Water consumption and weight loss

Trinaw

I now buy the la croix which has the soda feel but is bubbly/flavored water. It has no sodium, calories or fake sweetners. It comes in really good flavors too. That has been helping me switch up from regular water:) Good luck.

ATT949

Water not only keeps you hydrated but it also helps with hunger cravings and flushes the waste from your body.

^^This is what I was going to say, and the caffeine in Coffee will dehydrate you more (which may make you hungry as well as thirsty). So drink up on the water and limit your caffeine intake!!!

In computing, there's a neat expression - "Measurable but insignificant."

it's common knowledge that coffee contains caffeine and caffeine is a diuretic. The issue, it would seem, is how much of a diuretic effect does caffeine have. And it's important 'cause caffeine is in a lot of things.

And, science tells us that the amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee has a minimal diuretic effect for people who are not regular consumers of caffeine and has an insignificant diuretic effect on people who drink coffee regularly.

What we sometimes forget is that we assume because we can detect a substance in food, we naturally assume that substance has an impact. That can be the case but, with caffeine, as with many other things, the impact is…"Measurable but insignificant.

HMonsterX

ATT, some people just don't want to be told the truth. They have their little myths, and they will believe them no matter what we say...

ValMcB

I have a big glass that holds 4 cups. I fill it up in the morning and try to have it gone by lunch. Some days it is easier than others for some reason. But I know I have to drink 2 of those a day and my goal is to finish 3.

Depends on what I am doing, too. If I am busy I forget to drink. It is just a learning experience and now that I am in the habit, it is very easy to finish more than 2 of them a day. I have started staying away from the additives and flavorings. I don't want the artificial sweeteners any more than I have to. And I'm worried about BPA's so never drink bottled water unless it is the only option.

And for some reason I find I drink more when I use a straw! I know that sounds dumb, but try it, makes it very easy to suck it down faster!

mugsisme

My physical therapist told me that "THEY" have changed the requirements. You are supposed to take your body weight, cut it in half, and drink that much in ounces. If you weigh 200 pounds, you need to drink 100 ozs of water while someone who weighs 100 pounds needs to drink 50 oz.

I also heard that liquid is liquid; doesn't have to be actual water. Tea, soup, etc, it is all the same. I do find on the days I drink a lot, if I don't pee a lot I am actually heavier until I get rid of the excess fluid.

Dmborgstrom

Awesome info everyone! Can someone tell me where I can get MIO? Do you get it at the grocery store?

Target, Walmart and most grocery stores have it. It is kinda expensive but it lasts for a very long time. You can choose to only put in a drop or two, or a whole squirt to color the water. I personally like it very diluted, so there is only a hint of flavor.

It is usually located by the Kool-aid or flavor packets.

rajivdubey

I have experienced a direct co-relation between weight loss and water intake. More water you drink more you lose.

I drink 10-12 glasses a day.

No! Soda, Coffee, Diet Coke is NOT water!

researchanna

When its cold you can always drink hot water

adlwilmot

I really don't know about this one. I have NEVER drunk loads and loads in a day. When I'm in extremely hot environments, I drink more, when I'm in colder environments I drink less. Therefore I figure my body signals when I need to drink. With this in mind I sneered at the "8 cups of water" recommendation on here, as I also heard about that twin study a couple of years back. However, after very poor weight loss during the first 5 weeks on here I decided I'd give it a go to see if it works.

I've found that yes, the scales are showing a lower figure, but why exactly, cannot be said for sure. Is it because my body is getting rid of all stored water now that it thinks it will get lots each day? Is it because the water is speeding up my metabolism and burning fat? Is it because I'm eating less cos I'm full of water? Well the first two I cannot answer, but I can answer the last one and that's a big fat NO! My diary tells me I'm eating the same and I'll tell you I'm eating the same. Filling myself up with water does not work for me. My stomach isn't that stupid.

Drinking this amount of water has the downside that I'm peeing like a race horse (excuse the rather English metaphor!) which means I'm constantly getting interrupted to go to the toilet, or am going about my business busting for a pee on a regular basis. Is that a good thing? I think not.

BUT..... once thing I have noticed is that the skin on my face is a lot clearer, more smooth, and has a lot less blemishes all of a sudden. I haven't changed any of my facial routine, so there are now variables there. My diet has always been relatively healthy, so I can't see that how that has affected my skin. I'm exercising now so that could be the cause, but with this one I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the water.

So... I'm not convinced it aids weight loss, BUT, it definitely flushes out the system. I'm going to continue drinking large amounts for as long as I can be bothered to go to the toilet 10 times a day. When I get sick of that, I'll go back to drinking when my body tells me to.

*touches face in wonder....*

castadiva

Since it has become cold out I try my hardest to drink water but I would rather have something hot. But I have noticed that weight loss has been slower since I slowed down on the water. So I decided to try something different, I use flavoring for my water (generic brand about 10 cals per packet) And since I have started adding that and have been able to up my water to about 9-10 glasses a day (or about 140 ozs a day) the weight seems to be on the move again This is what works for me

Herbal teas can be good for getting your water requirement in without the chill factor and without adding chemical flavourings. Personally, I like Peppermint or Lemon and Ginger, but there're heaps of flavours around - you could buy a selection box to sample until you find the right one for you.

HMonsterX

No! Soda, Coffee, Diet Coke is NOT water!

They still count towards your daily water intake, as what are they if they aren't mostly water?

ATT949

So... I'm not convinced it aids weight loss, BUT, it definitely flushes out the system. I'm going to continue drinking large amounts for as long as I can be bothered to go to the toilet 10 times a day. When I get sick of that, I'll go back to drinking when my body tells me to.

I appreciate what you've written. It's nice to see someone sharing their observations.

Water does aid weight loss and that's one of the reasons why folks recommend it - with 16 oz of water in your stomach, it's harder to eat "too much" than it is without 16 oz of water in your stomach.

Insofar as "flushing out the system", more water will make you urinate more. Our bodies are homeostats so when we drink water, it will only absorb as much as it can and the rest just gets peed out. But does it "flush out the system"? That implies that more water is better, to me, and, as the links from this thread have shown, the medical evidence is that there's no particular value in drinking "a lot of water". On an individual level, it would seem that not drinking 8 by 8 would cause the system to not get flushed but I've yet to see anything, other than anecdotes, that supports that.

Our bodies have evolved over millions of years to handle a variety of situations - feast, famine, drought, floods. It does better with some things than others and some things are just evolutionarily wrong (anyone found a use for the appendix). The drinking water issue is, as far as I can tell, pretty well handled by the thirst mechanism.

You've said that your skin cleared up a bit. That could be a function of weight loss. I had a blemish over my right eyebrow for much of the time when I was obese. No more. I had no treatments for it and it cleared up fairly early in my weight loss. Perhaps that's what you experienced.

Strobins05

BTW, I do drink lots of coffee daily but I do not calculate it with my water intake. And tea for that matter. To me, H2o is just that, H2o.

anyonebutmehaha

And when the "experts" say to get 48-64oz of water a day they neglect to emphasize that you can about 40% of that through food (at least real, non-processed food).

I take a lesson from my pets. When they get thirsty they go drink some water. And they pee a bright, clear yellow. They don't suck down water all day for fear of getting dehydrated. That is why our bodies have SIGNALS.

I let my body tell me when I need water. (And coffee and tea count. They might be diuretics but you are still consuming a fluid)

now that makes sense. i usually consume a lot of whole foods (fruits and veggies) and have a low thirst drive. trying to force 8 glasses of water in means running to pee every hour all day long.

btw- i also take lessons from my pets like if you feed felines the obligate carnivore diet they are suppose to consume (no grains) they no longer drink ANY water....even my diabetic cat only uses the water bowl to drop his toy mice into to 'drown' them, lol.