Water and why it needed?

LeslieTSUK

Hi all,
I know am going to get a ton of different opinions on this, but fire away.

Basically, I keep hearing people going on about soda and all sorts of other stuff, how bad it supposed to be, then many say they turned to water and supposedly was like a miracle to them.

But as yet i've not actually seen anyone say why having 8 cups of water a day is good for ya?

Is it best to drink it before meals? with meals? or after meals? in-between meals?

What if ya prone to water retention? will drinking water actually make that worse or better?

Would be nice if those of you on MFP that religiously have the 8 cups of water each day could reply with how it changed your weight loss lifestyle and time scales etc, one thing reading stuff online, it another thing actually getting feedback from those who do it daily over time....

Thanks in advance

Blessed be

hearthwood

8 oz glasses x 8 = 64 oz.

LeslieTSUK

ahhh thank you hearthwood

Lasmartchika

hearthwood wrote: »

8 oz glasses x 8 = 64 oz.

236 ml per cup, 1.89 Liters total if you prefer metric measurements. It keeps your body hydrated. You need water. Drink it whenever throughout the day.

CodeMonkey78

- That is in relation to a US cup (8oz). 8 Cups is about 1.9 Liters.
- Drink water at all the above times. If you drink before a meal, it does help supress appetite.
- Don't worry about water retention. Your body is mostly water and you need it to survive.
- I drink a LOT more than 8 Cups per day, but I run long distance and lose a lot with sweat. I.e., drink to thirst but if you exercise and sweat heavily, drink more water to replentish.

daydreams_of_pretty

You should Google the conversion of cups to milliliters. Cups are a unit of measurement in the US.

Most people on here don't seem to worry about their water intake and just drink when they're thirsty. I actually drink a ton of water. It makes me feel better and means that I usually don't drink my calories, but it doesn't actually do anything for weight loss other than replacing high calorie beverages.

Drinking more water won't make your retain it. Actually, it can help you retain less water if you stay hydrated. You don't need water for that, technically. Foods like fruits and vegetables hydrate you, as well as other liquids.

It doesn't matter when you drink water, though you might not want to drink a bunch before bed.

Try out drinking more water and see how you like it, but there's no reason to torture yourself over it.

EvelineUK

There is people who claim the 8-cups-a-day thing is a myth, but I know that if I don't drink enough (water) a day, I get headaches.

Water retention is a sign you're not drinking enough, which may sound strange, but you can read about it here:
http://www.freedrinkingwater.com/water_health/health1/1-stop-retaining-water-by-drinking-more.htm
So really, you should try and drink more.

zyxst

I suppose water helps most people lose weight because water has no calories and people are replacing whatever they has been drinking (which probably had calories) with something that's calorie free.

I drink when I'm thirsty, though it does keep me from stuffing my face all the time, if I'm having hunger pains, water isn't going to cut it.

La5Vega5Girl

i have migraines if i don't drink enough. i used to HATE water and never drank it. went to the dr and he pointed to my bloodlab results and said, "you do not drink water!" BUSTED! so i flavor my water with lemon, etc. so i can drink it and have started drinking 2 qts. a day and it has helped me feel like i'm doing something positive for my body (since my blood work showed my dehydration!) overall, other than not getting headaches, i really haven't noticed a difference. i was never thirsty, just forced it on myself.

Alidecker

I have also read that not drinking enough water can cause you to retain water. I drink when I am thirsty, that ends up being more than 64 oz. especially when I work out. I sweat a lot. When I don't drink enough water or stay hydrated, I am much more sore after a workout also.

Like others have said, it doesn't help you lose weight, except by replacing high calorie drinks with water.

LeslieTSUK

ty all, really appreciate the feed back

chill10120

I have two things I want to share with you. well ok three... one is about me. Ive suffered migraines since I was a kid.. A decent intake of water for me helps prevent this ... well not make them go away but I notice as A adult now I drink water more I get them less then when I didn't drink water like I should ..
it also helps aid in digestion, helps prevent stroke and heart disease. drinking a glass befor bed is a most fantastic thing you can do.
No reason to consume huge amounts of POP or Soda with chemicals tons of sugars and caffeine all the time our bodies dont need that crap
http://fullspike.com/_images/daily-water-chart.png this is a chart for body weight and How much you should consume in water each day.. just scroll and copy then paste in your browser bar.
www.healthdigeZt.com this is another one ..
Hope this helps you hun
good luck : 0 )

_funrungirl

I don't keep track of all the water I drink, but it is my drink of choice throughout the day. I do drink coffee in the morning and some herbal tea in the afternoon, but I cut out soda years ago and never looked back.

As far as benefits here are the top 10 reasons to drink water (taken from the internet)

1. Increases Energy & Relieves Fatigue – Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!

2. Promotes Weight Loss – Removes by-products of fat, reduces eating intake (by filling up your tummy if consumed prior to meals), reduces hunger (hello natural appetite suppressant!), raises your metabolism and has zero calories!

3. Flushes Out Toxins – Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).

4. Improves Skin Complexion – Moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, glowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. It’s the best anti-aging treatment around!

5. Maintains Regularity – Aids in digestion as water is essential to digest your food and prevents constipation.

6. Boosts Immune System – A water guzzler is less likely to get sick. And who wouldn’t rather feel healthy the majority of the time? Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu, cancer and other ailments like heart attacks.

7. Natural Headache Remedy – Helps relieve and prevent headaches (migraines & back pains too!) which are commonly caused by dehydration.

8. Prevents Cramps & Sprains - Proper hydration helps keep joints lubricated and muscles more elastic so joint pain is less likely.

9. Puts You in a Good Mood – When the body is functioning at its best, you will feel great and be happy!

10. Save Money! - Water is FREE! Even if you choose bottled/filtered water, it’s STILL cheaper than that high sugar and fat-filled latte!


** I got this top 10 list from: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4287/10-Reasons-Why-You-Should-Drink-More-Water.html

Showcase_Brodown

Don't overthink it.

Obviously you need hydration and 64 oz. isn't a bad recommendation, give or take. It doesn't matter if that water is from crystal clear water or part of some other beverage (like a diet soda or coffee or something else that includes water as the main ingredient), or even from food that includes water (which is most food).

Luckily there is this thing called thirst that will remind us to get water into our system if we need it.

charlesmauch

There are a ton of metrics to figure out if your drinking enough, but I think the easiest way to check hydration levels is to simply keep an eye on the color of your urine. If it's close to clear and not very yellow ... your drinking enough. For me, that's about 100 to 160oz a day, which doesn't include coffee, protein shakes, water in food, etc. I drink probably about half of that at the gym, (I sweat a lot starting from 5 minutes in until I hit the showers).

If your doing regular exercise, hydration is pretty important. Performance starts to suffer when your not hydrated. When your dehydrated and exercising (cardio, resistance training, whatever), your body temperature starts to increase, your heart rate goes up and everything starts to feel harder. Dehydration also depletes glycogen stores faster, which further affects exercise performance. Basically, your workout starts to suck big time.

I'm not sure how it affects fat loss, but I can tell the difference in the gym, which is why I make it a point to have a glass or a bottle around me all day long.

Zerodette

How does drinking water stop you from retaining water?

When you are dehydrated, your brain makes a hormone that causes your kidneys to hang on to water, sending out only a minimum amount in urine (making it dark). If you are getting plenty of water, that hormone isn't produced, so your urine has lots of water in it (making it clear).

lporter229

Showcase_Brodown wrote: »

Don't overthink it.

Obviously you need hydration and 64 oz. isn't a bad recommendation, give or take. It doesn't matter if that water is from crystal clear water or part of some other beverage (like a diet soda or coffee or something else that includes water as the main ingredient), or even from food that includes water (which is most food).

Luckily there is this thing called thirst that will remind us to get water into our system if we need it.

This. Water is important for all of the reasons stated above, but that doesn't mean that you need to go out and guzzle down gallons of it. There's no prize for drinking the most water. As a general rule, I drink when I am thirsty. If I notice my skin looks wrinkled or my urine is dark, I make a point to drink more. If your urine is light to clear, you should not need to worry about drinking more. You do not need to drink so much that you are running to the bathroom all day long.

Basilin

I've been wondering about this as well because I don't drink much water, but don't feel I need to. I'm starting to realize that even though I don't get thirsty or don't want that much water, I might still need more than I'm getting and have been chronically dehydrated.

1) I've been "working up" to going from 8 to 16 oz a day to 48 oz a day. At first this was really hard, I was peeing all the time and my pee would run clear after 16 oz. So I thought I was getting too much water.

2) As I kept drinking 16 oz, then up to 32 oz, I started realizing I didn't go to the bathroom as much and I started craving water more. I believe that somehow body just wasn't used to higher volume of water but it got used to it pretty quick (2 weeks or so).

3) Since I've been up to about 48 oz a day, I have not been bloating heavily anymore (also I've been putting in effort to eat more potassium and less sodium). I don't get horrible headaches that never go away without medication that I used to get every 3 or so days. I eat less. I don't get sleepy in the afternoons as much (unless I miss a lot of hours of sleep). I do feel better. Pretty much everything the above posters have mentioned.

shadowofender

I don't log it on here because I know I drink enough water, but, the more I drink:

The more satiated I am through the day. Drinking water when I'm feeling hungry helps me determine if I'm actually hungry or just borede.

My skin clears up, though that could be a hundred factors.

Fewer headaches

I just *feel* better when I'm well hydrated.

BillRicks1

Rule of thumb - 1/2 body weight in fluid ounces per day every day.

LeslieTSUK

Think once my diet pops used up, time to go on a more sugar free juice side, can't take meds with water, but think definitely time for a change.

TY again everyone, gave me a lot of food for thought with your replies and it really is much appreciated.