What is the point of water?

fivejillion

What is the point of adding cups of water into MFP? Like does it calculate anything, or am I just putting that for fun? Just wondering.

adisehic

that's one thing I never track, i believe it might tie into your sodium levels.

vegangela_

Well it is important to stay hydrated.

rankinsect

If you have personal goals to drink a certain amount of water, it lets you track it.

tkfunkyfrogg

Because depending on the resource you are looking at, 75% of us are chronically dehydrated. Your body needs water to do basic functions and even more if you are working out. If you want to lose weight etc, you need to be drinking water. It is a visual cue to people they need to drink. I already drink 3+ liters per day so dont use it but did when I was starting out. It was a wakeup call that I wasn't drinking enough.

cwolfman13

fivejillion wrote: »

What is the point of adding cups of water into MFP? Like does it calculate anything, or am I just putting that for fun? Just wondering.

some people fail at staying hydrated so logging it can remind some people to drink and hydrate as hydration is important to your overall health and well being. a lot of people are chronically dehydrated.

i never bothered logging it as i drink over a gallon per day and often more...i'm very active and live at elevation in the desert so i've never had issue with staying hydrated as it has been stilled in me since childhood.

zoeysasha37

Some people have trouble drinking enough water so for those people, tracking it here can be helpful.

shadowfax_c11

thorsmom01 wrote: »

Some people have trouble drinking enough water so for those people, tracking it here can be helpful.

I am one of those. Especially when the weather turns cold I tend to not drink enough. Logging my intake helps me to make the effort to drink more when I notice I have not had much. Especially important because I sweat a lot in my job and in my workouts and I tend to like salty foods.

juliet3455

@fivejillion As other people have said its a way of ensuring you stay hydrated and your body functions are not compromised.
If I get de-hydrated some of my old injuries start to hurt - a built in Alarm system?
Here is a link to a really good Blog that should answer most of the questions as why water is important.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Look_at_me/view/water-the-miracle-drug-756746

fivejillion

Thanks so much! I will take a look at that article.

vfit10

Water=life

Kalikel

It's for fun. Unless you have some medical or psychological issue that affects your sense of thirst, you can trust you r thirst to guide you. No counting, logging or measuring necessary.

Orphia

fivejillion wrote: »

What is the point of adding cups of water into MFP? Like does it calculate anything, or am I just putting that for fun? Just wondering.

It doesn't calculate anything. IMHO it's just there as yet another thing to obsess about.

Maxematics

I feel like the water tracking is an important tool for people who need it. I love water and people need to drink water to stay hydrated. I've heard people say they hate water. They'll drink juice, soda, coffee, tea, milk, anything but water which, in my opinion, is ridiculous. Water is more than just something to drink. As I stated earlier, it hydrates us and often when we think we feel hunger, we're actually just thirsty from being dehydrated and drinking a glass of water instead of eating more food helps us with that.

dabry05

It was helpful to me at first, and motivated me to kick soda and most other fluids which helped overall health more. It feels like there's only so much I can drink in a day, and making that near 100% water has been very beneficial.

tkfunkyfrogg

Kalikel wrote: »

It's for fun. Unless you have some medical or psychological issue that affects your sense of thirst, you can trust you r thirst to guide you. No counting, logging or measuring necessary.

If you are drinking water only when you feel thirst, you are already behind the curve. You should be drinking frequently and consistently throughout the day and not waiting for a sensation of thirst to prompt you.

Leslierussell4134

thorsmom01 wrote: »

Some people have trouble drinking enough water so for those people, tracking it here can be helpful.

I'm guessing this is the reason also.

forwardmoving

synacious wrote: »

I feel like the water tracking is an important tool for people who need it. I love water and people need to drink water to stay hydrated. I've heard people say they hate water. They'll drink juice, soda, coffee, tea, milk, anything but water which, in my opinion, is ridiculous. Water is more than just something to drink. As I stated earlier, it hydrates us and often when we think we feel hunger, we're actually just thirsty from being dehydrated and drinking a glass of water instead of eating more food helps us with that.

You know there is water in juice, soda, coffee, tea, milk etc, right? And the water in those drinks will hydrate you?

Maxematics

forwardmoving wrote: »

synacious wrote: »

I feel like the water tracking is an important tool for people who need it. I love water and people need to drink water to stay hydrated. I've heard people say they hate water. They'll drink juice, soda, coffee, tea, milk, anything but water which, in my opinion, is ridiculous. Water is more than just something to drink. As I stated earlier, it hydrates us and often when we think we feel hunger, we're actually just thirsty from being dehydrated and drinking a glass of water instead of eating more food helps us with that.

You know there is water in juice, soda, coffee, tea, milk etc, right? And the water in those drinks will hydrate you?

Yes, I'm aware water is not only in other drinks, but it's in foods we eat too. That still doesn't mean people should drink anything but water to quench their thirst. I drink beverages other than water, but I still drink several glasses of water daily. The human body needs water to survive; not milk, juice, or soda. A large component of the makeup of the human body is water. We lose water throughout the day and need to replenish our bodies.

Yes, people can get their water intake from sources other than water, but that doesn't mean their bodies are fully hydrated from doing so. When the body is dehydrated, people can confuse thirst for hunger. Many people who choose to drink beverages other than water tend to constantly feel insatiable thus leading to overeating. It also goes without saying that, unlike many other beverages, water does not have calories and is the better choice as a primary beverage overall.

forwardmoving

synacious wrote: »

forwardmoving wrote: »

synacious wrote: »

I feel like the water tracking is an important tool for people who need it. I love water and people need to drink water to stay hydrated. I've heard people say they hate water. They'll drink juice, soda, coffee, tea, milk, anything but water which, in my opinion, is ridiculous. Water is more than just something to drink. As I stated earlier, it hydrates us and often when we think we feel hunger, we're actually just thirsty from being dehydrated and drinking a glass of water instead of eating more food helps us with that.

You know there is water in juice, soda, coffee, tea, milk etc, right? And the water in those drinks will hydrate you?

Yes, I'm aware water is not only in other drinks, but it's in foods we eat too. That still doesn't mean people should drink anything but water to quench their thirst. I drink beverages other than water, but I still drink several glasses of water daily. The human body needs water to survive; not milk, juice, or soda. A large component of the makeup of the human body is water. We lose water throughout the day and need to replenish our bodies.

Yes, people can get their water intake from sources other than water, but that doesn't mean their bodies are fully hydrated from doing so. When the body is dehydrated, people can confuse thirst for hunger. Many people who choose to drink beverages other than water tend to constantly feel insatiable thus leading to overeating. It also goes without saying that, unlike many other beverages, water does not have calories and is the better choice as a primary beverage overall.

Many people do not drink any "pure" water yet they are still alive. Most newborn babies drink only breast milk or formula, yet do not get dehydrated.
Your digestive system is perfectly capable of extracting the water from food or beverages that contain water and use it as it would if you drank pure water. If you drink water with your meal, does it count as fluid despite being mixed in with your dinner in your stomach? Of course it does!
As for water being the best beverage, it would depend on what your nutritional needs are. Calories, especially when they come with vitamins, minerals, or protein can be very beneficial.

Qskim

I'm all for water but I think it's ridiculous when it becomes a literal p***ing contest.

If you think you may mistake thirst for hunger then tracking is useful. Otherwise, thirst (in the absence of any medical condition) is a good guide. Today I may need 10 glasses, tomorrow 2. It depends on climate, other fluid sources, activity.