Another water question - possibly TMI.

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fragilegift
fragilegift Posts: 347 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, I am not a big water drinker, and fluid doesn't usually enter my body in the form of fruit juices or soft drinks. I don't get thirsty a great majority of the time. I also seem to drink tomorrows water today, as in, I drank scads yesterday, but am well hydrated today.

I realise there is water in coffee and food and I allow for that, while still aiming for at least one litre. Yes, I know its at least 2 litres to strive for.

I'm wondering whether, instead of trying to consume x glasses of water, I should just keep an eye on the loo, aiming to keep the color range under 4, as per http://www.q4sport.com/fitness_diet_nutrition/images/urine.gif or http://www.appforhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Urine-chart-300x297.jpg (monitors vary)

I'm tossing up the idea of setting the alarm on the mobile to at least remind me that its been 2 hours since my last drink, but that seems a bit excessive :s

Replies

  • mandysjourney
    mandysjourney Posts: 260 Member
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    have you tried having water bottles positioned around your house or work place so as you walk past have another mouthful. Might help get in a few extra glasses a day
  • NancynGary
    NancynGary Posts: 1
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    Recommended by hubby's nutrition-ist (sp?) Fruit20 is a wonderful alternative to plain water. Also, Walmart has water additive like Crystal lite...heck of a lot cheaper. We use in 1 gal of water instead of the 2 quarts it says. Gives the water a bit of flavor without tasting like koolaid. Found that these 2 things has increased my water intake and taste good so I'm not forgetting to hydrate! Hope this helps.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    Try chugging rather than sipping. Gets it over with in a hurry. I chug 24 oz (.7 liters) of water every morning before I eat breakfast. And I've also found that the temperature really matters to me. I am much more able to drink water if it is room temperature or slightly warm (e.g, 50 seconds in the microwave) than if it's cold. But that's just me.

    And be careful about counting coffee in your water allowance. Caffeine is a diuretic and will actually work to dehydrate you. My dr. said to drink EXTRA water for every caffeinated beverage.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    It's not recommended to get your water intake from coffee or sodas (not even if it's diet); however; you can count water based fruits and vegetables toward your water intake each day. Oranges, watermelon and grapefruit or lettuce, tomato and cucumber are a few examples of water based fruits and vegetables.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    It's not recommended to get your water intake from drinks like coffee or soda (not even diet), however; you can eat water based fruits and vegetables to help get the water you need. Things like oranges, watermelon, grapefruit, lettuce, tomato and cucumber are all examples of water based fruits and vegetables you can consume to help get your daily allowance of water.
  • Kayraysmommy2209
    Kayraysmommy2209 Posts: 49
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    Honestly, I keep an eye on the color too. I also keep multiple bottles around so I can just grab a few sips. I have been known to use my phone to remind me, especially on days when I wake up and already don't feel like drinking anything. I drink coffee almost every morning but I make sure I drink at least a cup of water after because it does dehydrate you. I think everyone else has great ideas. The timer is definiately a must if you don't get thirsty often.
  • Coltsman4ever
    Coltsman4ever Posts: 602 Member
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    Apparently there was a glitch in the Matrix and it caused a double post. Sorry!
  • MrsCurtisinTX
    MrsCurtisinTX Posts: 88 Member
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    I'm not a big fan of water as much as the next person. I also not a fan of the soda style waters or crystal lights because of after taste or just too sweet. I will try the diluted method for the crystal lights. I pretty much just either down the water or just tell myself you have to drink and just do it lol!
  • kmbrooks15
    kmbrooks15 Posts: 941 Member
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    I've been using decaffeinated herbal teas to help with water consumption. A touch of Splenda, and it's a much better taste than plain water for me.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283 -- this is an excellent article from the Mayo Clinic about water intake.
  • mdmarcha
    mdmarcha Posts: 76
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    Apparently there was a glitch in the Matrix and it caused a double post. Sorry!

    ha ha *kitten*!
  • mmk137
    mmk137 Posts: 833 Member
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    first thing when you wake up in the morning have a glass of water.

    and do the same just before you go to bed.

    if you don't like water, add some lemon, or have sparkling water/soda. that might help.

    the darker your wee/pee the more dehydrated you are.
    And if you are thirsty, then you are already dehydrated.
  • fragilegift
    fragilegift Posts: 347 Member
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    thanks for the replies everyone.

    I don't usually 'count' the water in coffee or tea (to me that's more of a 'food' item - don't ask me why, that's just how I perceive it), but I will for herbal teas.

    I do buy soda water and sparkling mineral water now and then - but that really isn't cost effective. I do add lemon juice (real when I can score fresh ones off a tree, fake other times) to water sometimes, but that stops being new and exciting after a while.

    To my knowledge, we don't have Crystal Light here in Australia.

    Thinking about it, I probably drink more when I am out with friends, or even just walking, for 'something to do' - at home there is so many other things that are distractions. I'm also more inclined to drink bottled water, rather than the local tap water that makes me feel nauseous. Which is why I don't drink it straight from the tap. Has to be boiled first.

    I've tried fridge temp water, and room temp, and even warmed.

    Perhaps things will pick up when the weather warms up :)
  • elmsallmissile
    elmsallmissile Posts: 86
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    If you are drinking a litre of water plus coffee plus the water in your food you will be having adequat probably TOO MUCH there is a lot of hysterical bolleux written on here & other places regarding this topic!
  • it_be_asin
    it_be_asin Posts: 562 Member
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    I've been using decaffeinated herbal teas to help with water consumption. A touch of Splenda, and it's a much better taste than plain water for me.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283 -- this is an excellent article from the Mayo Clinic about water intake.

    I live off herbal teas! And I don't need to add sugar or sweetener, so my herbal teas are 0 calories, 100% taste! I love berry fruit teas, honey and lemon, mint teas, apple teas, even rooibos...
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    When you look behind the curtain to see why MFP recommends so much water, I suspect you'll find that they're passing along the industry standard recommendation. What's important about that is that there is no medical basis to recommend that people consume 8 glasses of water a day. There is a valid reason, however, and when people drink that much water, they tend to eat less and if you need water to curb your appetite, drink away!

    I rarely drink plain water. I just finished an 11 mile run and I drank my 2 quarts of homemade replenisher drink (Crystal Light + sugar + sodium + potassium) during the run and post run. Next up is 16 oz of Soy chocolate but I won't be drinking more water until I need to.

    How do I know I need more water?

    Thirst.

    The thirst mechanism works very well, so well, in fact, that the international association of marathon medical directors changed there stance on water consumption for marathoners. (I'm using this info 'cause I'm familiar with it and, more important, because hydration is very important to runners) Previously, they recommended that marathoners "drink up" for a few days before a marathon. As of a few years ago, they changed their guidance, based (I'm paraphrasing) on the "overwhelming medical evidence that the thirst mechanism [is a valid signal]".

    That was persuasive to me.

    Other item — I'm 55 years old. I grew up overseas in a hot, humid climate and we damned sure didn't have coaches hovering over us, handing us bottles of Gatorade. No, we had a fountain in the changing room that was on the edge of the field. We ran around in the tropical sun yet we never had a heat injury. One of the reasons was that we could run over to the fountain to drink water when we got thirsty.

    Yes, the plural of anecdote is not data so how 'bout some data. Here's a link to an MD on the staff a Princeton (or Dartmouth) who wrote a book on the human kidney. He and a research assistant could find no medical evidence that we need to drink 8 cups of water a day.

    Here's the link:

    http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

    If you use water to help curb your appetite, drink up*! Other than that, why bother?


    *I say that tongue in cheek 'cause drinking water to curb ones appetite is "kicking the can down the road" meaning that, at some point, people who do that are going to have to deal with their urge to eat. If they drink scads of water every day to stop putting food in their mouth, all they're doing is substitution one addiction (water) for another (food). Yes, it's less unhealthy to drink a lot of water than it is to eat a lot of food but if they're using water as an appetite suppressant, they will have to do that for the rest of their life. One step at a time though, perhaps…
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    It's not recommended to get your water intake from coffee or sodas (not even if it's diet); however; you can count water based fruits and vegetables toward your water intake each day. Oranges, watermelon and grapefruit or lettuce, tomato and cucumber are a few examples of water based fruits and vegetables.
    Can you cite a credible medical source that states that coffee or diet soda don't "count"?

    Also, could you cite the source that says that water from food "counts"?

    Thanks.

    The reason that I ask is that the only evidence that I've seen presented about water requirements deals solely with water intake, regardless of the source of that water. Your body doesn't care if if the water is sourced through food (fruits and veggies have water), liquids, or from an IV drip.

    Lindora, a company that has offered a medically supervised weigh loss plan for 40 years here in Southern California, advises their patients that any calorie free liquid counts toward the 8 cup per day recommendation (they recommend 8 glasses per day or more). Based on their success (if you follow their plan you will, generally speaking, lose 10% of your body mass in 10 weeks), I think that approach has significant merit.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
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    And be careful about counting coffee in your water allowance. Caffeine is a diuretic and will actually work to dehydrate you. My dr. said to drink EXTRA water for every caffeinated beverage.

    128867539574885938.jpg

    http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

    Water is a diuretic too. Diuretic does NOT mean something dehydrates you!!!


    As for the person who wanted to know more about counting the water in fruit and veg...

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


    As for this 8x8 myth...

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

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

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