thelink.net/marengo/weightlosspix/weightlosspix.html

John E said:

Hi folks,

I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
gave no reason.

Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?

Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
because that organ HATES ketone concentration.

Your help is appreciated,

One reason is related to the exercise component. The body normally
stores glycogen in and around the muscles. Glycogen is one part carb
and four parts water. It is fuel that can be burned quickly, when the
muscles are called on to work hard. If you are doing the exercise
component of Atkins properly, ie lots of exercise daily, then
especially during the weight loss phases, your body will normally be
depleted of glycogen and so will have much less stored water. Drinking
all this extra water helps keep the level up to where it would
normally be if you were eating more carbs. It is especially important
if you are training hard.

Martin W. Smith wrote:
|| "John E" <[email hidden]> wrote:
||
||| Hi folks,
|||
||| I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
||| lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
||| gave no reason.
|||
||| Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?
|||
||| Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
||| Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
||| Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
||| because that organ HATES ketone concentration.
|||
||| Your help is appreciated,
||
|| One reason is related to the exercise component. The body normally
|| stores glycogen in and around the muscles. Glycogen is one part carb
|| and four parts water. It is fuel that can be burned quickly, when the
|| muscles are called on to work hard. If you are doing the exercise
|| component of Atkins properly, ie lots of exercise daily, then
|| especially during the weight loss phases, your body will normally be
|| depleted of glycogen and so will have much less stored water.
|| Drinking all this extra water helps keep the level up to where it
|| would normally be if you were eating more carbs. It is especially
|| important if you are training hard.

So if there is little glycogen, how can the muscle be holding water? You
can guzzle all the water you want, but the water will just flow through and
it won't stored in the muscles with glycogen if you're exercising and
restricting carbs.

Roger Zoul said:

Martin W. Smith wrote:
|| "John E" <[email hidden]> wrote:
||
||| Hi folks,
|||
||| I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
||| lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
||| gave no reason.
|||
||| Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?
|||
||| Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
||| Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
||| Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
||| because that organ HATES ketone concentration.
|||
||| Your help is appreciated,
||
|| One reason is related to the exercise component. The body normally
|| stores glycogen in and around the muscles. Glycogen is one part carb
|| and four parts water. It is fuel that can be burned quickly, when the
|| muscles are called on to work hard. If you are doing the exercise
|| component of Atkins properly, ie lots of exercise daily, then
|| especially during the weight loss phases, your body will normally be
|| depleted of glycogen and so will have much less stored water.
|| Drinking all this extra water helps keep the level up to where it
|| would normally be if you were eating more carbs. It is especially
|| important if you are training hard.

So if there is little glycogen, how can the muscle be holding water?

It isn't holding nearly as much. That's the point. You have to keep
drinking.

Quoted message said:

You
can guzzle all the water you want, but the water will just flow through and
it won't stored in the muscles with glycogen if you're exercising and
restricting carbs.

The drinking isn't for storing the water. The drinking is for ensuring
water is there for the processes that need it, because they can't get
enough of it by burning glycogen, when there isn't much glycogen to be
burned.

When you try your first century without drinking water, you will see
what I mean. You probably won't reach the finish line.

Jim Bard said:

Drink all the water you can handle.

Advice I saw elsewhere (Lyle, I think) was that you should drink
enough water to have 4-5 clear urinations per day. That ensures that
you're fully hydrated without drinking more than is needed and
overtaxing (maybe) your kidneys.

Me, I just keep a 2 liter bottle in the fridge and refill it each
night.

I always just figured it kept your stomach full. When your stomach is
full, then you don't want to eat as much.

[They've said that small children who drink too much juice and do not eat
enough food can actually be malnourished because they aren't hungry, and
thus don't eat, since, unlike most of us, small children don't like to
extend their stomachs just because it happens to taste good.]

Anyway, so why wouldn't it work for us older people, only in
reverse...keep our stomachs so full of water or other sugar free liquids
that we don't want to eat as much because the stomach is already full.

For me, it didn't have to be water. I managed to lose 50+ lbs without
drinking water...unfortunately...I used Diet Coke. 🙁

Becky P.

Martin W. Smith wrote:
:: "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote:
::
::: Martin W. Smith wrote:
::::: "John E" <[email hidden]> wrote:
:::::
:::::: Hi folks,
::::::
:::::: I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
:::::: lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
:::::: gave no reason.
::::::
:::::: Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?
::::::
:::::: Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
:::::: Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
:::::: Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
:::::: because that organ HATES ketone concentration.
::::::
:::::: Your help is appreciated,
:::::
::::: One reason is related to the exercise component. The body normally
::::: stores glycogen in and around the muscles. Glycogen is one part
::::: carb and four parts water. It is fuel that can be burned quickly,
::::: when the muscles are called on to work hard. If you are doing the
::::: exercise component of Atkins properly, ie lots of exercise daily,
::::: then especially during the weight loss phases, your body will
::::: normally be depleted of glycogen and so will have much less
::::: stored water. Drinking all this extra water helps keep the level
::::: up to where it would normally be if you were eating more carbs.
::::: It is especially important if you are training hard.
:::
::: So if there is little glycogen, how can the muscle be holding water?
::
:: It isn't holding nearly as much. That's the point. You have to keep
:: drinking.
::
::: You
::: can guzzle all the water you want, but the water will just flow
::: through and it won't stored in the muscles with glycogen if you're
::: exercising and restricting carbs.
::
:: The drinking isn't for storing the water. The drinking is for
:: ensuring water is there for the processes that need it, because they
:: can't get enough of it by burning glycogen, when there isn't much
:: glycogen to be burned.

But a LCer can drink all the water in the world, but since the carbs are low
there will be little glycogen for water to bind to, hence it won't be stored
in and around muscle tissue and in the liver. That water weight can only be
replaced by upping the carbs or eating enough protein to get glycogen stores
refilled as a result of conversion. Water can be other places in the
body....

::
:: When you try your first century without drinking water, you will see
:: what I mean. You probably won't reach the finish line.

You don't think I'd try a century without drinking water, do you? I won't
even do 20 miles without water.

curious wrote:
:: I always just figured it kept your stomach full. When your stomach
:: is full, then you don't want to eat as much.
::
:: [They've said that small children who drink too much juice and do
:: not eat enough food can actually be malnourished because they aren't
:: hungry, and thus don't eat, since, unlike most of us, small children
:: don't like to extend their stomachs just because it happens to taste
:: good.]
::
:: Anyway, so why wouldn't it work for us older people, only in
:: reverse...keep our stomachs so full of water or other sugar free
:: liquids that we don't want to eat as much because the stomach is
:: already full.

I recently fasted for 36 hours. I would drink liquid every time I felt
hungry. However, the pangs would return quickly, even though they never
increased in intensity. I don't think drinking water is any real substitute
for food. Also, liquids seem to empty out of the stomach very, very
quickly.

::
:: For me, it didn't have to be water. I managed to lose 50+ lbs without
:: drinking water...unfortunately...I used Diet Coke. 🙁
::

What's so unfortunate about that?

DJ Delorie wrote:
:: "Jim Bard" <[email hidden]> writes:
::: Drink all the water you can handle.
::
:: Advice I saw elsewhere (Lyle, I think) was that you should drink
:: enough water to have 4-5 clear urinations per day. That ensures that
:: you're fully hydrated without drinking more than is needed and
:: overtaxing (maybe) your kidneys.

Yes, that's Lyle's advice.

::
:: Me, I just keep a 2 liter bottle in the fridge and refill it each
:: night.

Roger Zoul said:

Martin W. Smith wrote:
:: "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote:
::
::: Martin W. Smith wrote:
::::: "John E" <[email hidden]> wrote:
:::::
:::::: Hi folks,
::::::
:::::: I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
:::::: lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
:::::: gave no reason.
::::::
:::::: Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?
::::::
:::::: Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
:::::: Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
:::::: Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
:::::: because that organ HATES ketone concentration.
::::::
:::::: Your help is appreciated,
:::::
::::: One reason is related to the exercise component. The body normally
::::: stores glycogen in and around the muscles. Glycogen is one part
::::: carb and four parts water. It is fuel that can be burned quickly,
::::: when the muscles are called on to work hard. If you are doing the
::::: exercise component of Atkins properly, ie lots of exercise daily,
::::: then especially during the weight loss phases, your body will
::::: normally be depleted of glycogen and so will have much less
::::: stored water. Drinking all this extra water helps keep the level
::::: up to where it would normally be if you were eating more carbs.
::::: It is especially important if you are training hard.
:::
::: So if there is little glycogen, how can the muscle be holding water?
::
:: It isn't holding nearly as much. That's the point. You have to keep
:: drinking.
::
::: You
::: can guzzle all the water you want, but the water will just flow
::: through and it won't stored in the muscles with glycogen if you're
::: exercising and restricting carbs.
::
:: The drinking isn't for storing the water. The drinking is for
:: ensuring water is there for the processes that need it, because they
:: can't get enough of it by burning glycogen, when there isn't much
:: glycogen to be burned.

But a LCer can drink all the water in the world, but since the carbs are low
there will be little glycogen for water to bind to, hence it won't be stored
in and around muscle tissue and in the liver. That water weight can only be
replaced by upping the carbs or eating enough protein to get glycogen stores
refilled as a result of conversion. Water can be other places in the
body....

That's right, but that's why drinking water is so important for an
athlete on a low-carb diet. I'm not talking about replacing water
weight. I'm talking about ensuring that sufficient water is available
when it is needed.

Quoted message said:

:: When you try your first century without drinking water, you will see
:: what I mean. You probably won't reach the finish line.

You don't think I'd try a century without drinking water, do you? I won't
even do 20 miles without water.

Good, but on a full glycogen load, I can go hard for two hours
without drinking water, with no ill effects or drop in performance.
That's much further than 20 miles. When I am low-carbing, I can't go
anywhere near that long without drinking.

What is better for you, I'm sure, and costs a lot less, but for me, the
taste of Diet Coke helped me not miss all that sugary foods.

Becky P.

I am among those that think the water thing is overdone. I have
maintained a 60 lb. loss on Atkins, and normally drink 1 quart of
water daily. The only exception would be if I am very active or in
very hot conditions, then I adjust accordingly.

Initially, I drank a gallon daily. It seemed I was constantly downing
pints of water, as well as continuously running to the washroom. I
was also getting up in the middle of the night to go, something I had
never done before (and don't do since I have cut back).

I think people hear that drinking a quart of water (or whatever) is a
good habit, so they figure if a quart is good then a gallon must be
fantastic. I'm sure they also feel that it keeps them full, something
not really necessary on Atkins. Just eat some fat and you'll feel
full.

I also found that when I overdid the water consumption, especially
during meals, that I got some stomach pain. I was frequently drinking
a quart of water with a large meal, which common sense should have
told me was too much.

Overdoing a good thing is not necessarily a good thing.

Martin W. Smith wrote:
:: "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote:
::
::: Martin W. Smith wrote:
::::: "Roger Zoul" <[email hidden]> wrote:
:::::
:::::: Martin W. Smith wrote:
:::::::: "John E" <[email hidden]> wrote:
::::::::
::::::::: Hi folks,
:::::::::
::::::::: I heard on TV that you must remain VERY hydrated, i.e. drink
::::::::: lots and lots of water when you are in Ketosis. They guy
::::::::: gave no reason.
:::::::::
::::::::: Can somoene please explain the detailed reason behind it?
:::::::::
::::::::: Does being-hydrated help you lose weight faster?
::::::::: Does it give you energy so you won't give up?
::::::::: Or is it a necessity so you won't develop kidney problems
::::::::: because that organ HATES ketone concentration.
:::::::::
::::::::: Your help is appreciated,
::::::::
:::::::: One reason is related to the exercise component. The body
:::::::: normally stores glycogen in and around the muscles. Glycogen
:::::::: is one part carb and four parts water. It is fuel that can be
:::::::: burned quickly, when the muscles are called on to work hard.
:::::::: If you are doing the exercise component of Atkins properly, ie
:::::::: lots of exercise daily, then especially during the weight loss
:::::::: phases, your body will normally be depleted of glycogen and so
:::::::: will have much less stored water. Drinking all this extra
:::::::: water helps keep the level up to where it would normally be if
:::::::: you were eating more carbs. It is especially important if you
:::::::: are training hard.
::::::
:::::: So if there is little glycogen, how can the muscle be holding
:::::: water?
:::::
::::: It isn't holding nearly as much. That's the point. You have to
::::: keep drinking.
:::::
:::::: You
:::::: can guzzle all the water you want, but the water will just flow
:::::: through and it won't stored in the muscles with glycogen if
:::::: you're exercising and restricting carbs.
:::::
::::: The drinking isn't for storing the water. The drinking is for
::::: ensuring water is there for the processes that need it, because
::::: they can't get enough of it by burning glycogen, when there isn't
::::: much glycogen to be burned.
:::
::: But a LCer can drink all the water in the world, but since the
::: carbs are low there will be little glycogen for water to bind to,
::: hence it won't be stored in and around muscle tissue and in the
::: liver. That water weight can only be replaced by upping the carbs
::: or eating enough protein to get glycogen stores refilled as a
::: result of conversion. Water can be other places in the body....
::
:: That's right, but that's why drinking water is so important for an
:: athlete on a low-carb diet. I'm not talking about replacing water
:: weight. I'm talking about ensuring that sufficient water is available
:: when it is needed.

Sure....everyone needs sufficient water and low-carbers are no different.

::
::::: When you try your first century without drinking water, you will
::::: see what I mean. You probably won't reach the finish line.
:::
::: You don't think I'd try a century without drinking water, do you?
::: I won't even do 20 miles without water.
::
:: Good, but on a full glycogen load, I can go hard for two hours
:: without drinking water, with no ill effects or drop in performance.
:: That's much further than 20 miles. When I am low-carbing, I can't go
:: anywhere near that long without drinking.

Well, one thing about low-carbing is the loss of electrolytes like sodium,
potassium, and magnesium due to ketosis. So, when you're glycogen loaded
you won't have a deficiency in these and your muscles have glycogen, so you
can tap type 2 fibers more to enable you to go hard. On low carb, you're
deplete of all of these (electrolytes and gylcogen), so going hard will be,
er, hard. You can get muscle cramps and not have much of an attitude for
going hard. I think this occurs regards of how much water one drinks,
provided one has enough. I don't see what extra water will do if you're low
on electrolytes and gylcogen and that impairing exercise ability.

Your argument is that a LCer needs more water because water is lost in and
around muscles due to depleted glycogen stores. But just drinking more
water while LCing doesn't replenish that water - no matter how much you
drink. The water will just pass through.

The bottom line: I think one's water needs will be the same whether LCing or
not. Lyle's suggestion of 4 to 5 clear pees per day seems like the best
advice on water consumption. Electrolyte supplementation may be necessary,
however, for the LCing athlete.

As far as dieting goes, almost every diet book in existence recommends
drinking [censored] of water. It has been shown repeatedly that this
recommendation is baseless in fact. But if you have some citations
somewhere that says that LCers NEED more water because of restricted carbs,
please pass that on.

Just for the heck of it, though, i'm going to gorge on water before my
Thursday AM ride, which I will do while LCing (I've done this before, BTW).
I'm sure I'll be uncomfortable with a belly full of water while riding up
the first hill.