The most important nutrient in any diet... H2O?

smittieaj

So, I know it probably isn't healthy, but I drink all sorts of stuff that isn't water, and then just increment the water counter to around 8 at the end of the day... I don't know why I need to lie to myself, but it seems like the counter shouldn't be stuck at 2 or 3 glasses when I feel so full of fluid from all of my other beverages.

Instead of water, I usually drink coffee, diet Coke, diet tea, or basically any liquid without calories that isn't water.

Does anyone else do this? If so, how's your diet going? Am I going to be OK?

_noob_

So, I know it probably isn't healthy, but I drink all sorts of stuff that isn't water, and then just increment the water counter to around 8 at the end of the day... I don't know why I need to lie to myself, but it seems like the counter shouldn't be stuck at 2 or 3 glasses when I feel so full of fluid from all of my other beverages.

Instead of water, I usually drink coffee, diet Coke, diet tea, or basically any liquid without calories that isn't water.

Does anyone else do this? If so, how's your diet going? Am I going to be OK?

how are coffee and diet tea NOT water...riddle me that one...

smittieaj

Good point, I guess coffee and tea have water in them... so you think this counts?

*additional info - I have a friend who insists that the other liquids will somehow dehydrate me.

neanderthin

I rarely drink plain water, and I'm hydrated just fine. Fortunately the body takes the water that is in everything we consume and uses it. Funny how the body works in mysterious ways, isn't it.

DrBroPHD

I drink H2O2 so that I can deliver extra oxygen to my muscles
And it counts as water

olDave

Wow...yet another person suffering from the "drink 8 glasses of water a day myth". You're fine. Just as long as your urine is a pale yellow...you are properly hydrated.

Good Luck!

smittieaj

I drink H2O2 so that I can deliver extra oxygen to my muscles
And it counts as water

Don't you find it too fizzy on the way down?

olDave

PS - I have been drinking at least a pot of coffee a day on average, for over 45 years and have NEVER been dehydrated. The amount of diuretic affect in coffee is negligible when compared to the amount of WATER in coffee.

Enjoy!

smittieaj

Wow...yet another person suffering from the "drink 8 glasses of water a day myth". You're fine. Just as long as your urine is a pale yellow...you are properly hydrated.

Good Luck!

Hey, don't knock that myth. It has staying power!

Also, thanks for confirming my suspicions about this.... It's nice to know that I'm not going to dry out and shrivel up.

DrBroPHD

I drink H2O2 so that I can deliver extra oxygen to my muscles
And it counts as water

Don't you find it too fizzy on the way down?

Nah years of soda and coding and made me immune

_noob_

I drink H2O2 so that I can deliver extra oxygen to my muscles
And it counts as water

Don't you find it too fizzy on the way down?

Nah years of soda and coding and made me immune

Coding? doesn't that give you carpel tunnel?

smittieaj

I drink H2O2 so that I can deliver extra oxygen to my muscles
And it counts as water

Don't you find it too fizzy on the way down?

Nah years of soda and coding and made me immune

Coding? doesn't that give you carpel tunnel?

...nah, that's the OTHER activity that you might be doing at the computer

ATT949

So, I know it probably isn't healthy, but I drink all sorts of stuff that isn't water, and then just increment the water counter to around 8 at the end of the day... I don't know why I need to lie to myself, but it seems like the counter shouldn't be stuck at 2 or 3 glasses when I feel so full of fluid from all of my other beverages.

Instead of water, I usually drink coffee, diet Coke, diet tea, or basically any liquid without calories that isn't water.

Does anyone else do this? If so, how's your diet going? Am I going to be OK?

Water is useful for weight loss for two reasons - it can be used to fill your stomach so that you eat less for an upcoming meal and, second some folks get constipated when they lose weight and the increased water can help to loosen bowels.

For a normally hydrated person, however, there's no medical reason to intake additional water. I realize that's not very popular (water companies make billions of dollars selling us what comes out of a tap) but popularity doesn't really matter in the scientific realm.

This article explores the 8 glasses a day concept and also touches on the diuretic effect.

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

Note this is a research report from a medical doctor who is a professor emeritus of physiology at Dartmouth Medical School. He is the author of a textbook on kidneys. At 100 footnotes, it's a little more detailed than the average web page.

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

You will also be warned that "caffeine is a diuretic". That's true. It's also immaterial. The issue is, at its core, not that caffeine is a diuretic but how much does it impact us.

Folks who have been drinking up to a few cups of coffee a day have minimal increased urine output (I've forgotten the exact values) because their bodies are used to it. If you're a caffeine newbie and ingest a lot of caffeine, you might pee a little more than normal.

Eat in moderation, drink in moderation, and enjoy life.

darthjen

I know it's pathetic but this is the one thing I have the hardest time with. You'd think drinking water should be easy but I forget to drink it or just feel so full from constant snacking that I'm disinterested in drinking any.

smittieaj

So, I know it probably isn't healthy, but I drink all sorts of stuff that isn't water, and then just increment the water counter to around 8 at the end of the day... I don't know why I need to lie to myself, but it seems like the counter shouldn't be stuck at 2 or 3 glasses when I feel so full of fluid from all of my other beverages.

Instead of water, I usually drink coffee, diet Coke, diet tea, or basically any liquid without calories that isn't water.

Does anyone else do this? If so, how's your diet going? Am I going to be OK?

Water is useful for weight loss for two reasons - it can be used to fill your stomach so that you eat less for an upcoming meal and, second some folks get constipated when they lose weight and the increased water can help to loosen bowels.

For a normally hydrated person, however, there's no medical reason to intake additional water. I realize that's not very popular (water companies make billions of dollars selling us what comes out of a tap) but popularity doesn't really matter in the scientific realm.

This article explores the 8 glasses a day concept and also touches on the diuretic effect.

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

Note this is a research report from a medical doctor who is a professor emeritus of physiology at Dartmouth Medical School. He is the author of a textbook on kidneys. At 100 footnotes, it's a little more detailed than the average web page.

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

You will also be warned that "caffeine is a diuretic". That's true. It's also immaterial. The issue is, at its core, not that caffeine is a diuretic but how much does it impact us.

Folks who have been drinking up to a few cups of coffee a day have minimal increased urine output (I've forgotten the exact values) because their bodies are used to it. If you're a caffeine newbie and ingest a lot of caffeine, you might pee a little more than normal.

Eat in moderation, drink in moderation, and enjoy life.

Thank you! That was a quality post! Very informative.