water intake - relating to coffee, liquids, salt, etc

tataliciousd89

Your urine output is only dark when you arent properly hydrated. Your kidneys produce concentrated urine in the absence of fluids and diluted urine in fluid excess. Some medications can darken the urine also, but that is rare.

lorihalsted

I log only water.....not any other liquid. If I know I am over on salt I will try to drink more water.

rockerbabyy

I log water as water... I dont drink much of anything else. If I do (juice for ex) I log it under whatever meal Im drinking it with... For those that log coffee under water, do you log the amount of sugar and/or cream you use? Lately Ive become anal about logging in everything!!!! and have logged in even condiments such as butter, olive oil, honey, etc.

i log everything. i enter coffee with my breakfast, along with my stevia and two creamers (singles). i just also include it in my water count.

maidentl

Caffeine is not as strong a diuretic as people are led to believe (in the NYT article, it is about as strong a diuretic as water itself!) and technically you can log any drink as water. PLAIN water however, is best for you as is it calorie/sugar free, so better for weight loss than anything else.

I personally try to log only water, but if I do log something else, I make sure to log it with my food so that the calories are counted!

So enjoy your coffee (just beware all the calories from the stuff you put in it!)

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

This pretty much sums it up. Personally, I don't care what anyone else chooses to drink. I only take issue with the INSISTENCE that because you (general you) want to drink ONLY plain water that everyone else who does it differently is "wrong." There is nothing magic about water. Is it your best choice of beverage? Sure, I wouldn't argue otherwise. But just because you add something to that water to make it taste different, it doesn't suddenly become "not-water." Your body extracts what it needs from everything that you eat and drink.

DrG3n3

So Coffee is very dehydrating, and many of us drink coffee. After reading a post a while ago (I can't remember which one) I thought it was kind of ironic that some people are logging a dehydrating drink like coffee under their daily water intake. I've also noticed that people seem to log juices and soups.

Coffee is NOT dehydrating, so we log it as fluid intake because it is. Same for juices and soups too. Can you show me some research that says they are dehydrating?

You need the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

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/


As for coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
adj.
Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
n.
A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


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

http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php

http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/do-caffeinated-beverages-cause-dehydration.htm

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5552790&page=1#.TrQWc0O5_oo



Our body doesnt need NEAT water, just water. Whatever we drink or eat that has water content, our body extracts it.

Aw snap, your post is way better than mine. Way better articles too.

I'm glad someone brought this up. Totally log whatever other stuff you drink because if its had calories, carbs, sodium etc then sure you need to know your counts. But even though it says water intake, when you drink tea or coffee you are getting W-A-T-E-R which, yes is a fluid, but it is still water. I just don't get how people can act like the water evaporates and its replaced with some unnamed unknown fluid known simply as 'another fluid' that you've consumed for the day. I understand not wanting to drink one cup of water, 5 cups of coffee, and then saying I've consumed all the water I need for the day, but you still have water in those cups of coffee, plus water in the foods you consume, the 8 cups (quite the myth) doesn't exactly mean 8 cups or pure water, it just means that you need to keep properly hydrated. Heck, if you want to pee 5000 times a day then by all means, but I've got work to do and two workouts I need to get done and a full nights rest, can't be spending all day on the toilet.

3dogsrunning

I only log water as water. I don't understand why people log their other liquids as water...If it said "Fluid Intake" then okay, but since it doesn't...
Also, when I have a lot of sodium in a day I always drink a bunch of extra water to flush out the excess.

Mayo Clinic addresses that on their site
"Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total."
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283

ETA - forgot to answer - I dont' log water/fluid consumption, so I don't worry about logging tea or water.

Blessedmommy_2x

I only log water that is PLAIN water... nothing else. Speaking of which I drank 152 oz today!!! :drinker:

GREAT JOB!!

WATER is WATER. Soda is Soda, Coffee is Coffee, etc. However I hardly drink anything but water 128 oz TODAY

Enjoy those oh-so-unnecessary trips to the toilet, and pee well knowing that all the excess water you drank is just coming straight out again.

....Just your opinion

MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B

I only log water that is PLAIN water... nothing else. Speaking of which I drank 152 oz today!!! :drinker:

GREAT JOB!!

WATER is WATER. Soda is Soda, Coffee is Coffee, etc. However I hardly drink anything but water 128 oz TODAY

Enjoy those oh-so-unnecessary trips to the toilet, and pee well knowing that all the excess water you drank is just coming straight out again.

Well since I weigh approx 264lbs 128oz of water is not going to bother me. I also workout for an hour a day ((in long pants and hoodie). The extra trips just mean that I am getting all the extra sugar/crap out of my system which is A-OKAY to me

jcr85

i log coffee, tea, juice, soda, and water as water. that said, i drink coffee maybe 3 times a week, tea about half that and juice and soda are a couple times a month, if that.
its all water, and the dehydrating effects arent really so serious that you dont get any benefit at all from the water the drink is made from.
i never thought to add soup as water intake, but i dont drink a lot of soup either.

wtf :huh:

jmp1031

i absolutely only log water as water- not tea, not coffee. flavored water, ok. i shoot for 8-12 cups of water a day, anything else from other soups or drinks is just bonus. or in the case of coffee and pop- not since it dehydrates you. it's one of the things if you look for the shortcuts, you're only cheating yourself.

cuteness81104

I nly drink water most days but if i drink anything else i do not count it in my water intake

rockerbabyy

i log coffee, tea, juice, soda, and water as water. that said, i drink coffee maybe 3 times a week, tea about half that and juice and soda are a couple times a month, if that.
its all water, and the dehydrating effects arent really so serious that you dont get any benefit at all from the water the drink is made from.
i never thought to add soup as water intake, but i dont eat/drink a lot of soup either.

wtf :huh:

what about that is wtf worthy? o.O

CoderGal

I just don't get how people can act like the water evaporates and its replaced with some unnamed unknown fluid known simply as 'another fluid' that you've consumed for the day.

That wasn't my logic on the matter at all. My logic was telling me that if I drink something with an ingredient that does something to my body, it would probably be a good idea to flush it out. At the same time, drinking the magic 8 glasses of water (or a lot of water) and drinking other liquids like soup and juice, that can't be good for you either. It's like overfilling a water balloon. I'd pop :P

I guess the golden rule would be drink if you feel thirsty, and if you've had something like caffine or salt you should probably have water after because if you don't you probably will feel dehydrated after, and it's aways nice to keep the toxins out of your body.

I was more interested in if anyone came upon any tests that monitored the differences between doing one thing or the other. Specifically something with references. I've never stumbled upon anything so far and figured I'd ask 'cause I'm the curious type! Not because I think someones right and someones wrong. People can be very different. I was also hoping for some "I've tried this and that and this is what happened' responses.

thisisabbie

Personally, I don't log water in my diary, but I aim to drink a minimum of 8 glasses a day. Of PLAIN water. I always have a glass or a bottle on hand. Every time i'm near the kitchen, I drink a pint! If i'm out, then very time I open my bag, I have a few sips from my bottle.

Anything else I have throughout the day, be it tea, coffee, cordial (squash for some of you!) or juice, I log them into my food diary, I don't count ANY of them as one of my 8...

Water is water. Squash is squash. Coffee is coffee. etc etc.

The only thing that should be counted towards MY water intake, is plain water itself. But that's my opinion... Each to their own

MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B

i log coffee, tea, juice, soda, and water as water. that said, i drink coffee maybe 3 times a week, tea about half that and juice and soda are a couple times a month, if that.
its all water, and the dehydrating effects arent really so serious that you dont get any benefit at all from the water the drink is made from.
i never thought to add soup as water intake, but i dont eat/drink a lot of soup either.

wtf :huh:

what about that is wtf worthy? o.O

I think they were just surprised that you count everything as water. *serious question* how to do log soda? 12oz soda= ? oz water

3dogsrunning

i absolutely only log water as water- not tea, not coffee. flavored water, ok. i shoot for 8-12 cups of water a day, anything else from other soups or drinks is just bonus. or in the case of coffee and pop- not since it dehydrates you. it's one of the things if you look for the shortcuts, you're only cheating yourself.

How is cheating yourself? There are a number of links in this thread to reputable medical sources that state it is fine to count them towards your fluid intake. And for the millionth time coffee does not dehydrate. It was one thought it did, but newer research has found it doesnt.

HMonsterX

i log coffee, tea, juice, soda, and water as water. that said, i drink coffee maybe 3 times a week, tea about half that and juice and soda are a couple times a month, if that.
its all water, and the dehydrating effects arent really so serious that you dont get any benefit at all from the water the drink is made from.
i never thought to add soup as water intake, but i dont eat/drink a lot of soup either.

wtf :huh:

what about that is wtf worthy? o.O

I think they were just surprised that you count everything as water. *serious question* how to do log soda? 12oz soda= ? oz water

12oz soda = 12 oz water.

rockerbabyy

i log coffee, tea, juice, soda, and water as water. that said, i drink coffee maybe 3 times a week, tea about half that and juice and soda are a couple times a month, if that.
its all water, and the dehydrating effects arent really so serious that you dont get any benefit at all from the water the drink is made from.
i never thought to add soup as water intake, but i dont eat/drink a lot of soup either.

wtf :huh:

what about that is wtf worthy? o.O

I think they were just surprised that you count everything as water. *serious question* how to do log soda? 12oz soda= ? oz water

id log it as 12 oz water.. but i dont normally drink that much. its usually an 8 oz glass of sodastream (35 calories for regular, 0 for diet).

TurtleRunnerNC

I log water, including if I add Crystal Light. I log coffee in my food intake.

CrystalBonner

I log water as water. I click on the water glass every time I have one. I also log in the other drinks that I may have during the day. Coffee in the mornings and if by chance I have juice with one of my meals that's where I log it.

MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B

i log coffee, tea, juice, soda, and water as water. that said, i drink coffee maybe 3 times a week, tea about half that and juice and soda are a couple times a month, if that.
its all water, and the dehydrating effects arent really so serious that you dont get any benefit at all from the water the drink is made from.
i never thought to add soup as water intake, but i dont eat/drink a lot of soup either.

wtf :huh:

what about that is wtf worthy? o.O

I think they were just surprised that you count everything as water. *serious question* how to do log soda? 12oz soda= ? oz water

12oz soda = 12 oz water.

ok........it just seems weird to me but as one of the above users said "to each their own"

CoderGal

While everyone gets peed at each other about how much they pee (because everyone is a specialist when you're on the internet)....I figured I'd share one of the tests that were mentioned in the articles for those not reading them all.

"Another study, in the same journal in 2005, involved scientists following 59 active adults over 11 days while controlling their caffeine intake. They were given caffeine in capsule form on some days and on other days were given a placebo. Researchers found no significant differences in levels of excreted electrolytes or urine volume."
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

goldielocks_1975

many moons ago I was on WW and they would always say that you can drink a certain amount of water (don't quote me), but I want to say 4 or 5 glasses. If you drink DECAF coffee (no creamer), DECAF iced tea -- you could count (again, don't quote me), but you could drink 3 classes of DECAF and count it as your water intake. Anyone who joined WW know about that and confirm?

2Bgoddess

So, we should be really accurate about this, the water you drink should not be logged as water, because it contains sodium and minerals, not just water....
I log water.
And the water I add to coffee.
And the water I add to my protein powder.
But not milk, juice, soup, etc. I don't drink juice, never have.
I don't drink more water for any reason other than being thirsty. I just listen to my body. And look at my pee. :blushing:

rockerbabyy

ok........it just seems weird to me but as one of the above users said "to each their own"

the way i see it - is "they" recommend to drink 8 oz a day to stay hydrated. while water is the best choice because theres no calories or added chemicals/ingredients.. that doesnt mean its the only thing that hydrates you. anything i drink (besides liquor) i count as water. its hydrating me, and just because the label here says "water" and not "liquids" doesnt change that.

HMonsterX

many moons ago I was on WW and they would always say that you can drink a certain amount of water (don't quote me), but I want to say 4 or 5 glasses. If you drink DECAF coffee (no creamer), DECAF iced tea -- you could count (again, don't quote me), but you could drink 3 classes of DECAF and count it as your water intake. Anyone who joined WW know about that and confirm?

Is the same WW thats says you can have as much fruit and veg as you like? Yeah, i wouldnt trust them too much tbh. And if they state decaf, definitely dont trust them. They really have no clue...

MrsLawsonNavyBrat2B

ok........it just seems weird to me but as one of the above users said "to each their own"

the way i see it - is "they" recommend to drink 8 oz a day to stay hydrated. while water is the best choice because theres no calories or added chemicals/ingredients.. that doesnt mean its the only thing that hydrates you. anything i drink (besides liquor) i count as water. its hydrating me, and just because the label here says "water" and not "liquids" doesnt change that.

**runs to check label of soda in fridge** First ingrediant is water so guess I see where ur going with that. Of course I hardly drink soda but in general I gained some knowledge on this thread

bohoatthebeach

I only log water as water. When I have coffee, I log it as coffee. When I eat a lot of salty foods, I try to drink more water. I don't know what my logic is behind that; I guess I just want to flush everything out!

i do that too, hahaha

CoderGal

So, we should be really accurate about this, the water you drink should not be logged as water, because it contains sodium and minerals, not just water....

Nice sarcasm. Anyway, that's not what I was trying to imply. If you're drinking or eating things that should be flushed out, you should drink water after. I can't see any side arguing that as a bad thing (given that you haven't had copious amounts of water)

jcr85

i log coffee, tea, juice, soda, and water as water. that said, i drink coffee maybe 3 times a week, tea about half that and juice and soda are a couple times a month, if that.
its all water, and the dehydrating effects arent really so serious that you dont get any benefit at all from the water the drink is made from.
i never thought to add soup as water intake, but i dont eat/drink a lot of soup either.

wtf :huh:

what about that is wtf worthy? o.O

I think they were just surprised that you count everything as water. *serious question* how to do log soda? 12oz soda= ? oz water

12oz soda = 12 oz water.

ok........it just seems weird to me but as one of the above users said "to each their own"

I thought it was warranted... Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water, so why would you want to replace that with soda, coffee, juice etc.