How much water should I drink if I weigh 185 lbs?
The National Academies' guideline for adult women is about 74 fl oz (9 cups) a day from drinks, whatever your weight. A personal goal for a moderately active 185 lb woman, adding a little for size and exercise, is about 88 fl oz (11.0 cups / 2.6L). Activity, heat, pregnancy and breastfeeding raise it; see every level below.
Official guideline · women
74 fl oz
from drinks (91 counting food) · National Academies
Personal goal · 185 lbs, moderate activity
88fl oz
11.0 cups · 2.6L per day
The personal goal starts from the guideline and adds a little for a larger body and exercise. Want yours? Use the water intake calculator.
Water goal at 185 lbs, by activity level
No health considerations applied.
| Activity level | fl oz / day |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | 79 oz |
| Light | 79 oz |
| Moderateaverage | 88 oz |
| Very Active | 96 oz |
| Athlete | 105 oz |
Adjustments for health considerations
91 fl oz
Goal: 88 oz + 3 oz pregnancy · moderate activity
Guideline: 78 fl oz from drinks (101 counting food)
118 fl oz
Goal: 88 oz + 30 oz breastfeeding · moderate activity
Guideline: 105 fl oz from drinks (128 counting food)
How to reach 88 fl oz (11.0 cups) a day
Start with 16 oz before coffee
Drinking 16 oz (2 cups) of water first thing in the morning — before caffeine — starts your day 18% of the way to your 88 oz goal.
Break it into 11 cups
At 8 oz (one standard cup) per drink, you need 11 cups spread through the day — roughly one every 1–2 waking hours. Prefer a larger bottle? That's 6 pint-sized (16 oz) servings.
Log each drink as you go
Logging as you go is easier than trying to remember at night, and it shows you where the day stands. In Hydrate a drink is one tap.
Set an afternoon reminder
Afternoons are easy to forget. A 3pm reminder to drink 16 oz (2 cups) gets you 18% of a 88 oz day in one go. Coffee and tea count too.
Hit your 88 oz goal every day
Hydrate sets your goal, adjusts it for workouts and hot days, and tracks it with reminders and streaks.
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