Do you count it as water?

Lil_MiSsSunshiNe

Don't count it because it dehydrates.

No, it doesn't. Even if you drink the whole pot.

I previously agreed with the above poster but now disagree. Due to what I will quote later. I still would not count it as water consumption tho. Your statement would be true depending on the size of the pot. If the pot you are talking about is the average of 8-12 cups then according to the Mayo Clinic your statement would be false. Just saying Cheers.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

I've been seeing ads that say cola and coffee drinks hydrate you as well as water does. Is this true?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
It is true. Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

Still, caffeinated drinks can make you jittery, sleepless or anxious. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily available.

MissMaryMac33

OMG not this again... if it's FLUID it counts. Period.

If it has calorie, track it in your journal too.

Anyone who tells you that coffee doesn't count as fluid needs to do a little research.
I haven't had a glass of plain water in years and I haven't dropped dead yet. I get plenty of fluids.

Coffee - regular and decaf, tea, crystal light, diet v8 splash, protein shakes, almond breeze etc.

There are TONS of articles out there. I wish MFP would change that stupid ticket to say "fluid" in stead of water so peole would stop with all the retarded responses.

TrailRunner61

My Dr said count it. Although caffeine can make you pee more, the water you drink still does your body some good. The general 8oz , 8 cups rule goes for everyone and we are all dif sizes too.
He also told me that any water that's in food you eat counts, like soups, veggies, fruits, oatmeal, etc. We get more water than you think through food.
You'll know if you're not getting enough. Your pee will be dark, your skin will be dry and you'll feel hungrier.

Just drink enough that your pee is light colored and you're good.

Lil_MiSsSunshiNe

I count water as water, tea as tea, pop as pop... etc.

^^^^^ this... I mean when I make my pancakes it says just add water. Do does that mean I can count that water as well??? SMH.

Well, some of the water cooks off when you make the pancakes, but otherwise, actually, yes. We get water from the foods we eat, not just pure water in a glass. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water and yes they absolutely count.

So when you eat your fruits do you squeeze all the juice out of them and seperate the water and measure it to make sure you are consuming the correct recommended daily water intake?

MyFeistyEvolution

OMG not this again... if it's FLUID it counts. Period.

If it has calorie, track it in your journal too.

Anyone who tells you that coffee doesn't count as fluid needs to do a little research.
I haven't had a glass of plain water in years and I haven't dropped dead yet. I get plenty of fluids.

Coffee - regular and decaf, tea, crystal light, diet v8 splash, protein shakes, almond breeze etc.

There are TONS of articles out there. I wish MFP would change that stupid ticket to say "fluid" in stead of water so peole would stop with all the retarded responses.

You're delightful! :flowerforyou:

Melaniec78

Don't count it because it dehydrates.

Agreed!!! I only count actual WATER as WATER. I think the point is that is how much you should try to drink - 'instead of' or 'in addition to' other drinks.

vim_n_vigor

I can't count that high so I just guess. :laugh:

cmayfield3

So when you eat your fruits do you squeese all the juice out of them and seperate the water and measure it to make sure you are consuming the correct recommended daily water intake?

I personally don't count water, but if I really needed to know, I would calculate it out. E.g., according to the USDA database, cantaloupe is 90% water. So if I were having a 250-gram bowl of cantaloupe I would count 225 g of water, or about 0.95 cup.

MyFeistyEvolution

I count water as water, tea as tea, pop as pop... etc.

^^^^^ this... I mean when I make my pancakes it says just add water. Do does that mean I can count that water as well??? SMH.

Well, some of the water cooks off when you make the pancakes, but otherwise, actually, yes. We get water from the foods we eat, not just pure water in a glass. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water and yes they absolutely count.

Oh boy.... Yeah I can't respond to this.

deadstarsunburn

Why cheat your body out of actual extra water anyway? 8 cups of water really isn't THAT hard to reach.

Melaniec78

I count water as water, tea as tea, pop as pop... etc.

^^^^^ this... I mean when I make my pancakes it says just add water. Do does that mean I can count that water as well??? SMH.

Well, some of the water cooks off when you make the pancakes, but otherwise, actually, yes. We get water from the foods we eat, not just pure water in a glass. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water and yes they absolutely count.

So when you eat your fruits do you squeeze all the juice out of them and seperate the water and measure it to make sure you are consuming the correct recommended daily water intake?

Yea I think all this is crazy. We need to stop looking for shortcuts and just get healthier. Which means drinking more water as opposed to other things not increasing liquids in our foods.

hiker282

I started by weighing everything I eat. Then I dehydrated it. Then I weighed it again and counted the decrease as water weight. I always factor in the water weight in my water measurements, though my food always seems bloated around the same time each moth, which makes me cry when I weigh my food. A week later, things are fine again and the bloating is gone and I wipe my forehead from relief that my food hadn't actually gained weight.

Amanda_Bridges90

I count plain ol' water as water, I never thought about the coffee having water in it. I guess it's just up to personal preference.

spikefoot

I only count water as water.

It seems like cheating otherwise. I don't have a problem consuming enough water though and don't need to find other sources. My main reason though is because if I blur the line between coffee and water then I probably will start consuming less real water over time.

Also, there is water in food too that we don't calculate. I like to think the daily requirement of 8 cups is on top of all the other water we consume "unknowingly".

myfitnessnmhoy

I count water as water, tea as tea, pop as pop... etc.

^^^^^ this... I mean when I make my pancakes it says just add water. Do does that mean I can count that water as well??? SMH.

Technically, it is part of your water intake (well, that portion that does not evaporate off).

Your body needs more than 64 ounces of water to function daily, it's just that a good deal of it comes from food.

Apple? Mostly water - and don't think that water doesn't go to good use!

The 64 ounce guideline is there to make sure your body gets more water than it needs, because (within reason) too much water is harmless and too little water is harmful.

The more accurate way is urine color (white and clear, you're wasting water; light yellow and clear, you're good; any darker or any opaqueness, drink more). But "remember your 8!" is an easier, more measurable, and more socially-acceptable way to make sure you get plenty.

EDIT: And to answer the OPs question, I don't count water, I check urine color. However, I do end up drinking approximately 8-9 glasses of water a day, and that does not include my daily coffee or wine or other water-containing fluids.

vim_n_vigor

I started by weighing everything I eat. Then I dehydrated it. Then I weighed it again and counted the decrease as water weight. I always factor in the water weight in my water measurements, though my food always seems bloated around the same time each moth, which makes me cry when I weigh my food. A week later, things are fine again and the bloating is gone and I wipe my forehead from relief that my food hadn't actually gained weight.

I love this one!

Lil_MiSsSunshiNe

I count water as water, tea as tea, pop as pop... etc.

^^^^^ this... I mean when I make my pancakes it says just add water. Do does that mean I can count that water as well??? SMH.

Well, some of the water cooks off when you make the pancakes, but otherwise, actually, yes. We get water from the foods we eat, not just pure water in a glass. Fruits and vegetables are mostly water and yes they absolutely count.

So when you eat your fruits do you squeeze all the juice out of them and seperate the water and measure it to make sure you are consuming the correct recommended daily water intake?

Yea I think all this is crazy. We need to stop looking for shortcuts and just get healthier. Which means drinking more water as opposed to other things not increasing liquids in our foods.

Some people are just natural born shortcut takers. I like to go all the way and give it all I got personally. God forbid if you consume more actual pure water than is recommnded.

Boomer1946

This debate will rage forever. What does trouble me though is when someone says that they don't like water and only drink 2 or 3 glasses a year. The dictionary describes water as a clear, oderless, tasteless liquid. If it has no oder and no taste, what's the problem? I think that over time I could learn to like anything.

grimm1974

This debate will rage forever. What does trouble me though is when someone says that they don't like water and only drink 2 or 3 glasses a year. The dictionary describes water as a clear, oderless, tasteless liquid. If it has no oder and no taste, what's the problem? I think that over time I could learn to like anything.

Whatever is coming out of my tap is definitely not water then.

myfitnessnmhoy

This debate will rage forever. What does trouble me though is when someone says that they don't like water and only drink 2 or 3 glasses a year. The dictionary describes water as a clear, oderless, tasteless liquid. If it has no oder and no taste, what's the problem? I think that over time I could learn to like anything.

A lot of that depends on what your water is contaminated with. A lot of city water is chlorinated and treated, and has flouride and other stuff added to it. Some of it tastes fine, and some of it is really, REALLY nasty.

In rural areas like where I live, the differences are even more prevalent. My well water is different from my neighbor's, and you can tell the difference.

But it all tastes better to me than soda.

carld256

Why cheat your body out of actual extra water anyway? 8 cups of water really isn't THAT hard to reach.

Because it isn't necessary, and can even be harmful if you force yourself to drink beyond your natural thirst.

Lil_MiSsSunshiNe

Why cheat your body out of actual extra water anyway? 8 cups of water really isn't THAT hard to reach.

Because it isn't necessary, and can even be harmful if you force yourself to drink beyond your natural thirst.

Nobody said anything about shoving water down your throat if you are not thirsty.

Boomer1946

Probably a good idea to drink filtered water. That's what I do.

bcattoes

Also, the whole 64 oz. a day thing is a myth anyway.

It's not a myth, it's a generalization. Unlike most general medical recommendations that one is not based on science, though most doctors still think it's not bad as a general rule. But most will also tell you to count all non-alcoholic beverages.

9jenn9

I only count water as water. Yes, you could stretch it by counting almost any liquid as water, but I'm here to get healthy. Is diet soda, coffee, etc. as good for you as water? I don't think so. So although I drink coffee, I don't count it.

placeboaddiction

And to answer the OPs question, I don't count water, I check urine color. However, I do end up drinking approximately 8-9 glasses of water a day, and that does not include my daily coffee or wine or other water-containing fluids.

I was team coffee, until I read this. I'm now team who gives a crap. Focus on urine color (I forget these things). Thanks.

grimm1974

So there are several different arguments that pop up when this is asked.

#1. Do you count anything other than plain water in your little tracker?
This is simply a personal preference thing. Whether you do or not really only matters to you.

#2. Does caffeinated beverages dehydrate you?
Every major medical association I've searched say 'No'. The water they add far outweighs any diuretic effect they might have. If you have a link to a credible source saying otherwise, I would be happy to change my mind on the subject. Until then I'll trust the people far more informed than myself on the subject.

#3. Is plain water any more healthy than 'x'?
It really depends on what you are comparing it to. I've not seen any information saying that plain water is anymore healthy than adding a little flavoring or even tea. I really have no personal opinion on it. I've not see anything to show that plain water is any better you than tea or a bit of flavoring (ie MIO). Again, if anyone can show me any information that shows otherwise, I'd be happy to re-evaluate it.

spe8421

The only time you can count coffee as water is if it is decaffinated coffee.

bella_babe_86

According to the Mayo Clinic, caffiene DOES NOT dehydrate you. It was once believed that it did but not anymore. Water is still best, but coffee has alot of other things that are good for you as long as you arent drinking 7-8 cups a day you should be fine, and count it!

Oh and heres the article I found just in case anyone was wondering.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

Mybabie

I count it as coffee thats what it is and I count water as water.