I Know I'm Gonna Be Attacked For This..

freerange

But I don't drink water. Ever since I was young my parents would try to give me water and I'd just throw it up. Could it be a mental thing? Probably. To this day I despise water. I've been trying to dilute my drinks. 60% water, 40% natural cranberry juice. Can anyone be of help to me and tell me if diluting the drinks is a better idea than not doing at all?

Yes diluting them is better than no water, and yes it's a mental thing, you might try seeing a shrink.

lauri1219

I stayed at a hotel last year that put out water everyday that people could help themselves to, one day it had mint, another cucumers and lime and the third day which my son loved it had watermelon - really didn't taste like water at all

Lauri

sum1serin

I dislike plain water as well. The way I drink 64-120oz a day is through adding one crystal light to my 32oz water bottle. Gives it enough flavor to help me chug it down throughout the day. One I really like is their "energy" brand called Wild Strawberry.

CarmenSRT

OP, as long as you get enough hydration, how you get it doesn't matter. There are a few caveats. Caffeinated beverages will cause you to lose a bit to the diuretic effect of caffeine, but it isn't a sizable percentage. Alcoholic drinks will cause you to lose some due to the effect alcohol has on the body's regulation of anti-diuretic hormone. Aside from those two, pretty much anything else is fine.

I'd second/third/etc. the Mio suggestion.

easycure

watermellon in your water is wonderful! So is lemons, oranges, and frozen fruit! Cucumber water is my favorite of all time though!!! I just peel a cucumber and slice it and throw it in a glass jar in my fridge!

The1iceQueen

i drink diet soda all day everyday. has not/does not affect my weight loss

Same here, I drink diet Dr. Pepper all day everyday, except after my workout, I drink a bottle of water. Doesn't effect my weight at all, and I don't feel or look bloated from drinking diet Dr. Pepper.

libertygirlfla

If you're looking for another "clean" way to get water, I've had great success with dissolving a tablespoon of honey in warm water with a dash of cinnamon and then adding water and ice to fill a giant glass. It tastes very much like iced tea to me...without the tea. It super refreshing. My favorite time to enjoy it is right after my workout. Good luck and kudos for trying to find a way to make it work!

skinnyinnotime

Diluting juice is fine....just be aware of the calories.

I used to hate drinking water but just kept trying, I now happily drink lots everyday. Maybe try a sip or 2 every now and again to get used to the taste.

Also, I prefer room temperature, might be worth you trying different temps of water.

chefmomster2

I also get sick from too much plain water. At the risk of angering the entire dieting community, I'm going to assert an alternate opinion on the need for 8 glasses a day.

It is a myth.

Now, don't hate me. Keep reading.

Our bodies AVERAGE a loss of somewhere around 8-10 cups of fluid a day. Staying hydrated is a good thing. But the amount of fluid we need varies widely. I have been sick for a few days. I have exercised little. Sweated little. Stayed in a 68* room. Somewhere out there are folks who have sweated up a storm working out strenuously. People in very hot climates are losing fluids at a higher rate too.

So, 8 glasses is not a universal need.

It also varies based on our diet. If we are eating lots of fruits and vegetables, we are getting a lot of healthy hydration from them. Potatoes are 70% water. Think about the volume of fluid lost in spinach when we cook it. If we are enjoying a spinach salad, we are getting fluid there. There is fluid in other beverages, meats and fish. WE REPLACE ABOUT 4 CUPS OF FLUID A DAY THROUGH OUR FOOD.

Water Content of Foods By Percentage:
Apples: 85
Apricots: 85
Bean sprouts: 92
Chicken, boiled: 71
Cucumbers, raw: 96
Eggplant, raw: 92
Grapes: 82
Lettuce, head: 96
Oranges: 86
Peaches, raw: 90
Peppers, green: 94
Potatoes, raw: 85
Strawberries, raw: 90
Turkey, roasted: 62
Watermelon: 93

(The information above was referenced from Survival Acres)

WATER IS A GREAT CHOICE! But studies have found that the only liquid that causes dehydration is alcohol. We even adjust to the caffeine in beverages so much so that they do rehydrate us. If you can't tolerate pure water, eat lots of good healthy greens, have a glass of milk, eat low-fat yogurt, healthy soup, fresh or frozen fruit or low fat cottage cheese.

Some sites to check out:

SNOPES: http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

THE TIMES OF INDIA: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-28/diet/32078155_1_fluid-intake-water-litres

CBS NEWS: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-3991145.html

HEALTH DECIDE: http://healthdecide.orcahealth.com/2012/06/27/8-glasses-water-day-myth/#.UTC69Yy9KSM

PSYCHCENTRAL: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/

SCIENCE DAILY: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/08/020809071640.htm

WOMEN'S HEALTH: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/h20-myths-bottled-water-and-more

INTELIHEALTH: http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/35320/35323/358636.html?d=dmtHMSContent

NPR: http://www.npr.org/2008/04/03/89323934/five-myths-about-drinking-water

Tandksmommy11

I hate water too. I've forced myself to drink it because I know I need it. I've also (when I've hit my max capacity for forcing it down) started putting some of the Dasani Drops into it to help. I use just enough to give it some flavor. I figure even if it has some kind of artificial sugar in it- it has to better than no water at all, right?