Drinking so much water

Jackie9950

The only thing that can really be counted as water is water. Everything else is filtered differently and doesn't do the same job as water does in your body.

Stop giving bad advice.

Tea/Coffee/Juice/Milk/Soda etc are all mostly water, and as such will hydrate you just fine. The 8x8 is just a stupid myth that is perpetually recycled by sheep. You need on average 8 cups of fluid a day, much of which will come from your food anyway.



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

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

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

Really happy you said that. I currently cant drink water alone, so I drink it with Crystal light and I always worried whether it should be counted in my fluid content. These sites really helped! Thanks again!

bcattoes

Hi all. What are the benefits of the water? I am finding it difficult to drink so much. Can I not class cups of coffee as water intake?

Yes. You will get a lot of "no" answers but check any legit medical site and you will see. Water may be the healthiest of drinks (tea woud be an arguable exception) but any liquid counts as water (fluid) intake. If you are forcing down water, you don't need that water.

bcattoes

Coffee is a diuretic and will dehydrate you if you get too much. Yes, coffee is mostly water, but the dehydrating effect pushes more water out than you take in. You must have water to digest food, reduce hunger cravings, and cleanse the body of harmful toxins.

Correction. Caffeine is a diuretic and can dehydrate. That amount of caffeine needed to dehydrate is larger than what is found in the average pot (not cup) of coffee.

asyouseefit

Water does not "cleanse your body" or "flush toxins". That's the job of your kidneys and liver. You need to be hydrated for them to function properly, but any fluid will do (water, tea, coffee, soda, soup, fruit, veggies...). Of course, soda and juice are loaded with sugar and you should stay away from them for that reason but they do a pretty good job hydrating you nonetheless!

H_Factor

Hydration, optimal body performance, clean skin, cleanse your body of toxins...Should I continue?

all of these, but most important when it comes to fat loss is that when you drink enough water so that your liver does not have to help the kidneys perform their function, the liver can spend its time metabolizing burn and burning fat. Anytime I start to get complacent on drinking water, I remind myself of this. I'm on this journey to get healthy and burn fat. Water helps me with those goals.

also, reports suggest that folks acquire a taste for water. I can tell that this was true with me. I wasn't much of a water drinker before April and the thought of drinking a lot of water was not what I wanted to do. reading some articles on the benefit of water, however, really helped my mindset...and, after a little time, I came to enjoy drinking water.

H_Factor

The only thing that can really be counted as water is water. Everything else is filtered differently and doesn't do the same job as water does in your body.

Stop giving bad advice.

Tea/Coffee/Juice/Milk/Soda etc are all mostly water, and as such will hydrate you just fine. The 8x8 is just a stupid myth that is perpetually recycled by sheep. You need on average 8 cups of fluid a day, much of which will come from your food anyway.



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

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

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

if your focus is primarily on hydration, this is true. pretty much any liquid (other than alcohol) will help hydrate you. if, however, you want to maximize the fat burning potential of your body (by helping the liver/kidneys as I mentioned above), then water is pretty much what you want. again, I'm trying to maximize fat burning so I drink primarily water.

bcattoes

no coffee should be logged as coffee as it is not water.

What exactly do you think coffee is, if not water?

asyouseefit

The only thing that can really be counted as water is water. Everything else is filtered differently and doesn't do the same job as water does in your body.

Stop giving bad advice.

Tea/Coffee/Juice/Milk/Soda etc are all mostly water, and as such will hydrate you just fine. The 8x8 is just a stupid myth that is perpetually recycled by sheep. You need on average 8 cups of fluid a day, much of which will come from your food anyway.



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

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

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

if your focus is primarily on hydration, this is true. pretty much any liquid (other than alcohol) will help hydrate you. if, however, you want to maximize the fat burning potential of your body (by helping the liver/kidneys as I mentioned above), then water is pretty much what you want. again, I'm trying to maximize fat burning so I drink primarily water.

Water in tea/coffee/diet soda/soup/fruit/veggies will do the same job.

HMonsterX

no coffee should be logged as coffee as it is not water.

What exactly do you think coffee is, if not water?

A small, off-duty, Czechoslovakian Traffic Warden? A red and white striped Golfing umbrella?

bcattoes

if your focus is primarily on hydration, this is true. pretty much any liquid (other than alcohol) will help hydrate you. if, however, you want to maximize the fat burning potential of your body (by helping the liver/kidneys as I mentioned above), then water is pretty much what you want. again, I'm trying to maximize fat burning so I drink primarily water.

And you feel that only plain water will do this? Do you also believe that you must drink the water on an empty stomach?

H_Factor

if your focus is primarily on hydration, this is true. pretty much any liquid (other than alcohol) will help hydrate you. if, however, you want to maximize the fat burning potential of your body (by helping the liver/kidneys as I mentioned above), then water is pretty much what you want. again, I'm trying to maximize fat burning so I drink primarily water.

And you feel that only plain water will do this? Do you also believe that you must drink the water on an empty stomach?

I believe that plain water is the most efficient way of doing this. sure, other liquids will get filtered in your body and you will gain some benefit from them. you get the most efficient benefit from plain water. I admit I'm not a scientist (I suspect none of us are) and I don't truly know if this is true or not....but I've ready about this a few places that I trust and I know that I have better weeks when I drink more water. soooo....as long as its working for me, that's what I'm doing.

sometimes I drink water on an empty stomach; sometimes I don't. do you want to ask me if I believe in the tooth fairy next?

bcattoes

if your focus is primarily on hydration, this is true. pretty much any liquid (other than alcohol) will help hydrate you. if, however, you want to maximize the fat burning potential of your body (by helping the liver/kidneys as I mentioned above), then water is pretty much what you want. again, I'm trying to maximize fat burning so I drink primarily water.

And you feel that only plain water will do this? Do you also believe that you must drink the water on an empty stomach?

I believe that plain water is the most efficient way of doing this. sure, other liquids will get filtered in your body and you will gain some benefit from them. you get the most efficient benefit from plain water. I admit I'm not a scientist (I suspect none of us are) and I don't truly know if this is true or not....but I've ready about this a few places that I trust and I know that I have better weeks when I drink more water. soooo....as long as its working for me, that's what I'm doing.

sometimes I drink water on an empty stomach; sometimes I don't. do you want to ask me if I believe in the tooth fairy next?

Well, I didn't want to ask about the tooth fairy, but I admit to being a little curious now.

Where I was going is, what difference could there be in having water in your stomach along with other stuff (food) vs. comsuming water that has other stuff in it? It's all going to the same place and getting mixed together for digestion.

I can eat a coffee bean and drink water and that counts because my body does good things with the water, but if I pour water over the coffee bean before drinking it suddenly it doesn't count because my body won't do the same thing?? I just don't see the logic.

H_Factor

since recommending that folks drink water normally draws negative attention on MFP, let me add this disclaimer...

folks, drink your water if you want. drink other things if you want. if someone asks a question about water, I'm going to tell them what I think works best based on what I've read and my own personal experience. I'm not a scientist so I have no independent way of verifying what is going on with the kidneys and liver ... and what the difference might be in the fat burning process if you consume water vs. other liquids.

for me, drinking water makes a difference. it makes a difference in weekly results. it makes a difference in how I feel. it makes a difference in my appearance.

if anyone is looking for reasons to justify not drinking so much water, I'm not going to give them to you...but know this, if you don't want to drink water, don't drink it. you CAN lose weight without drinking water. and you CAN stay hydrated without drinking water. whether drinking water (instead of other things) makes fat loss more efficient...I think it does, but I lack the expertise to verify that myself via scientific testing.

H_Factor

if your focus is primarily on hydration, this is true. pretty much any liquid (other than alcohol) will help hydrate you. if, however, you want to maximize the fat burning potential of your body (by helping the liver/kidneys as I mentioned above), then water is pretty much what you want. again, I'm trying to maximize fat burning so I drink primarily water.

And you feel that only plain water will do this? Do you also believe that you must drink the water on an empty stomach?

I believe that plain water is the most efficient way of doing this. sure, other liquids will get filtered in your body and you will gain some benefit from them. you get the most efficient benefit from plain water. I admit I'm not a scientist (I suspect none of us are) and I don't truly know if this is true or not....but I've ready about this a few places that I trust and I know that I have better weeks when I drink more water. soooo....as long as its working for me, that's what I'm doing.

sometimes I drink water on an empty stomach; sometimes I don't. do you want to ask me if I believe in the tooth fairy next?

Well, I didn't want to ask about the tooth fairy, but I admit to being a little curious now.

Where I was going is, what difference could there be in having water in your stomach along with other stuff (food) vs. comsuming water that has other stuff in it? It's all going to the same place and getting mixed together for digestion.

I can eat a coffee bean and drink water and that counts because my body does good things with the water, but if I pour water over the coffee bean before drinking it suddenly it doesn't count because my body won't do the same thing?? I just don't see the logic.

I wish I was a scientist and could summarize what I've read better. All I know is that what I've read makes sense to me. Water apparently runs through your body more efficiently than other liquids. And, as I indicated in my previous post, I feel better when drinking water.

oh, and no, I don't believe in the tooth fairy

myshell26

Not everything we do for health is what we would "prefer" to do. That is a simple truth that so many never face. Your body MUST have water, whether you 'like' it or not. Learn to drink it anyway. If you're like most people, once you have developed the habit of drinking it, you will find that nothing else tastes as good, and CERTAINLY no other beverage is as healthy and necessary for bodily function and good health.

I agree with this. I just started drinking at least 8 glasses of water per day 16 days ago. Now when I grab an iced tea, or diet soda I get a few sips into it and I'm over it. Water has made all the difference in the way I feel and the way my skin looks. The one draw back is that I swear I have to pee every 2 seconds (TMI I know). : )

ArroganceInStep

Well, I didn't want to ask about the tooth fairy, but I admit to being a little curious now.

Where I was going is, what difference could there be in having water in your stomach along with other stuff (food) vs. comsuming water that has other stuff in it? It's all going to the same place and getting mixed together for digestion.

I can eat a coffee bean and drink water and that counts because my body does good things with the water, but if I pour water over the coffee bean before drinking it suddenly it doesn't count because my body won't do the same thing?? I just don't see the logic.

Tooth fairy is totally real!!! I seen it!

I find it's very easy for me to go over my calories with drinks other than water. That alone is reason enough for me to stick with it.

bcattoes

Well, I didn't want to ask about the tooth fairy, but I admit to being a little curious now.

Where I was going is, what difference could there be in having water in your stomach along with other stuff (food) vs. comsuming water that has other stuff in it? It's all going to the same place and getting mixed together for digestion.

I can eat a coffee bean and drink water and that counts because my body does good things with the water, but if I pour water over the coffee bean before drinking it suddenly it doesn't count because my body won't do the same thing?? I just don't see the logic.

Tooth fairy is totally real!!! I seen it!

I find it's very easy for me to go over my calories with drinks other than water. That alone is reason enough for me to stick with it.

And that is a very good reason. For the record, I'm not against anyone drinking water. I drink plenty of plain water, myself. But I know it's not necessary for weight loss and not doing so will not inhibit weight loss.

HMonsterX

Well, I didn't want to ask about the tooth fairy, but I admit to being a little curious now.

Where I was going is, what difference could there be in having water in your stomach along with other stuff (food) vs. comsuming water that has other stuff in it? It's all going to the same place and getting mixed together for digestion.

I can eat a coffee bean and drink water and that counts because my body does good things with the water, but if I pour water over the coffee bean before drinking it suddenly it doesn't count because my body won't do the same thing?? I just don't see the logic.

Tooth fairy is totally real!!! I seen it!

I find it's very easy for me to go over my calories with drinks other than water. That alone is reason enough for me to stick with it.

And that is a very good reason. For the record, I'm not against anyone drinking water. But I know it's not necessary for weight loss and not doing so will not inhibit weight loss.

Exactly bcattoes. Believe it or not even *I'm* not against it! What i AM against, strongly, is telling people that drinking 5644536364 cups of pure water is the ONLY, or BEST, way. If you want to drink as you like it, or feel it has some other magical effect, then go ahead! If you force yourself to drink it as you think you are supposed to, THAT'S when i feel obligated to inform people of the actual facts, that you don't need to drink pure water to get the effects.

alliebabs69

Coffee is a diuretic and will dehydrate you if you get too much. Yes, coffee is mostly water, but the dehydrating effect pushes more water out than you take in. You must have water to digest food, reduce hunger cravings, and cleanse the body of harmful toxins.

Correction. Caffeine is a diuretic and can dehydrate. That amount of caffeine needed to dehydrate is larger than what is found in the average pot (not cup) of coffee.

I have to say, nicely put!
I want to ask a question. Anyone have any idea if water would work the same for someone gaining weight??
I would technically have to drink roughly 8cups of water a day too, but if it reduces cravings then i'm not that interested. I can't drink it plain for one so I always buy flavoured water when out. Or drink cordial at home.

As stated above I'm currently trying to gain weight, but want to obviously increase my cravings and also flush toxins, as I suffer from really oily skin with breakouts.
I guess concentrated fruit juices and fruit smoothies are good due to fibre and calorie content.
I'd like to drink a lot of milk too, but have a mild intollerance to dairy due to asthma. So I only really have it in my tea or occasional coffees. I read somewhere that milk is good for gaining weight...?
I'd drink water if it would help to gain weight too mainly because eating so much means I'm pretty skint. So water is cheapest.

Anyone have any idea's or advice please? Thank-you