Do I need to drink water?

AgentHegarty

I'm finding that I just don't drink much water in any given day. I have two cups of black coffee (no cream/sugar) in the morning, and then barley any liquid throughout the day. I'm not sure why...just not terribly thirsty. Any thoughts about if drinking my 8 glasses of water a day will increase my weight loss?

xSophia19

YES! water will increase your weightloss! trust me!!! It speeds up your metabolism i wouldnt be 3 stone lighter today if i hadnt of drank 8 glasses of water a day!! i love water! always carry a bottle around with you! that 2 glasses down once youve finished a 500ml bottle, 4 of those a day and you will be well on your way to your goal weight..

hope this helped

bwishau

I used to be the same way (i hated water) - but I have found that if I don't drink at least 8 glasses a day, not only do I not lose weight, I gain!

Everyone is different, but drinking at least 8 glasses a day makes a huge difference for me!

AgentHegarty

Hmmm. Interesting! Okay. I'll give it a try. Thanks!!

kopmom

I'm finding that I just don't drink much water in any given day. I have two cups of black coffee (no cream/sugar) in the morning, and then barley any liquid throughout the day. I'm not sure why...just not terribly thirsty. Any thoughts about if drinking my 8 glasses of water a day will increase my weight loss?

I am the same way, could have wrote your post. I really need to get better with drinking water

malachor

Probably not. Drinking water could make you feel better (not for my wife and I though) but increase weight loss is unlikely.
It will probably assist your body in removing "impurities" quicker.
Also, water does weight 8lbs a gallon (16 cups) so drinking lots will make the scale go up.

The human body is very flexible and will utilize moisture in the foods you eat. The only thing my wife and I notice is if we don't have enough water with caffeine we can get a headache, but that is probably dehydration caused by the caffeine.

Water Calculator;
http://www.csgnetwork.com/humanh2owater.html

leanmachinedream

It's not going to increase your weight loss but it will help you to stay healthy and hydrated. Your body needs water, not coffee, not soda, not juice. Water.

aippolito1

It's kind of a no brainer.

_Shelley_

I drink at LEAST half of my body weight in oz of water per day...so roughly 70-100oz. I carry around a 56oz water bottle and fill it up twice a day.

I love it! It helps curb my cravings (I drink a glass of water or about 10 sips from my water bottle whenever I get a bad craving), eat regularly, and has really helped my deminish my migraines. Yes, I pee constantly but it doesn't bother me. I don't drink juice, soda, or dairy products.

HMonsterX

Your body needs water, not coffee, not soda, not juice. Water.

Crap.

Coffee, soda, juice are all 99% water. Your body doesnt need PURE water at all. Just water.

Here we go again!

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 tea/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

kimbux

Drink water BEFORE your are thirsty.... if you wait till you are thirsty, then you are already starting to dehydrate.

ScatteredThoughts

Drink water BEFORE your are thirsty.... if you wait till you are thirsty, then you are already starting to dehydrate.

Am I starved if I wait until I am hungry to eat?

Am I sleep deprived if I wait until I am tired to rest?

...and so on.



OP - My weight loss has been fine with an average of 2 to 3 cups of water per day. 8 cups of "pure" water a day is hardly a necessity for everyone. As mentioned before, you body is quite capable of using water from other sources.

Jorra

Also, water does weight 8lbs a gallon (16 cups) so drinking lots will make the scale go up.

This is a terrible argument against drinking water. Everything you put in your body will make the scale "go up." If you know that the number of the scale is from excess water and waste products in your body, who cares? It will go back down when you go to the bathroom....

Your piss can tell you if you're truly dehydrated. Here's color chart for reference.
http://www.urinecolors.com/dehydration.php

SueD66

My answer is yes to this. Just try it and see. I actually have to make myself drink water. 2 glasses before work, 2 at work, 2 when i get home from work and 2 with supper. any thing over that is a bonus.

fiberartist219

It will probably assist your body in removing "impurities" quicker.

That's a nice way of saying it. I can't do certain bathroom functions when I don't get enough water. For some reason, pop, coffee, and tea don't work the same way for me. If I don't have the actual clear water, I get backed up inside. I can drink coffee from time to time, but I need to get a good two quarts of real water in each day or else bad things will start happening after a couple weeks.

JenAiMarres

It's really a non negotiable.... Yes u must and 8 cups is the absolute bare bones minimum... U should have AT LEAST half your body weight in ounces...of course it will help in weight loss...and even if u don't think it does it helps balance your overall health...have u ever looked at the color of your urine??? Ugh!!! I freak if my urine has any color to it whatsoever...Pure water is best...no crystal light etc...

junyr

Drink water BEFORE your are thirsty.... if you wait till you are thirsty, then you are already starting to dehydrate.

Am I starved if I wait until I am hungry to eat?

Am I sleep deprived if I wait until I am tired to rest?

...and so on.

Probably, in the slightest most minute measurements... /shrug

HMonsterX

YES! water will increase your weightloss! trust me!!! It speeds up your metabolism i wouldnt be 3 stone lighter today if i hadnt of drank 8 glasses of water a day!! i love water! always carry a bottle around with you! that 2 glasses down once youve finished a 500ml bottle, 4 of those a day and you will be well on your way to your goal weight..

hope this helped

You probably would have, if you did everything else the same.

And 4 of those a day will make bugger all difference if you dont make your calorie deficit. I can't remember the last time i drank pure water, as there's just no need for it. I get my fluids from other sources, 99% of which is tea/coffee.

leanmachinedream

Your body needs water, not coffee, not soda, not juice. Water.

Crap.

Coffee, soda, juice are all 99% water. Your body doesnt need PURE water at all. Just water.

Here we go again!

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!

That's fantastic, and I don't care. Pure water will always be better and healthier than coffee, soda, and juice. No one is arguing the water content in coffee.

karinaes

I'm finding that I just don't drink much water in any given day. I have two cups of black coffee (no cream/sugar) in the morning, and then barley any liquid throughout the day. I'm not sure why...just not terribly thirsty. Any thoughts about if drinking my 8 glasses of water a day will increase my weight loss?

wow. really?

YES! every single living cell in your body NEEDS water! You need to train your body to drink water. i carry around a 24oz Camelbak that i refill at least 3 times. and that's aside from my two cups of herbal tea that i drink.

you. need. water.

rpantusa

yes make a concious effort to drink at least 8 glasses a day, even if you have to put lemon in it, and once you make it a habbit, it will be easy, and you will not have any problems getting it down at all. I never drank water before, I have been doing it for about 2 months and now im always thirsty drinking water all day long! It helps big time with your weight loss! good luck with your journey!

HMonsterX

Your body needs water, not coffee, not soda, not juice. Water.

Crap.

Coffee, soda, juice are all 99% water. Your body doesnt need PURE water at all. Just water.

Here we go again!

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!

That's fantastic, and I don't care. Pure water will always be better and healthier than coffee, soda, and juice. No one is arguing the water content in coffee.

That's fine then! You keep on drinking your copious amounts of water, and peeing out 50% of it every hour as it's excessive. Im just stating that neat water is not some magical fat burning liquid, it wont have any effect by itself on weight loss drinking, certainly not an effect that other liquids wont have, as long as you watch the cals etc.

11Jayme11

Up until a few months ago.. i hated water.. never drank it only when I needed a quick drink for a pill or something. I decided that was my first step in the right direction.. I drank Diet Pepsi all the time... I completly cut that out, and now.. I ONLY drink water. I started out buying a cute cup that I could bring it places.. work, shopping.. anyplace. And always filled it before I left... seamed the more I drank, the more I wanted it! I have coffee every morning.. but drink water the rest of the day. I also love the new Mio flavor adders... another thing if your anti-water!

WhitneyAnnabelle

I lost 16 pounds in high school by adding about 2 liters of water a day to my unchanged diet...seriously. Take it from someone who's lost 85 pounds--water is GOOD for weight loss. I drink at least half my weight in ounces...I think some people have mentioned that already.

xMsAlly

Yes I would say drinking water will help you lose weight. Not because it's magic, but because your stomach is filled with water so you'll feel fuller faster (and therefore eat less).

All I like to drink is water and green tea. I've nixed my pop affinity years ago (I still have it once in a while).

I also agree that there is a TON of water in the things you consume daily, so don't feel bad if you don't get 8 glasses in.

HMonsterX

I'm finding that I just don't drink much water in any given day. I have two cups of black coffee (no cream/sugar) in the morning, and then barley any liquid throughout the day. I'm not sure why...just not terribly thirsty. Any thoughts about if drinking my 8 glasses of water a day will increase my weight loss?

wow. really?

YES! every single living cell in your body NEEDS water! You need to train your body to drink water. i carry around a 24oz Camelbak that i refill at least 3 times. and that's aside from my two cups of herbal tea that i drink.

you. need. water.

You. dont. need. NEAT. water.

Just water in general, which comes from a whole host of sources.

mmapags

I think this whole "you must drink 8 cups of water daily" thing is just ridiculous and another example of how we overcomplicate things and don't listen to our bodies. If you are thirsty, drink. If you are not, don't. What you drink is probably more important than how often and how much. Drink clean. Avoid poisons and impurities. For those of you that force feed water and are sure it benefits you, good for you. It probably does even if it's just the placebo effect.

richardholt2011

I suspect that like most diet/exercise advice the science behind 8 glasses a day is pretty dubious - but commonsense suggests that drinking a reasonable (but not precisely defined) amount every day is a good idea (and no, coffee doesnt count). Good for the bowels, amongst other things - and what can be nicer than well-behaved bowels? What I do - when I am organised - is drink a small plastic cup of water on the hour every hour. I mark off on the plastic cup to show myself how much I have drunk. Keep doing that all day and you end up drinking plenty

bevskiwolf

My father has never had a glass of plain water in his life.

He's 83.

StoutGirl09

WATER HAS NO CALORIES= REPLACE IT WITH THINGS THAT DO
Many people have lost a ton of weight by taking out those 4 cans of soda a day.

Drinking water is essential for weight loss!! It helps flush out the bad toxins in your body. I never drank water, and its still hard for me too. BUT here's 2 things I did to help remind me. But don't be discouraged if you step on the scale and see you weigh more, its water weight!!! Only weigh yourself once a week! Your weight fluctuates because of this!

This is what i did:

Took my weight, 185lbs divide by 2, = 92.5 (this is the amount of oz water my body should have daily)
To make it easier then I used to drink 16 oz bottles of water, so 92.5 divide by 16 = 5.7 (this is how many water bottles)

I would put out 6 water bottles on my counter or bring them with me and just finish them by the end of the day, before meals, just pick it up and try!

This only worked for a few months, so I went out and bought a 20 oz nice water bottle that I take with me everywhere now, I try and drink it before my classes (im in college) and before meals. Works great so far! Much cheaper too because I got one of those 5 gallon jugs you can refill for 39 Cents or whatever at the grocery store.

Another tip I just realized while at work, if you drink with a straw somehow i take down water much faster.

Goodluck!

Angie1215

http://timeforfitness.com/?p=352

Read this article!!! It's eye opening!!