Monitoring hydration

[Snoopy]

Apart from actually measuring daily intake, how do you folks keep track of your hydration level?
   Thanks, Snoopy

[Clark]

Bowl checks. If it's been a longer time than usual, that's a sign, but regardless, checking the color of the stream is routine, and has been since long before I donated:

http://health.clevelandclinic.org/2013/10/what-the-color-of-your-urine-says-about-you-infographic/

[Mooge]

I have a 750 cc bottle I carry around. Half a bottle on the way to work (1.25 hours), one bottle before lunch, one bottle after lunch, half a bottle on the way home. That's 2.25 liters already. With a couple glasses of water at meals, I get to 3 liters pretty easily, that's my target.
Weekends are a little harder, because there is no set schedule to the day, but I do okay.

[sherri]

Snoopy,

Are you aware of the popular ditty in Hebrew? Loosely translated "yellow pee is no good, white pee is excellent" . (pipi tzahov lo tov, pipi lavan mitzuyan)

Instead of counting up, I try to count down. I fill a 64 ounce water container and make sure it is down by the end of the day. I am much better in the summer than in the winter.

Sherri

[CK]

I just drink a lot of water, I don't really count or monitor it, other than checking the color of my urine.

[Snoopy]

Thank you to everyone for their advice! 
   Clark's link to the Cleveland Clinic is particularly interesting.  I especially recommend that people consult their take on the clinical significance of purple urine.
    As for myself, I've been checking the color (though, Sherri, I didn't know the cute song) and keeping an eye on bottle completion all along.  However, in the past week I noticed that, while I was drinking about the same (fairly significant) amount of water, the color was staying pretty deep yellow.  I was wondering whether I was missing something.
   Anyway, I kept drinking water and the color did finally go back to my normal very pale yellow, so I'm happier now.
  And, Sherri, you're right, during the winter I do sometimes sort of forget to keep track as carefully.
       Be well,  Snoopy

[carmelpi]

monitoring the color of urine is great but can be slightly misleading.  certain foods, supplements, and medications can actually change your pee to different colors.  also, the amount of time spent in the bladder can also cause darker urine (i.e. first pee of the day).  cloudy or hazy urine, pink urine, brown urine, these are all things to look for.  just make sure you get plenty of fluids throughout the day.   

that being said i don't monitor my fluid intake as well as i should.  so long as i stay hydrated and cut the sodium i figure i'm fine.  so far so good.  i avoid lo-fat foods like the plague - in order to keep the flavor up they tend to have a higher sodium content (which personally seems like they are defeating the purpose lol).

[Snoopy]

i avoid lo-fat foods like the plague - in order to keep the flavor up they tend to have a higher sodium content (which personally seems like they are defeating the purpose lol).

Yup. You've put your finger on a major issue, at least for me.  Since I started being very attentive to sodium content, I noticed that low-sodium foods are usually very high in fat and/or calories, and low-fat and/or low-calorie foods are very high in sodium.  Depressing, but true.  In any case, since my donation (actually, even since my long donor-screening process), I've shifted my main concern from fat and calories to sodium. Within about two weeks, I began noticing that many "normal" foods just tasted too salty to me.  That suggests to me how much sodium is in processed foods.
    Be well, Snoopy

[tantemorte]

As far as color goes,I find vitamin B supplements make mine bright yellow....

[Brian H]

...I began noticing that many "normal" foods just tasted too salty to me.  That suggests to me how much sodium is in processed foods.

Glad it's not just me.  I can't believe how many things I used to eat now taste so salty they're borderline inedible ever since my surgery.

[Stpfan44]

Hi