How Much Water Do You Really Need to Drink?

How much water do you really need to be drinking every day? Is there some magical formula? Turns out, the truth is much simpler than that - no calculator needed.

It's safe to say that most of us probably don't drink enough water - but how do you know how much is the right amount? Maybe you've heard the "formula" where you take your weight in pounds and decide that's the amount - in ounces - of water you need to drink.

I talked to Catrina Dibble, who is the manager and a trainer at Carbone Athletics at The Fitness Mill for the real scoop. She gave us two tips - and let me tell you - girl keeps it real.

First Catrina says you should drink when you're thirsty - that's pretty simple. Then, she told us the best way to tell if you're drinking enough is to just look at your pee. If it's a very bright yellow, you need to drink more. Pale yellow? You're drinking enough. Pretty straightforward.

Catrina says, on average, you should drink:

About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids for men
About 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women

"You've probably heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's easy to remember, and it's a reasonable goal," Catrina continues.

"Most healthy people can stay hydrated by drinking water and other fluids whenever they feel thirsty. For some people, fewer than eight glasses a day might be enough. But other people might need more."

So that's it - no fancy formula - the best way to figure out how much water you need to rink is to just listen to your body...and look at your pee.