stop drinking 8 cups of water (because it's "good"), and get

alyson820

I drink a gallon of water a day because I LOVE water and how it makes me feel. Since cutting out soda, my skin is clearer, I have more energy, and my immune system seems like it's working better.

ariant23

I drink diet soda, almond milk (1/2 calories of skim milk, and my brand adds extra calcium), crystal light, and sometimes water. i just drink if i'm thirsty. i never force myself to consume a beverage, esp. plain water. I dont drink coffee, tea or alcohol. i just dont like them. As for the diuretic effect of caffeine, it's there. but it's so small as to be negligible. but like i stated initially, and then again in the middle. this is just an FYI for people who don't like drinking all that water, and don't feel a physical need to do so. when i work out, i drink tons of water because i sweat like a pig, and then i'm thirsty. but if i didnt, i probably wouldn't.

PinkAndSparkle

I asked my nutritionist this question a few weeks ago because I'm always really thirsty! She said to just drink when you're thirsty. If your body wants more water, then give it more water! My apartment is super dry, so I get really thirsty when I'm home a lot. there are a lot of factors when it comes to thirst.

fteale

Tea and coffee do NOT dehydrate you as so many posts claim. CAFFEINE dehydrates you. There's enough water in tea and coffee to more than offset the dehydrating effects of the caffeine. That's why some people count tea and coffee as part of their water intake and it's perfectly legit. I don't but I log all my drinks and try to make sure I'm getting at least 80-100 oz. of liquids every day.

As to black tea containing more antioxidants that green--depends on the brand. For Lipton decaf, black tea has 105 and green tea has 130.

Decaf has all sorts of other nasties in. I avoid it like the plague, it gives me headaches. Large leaf loose teas are the ones to go for. Oolong for maximum health.

My husband used to be a tea taster for years, so there's not a lot I don't know about real loose leaf tea. He must have brought home hundreds of samples over the years.

LuckyLeprechaun

Yes, you would have to drink gallons and gallons of water for it to hurt you.

Not true.

My husband is 6'1". He easily weighs more than 225. (Probably 250-ish at the time of this story)

He decided he wanted to drink more water, and so he started using the Macho cup from Del Taco to drink water from. Eight of them a day. 8x44 ounces equals 352 ounces. A gallon is 128 ounces, so he was drinking 2.75 gallons a day. He was also working out, lifting weights for about 2 hours during that time.

After about a week, his joints started to swell up and get puffy. His whole body got achy. He went to the doctor and they figured out it was all that water. He changed nothing except going back to regular water consumption levels (ie, have a drink when you feel thirsty), and all of the symptoms he created vanished.

It does not take "gallons and gallons", and this example was with a big man.

Enjoy your water, people, but do not be lulled into thinking you *can't* overdo it. You certainly can. If your urine is light yellow, you're doing a good job being hydrated.

fteale

Even my son's nephrologist says the water thing is a myth.

HorrorChix89

I only drink when I'm thirsty and I hate the plain taste of water. It makes my head hurt. I usually get about 6 cups a day

secretlobster

If your urine is light yellow, you're doing a good job being hydrated.

It's gross but this is true. Medium-to-dark yellow urine is a very obvious sign of being underhydrated, but there's no reason at all to overdo it if you pee light yellow (tee hee).

Think of trying to clean a toilet with Comet and no water. That's what your kidneys are like when they try to get rid of the toxins you consume from other liquids, and a great reason to drink more water than you drink anything else

Don't force yourself to drink if you're not thirsty, but if you're not drinking mostly water, you should consider it.

monocot

My Boyfriend spends a lot of time telling me drinking to much just pushing nutrition i may need out of my body.
I never get over 6 cups in a day anyways.

rebecca_chess

Also, for all of you in the Caffeine Dehydrates you and the Coffee/tea/etc. "Doesn't Count" camps, please read: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

Very interesting! Thanks for posting the side of "It Does Count" camp. I'm not from that camp, but welcome the input from the other camp. I'm always interested in reading the "two sides of every story". :flowerforyou:

IndigoVA

I can't comment on whether or not it's a myth, but I wonder about drinking only when thirsty. I used to drink only about 5 cups of water a day--whenever I was thirsty. Then when I became pregnant, I developed high blood pressure, and my midwife told me to drink as much water as I possibly could. So I started drinking more like 12 cups a day. After a couple weeks, my body got used to the 12 cups a day, and I found myself getting thirsty way more often than back when I only drank 5 cups a day. This remained long after I had my daughter. So I don't think that only drinking when thirsty is the best judge of water intake.

djkamin60

We had this discussion on water at a weight loss class I recently attended. To get too much water, they told us you would have to attach your mouth to a hose and drink steadily for 10 minutes. This was proven by inmates in a prison to make themselves sick to get out for a while! Not sure if I could even do it. Water is good for a lot of the reasons mentioned above and I agree a lot of the other stuff out there is not good for you. They also told us gatorade is not good to drink after a workout. It was created as a performance enhancer for athletes. Go figure.

Sparkz1920

I drink about 64 ounces a day and I feel great.

Also, you shouldn't drink water just when you're thirsty. The key is to avoid dehydration

I think some ppl like to convince themselves that water is not important because they don't like it or would rather have a diet soda. Hey, do you . But U won't see me giving up my water

TexasTroy

I was a bodybuilder for 15-20 years of my life and I would drink 2 gallons of water a day and it never hurt me! No longer in bodybuilding but I still drink a gallon a day. it is definitely true that pretty much everything you eat contains water but you still need "extra " water throughout the day, especially if you are training hard and/or in hot environments. Yes, coffee , tea's, etc are considered water-its the main ingredient-one must look out for extra calories however...especially the coffees-the latte french vanilla frapaccino whatcamacallit you drank this morning could have as much fat and calories as a cheeseburger! Far as im concerned, drink up..its not gonna hurt ya and can only help ya.

Phoenix59

All I know is when I had blood drawn the nurse said "you drink a lot of water", and I asked why and she said good veins. So I think it helps to drink water.

I had a nurse essentially tell me the same thing...saying she could see I was well-hydrated, but I don't drink nearly as much water as I "should." I try to get in at least 64 oz., but that rarely happens. I do get fluids from tea, coffee, diet Cokes, food, etc., though.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

Even my son's nephrologist says the water thing is a myth.

My mom's nephrologist always said the opposite and urged my mom to drink more water and leave the coffee alone, she didn't though.

My naturopath, endocrinologist, and family Doctors all urge their patients to drink plenty of water also.

It is also intriguing that my husband started drinking more plain water (only change he made) and was able to get off his high blood pressure medication.

dHowe4406

If your urine is light yellow, you're doing a good job being hydrated.

it is as simple as this...You don't need to force yourself to drink 8 cups a water a day as long as your urine is a light yellow. If you like to drink more nothing wrong with that either.

polonightmare

caffeine dehydrates your body. and causes you to retain water, so doesn't count, but fruits and veg and stuff definitely count.
I think how much water you drink depends on what kind of diet you have- eg. if you eat lots of salt and instant food you will need to drink more, but if you live of fruit and veg you don't need to drink as much. I drink the eight glasses because it makes me feel fuller when I know I have hat enough to eat but want more, and because I drink a lot of coffee.

k8blujay2

Hmmm... I don't know.... I know I feel more thirsty and dehydrated when I don't actually drink 64+ oz. of water a day... especially when things like Melon are out of season and uber expensive (or just plain nasty)... Actually my goal is to drink (and continue to drink) around 88 oz. a day and I seem to do just fine on it.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

I don't remember where I read, or saw it, but no, you do not need 8 glasses, we don't all require the same amount. The article or show mentioned drinking half your body weight in ounces, meaning if you weigh 150 lbs, you drink 75 oz of water.

I don't have a magic number, other than my morning coffee I drink water, and it makes me fee better.

This is the guideline I go buy. The 64 oz is based on a 130 pound individual, so of course many people should be more, some less and some right about that amount.

The key is that plenty of water is important and drinking water, tea, juice, coffee, etc thinking you are hydrating your body correctly is very incorrect, which is what the OP is implying.

G30Grrl

As my dad says, "Opinions are like a**holes; everybody's got one."

There are medical professionals on both sides of this (and every other nutritional) argument. I personally have been a big water drinker since childhood. This has proven to be a blessing, because I have had some medical issues of my own, as well as a family history of multiple kidney diseases that require an increased water intake. Add to that the fact that I live in the high desert where it is ridiculously dry all year round, and you can understand why my water intake is generally much higher than the 8 glasses per day recommendation. I still often wake up in the morning with my tongue as dry as a parrot's (if you've ever been french-kissed by a parrot, you know what I mean), and cracked lips from the overnight dehydration. Granted, mouth-breathing from sinus issues contributes to that, but it's primarily the dry climate.

My urologist told me to shoot for 100 ounces per day. I don't often make it, but my water intake is still pretty darned high. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Water is delicious to me!

Roni_M

I lean toward the OP's side (who stipulated, by the way, that this was not an attack on you hyper water-guzzlers). I hardly ever drink water. I drink water during and after workouts-- almost exclusively. It gives me heartburn quicker-- and worse-- than pizza. I drink a lot of coffee and tea, and a few Diet Cokes a week. I am never dehydrated (yes, my pee is always a very light yellow).

Water is just another thing some people cling to as their weight loss miracle. There's nothing wrong with that. When it comes to weight loss and being healthy, at the end of the day what's right is what works for you. Let's all just chill out, maybe?

I agree and water also gives me heart burn. And coffee must count or my hubby would be dead...he drinks more than a dozen large coffees a day, tops that up with the odd soda before bed. Other than a few beer on the weekend, that's all he drinks and he's not dehydrated! The only time he drinks water is as a hangover preventative before bed if he's had a few too many beer (chugs a large glass and swears it works).

I'm a sipper...always have a drink of something on the go. Usually flavored water, coffee or the occassional bottle of G2. I don't keep track of my water intake, just the calories in whatever i'm drinking.

rebelontherun

No one will ever get me to believe that drinking plenty of plain water is not good for you. And in order to drink too much, you have to drink a LOT or drink quite a bit in a short amount of time.

If we drank more than the kidneys can handle over a day's time then we wouldn't eat. There is nothing wrong with drinking 10 or 12 cups of water.

I disagree with coffee, tea, soda, etc being counted as water also as it is not plain water.

Most people that increase their water intake find they have more energy, better moods, clearer skin and better digestion and elimination.

Water is important to the human body.

I completely agree with this

1Timothy4v8

Before I made myself drink at least 8 cups water, I was horrible dehadrated, My brain felt swallon, my elbos and nuckles were chapped and all my skin was dry, my hair was brittle, and my organs felt sore and hurt when I woke up in the morning,

ONCE I started drinking enough water all that went away, I fell GREAT!

and the defference between drinking wate and soda or juice is that water is pure and your organs don't have to do as much to filter the crap

penrbrown

I don't drink much liquid period. I try really, really hard but for me hydrating is the last thing I think of. This is why I kill any plants living in my house.

For me the biggest weight loss challenge I have to tackle IS getting hydrated because I greatly suspect my poor body is all dried out inside and out. ): Poo.

foremant86

whatever would we do without one of these posts every week.

penrbrown

whatever would we do without one of these posts every week.

Drink too much water and die of drowning.

penrbrown

If your urine is light yellow, you're doing a good job being hydrated.

it is as simple as this...You don't need to force yourself to drink 8 cups a water a day as long as your urine is a light yellow. If you like to drink more nothing wrong with that either.

Er... I barely drink ANYTHING, water or otherwise and my urine is always light yellow or white. So if this is true then I don't require liquids.

rmsrws

Wow.....I must be going to several quacks for Doctors as they all have said they would like my water intake to around 120 oz a day.
Since doing so I don't seem to have as dry skin. Elimination is much easier.

janeite1990

I think drinking water is good, but what bugs me about the 8 cup edict is that it does not account for body mass at all. My husband is roughly twice my size, and I can't believe that the same amount of water is right for both of us. We aren't dished out the same calorie expectations, but somehow 8 cups is right for both of us. I try to stick to water, besides coffee in the morning and skim milk for my calcium and some protein. If I'm running to the bathroom too much, I figure I'm over hydrated and I slow down.