Myth...drink 8 glasses of water a day to lose weight.
olDave
Posts: 557 Member
The common belief that people should drink eight glasses or two litres of water a day is a 'myth' that needs debunking, a Melbourne academic says.
The new Australian recommendations suggest that an adequate daily fluid intake is about 2.8 litres for women and 3.4 litres for men.
However, this includes fluid found in food and beverages.
La Trobe University lecturer Spero Tsindos said that people could get their daily fluid intake from fruit, vegetables, juices and even tea and coffee.
"If you're feeling thirsty then drink by all means a beverage. It doesn't have to be water", Tsindos was quoted as writing in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't drink water. I'm saying the need to drink two litres of water on a regular basis is a complete myth."
"We should be telling people that beverages like tea and coffee contribute to a person's fluid needs and despite their caffeine content, do not lead to dehydration", Tsindos said.
He said that drinking a large quantity of water in one sitting to reach the daily intake level was pointless because it would not be distributed where it was needed. It would just dilute the urine.
Drinking large amounts of water to lose weight would not work either without a low-calorie diet, he emphasised.
The new Australian recommendations suggest that an adequate daily fluid intake is about 2.8 litres for women and 3.4 litres for men.
However, this includes fluid found in food and beverages.
La Trobe University lecturer Spero Tsindos said that people could get their daily fluid intake from fruit, vegetables, juices and even tea and coffee.
"If you're feeling thirsty then drink by all means a beverage. It doesn't have to be water", Tsindos was quoted as writing in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't drink water. I'm saying the need to drink two litres of water on a regular basis is a complete myth."
"We should be telling people that beverages like tea and coffee contribute to a person's fluid needs and despite their caffeine content, do not lead to dehydration", Tsindos said.
He said that drinking a large quantity of water in one sitting to reach the daily intake level was pointless because it would not be distributed where it was needed. It would just dilute the urine.
Drinking large amounts of water to lose weight would not work either without a low-calorie diet, he emphasised.
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Interesting stuff. And there's more to be found in this recent thread.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/875124-8-cups-of-water
Also, drinking a glass of water before each of the three daily meals helps.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/health/16really.html0 -
Your supposed to drink half of your body weight.0
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I just listen to my body.
I used to be one of these people that LIVED off coffee/soda, you can see it in my food diary just last week but for the past 3 days I've been getting roughly 6-8 cups of water a day.
Now I still have my coffee but it's more 4 cups instead of 10 and 4 cups of soda instead of 20 lol major change but it's all worth it.
Your body knows when you are thirsty and when you need to drink water.0 -
Your supposed to drink half of your body weight.
Says who? And based on your post, I should be drinking 100 lbs of water a day?? Orly?? :huh:
This water myth is one of the hardest ones to die!!0 -
That "myth" has been debunked for years. But it doesn't change the facts that hydrating is important, water is the cheapest and healthiest way for most people to hydrate and that our bodies often mistake thirst for hunger so not getting thirsty is important if you want to lose weight.
There's no magic in 8 glasses of water (as for half your body weight!!!) but there's also (apart from rare extreme cases) no harm and a lot of benefit in drinking more water. I don't log it but I certainly drink it.0 -
Your supposed to drink half of your body weight.
Says who? And based on your post, I should be drinking 100 lbs of water a day?? Orly?? :huh:
This water myth is one of the hardest ones to die!!
It's almost like a religion. LOL.0 -
Your supposed to drink half of your body weight.
Says who? And based on your post, I should be drinking 100 lbs of water a day?? Orly?? :huh:
This water myth is one of the hardest ones to die!!
It's almost like a religion. LOL.
I was going to warn you about messing with the water. Peeps get angry.0 -
Aussie scientists rock!0
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It takes water to digest the food you eat. It takes water to balance the salts in your body. It takes water to remove toxins from your body. So while you may get *some* liquid from what you eat, you are probably better off still drinking water (though don't drink too much while eating; the water dilutes your digestive juices, and can make your stomach uncomfortable.)
Remember: drinking when you are thirsty means you are already dehydrated. So drink a bit throughout the day, rather than when you actually feel you need a drink.0 -
LOL...don't confuse me with the facts...I STILL WILL DRINK MY WATER!!! (Even if it kills me.)
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I must of kissed this mythical unicorn cuz it sure helps me0
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Well, my skin's looking great so i couldn't give a f*** what some Aussie scientist is saying0
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Your supposed to drink half of your body weight.
Says who? And based on your post, I should be drinking 100 lbs of water a day?? Orly?? :huh:
This water myth is one of the hardest ones to die!!
:D:D 0 -
Well, my skin's looking great so i couldn't give a f*** what some Aussie scientist is saying
Don't forget to f*** the Mayo Clinic too.Water may not help me lose weight, but it sure is healthy for me. I drink a ton of water per day....and I definitely see the benefits.
Additionally, many times when people are thirsty people mistake it for hunger....so by pushing water...I ward off that pesky problem.
*glug glug glug*
This is one thing I never understood. From similar posts I am gathering that some experience this, others don't. I haven't.
Really, no one is saying don't drink water. But killing oneself to drink enormous amounts isn't necessary either.0 -
I drink 9 cups of water per day usually. I don't care if it helps me lose weight, I drink because I'm thirsty. Soda, coffee, tea, they don't quench my thirst - they just make me want to drink MORE. And if I'm drinking nothing but soda, and I want more to drink, that's a TON of extra calories. For no reason.
So, in essence, water does help one lose weight... because I'm not drinking my calories. I'm getting my calories from my food, where they should come from!0 -
A dietitian told me to drink half your body weight in OUNCES of water. For example, a 200 lb. person should drink 100 OUNCES of water. I'm sure it's different for everybody and various doctors, dietitians, etc. will say different things. Just clarifying the "half your body weight" water "rule".
:drinker:0 -
hell I do because if not I gain weight, and that is a fact...0
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I don't drink it to lose weight, I drink it to feel better.0
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Thanks for posting this...
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I have a mind blowing thought be prepared to lose your socks...
Fact as we age our thirst mechanism becomes blunted and many times you see elderly with diagnosis of UTI and dehydration.
Fact as we age our lean body mass decreases and our body fat increases.
Coincidence? I think not.
Mind blowing isnt it I'll give you a moment to recover.0 -
I drink 16 to 20 cups a day; I want optimal hydration level.0
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It's half of your body weight in ounces. so if you weigh 250 lbs. drink 125 ounces of water daily 0
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The bottling companies are perfectly happy to see this myth continue. For more information about how bottled water is causing all sorts of problems, read Bottlemania. Prior to the cultural phenomenon of people walking around slurping out of giant bottles all day long and during any occasion formal or informal, people did just fine doing most of their hydrating at meals and at a random water fountain.
I drink when I'm thirsty. It didn't interfere with my weight loss.0 -
Just a wild thought...Public will be hearing more and more Service and Educational announcements about how little fresh water is needed as a dietary intake. Just at about the same time rationing household water is becoming the norm, all the while corporate and industrial use of fresh water is hidden.
On the other hand, the more I read about digestion the more I am learning hydration with non-polluted non-acidic water is essential for the proper and optimal functioning of the small and large intestine, pancreas, gall bladder, and lymphatic system.
I will be watching for news stories where rare illinesses, such as pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the aforementioned organs become as commonplace as autism is today. Do you think this will be at about the same time we are being told that fresh water is not vital to human life?0 -
This thread is making me thirsty... I need water!0
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Your supposed to drink half of your body weight... in gold.0
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I didn't see where the OP was saying you don't need water, seems like he is saying the diet and water thing is a myth. I had read this long ago, and my doctor told me this about 12 years ago.0
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I always understood drinking a large amount of water during dieting was to help flush out toxins accumulated in the fat, which should be disappearing.
I'm in the habit of drinking at least 2 litres a day, I started about five years ago and I really do 'need' my water bottle where ever I go
I also think it helps you feel full0 -
What toxins?I always understood drinking a large amount of water during dieting was to help flush out toxins accumulated in the fat, which should be disappearing...
For anybody who's inclined to read some actual scientific information about it rather than old wives' tales and broscience:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/821181-myths-and-facts-about-hydration-requirements0
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