Myth...drink 8 glasses of water a day to lose weight.

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  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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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.
  • Proyecto_AN
    Proyecto_AN Posts: 387
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    I drink 16 to 20 cups a day; I want optimal hydration level.
  • dawnj87
    dawnj87 Posts: 98 Member
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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 :)
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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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.
  • lpina2mi
    lpina2mi Posts: 425 Member
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    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?
  • bigaussiebloke
    bigaussiebloke Posts: 257 Member
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    This thread is making me thirsty... I need water!
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    Your supposed to drink half of your body weight... in gold.
  • bonniecarbs
    bonniecarbs Posts: 446 Member
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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.
  • Jacqualynne
    Jacqualynne Posts: 9 Member
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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 full
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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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...
    What toxins?



    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-requirements
  • Mommy4812
    Mommy4812 Posts: 649 Member
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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 :)


    Thank you. That's what I meant.
  • gauchogirl
    gauchogirl Posts: 467 Member
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    99% of the time, my total liquid intake per day is only 5 cups. I let my body do it's job and tell me when to drink. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but most average days, I end up with "5" logged on MFP.

    The thought that you need extra water for proper digestion is a myth - your digestive fluids are already in the proper ratios to digest your foods, excess water actually makes them LESS effective, they are literally WATERED down.

    Do the water fanatics actually believe early man walked his *kitten* the couple miles to the aquifer before he ate each meal to make sure he was "properly hydrated?" Did he "know" he was supposed to have "half his bodyweight" in water? Did he even know WTF "bodyweight" meant?? He relied on HIS OWN BODY'S MECHANISM, ie: THIRST, to dictate his need to drink. Our bodies are amazing machines, and man has been thriving for a long time - something he probably wouldn't do if his "thirst mechanism was broken" and he couldn't trust it to tell him when to drink. He didn't have a convenient tap in the rock wall near him. He had to seek out water. There is ample evidence for peoples living in arid environments, and it's safe to say getting water was a daily task (or more) but it's fairly reasonable to accept that man wasn't schlepping down to the old watering hole 8-10 (or more) times PER DAY. The "need" for water is greatly over stated.

    BUT, if you ENJOY it, and you feel it HELPS you, then stick with it. Just don't take it as gospel that you HAVE TO drink that much.
  • CaddieMay
    CaddieMay Posts: 356 Member
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    8 glasses of water a day makes me go to the bathroom about every 10 minutes. Even after doing so for months and months. No, my bladder has not "gotten used to it." I'm not thirsty, I'm not dehydrated. I'm just a slave to the toilet. And no, it has not helped me to lose weight or make my skin any brighter.

    I'll drink water when and if I want to drink water.

    Yeah, I'm in a mood.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    8 glasses of water a day makes me go to the bathroom about every 10 minutes. Even after doing so for months and months. No, my bladder has not "gotten used to it." I'm not thirsty, I'm not dehydrated. I'm just a slave to the toilet. And no, it has not helped me to lose weight or make my skin any brighter.

    I'll drink water when and if I want to drink water.

    Yeah, I'm in a mood.

    My bladder never got used to it either.
    I just drink enough to keep my liquid waste a pale color.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    We talk about water conservation and pollution but no one seems to be concerned that drinking gallons of water is also wasting many gallons of water flushing toilets every 30 minutes while you pee out all that unnecessary water that you drank!
  • CaddieMay
    CaddieMay Posts: 356 Member
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    We talk about water conservation and pollution but no one seems to be concerned that drinking gallons of water is also wasting many gallons of water flushing toilets every 30 minutes while you pee out all that unnecessary water that you drank!

    Which brings to mind the old sign they kept on the wall up to camp: "If it's yellow, let it mellow..."
  • Sweet_Potato
    Sweet_Potato Posts: 1,119 Member
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    I MIGHT drink one glass of water a day, unless I'm in an extremely hot place or doing cardio or sick. But I drink coffee, and tea, and eat fruits and vegetables and soups that have a lot of water in them already. I certainly get enough water, if the color of my pee is any indication. It seems unnecessary to force myself to drink glass after glass of water when I can get it from other sources that I enjoy more.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I hate to do this. I should never contradict a scientist, and I wouldn't if I was advising someone else. But, I had a kidney stone a couple of years back. My family has no history of kidney stones. I exercise in the heat a lot ! I never drank water, until after I was through. People I exercised with drank much more than I did. I gotta think these two things might be related.
    I am much better about drinking water now. Can't help it. Those kidney stones? They make you fearful !
  • thecazstewart
    thecazstewart Posts: 131 Member
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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.

    Sure, both these 'events' occur as you get older. But they're actually not connected at all. Lack of water will affect your skin and it will become less supple, but the lean body mass loss and body fat increase is due purely to a change in hormones.
  • erbrat
    erbrat Posts: 11 Member
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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.




    Hehe, I love the humor... that's been the best part of this thread by far! Thanks for the laugh... I hate water, but I'm trying to incorporate more in but won't kill myself or beat myself up over the fact that I'll probably never reach the "recommended" requirement... I love my sodas, but at least they're diet and I've bought carbonated water (no sugars or sweeteners added), plus my silly mind is content on unsweetened tea as part of my water intake, pppfffft :tongue:

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