Water

LprLady

MFP recommends 64 oz. of water a day. Does that have to be water? Can it be unsweetened caffeine free beverages? I find it easier to drink more water in the warm weather so how about decaf tea or fruit flavored water?

shapefitter

I start the day with a pint of warm water with lemon juice, this is 2 cups. Then I drink water before, and/or after a meal. I need to drink 10 a day, according to my body mass/weight.
Water play an important part during weightloss for a number of reasons.

Lizzy622

Yes decaf tea and flavored water count. I just bought an infuser cup that I love. It has a basket in the middle so you can put whatever you want in it and fill the cup with water. I had pineapple one day, ginger another and today I had frozen strawberries and lemon. It helps me get my water.

Mokey41

Any thing liquid will hydrate you. The whole 8 cups a water a day thing is a myth. You need enough liquid to be hydrated which you can tell if your urine is pale yellow. Your food contains a lot of water (an apple is 85% water) and you also get hydration from soups, milk, juice, fruits, veggies, coffee, tea, and a lot of other things we eat.

briandahawaiian

Any thing liquid will hydrate you. The whole 8 cups a water a day thing is a myth. You need enough liquid to be hydrated which you can tell if your urine is pale yellow. Your food contains a lot of water (an apple is 85% water) and you also get hydration from soups, milk, juice, fruits, veggies, coffee, tea, and a lot of other things we eat.

^^^^this

pennyscabin

Where did you find the infuser cup? I'd love to get one.

Lizzy622

Where did you find the infuser cup? I'd love to get one.

ShopRite

Stage14

Any thing liquid will hydrate you. The whole 8 cups a water a day thing is a myth. You need enough liquid to be hydrated which you can tell if your urine is pale yellow. Your food contains a lot of water (an apple is 85% water) and you also get hydration from soups, milk, juice, fruits, veggies, coffee, tea, and a lot of other things we eat.

This, as long as it doesn't contain a lot of caffeine, anything you drink and most things you eat will help you stay hydrated. Unless your pee is bright/darker yellow or you are suffering dehydration symptoms like headaches, there is no reason to worry about your water intake. That being said, I drink a lot of water because I love sodium rich foods and it helps to keep away bloat.

LprLady

Thanks Stage 14 and everyone who responded. Very helpful.

joyfuljoy65

Any thing liquid will hydrate you. The whole 8 cups a water a day thing is a myth. You need enough liquid to be hydrated which you can tell if your urine is pale yellow. Your food contains a lot of water (an apple is 85% water) and you also get hydration from soups, milk, juice, fruits, veggies, coffee, tea, and a lot of other things we eat.

THIS!!!

don't fall into the 'you must drown yourself with water' trap..... it will make you ill - so you may lose more weight but at the detriment to your health.

sarahrbraun

64oz a day is a general rule...however, I have found that the more you weigh, the more fluid you need to stay hydrated.

Several years ago I had my THIRD kidney stone, and my urologist did a number of tests to find out WHY. He did a 24 or 48 hour urine collection every few months until the results came out the way he wanted them. In the end, we discovered that my stones were caused by chronic dehydration. Even on the days I drank 64oz of fluids, my urine output was too low. At 228lbs, I needed to have a gallon of fluids to be properly hydrated!

funny thing is...a guide has been going around here for a while that says you should drink 1oz of water ( or other fluids) for every 2lbs you weigh. A gallon of water is 128oz...I weighed 228lbs, which meant I needed right around 114oz.

joyfuljoy65

Several years ago I had my THIRD kidney stone, and my urologist did a number of tests to find out WHY. He did a 24 or 48 hour urine collection every few months until the results came out the way he wanted them.

Does that mean that for some tests, your urine tests were absolutely fine.....................

JesterMFP

MFP recommends 64 oz. of water a day. Does that have to be water? Can it be unsweetened caffeine free beverages? I find it easier to drink more water in the warm weather so how about decaf tea or fruit flavored water?

It can be caffeinated sweetened beverages, as long as you're counting the calories. Your body can still use the water once something else has been added to it.

sarahrbraun

Several years ago I had my THIRD kidney stone, and my urologist did a number of tests to find out WHY. He did a 24 or 48 hour urine collection every few months until the results came out the way he wanted them.

Does that mean that for some tests, your urine tests were absolutely fine.....................

when we finally nailed down the amount of fluid I needed daily, yes.

Since I have a tendency to form stones, my urine needs to be dilute enough that it will not promote stone formation. The first 3-4 tests showed that the mineral levels ( calcium, etc) in my urine were too high, and my urine was not acid enough to keep stones from forming. I now take a daily potassium supplement and drink 3-4 quarts of water a day ( 64 oz is only 2 quarts).

Mokey41

Kidney stones can also be lessened with a proper diet. They can analyze the stones to see what they are made of and you can make dietary changes to help lessen them. The average person without health issues doesn't need to consumer huge quantities of liquid.