Water consumption

vinnysgirl
vinnysgirl Posts: 311 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Do you count just pure water or do you include squash and water used to make hot drinks too. This bit must be one of the hardest parts of the diet, trying to drink 8 glasses a day :-)

Replies

  • sue26
    sue26 Posts: 412
    some people will tell you only pure water, but I count anything which is made with water with 0 cals, e.g. tea, iced tea, flavoured water etc. I understand from recent studeies (cant quote any sorry) that you can count anything, even coffee, if its made with water.
    Hope this helps:smile:
  • vinnysgirl
    vinnysgirl Posts: 311 Member
    Thanks Sue, sounds alot more achievable now as I was really struggling :-)
  • dannidoc
    dannidoc Posts: 19
    me too although i dont drink enough lol
  • nastytater
    nastytater Posts: 64 Member
    Yes,Thanks...That really helps me alot...I was just counting Glasses of water...
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
    Anything thats 0 cals or sodium. If you use a flavor packet that has 5 cals theres usually an option in the log for it and check off a glass of water
  • rachmaree
    rachmaree Posts: 782 Member
    I just log plain water... I personally wouldn't recommend logging tea, coffee etc as your water intake. Try your best to get in 8 glasses a day, helps in many ways.
  • willnorton
    willnorton Posts: 995 Member
    I drink a min of 1 gallon a day and most days 1.5 gal or more.....if you see me you see a water bottle!

    the more water you drink, the more you lose and you are so much more healthier....that is what my doctor tells me....


    drink drink drink....
  • TheBraveryLover
    TheBraveryLover Posts: 1,217 Member
    I only count pure water. Minimum of 10 cups a day but lately I've been doing 12-15 with a couple days exception (TOM).
  • cee134
    cee134 Posts: 33,711 Member
    My doctor told me foods and any drink counts. The main reason to drink more water, for summer or when working out, is to replace the sweat. If you do not sweat much and eat foods full of water, you should be ok. Still trying to get in the habit of drinking water is a good habit to be in. The trick I use, and I may be drinking too much water, is keeping a full water bottle around with me where ever I am. If I have water in arms length, then I will grab it as soon as I'm thirsty, and before I know it, i'm at 8 or more cups a day.
  • Just1forMe
    Just1forMe Posts: 624 Member
    I have done a lot of research on this subject :smile:

    Scientific studies have shown that in regard to weight loss, the ONLY reason you need to drink water is to keep your body from dehydrating. If hunger is a problem for you, water will also help fill you up. When your body is dehydrated, it slows your metabolism down. 8 cups is purely an estimate since there is water in most of the foods you eat as well. Any liquid will help keep you hydrated so it does not matter if it is pure water or not. Don't stress about the numbers, just drink when you are thirsty and drink what you like!

    Here is one of the studies I was referring to:
    http://tinyurl.com/6aljna8
  • RosannaElizabethL
    RosannaElizabethL Posts: 25 Member
    I count green tea and water - which is all I drink anyway.

    Cold water will help you gain clarity, whilst a mug of hot green tea or plain water will fill you up when you're feeling hungry.
  • grimnir
    grimnir Posts: 61 Member
    Cold water also burns calories bringing it up to body temperature. Not a LOT of calories, but it does do something to fire up the metabolism.

    Also, you can't count anything that has caffeine in it, since caffeine is a diuretic and will make you pee more than you took in. Ditto alcoholic beverages.

    Personally, I get bad gout flareups in my feet or ankles if I drink fewer than 12 cups for more than two days in a row, and if I do drink less than that, I absolutely have to drink 15 to make up for it, or else I'll be in mild to severe pain for like a week. Heavy coffee drinking without adequate water intake or too much alcohol will totally mess me up. I had five beers last week, and then spent the next four days limping and on pain meds. Mind you, I'm 6'7" and have at least 50% more lean body mass than most of you, but even so, 8 cups a day is a MINIMUM recommended daily intake for most people for a reason.

    Aim for 12. Seriously. My trick to hit 15 cups a day is to have a glass that holds 24 oz handy whenever I'm at home. I'll drink a full glass first thing in the morning, and refill it at every meal, plus one with my snack. If the glass isn't empty by the time I'm refilling it for my next meal, I'll drink the rest. On workout days I drink another glass. This ensures I'm always drinking enough. After a bit you get used to it enough that your waiters will be annoyed at how often they have to refill your water glass, and you'll be able to chug the whole 24oz first thing in the am no problem. Also, any time you get hungry and get yourself a snack of any size, or even if you're out of calories and don't eat anything, or if you're hungry waiting to go eat a larger meal, drink three more cups, it'll keep you full. Take pills? Drink a couple cups. While out and about, keep that water bottle handy, and refill it when you get the chance.

    If your tap water doesn't taste good, filter it. If it's too boring for you, get yourself a lime, and squeeze a chunk into your water, it'll make it taste good enough to get down. A lime costs like 50 cents and can flavor an entire gallon.

    Also, and I think this is frequently overlooked, if you're drinking a lot of naturally or artificially sweetened drinks, you're really stomping on your ability to enjoy water. Cut back, the water will go easier. If you drink coffee, ditch the sweetener. Keep your diet soda intake down to one a day.
  • queenkala
    queenkala Posts: 45
    Ok this might be a bit off-topic but I need an answer!!! Ha ha!

    I have been trying to up my water intake in work, only one cup of coffee and then water for the rest of the day, but since I started doing this I seem to be getting up every 20/30 mins to go to the bathroom!! Does this happen to everyone else? Or is there something I can do to keep drinking the water without needing to pee ever half an hour?!
  • Bristle82
    Bristle82 Posts: 100
    I only count pure water and I don't log my cups of tea in that count! I think I am drinking too much actually but it's quite addictive!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I only count pure water. Yes, I use water in my coffee - but it also has caffeine in it which is a diuretic. I use water in my protein shakes, but I figure it is just a little bonus!

    I make sure I drink 80-100oz of PURE water - nothing added to it, not even "flavor packets" - a day.

    I should also note that since I've been actively trying to drink more water - my skin has cleared up, I sleep better, have more energy and overall just feel better!
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Ok this might be a bit off-topic but I need an answer!!! Ha ha!

    I have been trying to up my water intake in work, only one cup of coffee and then water for the rest of the day, but since I started doing this I seem to be getting up every 20/30 mins to go to the bathroom!! Does this happen to everyone else? Or is there something I can do to keep drinking the water without needing to pee ever half an hour?!

    I don't think there is a way to get enough water and not pee alot. lol.
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
    Ok this might be a bit off-topic but I need an answer!!! Ha ha!

    I have been trying to up my water intake in work, only one cup of coffee and then water for the rest of the day, but since I started doing this I seem to be getting up every 20/30 mins to go to the bathroom!! Does this happen to everyone else? Or is there something I can do to keep drinking the water without needing to pee ever half an hour?!

    I don't think there is a way to get enough water and not pee alot. lol.
    Actually, I seem to remember a passage from David Sedaris about a little bag he invented that you tape to your leg underneath your pants. You'll still pee, but it won't be so disruptive. Unless, of course, the bag breaks.
  • queenkala
    queenkala Posts: 45
    Ok this might be a bit off-topic but I need an answer!!! Ha ha!

    I have been trying to up my water intake in work, only one cup of coffee and then water for the rest of the day, but since I started doing this I seem to be getting up every 20/30 mins to go to the bathroom!! Does this happen to everyone else? Or is there something I can do to keep drinking the water without needing to pee ever half an hour?!

    I don't think there is a way to get enough water and not pee alot. lol.

    But I look like a crazy person getting up and running out of the room all the time!
  • queenkala
    queenkala Posts: 45
    Ok this might be a bit off-topic but I need an answer!!! Ha ha!

    I have been trying to up my water intake in work, only one cup of coffee and then water for the rest of the day, but since I started doing this I seem to be getting up every 20/30 mins to go to the bathroom!! Does this happen to everyone else? Or is there something I can do to keep drinking the water without needing to pee ever half an hour?!

    I don't think there is a way to get enough water and not pee alot. lol.


    Actually, I seem to remember a passage from David Sedaris about a little bag he invented that you tape to your leg underneath your pants. You'll still pee, but it won't be so disruptive. Unless, of course, the bag breaks.

    Never gonna happen... Nope, never, can't even imagine.... So gross

    *shudder
  • grimnir
    grimnir Posts: 61 Member
    I can't say it's at all healthy, but you can always hold it until you're dancing, just for a couple weeks, and stretch out your bladder...
    :-P
  • casseh
    casseh Posts: 58
    I'm not a big water drinker... in fact I hate it unless its bottled, straight out of the fridge and a really hot day. I've set myself a goal this week of drinking only water and Pepsi max (1 serve a day only) which I hope then to be able to extend indefinitely. The one thing I've found in the past that really works for me is to always have a bottle of water on me. There's always bottled water in my fridge, several bottles in my car (in case I forget to take some from home or run out) and a full bottle in my hand bag. I find that because its there I tend to drink it, and I'm a lot less likely to buy something unhealthy and sugary while out and about.
  • EmmaR31
    EmmaR31 Posts: 184
    This is something I struggle with a lot! It's winter here and most times it just feels too cold to drink water! But I am going to try better than the average 2 - 3 glasses I tend to be doing now.

    Lots of people suggested drinking it at room temp with a bit of lemon juice so going to try that this week!
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