How Much Water Should You Really Be Drinking?

Quick! How much water should you drink in a day? If you instantly thought of the eight-by-eight rule (or eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day), you’re not alone.

It’s impossible to give everyone the exact same rule of thumb. But for some general guidance, drink half of your weight in ounces. So, for example, someone who weighs 150 pounds would want to drink around 75 ounces of water, which is about 9 cups. 

It’s a bit more of a personalized calculation than an 8-cups-per-day standard, but don’t take it as gospel, either

​There’s this whole new thing with drinking a gallon of water a day, which is 16 glasses of water a day. That may be fine for some people, but for a lot of people, it’s probably too much water.

The bottom line? While you can follow a general quota, only you can know the exact ideal amount of water to drink daily. The only way to know is to live in your body and know what it feels like.

For some reason, eight glasses of water have become the daily gold standard for hydration. However,  there is no perfect quota for everyone to follow: Half your weight in ounces of water is a good place to start, but you might need to edit that goal based on your body and lifestyle.

Essentially, your body will let you know if it needs more water—so try to listen to the signs. You need to not be cut off from your neck down and feel what it’s like to be properly hydrated. And it’s different for everybody.