What counts in water allowance

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  • Velum_cado
    Velum_cado Posts: 1,608 Member
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    I really only drink water, and tea. Very occasionally I drink coffee and juice. I count all of them as water, since they're all hydrating, but I log the calories from the tea, juice, and coffee in my food diary.
  • myma81
    myma81 Posts: 29 Member
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    I do track all my drinks, but I will take all your advice and try to drink pure water. URGHHHH that'll be a big change for me :0) Thanks.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    I really only drink water, and tea. Very occasionally I drink coffee and juice. I count all of them as water, since they're all hydrating, but I log the calories from the tea, juice, and coffee in my food diary.

    ^^ This.

    When I was stationed in the middle east we would have a lot of guys get dehydrated because they would constantly be drinking Gatorade or powerade and not drink water. These types of drinks contain a high amount of sodium. Considering the amount we were sweating in the heat with that amount of sodium it was impossible to stay fully hydrated. the advice that was given to us for every bottle of Gatorade drink two canteens of water.

    Actually, Gatorade has been proven to be more effective than water in preventing dehydration.
  • HeatherSLosinIt
    HeatherSLosinIt Posts: 79 Member
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    I tap that up arrow to include everything I drink, but I also put all my drinks in their own category on the food log. Good luck!
  • IronTitaness
    IronTitaness Posts: 117
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    I count only straight water. So no sodas and stuff like that. x
  • Kriszilla
    Kriszilla Posts: 3
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    My wife is a physician, so I go by her recommendation. I count anything that has water in it.

    All I pretty much drink each day is water, 2-3 cups of coffee, and large quantities of decaf iced tea made with Splenda.
  • Onaughmae
    Onaughmae Posts: 873 Member
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    I count anything that I don't count as nutrition, for example...I don't count the liquid in my protein shakes but I do count unsweetened iced tea, flavored or plain waters, etc.
  • fatmom51
    fatmom51 Posts: 173 Member
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    I don't drink water alone but I'm counting no added sugar fruit squashes, diet drinks and tea & coffee. Is this right?

    Do you count it in your food diary, too? If you are counting these as water consumed, be sure to log them in your food diary as they all contain sodium and calories. It's pretty easy to drink up 100 calories worth of "diet" drinks in a day.

    Edited to add: Crystal Light has 5-10 calories per 8 oz serving. Eight cups of Crystal Light could add an additional 80 calories to your day.
    Not to be snarky, but even at 10 calories per 8-oz. serving, none of us got fat because we consumed 80 calories worth of Crystal Light that we didn't bother to count. The most important thing is to stay hydrated and if using a little bit of flavoring helps you do that, then go-for-it!
  • carrielill13
    carrielill13 Posts: 1 Member
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    I only count pure water towards my 64oz/day. Everything else I count as "extra" fluids.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    I don't drink water alone but I'm counting no added sugar fruit squashes, diet drinks and tea & coffee. Is this right?

    Yup, you're fine. I also count coffee, tea, and beer. The diuretic effect from the caffeine or alcohol is too low to sufficiently counteract the actual water, which makes up 99% of the beverage.

    However, it's OK to not count such beverages as well. A little extra water is at worst harmless and at best beneficial, and it would take a LOT of extra water to actually hurt you. So don't go drinking a half gallon of water in any 5 minute period after heavy exercise, at least not without taking in some electrolytes, OK?

    The better way to tell whether you are getting water is simply to check urine color after you pee. Clear or pale yellow, you're good. This is assuming, of course, you don't have some sort of medical condition that would affect your urine color.

    And, of course, this is assuming you haven't eaten a large amount of fresh beets the night before. :laugh:
  • wendybrat75
    wendybrat75 Posts: 52 Member
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    I only count plain water. I add tea, coffee & juice in with my meals & snacks.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
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    I only count plain water and seltzer/club soda. I assumed water meant water.
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
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    I count anything nonalcoholic and without much caffeine.

    I was wondering if IV fluids count. I may have reached 8 cups today if they do! :drinker:
  • myma81
    myma81 Posts: 29 Member
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    However, it's OK to not count such beverages as well. A little extra water is at worst harmless and at best beneficial, and it would take a LOT of extra water to actually hurt you. So don't go drinking a half gallon of water in any 5 minute period after heavy exercise, at least not without taking in some electrolytes, OK?

    That's not a problem for me as I don't like water.

    However, you guys have inspired me to drink more so today is a fresh start for me - 8 cups of pure water here I come. x
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    I only count water. Everything else gets logged in the food diary as it usually contains at least a little bit of sodium or calories. Even plain black coffee.

    This. Even if it does count toward my daily fluid intake, I still log it in my diary.

    Also, unlike what many people here are saying, caffeinated drinks do not dehydrate you. They offer slightly less hydration value than water, but they still offer hydration (as they are, after all, generally mostly water).

    Oh, and, even food counts toward your daily water intake, but it's still good to have at least some just plain water.
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
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    I count water, tea/iced tea and coffee. I drink one of these 4 things 98% of the time so thats all I really worry about. I rarely drink juice or alcohol and cut out soda so I don't have to worry about those.
  • head_in_rainbows
    head_in_rainbows Posts: 290 Member
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    I count everything I drink as watter accept for cofee.
  • icreate
    icreate Posts: 60
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    only water :)
  • Joannie30
    Joannie30 Posts: 415 Member
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    I DO count:

    Water (obviously) lol
    Flavoured water
    Squash (i only add a tiny bit to my water just to flavour it slightly as i HATE drinking water on its own)
    Fruit and Veg
    Herbal/fruit teas (as long as they are caffeine free)

    I don't count:

    Tea or coffee (unless decaff) as caffeine is a diuretic.
    Fruit juices as although they may contain water, they are LOADED with cals and sugar! (a trap i fell into big time!!!!)
    Alcohol as this again makes you lose water

    Jx
  • wilsonm24
    wilsonm24 Posts: 26
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    I don't drink water alone but I'm counting no added sugar fruit squashes, diet drinks and tea & coffee. Is this right?

    Do you count it in your food diary, too? If you are counting these as water consumed, be sure to log them in your food diary as they all contain sodium and calories. It's pretty easy to drink up 100 calories worth of "diet" drinks in a day.

    Edited to add: Crystal Light has 5-10 calories per 8 oz serving. Eight cups of Crystal Light could add an additional 80 calories to your day.
    Not to be snarky, but even at 10 calories per 8-oz. serving, none of us got fat because we consumed 80 calories worth of Crystal Light that we didn't bother to count. The most important thing is to stay hydrated and if using a little bit of flavoring helps you do that, then go-for-it!

    We got fat because we didn't accurately pay attention to everything we put in our bodies. So that 80 calories may not be the straw that broke the camels back but it is one of the many sitting on there that you decided not to factor in because it was "only a few extra calories that aren't going to make a difference".

    I made the decision to pay attention to everything that goes into my body so that when the scale goes up or down I understand why, and to hold myself accountable for what is happening to my body. I choose not to overlook a few calories. If you choose to then that is your choice.

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