Water ...does it have to be 8 glasses ?

lindsay942

I am a new MFP fan , started 24 days ago and have lost 7kg ,,but really struggling to drink 8 glasses of water per day , does it really affect weight loss ? I have never drunk this much in my life, I'm just not a drinker , even coffee is limited to two per day .

CoffeeBugg

Most drinking glasses tend to hold closer to 12-16oz. than the 8oz. default size used on this site. You may only need 4-5 actual glasses to reach that.

socajam

I am a new MFP fan , started 24 days ago and have lost 7kg ,,but really struggling to drink 8 glasses of water per day , does it really affect weight loss ? I have never drunk this much in my life, I'm just not a drinker , even coffee is limited to two per day .

I find cutting up a kiwi fruit and place it in a 24 ounce glass of water helps me - 3 x 24 = 72 ounces.. You could also use: parsley, cucumber, grapefruit or orange in a big container and drink from that daily.

Drinking plain water in the winter is extremely hard for me, so I have to find ways around it.

castlerobber

really struggling to drink 8 glasses of water per day , does it really affect weight loss ?

No. You do NOT have to drink 8 glasses of water per day, on top of whatever else you drink. Nor do you have to drink an ounce for every pound you weigh, or drink an additional glass of water for every glass/cup of caffeinated beverage (because "caffeine is dehydrating"), or whatever other urban myth people tell you.

Now, that said, water is the best thing you can drink, and you do probably need a little more while you're losing weight. Eliminating or greatly reducing your consumption of soda (including diet soda) and other caloric beverages is also a good thing.

In short--if you're thirsty, drink; if you aren't, don't.

cwolfman13

You need to stay hydrated...if I only had 8, 8oz glasses of water per day I would wither up into a raisin. I drink a gallon plus...a couple of gallons in the summer.

8 oz of water is just a guideline..there is nothing magical about that number...there is nothing scientific backing up that number. There is nothing magical about water for weight loss other than it flushes out retained water, sodium, etc and is a better choice than a calorie dense soda or something.

That said, staying hydrated is extremely important...you body is 60% water and you are losing water all of the time and it needs to be replaced. Water also helps energize muscles...cells that don't maintain fluid and electrolyte balance shrivel up resulting in muscle fatigue. Water also makes your skin look good and helps your kidneys flush toxins out of your body (no need for some expensive and trendy cleanse...you just need water, your liver, and your kidneys).

The list goes on and on...and really...it's not that hard to drink water...it's really not. It's about as first world of a problem as you can possibly get.

skatha1

does hot tea count in the water category? i drink about 2 cups a day

meganjcallaghan

I have no scientific basis for this, but I suspect drinking more of it increases weight loss. I was getting anywhere between 2 to 5 glasses a day and felt fine....thought I should aim for the 8 because you're ''supposed" to....and didn't feel any different except I had to visit the bathroom more often. Then I played with the thing on here that logs how much water you get and noticed that after a certain amount it ''splashes'' over the top. It looked fun so I aimed for the splash and ended up getting up to around 15 or 16 glasses a day for a week. At my next weigh in, even though I couldn't run every day because of the ice on the roads, I ended up losing nearly 4 pounds as opposed the usual 1.5 - 2.

JTwoFeathers

From my understanding, your body is made up of mostly water and goes through around 10 cups a day so replacing it is a good idea.

kickivale

There are two schools of thought from what I have noticed.

One is the baby boomer era idea about water. My mother, a nurse for 40 years, still says to me 'You don't need all those glasses of water! There is water in your food and other beverages, and that counts"
The other is the Gen X era idea which basically says, 'Do you even science? Your body need more water more water more water!!'
I tend to be somewhere in the middle. The more you listen to your body, the better you will get at hearing it's messages. I AM THIRSTY. I AM HUNGRY. I AM TIRED. So on and so on.
I bought a very nice Nalgene 32 oz water bottle that I carry all day and I try my best to fill it 3-4 times a day and drink it all. Its hard for me, but I do feel different since I committed to it.
But I add lemon and I drink it room temp. Cold water is tough to handle for some.
That's my best suggestion!

brandi712

I need to drink more than 8 a day for a medical reason but I tend to think that is just a number to aim for but as another user said, you get water intake from foods throughout the day.

Followingsea

No.

http://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2002_h2/08aug2002_water.shtml

TeriaShae

This topic is one that is really relates from person-to-person. However, personally, I just CANNOT drink eight glasses of water a day without getting a headache or feeling extremely bloated and uncomfortable.
I just drink mainly when I'm thirsty.
I've done pretty good with my weight loss, so I do not believe that it actually "aids" in weight loss, personally.
But it's mainly just whatever is comfortable for your body.

MinnieInMaine

First of all, to clarify since I'm not sure where you live, it's 8 cups. That's a USA liquid measurement that's equal to 8 fluid ounces or around 250ml. As someone else mentioned, an actual glass can hold much more than that. I've got ones in my cupboard that hold almost 4 cups! Second, they don't recommend 8 cups of water per day for weight loss, they recommend it for health. Drinking more can sort of help with weight loss though - if your diet has a lot of high sodium foods, drinking plenty can help offset water retention. Either way, do it because it's good for you!

There are several guidelines but basically it comes down to your urine color. If it's clear or very pale yellow, you're perfectly fine doing what you're doing. If it's a definite yellow, you may need to drink a bit more. If it's strong/dark yellow and even has an odor, you need to drink WAY more water. The caveat to this is that some meds (and foods) can cause your urine to look different or have an odor so check the side effects on the label, do some googling or even ask your pharmacist if you're not sure.

It is true that if you eat more raw foods you naturally get more water in your diet. The cooking process releases the water in the food so we don't get as much from cooked foods. Tea and coffee can count but make sure you still log them if you're adding sugar, cream, honey, etc as the calories in those additions can add up. I personally don't find coffee hydrating - on the weekends when that's all I've had to drink by mid morning, I am parched!

nedtoloseme

You need to stay hydrated...if I only had 8, 8oz glasses of water per day I would wither up into a raisin. I drink a gallon plus...a couple of gallons in the summer.

8 oz of water is just a guideline..there is nothing magical about that number...there is nothing scientific backing up that number. There is nothing magical about water for weight loss other than it flushes out retained water, sodium, etc and is a better choice than a calorie dense soda or something.

That said, staying hydrated is extremely important...you body is 60% water and you are losing water all of the time and it needs to be replaced. Water also helps energize muscles...cells that don't maintain fluid and electrolyte balance shrivel up resulting in muscle fatigue. Water also makes your skin look good and helps your kidneys flush toxins out of your body (no need for some expensive and trendy cleanse...you just need water, your liver, and your kidneys).

The list goes on and on...and really...it's not that hard to drink water...it's really not. It's about as first world of a problem as you can possibly get.

This.

I know it's hard OP because when I started out I really didn't like drinking water. Ugh! But after I got over the frequent bathroom visits and the "water taste" I find that nothing really satisfies me when I'm thirsty other than water. When you start drinking it on a regular basis I hope you will find the same thing. You can also buy sparkling water - it has a fizz like soda, but it is water. I really do believe (I'm no doctor but just from my experiences since losing weight) that having the water and being hydrated does tend to help your skin. All the best and drink your water

meganjcallaghan

I personally don't find coffee hydrating - on the weekends when that's all I've had to drink by mid morning, I am parched!

that might be because caffeine is a mild diuretic. I think you can still count it towards your daily fluid requirements but I tend to only count coffee or tea if it's decaf

SueInAz

really struggling to drink 8 glasses of water per day , does it really affect weight loss ?

No. You do NOT have to drink 8 glasses of water per day, on top of whatever else you drink. Nor do you have to drink an ounce for every pound you weigh, or drink an additional glass of water for every glass/cup of caffeinated beverage (because "caffeine is dehydrating"), or whatever other urban myth people tell you.

Now, that said, water is the best thing you can drink, and you do probably need a little more while you're losing weight. Eliminating or greatly reducing your consumption of soda (including diet soda) and other caloric beverages is also a good thing.

In short--if you're thirsty, drink; if you aren't, don't.

This! The 64 ounces of water "rule" comes from a study that was done a long time ago which found that we need 64 ounces of water each day to be healthy but that water can come from food (because there is some amount of water in many of the foods we eat) or anything else you eat or drink. Personally, I've found that the amount of water I need each day varies. I live in a hot, dry climate so I need more than 64 ounces to begin with and if I run or exercise I need even more.

You've gotten some good advice already regarding urine color and that's the best way to judge whether or not you're getting enough water each day.

If you're having trouble drinking enough, add some flavoring to it. Fresh fruit works well. Use powdered drink mixes if you need something more. I'm personally really into the True Citrus (True Lemon, True Orange, True Lime) crystal packets. They are cold-pressed and crystallized fruit juice and oils (all natural ingredients) that come in convenient packets which equal one slice of fruit. They are convenient for using when I'm at work or eating out. One packet in a 16 ounce glass of water gives it just enough flavor, but no sweetness, to make the water more refreshing.

Jaxsonjess

My doc always said once you see your pee turn clear, stop! LOL wait a bit, drink a little more.....I drink about 3 tumblers a day and I pee like crazy!

sullus

does hot tea count in the water category? i drink about 2 cups a day

Absolutely counts.

"Black tea is not significantly different from water in the maintenance of normal hydration in human subjects: results from a randomised controlled trial." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21450118

castlerobber

There are two schools of thought from what I have noticed.

One is the baby boomer era idea about water. My mother, a nurse for 40 years, still says to me 'You don't need all those glasses of water! There is water in your food and other beverages, and that counts"
The other is the Gen X era idea which basically says, 'Do you even science? Your body need more water more water more water!!'

The original scientist who (sort of) came up with the 8 glasses/day thing sided with your mother. What he actually said was that fluid intake from all sources, including food and other beverages, should come out to around 64 oz., give or take. That's been misinterpreted into "you MUST drink at least 8 glasses of plain water every day." Someone who weighs 105 lbs. and is inactive obviously doesn't need the same amount of water as someone weighing 210 lbs who works out for 90 minutes a day--but many people throw common sense out the window and cling blindly to the "rule."

When my son was 9 years old, his fourth-grade teacher challenged his class to try the 8-glasses-a-day thing for several weeks. I had fits getting my child to understand that a half-gallon of water a day might be doable for his 10-year-old, 100-lb., football-lineman classmate, but it was too much for his 55-pound body.

It is possible to drink too much water (hyponatremia), though most people either can't force that much water down, or they eat enough salt to keep their sodium level from going too low.

skatha1

Thanks i appreciate the help

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

There is no need to have eight glasses of water a day, most especially if you struggling. As far as I know there is no evidence to support that this will help you lose weight. I know for certain that you can lose weight on a calorie deficit without being concerned about water.

Another thing to remember is that food and drinks all contain water, think of milk, lettuce and cucumber for example, you get the picture.