Water intake - does it include tea and juice?

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Replies

  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
    I only count pure water, my rule of thumb is that my pee should always be clear and fragrance free :laugh:

    you might want to stress your kidneys a little less by allowing some straw colour into your pee........
  • WW said tea and coffee also counted for your 8 cups per day. Although juice is good for you, it does have a lot more calories than just eating the fruit and fruit will stay with you longer. If you are in a dry environment, it is suggested you drink even more than the 8 cups. Try adding flavored Stevia of SF flavors to your water. Stevia comes in a ton of great varieties. You can also add a little lemon juice.
  • petiteLady89
    petiteLady89 Posts: 198 Member
    I only count water as water intake. I drink green tea and coffee, as well.
  • Be_EmbracE
    Be_EmbracE Posts: 1,472 Member
    Water is only water :)
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    I agree with everyone else who has said that water is water. I never count tea, juice, soda, etc. Because it's not water just because it has water in it.
    OMG! What happens to the water when it mixes with what you ate in your stomach? Not water any more I guess.
    It's all water people. Put it to rest.
    Look at it this way, Blend up a piece of fruit and eat it. Add the calories to your diary. Drink a glass of water. Add it to your daily water tally. Now, instead, mix the juice and water together and drink it. Add th3ecalories to your diary, and add the water to your water intake.
    Any difference to your stomach/body?
    They just want you to stay hydrated.
  • IMO, saying that coffee doesn't count as water because you're putting caffeine in it is like saying a bowl of carrots don't count as a vegetable because you dipped it in ranch dressing.

    If you drink 8 oz of coffee and add a splash of milk you count the water as water and also count the calories in your milk. Just because you add SOME milk to the coffee doesn't make it an entire cup of milk.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Everyone is different and has different needs. If you eat a lot of raw fruits and veg, you might not need to drink as much as someone who eats more processed/cooked/prpared foods. Personally, I go by how the liquids make me feel. Coffee, soda and sport drinks aren't very refreshing to me (and too much cola can even bring on UT irritation). Water and green tea are refreshing so that's what I mostly drink. And yes, pee color is a pretty good indicator as long as you're not on meds that might alter it. Pale/light yellow is optimal.
  • fletchleg
    fletchleg Posts: 116 Member
    I don't count coffee or any sodas....fruit/green teas and flavoured water/squash I do. Weird I know but I've got into that habit now.
  • gertudejekyl
    gertudejekyl Posts: 386 Member
    That 8 glasses of water thing is based on Nothing. An urban myth- no science or study behind it.:grumble:
  • NoMoreFlubbering
    NoMoreFlubbering Posts: 95 Member
    The only items that go on my water counting are tall glasses of water, and cups of herbal tea with nothing in it. Other than that, sugar, milk, and other drinks all get logged as calories.
  • Sheirai
    Sheirai Posts: 79 Member
    LIVESTRONG!

    Appropriate Fluid Sources
    If you're not a devoted water drinker, you may wonder if other liquids count toward your daily fluid needs or if only water should be consumed for adequate hydration. While water is healthy and commonly recommended, other liquids serve the same purpose. In other words, juices, milk, caffeinated beverages, herbal tea and even soups can appropriately count toward your daily fluid needs and should be considered when calculating fluid intake.


    http://www.livestrong.com/article/446217-how-much-fluid-intake-do-you-need-in-a-day/

    Agreed. I only log water as water in my diary, but I drink a lot of tea, and I count it towards my total fluid intake.

    OK, Love this answer!

    Thanks!
  • sobriquet84
    sobriquet84 Posts: 607 Member
    Sorry only water counts as water. Anything with caffeine is a diuretic and doesn't count and juice is full of sugar. To get 8 glasses, drink two as soon as you wake up when you're most thirsty, 6 through the course of the day is easy.
    Drinks with caffeine in will still hydrate you. Drinks with sugar in will still hydrate you. The water doesn't stop being water just because you add sugar. After all, it doesn't stop counting as sugar just because you add water, does it?

    http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/12187618/
    http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/12834577
    http://www.jacn.org/content/19/5/591.short

    LISTEN TO THIS PERSON.... She's right!

    i believe the point in drinking water and only logging water as water is so that you're encouraged to get your hydration from sources that do not add sugar/calories/physical effects.

    yes, in a hospital/assisted living setting all liquids are tracked for fluid intake, but we're not in a hospital or assisted living facility. we're on a diet and fitness website.
  • ksmiley412
    ksmiley412 Posts: 274 Member
    Yes it all counts and so does your food. Latest guidelines are that you don't need to drinks pints of water but that your quota comes from food and beverages aswell. The only thing you don't include is booze!



    Well crap I drink beer like water!
  • o2bADyer
    o2bADyer Posts: 208
    Personally, on the "water counter", I just count actual water. Then I added a "beverage" category to enter everything else. Good luck!:happy:
  • gertudejekyl
    gertudejekyl Posts: 386 Member
    :indifferent: :grumble: :explode:
    I only count pure water, my rule of thumb is that my pee should always be clear and fragrance free :laugh:
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Sorry only water counts as water. Anything with caffeine is a diuretic and doesn't count and juice is full of sugar. To get 8 glasses, drink two as soon as you wake up when you're most thirsty, 6 through the course of the day is easy.
    Drinks with caffeine in will still hydrate you. Drinks with sugar in will still hydrate you. The water doesn't stop being water just because you add sugar. After all, it doesn't stop counting as sugar just because you add water, does it?

    http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/12187618/
    http://ukpmc.ac.uk/abstract/MED/12834577
    http://www.jacn.org/content/19/5/591.short

    LISTEN TO THIS PERSON.... She's right!

    i believe the point in drinking water and only logging water as water is so that you're encouraged to get your hydration from sources that do not add sugar/calories/physical effects.

    yes, in a hospital/assisted living setting all liquids are tracked for fluid intake, but we're not in a hospital or assisted living facility. we're on a diet and fitness website.
    Lots of drinks are very nutritious; why would we be discouraged from drinking them? The fact remains that your body will "count" the water from other drinks whether you do or not.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,733 Member
    I agree with everyone else who has said that water is water. I never count tea, juice, soda, etc. Because it's not water just because it has water in it.

    here's something to think about..

    - 8oz of instant coffee has 75mg caffeine.
    - 2 Excedrin taken with 8oz of water has 130mg of caffeine.

    if you'd log the 8oz of water you drink to swallow the Excedrin, then why wouldn't you log the 8oz of instant coffee that has half as much caffeine? do you see the error in that thinking?
  • After experiencing a kidney stone, I was advised to drink 2L of fluids a day. Urologist said it shouldn't be all tea or milk (oxalates in tea and calcium in milk can increase risk of kidney stones) but other than that, the fluid volume (not the specific beverage) is key. So all the liquids you drink will help to keep you hydrated, should help with weight loss (assuming not loaded with calories) and kidney stone prevention.

    Water is calorie-free, of course, so it hopefully plays a large role in your hydration!
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    When I was nursing we measured all liquids as intake volume, tea, coffee, soda, soup, jello, anything liquid. The myth about needing 64 oz of water a day is just that. Your body needs hydration but it comes in many other forms than straight water.
  • GrannySparkle
    GrannySparkle Posts: 225 Member
    Having just had gastric by-pass (August 16, 2012) I work with a dietician. EVERYTHING you drink, plus broth and jello are counted as water.
  • Yukongil
    Yukongil Posts: 166 Member
    how very sad...according to some people in this thread, the OP died of dehydration years ago and is now nothing but a liche posting from her dungeon somewhere...how tragic that it could have been avoided.