does water really make a difference?

mellyish

WATER MAKES A DIFFERENCE. the lowest amount I'll drink on any day is 64oz, if I'm exercising a lot or have had extra sodium I've been able to drink as much as 150oz, crazy I know. Anyways, when I'm not consistently drinking enough I know because I'll get more breakouts, I got a cluster of em a few weeks ago and it got me back in habit. I often keep reusable bottles by my side and have tea at least once a day.

kelly_e_montana

I have recently begun to be vigilant about my water intake and I do feel like it has helped me be less hungry and more energetic. The weight also seemed to come off easier with the water, but I can't show any causation.

I found it difficult to drink water and I actually had to start working into it like one would a work out. I added a cup per day over time to get to 64 to 80 ounces per day. I couldn't go from 0 to 80 ounces. I got a bottle that holds 32 ounces and I drink 16 oz at a time so I just have to make sure I drink it four times per day. I don't like cold water, so drinking it luke warm has helped me. Doesn't give me brain freeze or hurt my teeth. People think I'm crazy. I can only successfully drink out of this water bottle and it's kind of a security blanket for me now.

CubicalF13

Waters a big deal ... for me at least.

If i dont drink water regularly during the day, i get major stomach pains, usually later in the evening or sometime over the course of the week. This pain will last up to 24 hours and i have very little energy to last during any exercise routine.

Now I make sure to drink 2-3 litres of water a day. Drinking this much water keeps the stomach pains away and i feel hydrated during long bouts of exercise.

1-2 days a week, i'll mix water with juice from a freshly squeezed lemon. Tastes reasonable and has other health benefits associated with it.

Water has many benefits but the two reasons i enjoy drinking it for the most is that (1)it helps to cleanse the body of toxins and (2) breaks down minerals in food for quicker absorption into the body during digestion. Sometimes i prefer to mix water into my protein drinks for this very reason instead of milk.

I hated drinking water in the beginning but now i enjoy drinking it more then any other beverage.

amokamo

I totally agree with the insulated cup with straw. I was never a great 'water drinker' either. However, with this I was able to drink a lot without even realising it. The lid on my one is screwed on too tight atm so I'll definitely be investing in another one soon. I'm also a smoker (yes I realise I need to give up) so perhaps that is the reason I've taken to it.

nikkis01

Until about 3 weeks ago, I used to drink 5/6 cans of pepsi max a day and that was it! I really dislike the taste of water by itself so tried a few different thing; crushed fruit, fruit tea, cold/warm/hot water, but eventually settled on sugar free cordial. I have a 24oz bottle I refill at least 3 times a day, with the amount of cordial I use its only 2kcal a bottle.

At the beginning, it was a major effort to remember to drink but its becoming more habitual now so I don't notice it as much. I was going to the loo all the time, it was like my body didn't know what to do with all this fluid and I needed to stop drinking at least 2 hours before bed else I'd be up in the night too. This lasted about a week.

As for the benefits; my skin is clear, even the usual TOM breakout hasn't appeared this month. I don't have PMT, I feel less bloated. My digestion system is working better, I have much fewer headaches, I sleep better. I have stopped feeling hungry so snack less. I have had better weight loss. If I don't manage to get at least 3 bottles in I feel quite lethargic.

It's hard to say how much of the positive benefits I've had over the last few weeks are down to increased water/decrease caffeine/healthier diet/weight loss - but it's something I will definitely be sticking with!

I feel much better with the extra water than I do without it - I'd say give it a go, find a way to make it easier to consume and push through the first week while your body tries to work out whats going on! Best of luck!!

soldiergrl_101

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!! Cant say that enough. If need be put crystal light ice tea in your water to get yourself taking in the proper amounts, and then wean off of it when your able to incorporate it regularly into your diet.

I blame much of my weight loss success on drinking 4Liters of water a day. I notice on days where I drink less my body bloats and the scale doesn't budge...the more i drink the more I flush out and regulate my body allowing my body to bloat less and see results more. I can get into all the technical reasons why more is better but the important summary to take away is YES!!!

rosettafaery

I have had kidney problems for most of my life and understand the importance of drinking water. But still I struggle. I had a kidney transplant 2 years 9 months ago from my Dad and at first to kick start my kidney I had to drink 6 liters a day... Boy I felt bloated.
I do notice how much healthier my skin, nails and hair are when I drink more water. My energy levels go up and my tests results show how much good plenty of water makes. My hospital has advised me that all intake of clear liquids (herbal teas as well as water) can be counted as your water intake. Take into account that you might need to rehydrate yourself a bit more if you drink any caffeine or alcohols.
Add a slice of lemon to your water, or make an infusion with berries. Try it at room temperature as that can sometimes be easier to drink than ice cold water. Try whatever you can to increase your water intake and you will be on to a winner.

MstngSammy

When you exercise your body stores water in the muscles for repair so you need to add water to your body for that then you still need water for other bodily functions.

Keeping hydrated lessens muscle soreness and cleans your body. You need to drink water to let your body know it's ok to release the old dirty water (so to speak).

In my experience I have had more energy, clearer skin, I have bad knees and when I'm hydrated they don't hurt (when I'm dehydrated the hurt like h...), I'm more regular, Ive less muscle soreness after lifting


I also notice my stomach growls less. (i've heard that your stomach will actually growl when thirsty and since I've been drinking more water I believe it.

eugovogue

I like to disguise my water by heating it up and sticking a herbal tea bag in there I get to play around with flavors and different medicinal properties all the while getting the 0cals that water offers.
Now I'm a tea fanatic and that's how I tend to get all my water.
Also--seltzer water.

stealthq

YES water is good for you. It's good for fatloss and overall health.

I just have a question?

Why do "most" white people doesn't like drinking water? I'm speaking based on experience here. I'm just wondering because it's water right? What's wrong with plain water, why do they always have to put some flavor or enhancers to it just to be able to drink it? Because from where I'm from (Asia) drinking water is like breathing, you don't have to ask on how or why you do it. It's an instinct to drink water.

Why do you assume it's mostly white people? I'm not offended or anything, just confused. I know a lot of people who don't like drinking water, and many of them aren't white (I work in a highly multi-cultural place).

Anyway, I can answer for myself. I don't like drinking water usually because around here, if you drink from the tap, it either tastes off (a bit sulfurous and a bit like chlorine in some areas; a metallic aftertaste in others) or smells off. Filtering helps, but leaves a sharp-ish aftertaste I don't like. If I drink bottled water, I can taste the plastic. Not going to spend the extra for bottled water in glass. Flavoring kills the funky tastes, so I stick with black tea and diet soda.

That said, I have been places when traveling where the water tastes great - just nice and refreshing. If I lived there, I'd drink plain water more often.

stealthq

Your body will adjust over a few days or weeks to the peeing thing. TRUST ME!
I've drunk 9 cups of water already this morning... and just finishing my 12th. I've gone 3 times.

The scientific reason is this -
Your kidneys need water to function correctly. You should be drinking an even amount over the day to keep it going nice. Think of it like a jug with a hole in the bottom, a jug can only hold so much before it spills over. So, if you are guzzling quickly it will over flow the jug/kidneys before it has a chance to pass through and will go straight into the bladder without being processed. We can't hold it in the blood so it goes away. However, you may have small periods where you are at risk of dehydration but if you are a good water drinker it's no worries.
If your kidneys aren't working properly guess who takes up the slack... your liver.
Do you know what the liver's main function is? To process fats.
So if you aren't hydrated properly, your kidneys tap out to the liver. The liver can't do everything at once and will do the main things to keep you alive and stops processing fats.

So in short, yes water does help in weightloss because it's like oil for the car. It craps pants without it.

If you need to know how much water we need it's 33ml/kg of weight. However that can come from any source. Up it a little more if you are exercising, it's hot, you have caffeine or lots of sodium. The other method is that your pee should be clear at least twice a day. Colourless. You shouldn't get 'thirsty'.
If your main reason for not drinking enough is cause you gotta pee or it tastes boring... that's not outweighing the health benefits.

Um, what? There is no way for water to get to the bladder without being processed by the kidneys. The lack of color has to do with the urine being so dilute, not because the water somehow bypassed the kidneys or because it didn't go through the filtering process.

BTW - something to keep in mind. Your urine should be pale yellow, not clear. Clear is a sign of over-hydration. Not usually a problem, but not something to shoot for, either. And the 8, 8oz. glasses rule? Not scientifically or medically backed. Plus, it fails to take into account the water you get in your food and anything else you drink. There's not a significant difference in hydration whether you drink water or tea or coffee or diet soda.

The general recommendation is to go by the color of your urine, and adjust on the fly.

LVCeltGirl

I understand all of the positive reasons for drinking water based on what i have read (and what doctors say). I'm just wondering if anyone can speak from personal experience. Changes in your own body when drinking 8+ glasses, like greater weight loss or clearer skin or something like that?

Personal experience here and I'm following the "half your body weight in ounces daily" train of thought. My skin is clearer for one (rarely have any acne breakouts even during TOM). If I try to substitute (even green tea no sweetener) for my water, I find that my weight loss slows down or even seems to plateau. I always have an immediate gain (which would be water retention) when I don't drink my 128 oz daily. I'm not as bloated when I drink my water. I'm not as hungry when I drink my water, mainly because my hunger pangs were actually my body telling me that I'm thirsty. Yes, the negative at first was having to pee all the time. I won't lie but it was maybe 1 week of that before my body adjusted to the increase in water.

I was not a water drinker when I started doing this. I avoided it as much as possible, found what I thought were good substitutes for water. The key for me was to find a water that I liked the taste of (yes, for me there is a taste). I have to drink purified drinking water, not mountain spring water. If I can find glacier water, that's actually even better. I've found a water store (not kiosk) that has 24 hour vending as part of it's storefront and the water from that is good. So I'm an advocate of find what works for you so that you'll want to drink the water.

Followingsea

http://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2002_h2/08aug2002_water.shtml

No.

briebuck

have you guys tried mixing water with a low calorie sweetner or tea or something? get some flavor in it and chug
- the studies on how much less you eat and how much more full you feel when you chug two glasses of water before a meal - amazing!

tottie06

I feel like the sahara desert without water! Don't many creatures by instinct drink it? I think as far as animals are concerned it aids in digestion, excretion, metabolic reactions, and transportation of nutrients around their body.

SherryTeach

http://geiselmed.dartmouth.edu/news/2002_h2/08aug2002_water.shtml

No.

Thank you for a link to real science. As an older person who grew up in the era of water fountains, I find adults walking around sucking on a bottle all day long ridiculous. In fact, I do not allow my students to have water bottles out in my class. I think every hour between classes is plenty of opportunity to take a drink. I drink coffee, tea, diet Lemonade Lite, a tiny bit of diet soda and a glass of water occasionally. I eat lots of fruit and veggies (full of water) and I don't worry about it. I've maintained my weight for a year and feel fine.

darkestdreams06

I, at one point, was a complete NON water drinker. I was filling my body with all kinds of sodas and sugary drinks. It took a LOT of time to start to even think about drinking water, even one or two glasses a day, and I had to choke it down. When I finally made the transition to mostly water, I find myself not being able to live without my water bottle by my side! I have one with me at all times, but I have to have it super cold! I, personally, find it very refreshing. I carry a reusable 750mL (25.4oz) bottle with me at all times and typically fill it about 6-8 times a day! I find myself spending a lot of time taking 'potty breaks', but I don't mind that, I know my body is fully hydrated! Now, on the occasion that I do drink a soda, it makes me feel extremely dehydrated and tired.Love my water! What can I say, I must be part fish!

jenschroll

I definitely feel better when I drink water, and I do notice that my skin is much clearer when I have plenty of it. I find it is a little hard sometimes, though. I admittedly will cheat on those tough days using a water flavor enhancer or by adding lemon or - my new favorite - lemon AND cucumber.

JaniePapageorgio

I love water, and I drink it pretty well exclusively (ok I also drink a few cups of black coffee a day, and occasionally alcohol). I don't see any point in drinking a set amount of water- I drink it when I feel like it, since you also get water from food and such. Sometimes if I get really hungry but I've just eaten I drink some water and find it satisfying.

lynn_glenmont

According to the National Academies of Science, adequate intake of "total water" (which includes "drinking water, water in beverages, and water that is part of food" -- even food you think is "dry" contains water, e.g., grated parmesan is 20% water by weight, french bread is 28% water by weight, and skinless chicken breast is 74% water by weight) is 3.7 liters for men aged 19-30 and 2.7 liters for women aged 19-30.

However, these numbers are based on survey data of actual intakes, because "evidence is insufficient to establish water intake recommendations as a means to reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Instead, an Adequate Intake (AI) for total water is set to prevent deleterious, primarily acute, effects of dehydration, which include metabolic and functional abnormalities."

It is possible to drink too much water, as well as too little. "acute water toxicity has been reported due to rapid consumption of large quantities of fluids that greatly exceeded the kidney’s maximal excretion rate of approximately 0.7 to 1.0 L/hour."

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=10925&page=73