Do You Really Need 2 Litres of Water a Day?

There are many claims about the benefits of drinking at least 2 litres of water:

• Skin benefits: from clearing spots to anti-aging benefits & combatting skin conditions
• Boosts energy
• Aids weightloss
• Regulates body temperature
• Prevents & helps get rid of headaches
• Helps flush waste

..& so much more.

I am terrible at staying hydrated, so I wanted to challenge myself to drink 2 litres of water a day for a week. I could only get hold of a 2.2L bottle, so we’re rolling with the extra 200ml but as long as we hit 2 litres we’re good. The bottle has markers every 250ml which is super helpful.

Day 1

Ok, so day 1 was always going to be a struggle.
I didn’t drink 2L… might have reached 1.3L, but anything over 1L is still a win for me at this stage.
That bloat though. Also needed to pee every 5mins.

Day 2

The difference between day 1 & 2 was surprisingly huge. I found myself automatically picking my bottle up more often. I had finished my full 2.2L before 8pm.

Day 3

Smashed it. After dinner at 6pm I had to refill the bottle – 2.2L down! Managed to squeeze in an extra 250ml or so before I went to bed as I slept quite late that day.

Cravings who? I’m usually a sucker for unhealthy snacks throughout the day (especially when I’m bored or at home) but due to the amount of water I was consuming, I was staying full.
My bloating also significantly decreased by this point.

I started to notice a difference in the texture of my skin, which was mind blowing. So much smoother after just a few days.

I also learnt the hard way that no amount of water will stop you getting a headache when you’re over-tired, but I’m grateful for the lesson.

Day 4

Aaand reverse.

Not even a litre down at 9pm.

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Another late night and I only accomplished 1.8L. It’s a lot easier to remember to drink when I’m sitting at a desk with the bottle staring me in the face all day. Alas, I wasn’t at my desk.

Day 5

Another fail. Another 1.8L.

Felt very bloated again and not very hungry or thirsty..

Day 6

Back on track.
It seems that I drink more Mon-Fri when I’m working, and I struggle on the weekends.

2.2L down, nothing new to report.

Day 7

The final hurdle.
Do you think I smashed it or failed? Take a guess in the comments!

(Hint: I failed)

The Verdict

Overall, it was a more successful week than I expected.
My findings, based on the claims stated at the start:

• Skin benefits
  • Generally smoother complexion, less puffiness, plumper skin
  • Do I think water on its own can do and maintain this? No. I think you need a good balance of water, healthy food, appropriate skincare and an active lifestyle
  • Also due to staying fuller and not wanting to snack, intake of sugar and salt is significantly reduced. Both of those things have a negative impact on skin
• Boosts energy
  • Ever so slightly. Though when I’m bored enough, I’ll doze off regardless of anything
• Aids weightloss
  • Drinking so much water just means I’m fuller and don’t have as much space for food, so I eat less. [Note: not uncomfortably full]
    I haven’t lost any weight at this point, but I see how it would work
• Regulates body temperature
  • Can’t comment. Haven’t exactly been exerting myself/sweating..
• Prevents & helps get rid of headaches
  • Yes! Except when it’s 6 hours past my bedtime and I deserve a headache. I get headaches quite often, which is what usually prompts me to drink. Not this week.
• Helps flush waste
  • Yes. I don’t think I’ve peed so often in my life. It also helps regulate bowel movement

So do you really need 2 litres of water a day?

I think water is definitely an important part of a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

I want to keep this experiment going for another week or 2 minimum and see if anything changes, so watch this space.

Final verdict here

If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. Now go grab a cup of water!

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