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Coffee vs. water

Posts: 75 Member
edited January 24 in Health and Weight Loss
Howdy, all -

Rebooting after three weeks of hedonism in the Grand Canyon. Fortunately I only gained a pound out of the deal, so I'm not too far behind.

Question - do you guys count coffee into your water total? I drink decaf and have a hard time choking down enough water in the day. I've never been a water drinker. I have a SodaStream and make a lot of club soda, which helps a lot with my water total. Counting the coffee would be good, too, if it's fair game.

TIA.

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  • Posts: 16
    im not a coffee drinker, but i wouldnt... water dont have caffeine so it wont be a comparison....
  • Posts: 2
    Some "experts" claim that caffeinated products actually cause dehydration. The diet I'm on specifies for any caffeinated beverage you drink, you should add twice that amount in additional water to your daily intake.
  • Posts: 873 Member
    Coffee isn't water.

    Water is water.
  • Posts: 908 Member
    Either way if you count it or not your body will know the difference. Even decaf coffee is altered enough to effect hydration properly, but that being said its still probably better than not drinking anything at all
  • Posts: 66 Member
    Some "experts" claim that caffeinated products actually cause dehydration. The diet I'm on specifies for any caffeinated beverage you drink, you should add twice that amount in additional water to your daily intake.

    So then, decaf coffee would count in your opinion? Or maybe with half caff you can count a portion?? :drinker:
  • Posts: 231 Member
    Coffee is the elixir of the gods. Now you know what side of the coin I am on. I think that they do count towards hydration, so I count mine as water. If, however, you add cream, milk, 'stuff' to your coffee, it should be counted as calories.
  • Posts: 781 Member
    Coffee isn't water.

    Water is water.

    This is true, coffee makers want you to think they run hot water through ground coffee beans, when its actually just a puree of coffee beans grounds to a fine paste, with no water content at all.
  • Posts: 90 Member
    I don't coffee and other drinks, but honestly, I'm not sure why. It includes water in them. Then again, you could also count the water in your food. After a while, I think it would be too much calculating. I think it is important to get enough water and if you can add it by other means, might as well. For coffee, as long as you aren't adding calories (milk, sugar and other stuff) then go ahead and count it. But if that is making up the rest of your water intake, try straight water and tea as well. I think the soda water idea is great too. Keep it up!
  • Posts: 10,477 Member
    My hydration is fine, yesterday it was a litre of pepsi max, about the same of coffee (caffeinated) and some red wine. With that and the water in the food I ate there was easily enough to have me pee several times.

    Coffee and pepsi max are >99% water. Red wine >85%.

    I'm not averse to drinking water, and do so from time to time, but it's a simple minded fail to say that you have to drink pure water to stay hydrated or achieve some state of Nirvana or weight loss.
  • Posts: 2,029 Member
    Some "experts" claim that caffeinated products actually cause dehydration. The diet I'm on specifies for any caffeinated beverage you drink, you should add twice that amount in additional water to your daily intake.

    It's not a claim, it's a fact. Caffeine is a scientifically proven diuretic and it will most certainly dehydrate you if that is the only liquid you drink.


    My rule, two glasses of water before one cup of coffee.
  • Posts: 10,385 Member
    Enjoy your coffee and drink your water, too, because you need it.. Only water is water. Coffee, elixir of the gods, is a treat but it isn't water. I repeat. Only water is water.
  • Posts: 604 Member
    As you can see, this is a highly controversial topic. I did some research on this myself... albeit unscientific... Anyway, the majority of what I found suggested that the body is able to convert and use water in any form... Clearly, soft drinks, coffee, energy drinks all have things that are better left outside of the body, but from a straight water perspective, it seems that they do the job.Only my opinion... Good luck!
  • Posts: 245 Member
    I don't, but then again i also drink the HIGH OCTANE coffee... Why drink coffee if not for the caffeine in my opinion. But I also drink about 4L of water a day on top of that..
  • Posts: 9 Member
    Many days, if it were not for coffee, I'd get no water at all. I'm trying to up my water intake so I started adding lemon or cucumber or mint to my glass to give it a subtle taste (other than water - blah!). I also make myself drink a glass of water in the a.m. before my coffee.
  • Posts: 3,515 Member
    show previous quotes

    It's not a claim, it's a fact. Caffeine is a scientifically proven diuretic and it will most certainly dehydrate you if that is the only liquid you drink.


    My rule, two glasses of water before one cup of coffee.

    Does the diuretic effect of the coffee make your body expel more water than the water in said coffee?

    I get most of my water from tea, coffee, coke zero and food. Only the food is decaffeinated!

    Just in case you're wondering, I haven't died of dehydration yet!
  • Posts: 602 Member
    I drink a lot of black coffee and I always drink more water at the same time. Yesterday I had 24 oz of coffee and 48 oz of water at work.
  • Posts: 92 Member
    I count coffee as coffee and water as water. I don't think it does any good to count one thing as something else. It'd be like logging a banana when you ate a chocolate covered banana--some of the properties are the same, but there are enough differences.
  • Posts: 798 Member
    I don't. Coffee, regardless of its caffeine content, is a diuretic.

    Plus, it's coffee. In my book, coffee does not equal water. :smile:
  • Posts: 2,555 Member
    I'm sure many will disagree... but, of course coffee counts as water! :smile: Coffee is made mostly of water. The human body has an amazing digestive system that is able to extract the water it needs from food and beverages alike (not just pure water).

    Also... peer reviewed research has shown that the dehydrating effect of caffeine is vastly overstated in pop health/nutrition information.
  • Posts: 75 Member
    I don't, but then again i also drink the HIGH OCTANE coffee... Why drink coffee if not for the caffeine in my opinion. But I also drink about 4L of water a day on top of that..

    I think that's the basis of my question - I drink decaf 99.9% of the time, only drink caffeinated if there's not an alternative. No sugar, skim milk added (which I measure and count on my daily totals). I know that CAFFEINATED coffee is a diuretic but don't know whether the same effect is true of decaf.

    EDIT: Found this on Wikipedia: "Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not act as a diuretic when consumed in moderation (less than five cups a day or 500 to 600 milligrams), and does not lead to dehydration or to a water-electrolyte imbalance; current evidence suggests that caffeinated beverages contribute to the body's daily fluid requirements no differently from pure water.[43][44][45][46]"

    So, I guess it's about quantity. And I am certainly under the five cups a day limit.

    One thing's for sure, MFP has made me acutely aware of my lack of water consumption.
  • Posts: 695 Member
    This is true, coffee makers want you to think they run hot water through ground coffee beans, when its actually just a puree of coffee beans grounds to a fine paste, with no water content at all.

    xD
  • Posts: 781 Member
    show previous quotes

    It's not a claim, it's a fact. Caffeine is a scientifically proven diuretic and it will most certainly dehydrate you if that is the only liquid you drink.


    My rule, two glasses of water before one cup of coffee.

    Wrong.
    If I drink 4 cups of coffee during one day and 4 cups of water the next, I do not urinate out 32 oz more the day I had coffee.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661
  • Posts: 233 Member
    show previous quotes

    Does the diuretic effect of the coffee make your body expel more water than the water in said coffee?

    I get most of my water from tea, coffee, coke zero and food. Only the food is decaffeinated!

    Just in case you're wondering, I haven't died of dehydration yet!

    ^this.

    There is a guy in my office who would be jerky as he used to drink NOTHING but Coke. For years. And yet he lives to tell the tale...
  • Posts: 2,029 Member
    show previous quotes

    I think that's the basis of my question - I drink decaf 99.9% of the time, only drink caffeinated if there's not an alternative. No sugar, skim milk added (which I measure and count on my daily totals). I know that CAFFEINATED coffee is a diuretic but don't know whether the same effect is true of decaf.

    EDIT: Found this on Wikipedia: "Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not act as a diuretic when consumed in moderation (less than five cups a day or 500 to 600 milligrams), and does not lead to dehydration or to a water-electrolyte imbalance; current evidence suggests that caffeinated beverages contribute to the body's daily fluid requirements no differently from pure water.[43][44][45][46]"

    So, I guess it's about quantity. And I am certainly under the five cups a day limit.

    One thing's for sure, MFP has made me acutely aware of my lack of water consumption.

    The only problem with that is that 5 cups is 40 oz, many people get a 20oz in the morning and that will put you at 300+mg right there and some will have more pop/coffee later in the day. I think it all depends on the person as well, I drink a single cup of coffee in the morning and I'm peeing like a russian race horse shortly after.
  • Posts: 275 Member
    When I saw the nutritionist/dietition she told me that coffee does not count because even decaf has small amounts of caffeine and caffeine actually dehydrates you. She did say that herbal teas so with no milk or sugar could count as water (not green tea though as it has caffeine).

    Hope this helps
  • Posts: 17
    I agree with kmash32...Nutritionist don't classify it as water because of the caffeine in it even the decaf.
  • Posts: 1,276 Member
    show previous quotes

    The only problem with that is that 5 cups is 40 oz, many people get a 20oz in the morning and that will put you at 300+mg right there and some will have more pop/coffee later in the day. I think it all depends on the person as well, I drink a single cup of coffee in the morning and I'm peeing like a russian race horse shortly after.

    I bet if you drank a glass of water instead, you'd still pee just the same. Caffeine is not a diuretic in moderate amounts. If you drink more than 40 oz of coffee in the am, well then you are well on your way to your liquid goal for the day so I wouldn't even worry about a mild diuretic effect at that level.

    Personally, I don't get this fixation some people have with having to drink 8 cups of nothing but pure water. It's a guideline, not a golden rule. Drink when thirsty, and if your pee isn't bright yellow, you're properly hydrated. It's not rocket science.

    Now, time for more coffee.
  • Posts: 747 Member
    I personally only count water as water, but I also don't drink 8 cups of water plus whatever other liquids I consume.

    I maintain a healthy level of hydration (based on indicators such as color of urine, etc.) that includes straight water and water from other sources. It works for me.
  • Posts: 2,029 Member
    show previous quotes

    I bet if you drank a glass of water instead, you'd still pee just the same. Caffeine is not a diuretic in moderate amounts. If you drink more than 40 oz of coffee in the am, well then you are well on your way to your liquid goal for the day so I wouldn't even worry about a mild diuretic effect at that level.

    Personally, I don't get this fixation some people have with having to drink 8 cups of nothing but pure water. It's a guideline, not a golden rule. Drink when thirsty, and if your pee isn't bright yellow, you're properly hydrated. It's not rocket science.

    Now, time for more coffee.

    No, a cup of water doesn't have the same effect at all.
  • Posts: 200 Member
    I put water in my coffee maker, it comes out coffee flavored. The water is still there. It counts as water.
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