Water advice - I'm drowning

Ian_Davies

Hi everyone

I'm taking this slow so this becomes part of a lifestyle change rather than a short term phase. While I have been adjusting things slowly (dropped 3kg with 9kg to go) I am now keen to get a little more accurate so this weeks focus is water and there is way too much info out there.

I should say my primary goals are to drop 9kg and reduce body fat.

Step one - cut out liquid calories
I have already cut out all liquid calories (juices and hot chocolate) so now only drink cold water, room temp water, hot water with lemon, green tea and sometimes a black coffee in meetings.

I'm not sure which one is best as some say drinking room temp water is better than cold..

Step two - quantity
I want to try to make sure I drink enough but various sites refer to 1 or 2 litres a day. What works best for everyone?

I am conscious I typically drink a lot, I can easily do 2 litres a day but am not sure how to record it on the water consumption section as it refers to cups and in the UK cups are 280ish ml but the bottle i carry holds 500ml. Does recording the water consumption have any impact on the MFP site or is it just for record. If i have a green tea it goes in the food list so it doesnt become a true reflection of what I am drinking. How do you keep track of this and is there a right about to drink as i read you can stress the body with too much water.

Sorry if i'm over thinking this, i want to make sure i am flushing my system of toxins and making sure i am helping my digestion work effectively to improve my chances of weight loss.

Sued0nim

I've never seen 1 litre advised and go by 2 to 3 litres daily personally

It doesn't matter how you drink it really although coffee is a mild diuretic

I keep a bottle of fizzy water (2 litres) on my desk and look to drink that during an 8 hour work day ...plus coffees, teas and anything else I drink

Eta but I don't log any drinks anywhere

Marie047

I log all my water and work on the assumption 1 cup = 250ml, therefore a 500ml bottle is 2 cups.

msf74

Q1) Cold or room temperature is up to you. Your body doesn't need to work as hard to keep your core temperature regulated with room temperature water so it is less stress on the body but it's not worth getting paranoid over.

Q2) It's fluid intake rather than water intake which you need to watch out for as well as electrolyte balance (and too much water can mess with that...)

If you eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit per day as well as other drinks containing water then 1 litre or so should be enough, otherwise a bit more. Check the colour of your urine as an easy test to see how well hydrated you are - if it is dark get more fluids.

TavistockToad

logging or not logging water makes no difference to MFP.

RodaRose

I drink 7-8 cups of water per day -- much less than you are drinking.

The green tea counts as liquid. You can count it with your calories as well if you want to.
Cold or hot -- that is your preference.

By the way there is no science that says we have to drink so much water.
Someone made it up and everyone keeps repeating it -- but repetition does not make it true.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24464774

dammitjanet0161

It's just a record, I drink loads of water throughout the day at work but I never bother recording it. I don't record herbal tea or diet coke either, only drinks with calories like tea/coffee with milk, coconut water etc. I tend to drink about 2-2.5 litres of water during the day, plus whatever extra I drink at the gym, on top of other drinks.

For my first few days on MFP I did try to record water but I was getting confused about the US cup thing too, and then I would lose count of how many times I'd refilled my water bottle or glass at work, then thought "s*d it" - as long as I know I'm drinking plenty, why do I need to record it? I'm sure I'll get called out on it if I ever ask for help with my diary on the forums, but hey.

I really don't think there's a magic water temp for weight loss, just whatever your personal preference is.

Ian_Davies

Thank you so much everyone, lots of really helpful advice.

I think I'm probably over thinking so will aim to just stick to a routine of 2 litres a day. I will drink more room temp water as i enjoy it more than iced and leave the rest to the odd evening green tea or meeting coffee and fruit and veg.

Thanks everyone, really pleased to have found such a positive and helpful group.

paulperryman

I drink on average 3x600ml Protein shakes + 2-3 cups of green tea. and milk in the tea and on cereals or my frittatta's
so i try to get in 2.5Ltrs a day, that seems to be a sweet spot for regulating pee and keeping hydrated, can't always get that in and some days i feel more bloated lol.

i don't count water content of foods, thats too hard to judge, just Milk, and obvious fluids.

ajnb88

I drink when I'm thirsty, but also have a bottle of water to hand so I'll drink it on the fly, even if not thirsty. It's almost become second nature now, and the other day managed to drink two litres before work, without even realising it..!

corehawk

It may help to track it if you don't get enough each day, but eventually you will just drink until you remain hydrated. A simple measure of your hydration is the color of your urine. If its dark, you need more water.

YF92

I'll be against the waves when I say don't log, and don't worry to much about it

Drink Water when you wake up, before you go to work, with every meal, whenever you're going out, and whenever you're hungry. Whenever you're thirsty as well. It will come naturally in time.

Don't drink lots of water at one point, all you'll do is go frequently to the toilet and you wouldn't have made good use of that water.

_Zardoz_

Sorry if i'm over thinking this, i want to make sure i am flushing my system of toxins and making sure i am helping my digestion work effectively to improve my chances of weight loss.

Water has no effect on flushing toxins or weightloss. All the stuff about 8 glasses a day and some such have no basis in science (it was actually an advertising campaign from a mineral water company) and seem to forget that a 110 pound woman would require less than a 300 pound man. Also 75% of your food is made up of water. the best indicator for how much fluid to take in is thirst. It's a pretty good indicator and the best way more the majority of people. Try not to over think it.

Also liquid calories aren't bad. If your goals are met and you want some liquid calories what's the problem. Smoothies are liquid calories. The best way to improve your chances of weighloss is log your food accurately and eat at a deficit. Hydration is important obviously but don't get to over worried about it

wizzybeth

I don't think the OP meant liquid calories are bad, just that he wanted to save his calories for something to eat rather than "waste" them on a drink like hot chocolate.

I choose not to "drink" my calories as well - except for some wine at the end of the day.

stuffinmuffin

I don't bother logging water and I add squash to mine too!

You can tell by your pee whether or not you're hydrated.

metalvegan

Several times a week my water consumption is about 1 gallon (3.8 liters). Water is good for you. I'd advise sipping water even when you aren't thirsty

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water

Liftng4Lis

I do log my water, only because I like to make sure I'm not slacking. I find that drinking lots of water helps with not retaining as much when I get carried away on the sodium. Additionally, as an LDO, the benefits of water as I hit presbyopia are humongous, (in other words, when your dehydrated, your vision sucks), so I tend to drink tons!

Kate7294

I've read to drink 1/2 to 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight. I'm usually drinking around 96 ounces a day not counting my 2 cups of coffee and 1-2 diet sodas in the evening.

Hell_Flower

If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

Try to go off the colour of your pee - if it's highlighter yellow you're not drinking enough but if it's completely clear you probably are having a bit too much as it's going straight through you and you're body isn't taking much from it.

I tend to drink between 3-6 litres a day, depending on my workout.

knoelledi

I have been told by trainers that you should be drinking half of your body weight in water. For example, if you weigh 200 lbs, you should be drinking 100oz a day. Rarely do I make my 1/2 body weight daily and especially when I exercise, I definitely feel dehydrated. It's just that I used to drink so much pop that it's taking me a while.

valkaree

I am drinking about 5 liters every day. I have a .5 liter bottle and drink 10 a day. I don't track it, I go to the bathroom a lot but it sure helps me stay full.

paperpudding

If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated.

Try to go off the colour of your pee - if it's highlighter yellow you're not drinking enough but if it's completely clear you probably are having a bit too much as it's going straight through you and you're body isn't taking much from it.

I tend to drink between 3-6 litres a day, depending on my workout.

I disagree with this. There is no harm in recognising thirst and then drinking - nobody in normal conditions ( ie everyday life, not trekking across the desert) became dehydrated enough to come to any harm just drinking when they were thirsty.

I don't think healthy people need to worry about analysing their urine colour to know when to drink.

leggup

I don't log my water because I drink ~4 litres/just over 1 gallon every day.

Drink water until your pee looks like straw. Drink water when you are thirsty. Don't worry too much about it otherwise. Don't worry about drinking it hot or cold or room temp. None of that noise matters.

bkthandler

I have always drank a lot of water. Currently I carry a 40oz water bottle and easily drain it 3 times a day.

Since I picked back up with MFP and have been working out regularly I have noticed I do need more and have found myself thirsty more, especially during more intense workouts. I did a kettlebell workout a few days ago and emptied my bottle twice before I gave up. It does seem to help to drink before and during a workout.

Velum_cado

You're overthinking it. As long as you're not thirsty, you're getting enough water. And the temperature doesn't matter, so don't worry about that.

thinsports

I drink between 4 and 6 liters a day. Really the more water the better.

A good friend of mine once told me, "drink until your pee is clear, then drink some more"

sarahsamuels82

Don't over think things, as long as your body is hydrated - regardless of the temperature of the water etc, that's the main thing.

Personally, I take a 2 litre bottle of water with me every day to work, and aim to have half of it gone by lunch, and then drink every hour or so.

I usually end up having at least 3 litres though, especially if I go to the gym.

eminentclapper

The colour of your urine is not a particularly accurate way to measure if you're drinking enough water as the colour is determined by a number of factors.

It's also not very useful to drink an exact specific amount, like 3 litres, as it's individual.

The best way is to listen to your body: are you thirsty? If so, drink water (not anything else!) until you're no longer thirsty. That's the best measurement. Your body ALWAYS knows best! Unless you cheat it by drinking flavoured or sugary drinks, of course. In fact, it is more dangerous to drink too much water. More than one marathon runner has died from over-hydration, but no marathon runner has ever died from dehydration. Your body will always tell you when you need water, but not when you've had too much...

I typically drink about 1 - 2 litres of water per day, according to how thirsty I am at any given time, plus about 2 litres during each of the three workouts I do per week.

I have even checked my weight before and after workout to make sure I drink the right amount of water to replace what I sweat out, and simply by following my thirst, I always got it right.

RllyGudTweetr

http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

"Eight glasses of water" was a descriptive, not prescriptive, study done back in the 1940's examining how much hydration real humans were actually getting, and included the liquid content of foods and all beverages. There's no reason to force yourself to drink water - or any other beverage - beyond when you're thirsty.

KelGen02

My doctor told me I should drink half my weight in water each day... being that I am waay over weight I am drinking alot of water each day. Rids you of toxins also helps reduce water bloat if that makes "common" sense.. LOL :drinker: all I know is I am rarely hungry during the day and eat only for nutrience and have absolutely great looking skin... must be doing something right with all this water... :bigsmile:

Someone posted to keep an eye on your urine, my doctor states that you should have clear urine through out the day, only time there should be color is first thing in the morning or before you go to bed at night. :blushing:

Good luck!

nicsflyingcircus

I have a 52oz bubba mug that I count as 6cups per MFP, because it is hard to fill it right to the brim and get the lid on, so I err on the side of 48oz (which equals 6 cups). I drink a minimum of 2 of these a day, sometimes three. Plus, coffee, hot water with lemon, unsweetened tea I've homebrewed, the occasional diet rootbeer, club soda with lime... you get the idea. Since I do drink plenty of water, I only track plain water -as- water, even though I get plenty of fluids. Heck, last night I drank a 24oz (or maybe slightly bigger) light lemonade with my dinner, lol. I find drinking lots of water helps me not retain, and also my skin is loads softer. Not to mention drinking water between and with meals has really cut down on my random snacking.