How do you count water consumption? Does tea count?

Tachyonic

Obviously ice water and tap water counts towards the eight cups minimum that you should drink a day. But do you count hot or iced tea? I drink my tea unsweetened, occasionally with a slice of lemon in it. I make hot tea myself, but usually buy iced tea in bottles or from coffee shops (Tazo iced tea or unsweetened Lipton tea).

PolacaFL

I count fuilds but I mainly drink water anyways because of the calories and sugar in juices.

JennKoz529

I only count water as my water consumption. If I remember correctly, from a past posting, teas and coffees can dehydrate you because of the caffeine. I don't think 1 or 2 a day will but several could.

BioMechHeretic

The coffee or tea itself is generally 5 or so calories, so it's pretty much irrelevant. I put in a Keurig K cup each time I have a cup though. I don't count that water in my water count.

The only thing I count in the water section is pure plain water. I like to get in 8 glasses or so that way. Many foods and drinks also contain water, so it is definitely not a bad thing that during a day those things push me well over 8 glasses. 8 is essentially a total random number anyway

Calliope610

I count water, coffee and tea as water. The only thing that isn't "water" is milk. Those 4 beverages are the only things I drink now.

misskerouac

I just count my water, I log all other drinks (coffee, tea, juice) separately.

_Liz_M_

I count every calorie free drink as water.

Tachyonic

I'm not worried about the calories from tea, since I drink it unsweetened... it can't be more than five calories, which I think is negligible.

I am horrible at drinking enough water... I actually had a minor medical issue come up a year ago because of it. So I have been trying to drink more fluids in general, but I am wondering if I should count tea as a part of that. I love the taste of plain iced or hot tea, so it's a great alternative to the can (sometimes two or three!) of Diet Coke that I usually consume each day.

olDave

Eight glasses of water a day 'an urban myth'?

Water and a well-balanced diet 'do far more than water alone,' Australian researcher says

CBC News

Posted: Jun 10, 2012 12:51 AM ET

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2012 12:48 AM ET

The common advice to drink eight glasses of water a day doesn't hold water, say nutrition and kidney specialists who want to dispel the myth.

"What drove us to drink two litres of water a day?" asks an editorial in this week's issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

The recommendation was driven by vested interests rather than health, suggests author Speros Tsindos of the department of dietetics and human nutrition at La Trobe University in Victoria, Australia.
Other beverages also help us meet the body's fluid needs, say nutrition specialists. (Aaron Harris/Canadian Press)
"Humans need to maintain fluid balance and need to drink water when required, but should also consider fluid in unprocessed fruits and vegetables and juices. There is further evidence that water and a well-balanced diet does far more than water alone," Tsindos wrote.

"Water is important for health; however, the recommendation of eight glasses of pure water per day appears an overestimation of requirements."

Even a baked potato is 75 per cent water, said nutrition Prof. Susan Barr of the University of British Columbia, who sat on a Canadian-U.S. committee that looked at fluid intake.

"There's nothing magical about water from a glass of water as opposed to water from a food or any other beverage," Barr said.

Drinking caffeinated beverages such as tea and coffee do not lead to dehydration, said Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, a nephrologist at the University of Pennsylvania who reviewed research claims on drinking eight glasses of water and studied how the kidneys handle it.

Let thirst guide you

"Drinking the coffee will count towards your total water intake for the day," Goldfarb said.

Goldfarb said despite the common idea that it's important to "drink eight glasses of eight ounces of water" a day, "There’s no evidence that benefits health in any real way and it really represents an urban myth."

There's no evidence you need to drink more water than what thirst dictates, Goldfarb added.

Studies on desert nomads showed people can consume minimal amounts of water in harsh environments. The military has also looked at how much water soldiers need to take with them when patrolling in hot climates without harming their performance.

"If one is just playing a game of tennis in an indoor facility, for example, or having a short run on a treadmill in an air-conditioned gym, the need to maintain hydration during that is just non-existent," Goldfarb advised.

People have died of dehydration and from drinking too much water too quickly.

A good guide to tell if the body’s finely tuned fluid balance is to check the colour of your urine. If it's very dark, you're on the dry side; if it's very light or translucent, then you need to drink a bit less water, said Dr. David Price, head of family medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.

KCGettinFit2014

I only count water as water. Tea, coffee, juices, etc is all counted seperately if I drink them. Most the time I only drink water.

silversociety

I drink it. I don't record it. Laziness FTW!

JezzD1

I only count water as my water intake.
I used to count things that did not change the color of water or changed it very little like green tea with no sugar or anything added until I built my self up to drinking the recommended amount. As long as your ultimate goal is to drink pure water at the recommended amount then how you get there doesn't matter.

RedVelvetCurls

I count my tea and coffee as water, because it's water I'm putting into my body. I tried only counting ice water once but I was always needing to pee, and it was uncomfortable for me. But do what's best for you, I just do what my own body can handle.

sullus

I only count water as my water consumption. If I remember correctly, from a past posting, teas and coffees can dehydrate you because of the caffeine. I don't think 1 or 2 a day will but several could.

This is untrue. While caffeine does have a mild diuretic effect, it's not capable of dehydrating you. To make up for the the diuretic effect of the caffeine, you should add an extra spoonful of water.

twinketta

I drink decaff tea and I count that as my water consumption.

willdob3

I don't log water, coffee or tea.

I drink plenty of water & there are no calories the way I drink the other two. I don't see the point. I suppose if you don't drink much water & need motivation to add more it might help to log it.

Brittany3914

Water counts as water. Milk is not water. Tea is not water. Coffee is not water.

I log my coffee and tea for what they are - coffee and tea.

FredDoyle

Water counts as water. Milk is not water. Tea is not water. Coffee is not water.

I log my coffee and tea for what they are - coffee and tea.

Yes, and since it's all about hydrating properly you can log your coffee and tea for the calories and let your mouse move down the page a bit and click the water counter as well.
It amazes me how many people on MFP don't understand hydration.

Francl27

I don't bother logging it at all. There's nothing about magic that makes you lose weight anyway. It's just to stay hydrated.

ShazzaLan

Is there a fluid/water counter on MFP?