My mom got me a water bottle for Christmas and I’m obsessed with it.  But really water ‘bottle’ isn’t even the proper way to describe it.  It’s a jug….a barrel….a vessel…it’s HUGE.  It’s 3000ml.

Spend time with me and you’ll soon know, I am very uptight about my hydration.  I talk about it many times a day (according to my husband), and almost never leave the house without a water bottle.  And if I do happen to forget one, I am filled with angst until I get home – or I stop and buy one – because the thought of being without water makes me nervous.  I feel better when I’m hydrated! So, when my mom saw the giant water bottle (jug…barrel…vessel…you get it) at Homegoods – the mecca of all shopping places – she just knew she had to get it for me.  And I’m so glad she did.  I love it! I lug it around the house with me sipping on the straw, and I like knowing that all the water I need to consume all day is in this one bottle.  It’s like a clear vision of my hydration task – it’s all right there and when it’s gone I’ve done my job.

But here’s the thing.  Seeing 3000ml on the side of the bottle got me wondering – how much water SHOULD I be drinking each day? Is there such a thing as too much water?

According to reports, football superstar Tom Brady drinks like a ga-jillion ounces of water a day.  So will I be as great an athlete as Tom Brady if I drink several of my giant water vessels a day?

Sadly, I don’t think it’s that simple.  But still….it begs the question – how much water should I really be drinking?

A quick search on Google lead to many different approaches and ideas.  And truly it does depend entirely on the person – how much you sweat vs someone else is very different.  But here’s what I found that seemed to be an agreed upon method:

If you aren’t doing anything too strenuous, aim to drink half your body weight in ounces of water.  So if you weigh 150lbs, then aim to drink 75 ounces of water.  If you ARE very active or it’s really hot out, you will probably need closer to one ounce per pound of body weight.  So again, if you weigh 150lbs, then aim to drink 150 ounces of water per day.

That might seem insane – especially if you are not a crazy water drinker like me – but it’s not that bad.  Think of it this way, if you’re awake for 15-17 hours in a day drinking 75 ounces of water per day is really one big glass of water every other hour! And if you are aiming for 150 ounces it’s a big glass of water every hour.

If you are really adverse to drinking water or can’t seem to remember to drink throughout the day – it happens, life is busy! – try setting an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to take some sips.  If the taste of water is boring to you, try adding some lemon slices or drop a Nuun tablet into your water bottle to help spice things up.  Nuun tablets contain no added sugars or artificial ingredients so they don’t taste syrup-y like other sports drinks, plus their delicious flavors help keep me sipping all day long.  My current favorite flavors are the Watermelon and Tangerine Lime.

As I said, there are so many different approaches and ideas as to how much water one should drink during the day — but one thing is for certain: the benefits of staying well hydrated are endless.  Being well hydrated can help boost energy levels (next time you’re dragging – try a glass of water or two instead of coffee!), it helps you recover from training runs or workouts, it improves brain function, it helps keep skin clear and less dry/itchy, it can aid digestion and keep you regular, it can help increase your metabolic rate…. the list goes on and on.

SO…. while I don’t think I’ll need to take down one 3000ml bottle per day every day – there certainly will be days when I’ll have to get close if I’m running a lot, extra busy (on top of my already super busy!), or if it’s really hot out. Which to me is great news because I’m READY!

Sources: If you want to read more about proper hydration – check out these links!

US News and World Report – The Truth About How Much Water You Should Really Drink

Very Well – How Much Water Should You Drink During Exercise?

Health Line – 7 Science-Based Health Benefits of Drinking Enough Water

Runners World – 5 Hydration Mistakes You Are Probably Making

Disclaimer: Please note that there are affiliate links on this page and I will earn a small commission if you purchase through those links. However, all opinions are my own. Thank you for your support. Also, I am not a medical professional nor a coach.  Additionally, there is no one-size-fits-all-approach.  What works for me may not work for you.   These are my own opinions and insights based on my experience.