Water logging and water based beverages

ONUnicorn

When you drink something like tea (unsweetened) or coffee (black), do you log it with food, water, or both?

It doesn't have any calories, but it does have some micro nutrients, so maybe worth logging as food.

But what about the water? I wouldn't log soda as water. Does the addition of a tea bag mean I shouldn't log the tea as water? If I log it as both, am I counting it twice?

And then there are other things that you add water to and consume. Brewed cacao (about 30 calories). Oatmeal. Soup.

Yes, I am overthinking this. But should I/ would you log the water in those things as water in addition to food?

janejellyroll

What is your goal for logging water? That should answer the question for you.

I have no interest, in and of itself, how much water I drink. I'm interested in the calories I consume and I monitor my hydration by drinking to thirst. So I log caloric beverages and don't log water, tea, diet soda, etc. I do log coffee because I've noticed it can impact my anxiety so I like to have a record of consumption for those purposes.

If you can answer why you wouldn't log soda as water, that might help you figure out a strategy for the other items.

cwolfman13

I personally don't see any point in logging water. The important thing is keeping your body hydrated and that happens when you drink water...eat food...drink a soda...drink tea, etc. Hydration needs are highly variable...things like "8 glasses a day" are reasonably good benchmarks for keeping hydrated, but there is no universally optimal amount of water or other fluid to consume. I live in the desert at over a mile high in elevation from sea level and exercise regularly...mostly outside. My hydration needs (particularly in warmer seasons) are going to be considerably different from someone who lives at sea level in a temperate climate who is more or less sedentary or lightly active just as an example.

I drink quite a bit of water...I also usually have a Coke Zero with my lunch and have been making some zero sugar ginger beer mocktails in the evening and drink quite a bit of iced and hot tea. All of the above keep me hydrated. None of them have calories, so I wouldn't bother logging any of them.

rosebarnalice

I don't really log water now because I've developed pretty good habits, but when I had a different work/class schedule, and I was dehydrated A LOT I logged it just as a reminder to help me take hydro breaks throughout the day.

I logged any beverage WITHOUT caffeine towards my "water" count. I didn't log caffeinated tea, coffee, or diet sodas because caffeine is a diuretic and thus dehydrates rather than hydrates.

janejellyroll

rosebarnalice wrote: »

I don't really log water now because I've developed pretty good habits, but when I had a different work/class schedule, and I was dehydrated A LOT I logged it just as a reminder to help me take hydro breaks throughout the day.

I logged any beverage WITHOUT caffeine towards my "water" count. I didn't log caffeinated tea, coffee, or diet sodas because caffeine is a diuretic and thus dehydrates rather than hydrates.

Caffeine is a diuretic, but the overall impact of a beverage with caffeine is still to hydrate -- not dehydrate -- since the majority of things like coffee, tea, soda, etc are just water.

Obviously, how and when to log water is an individual choice, just wanted to point that out as it is a common belief that those aren't hydrating beverages.

glassyo

janejellyroll wrote: »

rosebarnalice wrote: »

I don't really log water now because I've developed pretty good habits, but when I had a different work/class schedule, and I was dehydrated A LOT I logged it just as a reminder to help me take hydro breaks throughout the day.

I logged any beverage WITHOUT caffeine towards my "water" count. I didn't log caffeinated tea, coffee, or diet sodas because caffeine is a diuretic and thus dehydrates rather than hydrates.

Caffeine is a diuretic, but the overall impact of a beverage with caffeine is still to hydrate -- not dehydrate -- since the majority of things like coffee, tea, soda, etc are just water.

Obviously, how and when to log water is an individual choice, just wanted to point that out as it is a common belief that those aren't hydrating beverages.

I was wondering because when I hit a plateau on Weight Watchers, one of the things I changed up was to go cold turkey on diet soda because I'd read that it dehydrates and to just drink water. (It had no affect on the plateau.)

I kinda went the opposite way again since then so... (diet coke just tastes better than water....ok?!) ::)

AKTipsyCat

I only log water as water - I'm *usually* pretty good about staying over 64 oz, but honestly when I don't log I have a tendency to slack off on water consumption - especially on days I know I'm going to do Hot Yoga, I make sure I get at least 60 oz in during the work day because that is definitely not a class I want to be dehydrated for. Everything else I drink, I log it as what I'm drinking.