Water vs. Other Drinks

sarahjay1

Hi All. I have trouble getting my 8 glasses of water in per day. I do drink a lot of diet pop and G2 Gatorade (20 cals per 250ml). How much do you think this will impact my weight loss? I am staying hydrated...just not with water.

JesterMFP

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop. It may impact you in other ways. I can't speak from personal experience because I've never drunk much of those kinds of drinks, but obviously you need to take into account the ingredients of the drinks and whether they are high in calories. I have heard anecdotally that people have cut out all soda and diet soda and found it has helped their weight loss, but I have no idea how accurate that is. If they fit into your calorie goals, and you're not allergic/intolerant to the the ingredients, then they shouldn't stop you losing weight. Obviously if you're bothered about the other ingredients, you can do more research into them in the meantime.

Living4Liz2012

With women the more water you drink the wonders it does trust me...The other drinks are good, but water flushes you out, and keeps you going. I get my water intake in using crystal light packets...try them:)

kitinboots

I struggle with plain water, so I either drink it out of a bottle (for some reason it's easier) or I make a pint glass of water and ice, a slice of lemon and lime and a splash of lime juice. I drink these constantly while I'm at work and go through 5 pints of the stuff easily.

half_moon

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop. It may impact you in other ways. I can't speak from personal experience because I've never drunk much of those kinds of drinks, but obviously you need to take into account the ingredients of the drinks and whether they are high in calories. I have heard anecdotally that people have cut out all soda and diet soda and found it has helped their weight loss, but I have no idea how accurate that is. If they fit into your calorie goals, and you're not allergic/intolerant to the the ingredients, then they shouldn't stop you losing weight. Obviously if you're bothered about the other ingredients, you can do more research into them in the meantime.

Coke makes you more thirsty.

leighlyn

I am terrible at getting my water intake in.. until i found Mio's (water flavour shots)

Sarah_Wins

That other crap stalls me, but maybe that's just me. I use Great Value water enhancer (generic of Mio) to get in up to one gallon a day.

JesterMFP

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop. It may impact you in other ways. I can't speak from personal experience because I've never drunk much of those kinds of drinks, but obviously you need to take into account the ingredients of the drinks and whether they are high in calories. I have heard anecdotally that people have cut out all soda and diet soda and found it has helped their weight loss, but I have no idea how accurate that is. If they fit into your calorie goals, and you're not allergic/intolerant to the the ingredients, then they shouldn't stop you losing weight. Obviously if you're bothered about the other ingredients, you can do more research into them in the meantime.

Coke makes you more thirsty.

As this seems to be directed to me - actually, no it doesn't make me more thirsty.

TinaHumphries

I used to struggle with water until I started doing the following:

Drinking out of a bottle (I think a 750ml water bottle = 3 water)
Instead of having a morning cup of tea I now have hot water with honey and lemon yum
Instead of having diet coke and a cuppie at work I now have hot water with a sweetener in it

It will get more "normal" the more you do. I feel so much better by drinking it :happy:

Bobby_Clerici

I just drink either water or green tea; I think pure water is best, but you're doing fine.
While I am not a fan of soda, it's not the liquid poison some claim. Chill out and keep on track.
People snivel about this topic with opinions that seek to complicate what is very simple.
Water is water.
Anything you drink that has water is counted as water.
Don't let the food Nazis drive you crazy with something that is easy to understand if you just keep it simple.
Good luck!

nortiekeeks

soda, diet or otherwise, has tons of sodium... which causes bloating and water retention, plus it's not the greatest for health reasons, like blood pressure, etc...

so, IMO, every once in a while it's okay, but all day every day?? not so much... water is the healthiest drink and i feel it should be the main drink. i used to be addicted to crystal light - yes, i said addicted, haha... anyway, i got off of the stuff a couple months ago and feel so much better since i've neen drinking just regular old water these days. i know it can get "boring", so throw a lemon or lime in there! and other things are okay, in moderation, like milk or juice or even soda, diet or otherwise... even beer! :drinker:

kaotik26

I quit drinking pop because I was told it adds too many calories and diet pop is just out of the question because there is so much aspertame it gives me a headache! I hate water though but learned that there are flavored waters out there with 0 calories. I like Powerade Zero, Fruit2 0 and Propel Zero. You can also drink sparkling waters I don't think they have much calories either if any. I learned that when I cut all the liquid calories it was easier to lose some weight, plus I feel a lot better.

stfuriada

Caffeine is a diuretic (which makes you pee more), so if you consume too much, you'd pee more and negate the amount of water you drink.

tammyopolin

I had a really hard time getting used to drinking just water, and enough of it. I started drinking the zero calorie SoBe Lifewaters first and then started alternating those and plain water. Now the Lifewaters taste too sweet to me and water is the only thing I drink. Every once in a while, I'll add a bit of Mio, but even that's rare.

To increase the amount of water I was drinking, I started making myself drink a full bottle of water before I could eat a meal or snack. Now I have no problem drinking enough water everyday, and I never find myself craving soda or tea - just ice cold water.

dickster1961

I have read a number of different things regarding the "8 glasses a day" of water. I come down on the side as @Bobby_Clerici in that any drink that has water in it counts. I also have read that when that recommendation was put in place, it also counted the water content in your food as part of the recommendation. In other words, foods that have a high water content like fruits and vegetables contribute to your water consumption.

sarahjay1

Wow! Thanks for all the suggestions/advice.

realme56

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop. It may impact you in other ways. I can't speak from personal experience because I've never drunk much of those kinds of drinks, but obviously you need to take into account the ingredients of the drinks and whether they are high in calories. I have heard anecdotally that people have cut out all soda and diet soda and found it has helped their weight loss, but I have no idea how accurate that is. If they fit into your calorie goals, and you're not allergic/intolerant to the the ingredients, then they shouldn't stop you losing weight. Obviously if you're bothered about the other ingredients, you can do more research into them in the meantime.

Coke makes you more thirsty.

Real Coke not diet due to sugar content, sugar can make one thirstier and drinking sugared drink does not satisfy that thirst. I figure choose the things that you want to give up, diet pops are not that bad, MIO is ok in moderation, G2 drinks are essential in heat/exercise.

howekaren

Diet pop has tons of sodium? Not according to the nutrition label on the brand I drink (diet pepsi). I'd have to drink 3 litres a day to get 10% of my RDV of sodium intake. 3 slices of whole wheat bread would have a higher sodium content.

UpEarly

I hydrate with beverages other than water. I'm not a big fan of soda because I don't like the carbonation, but I'll occasionally have one. But I frequently drink iced tea, flavored waters, a sports drink (especially after a long hike in hot summer weather). I've never found the alternate beverages to be detrimental to my weight loss (see ticker below) or overall health.

Some people are adamant about avoiding artificial sweeteners. Personally, I feel comfortable using them in moderation. Some people avoid sports drinks because they have added sodium. Personally, I sweat like a fiend and actually *need* the added sodium.

There is really no right or wrong answer here, it all boils down to personal preferences and what you feel comfortable with. As long as your urine is clear to light straw yellow, you're hydrated and you're fine. :happy:

realme56

Diet pop has tons of sodium? Not according to the nutrition label on the brand I drink (diet pepsi). I'd have to drink 3 litres a day to get 10% of my RDV of sodium intake. 3 slices of whole wheat bread would have a higher sodium content.

^^^^ This also....come on, like 40-60mg tops. Not going to kill you.

Teresa3612

I used to consume 2-3 20 oz diet Mountain Dews a day. Then I started planning a weeklong hike and decided I was not carrying that much pop on my back. It took some doing, but I kicked the Dew addiction and feel much better for it. I still have maybe one diet pop a week. Now I just crave ice cold water. If I want something different I drink a lightly sweetened ice tea.

Artifical sweetners tend to cause my ankles to swell and I retain water. I didn't really notice till I stopped drinking the stuff all the time.

I still struggle at times to get my water in, but remember, what it enough for one person is too much for another. As long as you are hydrated that is what counts.

Leslie85

What about Vitamin Water? I drink a lot of that stuff.

JustDeena

I quit all soda, mostly because I found that when I cut out all the sweet drinks, it was easier to resist sweet foods. I started with just drinking crystal light and flavored waters. What really helped me the most in getting my water in, I bought an awesome water bottle that I carry everywhere. It is by camalbak and does not leak a bit so I can even toss it in my purse. Seeing how much water I was drinking helped, but I also found that if I had that bottle I was much less likely to be tempted to stop for a fountain soda, or choose a soda from the vending machine when at school/work. Of course I also really enjoy food, so I would much rather eat my calories than drink them!

shellrocker12

I had been struggling with drinking water as well. Bought myself 1 of those cups with a straw in it, it has done wonders for me!!! I'm a water drinkin fool now!!!

smor27

Soda's have a ton of sodium. The added sugars whether artifical or regular tend to make me want more. Maybe that is all in my head but that is what it seems. So I tend to stay away from sodas for the most part. Water, like everyone says helps cleanse your body of toxins. It also fills you up so you don't eat as much. and nothing quenches your thirst like a glass of Ice cold water.

olymp1a

There are days that I may drink 15 cups of plain water and other days that I struggle to drink 4. What I do during those days is:

Buy carbonated water (like Perrier). If I'm not in the mood for it's plain taste then I add a bit of fresh lemon juice and 1-2 stevia and tastes like Sprite!
Drink herbal tea, lots of it, always organic. I make sure there is no actual tea in there or any ingredient that has cafeine since cafeine is diuretic and I drink 1-2 coffees per day anyway
Sometimes whenever possible I buy flavored water. We have some water here made for children that has fruity taste but no sugar.

It all depends on the day and my mood. I make sure I do drink my 8 cups in some way though!

Krys_140

Even though diet soda doesn't have any calories, and is not terribly high in sodium, there are two good reasons for not counting it as "water".

Reason 1 has already been mentioned - caffeine is a diuretic. That means that its job is to RID your body of water. Kind of the opposite of why you drink water. There's a bit more info in this article about that: http://www.livestrong.com/article/520735-adverse-health-effects-of-carbonated-soda/

Reason 2 is that most carbonated sodas contain phosphoric acid, which has been linked to all kinds of health problems (tooth decay, bone deterioration, and kidney disease). Here's an article about that: http://www.livestrong.com/article/546049-what-are-the-dangers-of-acids-in-carbonated-drinks/

And, as a bonus reason to quit drinking quite so much of it: there are a number of studies linking the consumption of diet soda (yes, DIET) to weight gain. The researchers don't know precisely what the connection is, so I'm not linking to any articles on this.

In any case, I think it's great that you are building awareness of what you're drinking, and looking for ways to get more water in. Perhaps you could try replacing one soda each day with a glass of water? Even flavored water (MiO, Crystal Light, etc.) is better than soda, and would actually count as "water".

I never drank much water, either, until I bought a 24oz cup with a lid and straw at Walmart for less than $5. I've been getting in more than 8 cups daily. Amazing what a "special water cup" can do for consumption!!

Good luck to you in your journey!!

happyfeetrebel1

soda, diet or otherwise, has tons of sodium... which causes bloating and water retention, plus it's not the greatest for health reasons, like blood pressure, etc...

so, IMO, every once in a while it's okay, but all day every day?? not so much... water is the healthiest drink and i feel it should be the main drink. i used to be addicted to crystal light - yes, i said addicted, haha... anyway, i got off of the stuff a couple months ago and feel so much better since i've neen drinking just regular old water these days. i know it can get "boring", so throw a lemon or lime in there! and other things are okay, in moderation, like milk or juice or even soda, diet or otherwise... even beer! :drinker:

This is simply not true. Crystal light has between zero and 10 mg of sodium, Diet coke has only 40. In the grand scheme of things, that is extremely negligible.

Also, people keep saying that diet drinks dehydrate. Yes, there is caffiene, but the amount of water you ingest by simply consuming them negates any diuretic effects.

I understand that it's 'cool' to jump on the 'ONLY WATER' bandwagon, but we need to take care to not spread myth/misinformation in the process

Misslisat

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop.

This is not true. If you are drinking pop/soda, and it contains caffeine - nevermind the fact it has artificial sweeteners - you are taking one step forward and two steps back. Caffeinated or alcoholic beverages increase the chance of dehydration, as they have diuretic effects on the body.

JesterMFP

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop.

This is not true. If you are drinking pop/soda, and it contains caffeine - nevermind the fact it has artificial sweeteners - you are taking one step forward and two steps back. Caffeinated or alcoholic beverages increase the chance of dehydration, as they have diuretic effects on the body.

Can you show us some research that backs up the claim that caffeine makes you dehydrated? These seem to suggest that this claim is unfounded:

http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/12187618
http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/12834577
http://www.jacn.org/content/19/5/591.short

Krys_140

Also, people keep saying that diet drinks dehydrate. Yes, there is caffiene, but the amount of water you ingest by simply consuming them negates any diuretic effects.

I understand that it's 'cool' to jump on the 'ONLY WATER' bandwagon, but we need to take care to not spread myth/misinformation in the process

I'm not advocating for only water. I love my morning coffee, and a Coke Zero with pizza is the only way to go for me. BUT, the OP stated that they're drinking a LOT of diet soda, and that level of consumption DOES have diuretic effects.

Here's a very brief article, that supports the coffee/soda/tea as water argument, but it ALSO says that if you're drinking the equivalent of 5-7 cups of coffee a day (which I assume the OP is), you are drinking enough to experience diuretic (dehydrating) effects. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661