Getting your "8 glasses of water" a day

csofled

How do you get to your water goal of the day? Is it water only that you count towards this goal? Should we count our cup of coffee (it is flavored water), our glass of juice, the almond milk in our smoothies?

dufus12

I don't know how others count their intake, but I start the day with a 2 litre bottle of water and I finish it, if not more. I don't count anything else towards my water intake.

discoveringmyjoy

I think you technically could, but I personally don't. I like your jug!!

bigandstripy

I count my hot water and lemon towards my 8 glasses but having said that, I easily drink 8+ during the week. For some reason, when I am in my house and gasping for water, I'll check my phone or something rather than actually hydrate. So annoying.

mwyvr

Why would you not count your coffee, tea, hot lemon, hot chocolate, or for that matter, a beer, towards your hydration?

Hydration is the goal. Water is a primary component off all these things but also is surprisingly high in many of the foods we eat from a moist chicken breast to vegetables... It is just harder to track the water in those sources.

00figg

i fight (and lose) a daily battle with hydration and have pretty much given up. there was a recent thread about counting all liquids which i had never heard of before and it still feels somewhat like cheating, but, hey, if it brings, me closer to that elusive number of ounces, why not...

pariskathryn

When I have access to filtered water and my camelbak water bottle, I easily drink 9 cups or more a day. But, I've also began drinking more between meals when I feel a little hungry cause it staves off cravings pretty well.

krissyreminisce

I count my coffee, tea, and flavored waters. But I also drink up and around 200+ oz a week. This past week I was hitting 300 oz a day and still thirsty when I went to bed. I fill up 30oz or 32 oz water bottles and drink those.

Mariya_Stewart

I don't count the other drinks, because the body react different on them. The water do the same every time
I drink even more than 8 cups without to feel pressed to do it.

DeterminedFee201426

i drink 96 -128 oz of water perday :0 i be so thirsty , iam very active as well doing 250-350 minutes of exercise every week

_QueenE_

I like your water jug!
I only drink water with an occasional beer or pink lemonade, so it's not that hard for me to get in my water.
Back in the day I only drank pop and one day I decided to stop drinking it and forced myself to drink water lol. It just became a habit for me.

_QueenE_

I don't count the pink lemonade or beer as part of my water goal.

cityruss

All food, and all drink that contain water count towards water (fluid) intake for the day.

If you search the forums there are several detailed posts with the official USDA (and other) recommendations and guidelines that state so.

47Jacqueline

I count everything - except alcoholic beverages. I don't drink anything with caffeine or cane sugar and I carry Truvia with me instead of Splenda.

isulo_kura

8 glasses a day is just a made up number with no actual science or logic behind it. It was Actually made up as by an advertising company for mineral water then people just started quoting it. It's stupid to think that 120pound woman needs the same amount of water as 300 pound man. Keep hydrated fair enough but don't get silly about it 70% of our food is water. Use that indicator that we were given to tell if we needed water. It's called thirst

cityruss

The Food and Nutrition Board released the sixth in a series of reports presenting dietary reference values for the intake of nutrients by Americans and Canadians. This new report establishes nutrient recommendations on water, salt and potassium to maintain health and reduce chronic disease risk. Highlights of the report include:

◾The vast majority of healthy people adequately meet their daily hydration needs by letting thirst be their guide. The report did not specify exact requirements for water, but set general recommendations for women at approximately 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of total water -- from all beverages and foods -- each day, and men an average of approximately 3.7 liters (125 ounces daily) of total water. The panel did not set an upper level for water.

◾About 80 percent of people's total water intake comes from drinking water and beverages -- including caffeinated beverages -- and the other 20 percent is derived from food.

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10925

http://iom.edu/Reports/2004/Dietary-Reference-Intakes-Water-Potassium-Sodium-Chloride-and-Sulfate.aspx

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908954/

When we speak of water we are essentially focusing first and foremost on all types of water, be they soft or hard, spring or well, carbonated or distilled water. Furthermore we get water not only directly as a beverage but from food and to a very small extent also from oxidation of macronutrients (metabolic water). The proportion of water that comes from beverages and food varies with the proportion of fruits and vegetables in the diet. We present the ranges of water in various foods (Table 1). In the United States it is estimated that about 22% of water comes from our food intake while it would be much higher in European countries, particularly a country like Greece with its higher intake of fruits and vegetables or South Korea

http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Water/Why-is-water-so-important-for-my-body-Know-when.aspx

Fluids come from the beverages you drink and the foods that you eat

Coffees and teas are not dehydrating. Limit caffeine intake to about 400 mg per day. That is equal to 750 mL (3 cups) of black coffee or 1 L (4 cups) of black tea per day.

http://www.ecu.edu/cs-dhs/fammed/customcf/resources/nutrition/hydration.pdf

Fact or fiction: Beverages that contain caffeine will contribute to your daily fluid
needs? FACT! Research has shown that beverages containing caffeine, such as
soft drinks, tea, and coffee can contribute to meeting your daily fluid needs as
much as non-caffeinated beverages, such as water, milk, and juice do. Some of
these beverages may contain calories, which should be accounted for in your diet.

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/humansciences/fluids

Water comes from more than just fluids, it is a major component of many foods. In fact, it is estimated that 20% of our water needs are met through food, not fluids. Meal consumption is critical to ensure full hydration on a day to day basis. Eating food promotes fluid intake and retention.

http://www.ianrpubs.unl.edu/epublic/pages/publicationD.jsp?publicationId=296

Water comes from a variety of sources. All beverages or fluids are a source of water. Even solid foods contain water. Lettuce, celery, and other crisp vegetables are composed of 90 percent or more water. Protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, or chicken may contain as much as one-half to two-thirds their weight in water. Even grain products, which don’t seem watery at all, may be up to one-third water.

Fats, such as butter or margarine, and sugar are among the foods that contain the least water.

Some water, perhaps one to two cups per day, comes from inside our bodies as a byproduct of energy metabolism. This amount is small but significant.

It is important to be aware of fluid intake. Even though solid food is a source of water, additional water from drinking fluids is needed. Besides plain water, juices, milk, or other beverages boost fluid intake.

mwyvr

@cityruss - thanks for all the links.

It's all common sense but "8 glasses a day" is so easy to remember / sell / market that sometimes the slogan obscures common sense.

I've no problem counting my great, fresh home-ground, 15 calorie a morning coffee as part of my water intake.

All this talk about water, feeling thirsty! Think I'll go munch on some lettuce. And have a glass of water.

csofled

@cityruss thanks for all that well researched information! I think it is that freakin Water Consumption icon that makes me want to "drink up" all that H2O. I do count any type of liquid as part of my daily goal be it coffee, seltzer, almond milk or plain ole water. I also understand that many of our foods that we consume contain substantial amounts of liquid. My main goal is to remain well hydrated as part of the weight loss journey that I am on.