Do you count coffee as water?

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  • julie781
    julie781 Posts: 221 Member
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    I don't count coffee because its a diuretic... the anti-water.
  • Pangea250
    Pangea250 Posts: 965 Member
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    Heck yes! I count any liquid that I drink as water, for MFP purposes. If I counted water in the first place, that is, I would.

    Let's review the "8 glass of water a day" myth. And yes, it's just that: a myth. It first came about many decades ago by a health study that indicated the average human needs about 64 oz of fluid a day. That's fluid, not water, and the fluid can come from food as well as drinks.

    Now, then, for dieting individuals, the 8 glasses a day of fluid is a good thing. But it can be fluid of any type you desire.
  • Underworld_Dandy
    Underworld_Dandy Posts: 22 Member
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    Please stop saying that coffee deydrates. It's a myth that was debunked a while ago but boy does that pesky thinking persist.

    From the Mayo Clinic:

    It is true. Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

    It. Does. Not. Dehydrate. You.

    Large amounts of coffee.....5 to 7 cups????? I think not....that's just breakfast :)
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    Might as well log the water in your food too if you wanna log coffee.


    So true.
    I agree completely!!

    so if I eat a watermelon I should log the water in that or grapes??
    Come on people water is freaking water!!!

    and watermelon and grapes contain water.
  • Shanzstar
    Shanzstar Posts: 197
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    This is what I've learn about coffee while studying dietetics.

    Although water has no calories, it has no nutrients either. Coffee has nutrients plus water. Coffee is high in antioxidants and is counted towards your daily water requirements. Calories= energy and 2 kcals from your cup of coffee wont kill you. Therefore, I include the coffee as water for the day.


    Grapes and watermelon are food in solid form... Coffee is a liquid.
  • shinesunfish
    shinesunfish Posts: 93 Member
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    A couple of thoughts:
    1) I've been on here at least every other day for the better part of a year, and have never seen this discussion.
    2) The OP asked "Do you count coffee as water?" That is not the same thing as "I refuse to drink any water and want everyone to tell me that's okay." Stop projecting your interactions with other people onto the OP, she was asking a freaking question about what most people here do.
    3) Caffiene does not dehydrate you. Sometimes people really like old wives tails, and for some reason feel really personally attacked when later research proves them to be untrue. Nowhere is this more true than the internet.
    4) Alcohol does, though, obviously. Don't count Vodka. :)
    5) It sounds like most people (including dieticians and doctors, who I frankly trust a bit more than randos on the internet) agree that as long as you are logging your calories and taking into account nutrition and caffeine intake, most fluids count. This is a really good article stating the levels of beverages and how often you should drink them: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=605
    6) Thanks for asking this question, I had not looked into it and was very rarely getting my intake! Nice to know that it's not really a problem for me!
  • lallaloolly
    lallaloolly Posts: 228 Member
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    the bottom line is this: it doesn't matter if it's water or not. you might not count coffee as water on your MFP log, but your body absolutely counts the water that's in it towards its daily hydration.

    your body extracts water out of every thing you eat or drink to keep you hydrated, and all of the fluids we drink are primarily made up of water: soda (90% water), beer (90%), milk (85-90%), coffee and tea (98-99%), juice (90-95%), even wine. your body uses all of these fluids for hydration, so it seems silly not to count it on paper.
  • RoseTears143
    RoseTears143 Posts: 1,121 Member
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    I only log water towards my water. Anything else I drink during the day such as tea, coffee, diet soda, etc is extra and logged under whatever meal I have it with - not counted towards my water intake.

    Now I do agree with the few other posts I've read that the body does use and liquid in foods and other beverages towards it's hydration. It all counts, but I don't log it to "count". It's just extra trips to the bathroom that day for the extra 'water' intake :).
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    What do you think is the best practice when counting glasses of water? Count water only, or count any liquid(such as my precious coffee) towards your water?

    I make it with water so if I was bothered about hydration I would count it. Typically we get 70% of hydration from beverages and food, sometimes I go for weeks without drinking water on its own but I am amply hydrated.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    If a fish can't swim in it, don't log it!
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
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    I don't count coffee because its a diuretic... the anti-water.

    NO.

    Unless you are drinking AT LEAST 5-7 cups of coffee a day it is not dehydrating. And even if you do drink that much you still have the hydration of the water with the first five cups of coffee.

    A cup of coffee is hydrating.
  • justal313
    justal313 Posts: 1,375 Member
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    I drink my coffee black and I don't log it as food or water. I have 2-4 cups a day.

    On those rare occasions where I have a latte or something similiar, it will get logged as food.

    I don't track my water at all, and I won't until I have reason to believe I need to keep an eye on it.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    If a fish can't swim in it, don't log it!

    My saltwater fish can't swim in my tap water.
  • tphil58
    tphil58 Posts: 89 Member
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    Personally, I log only water as water. This way I can always go back and see how much of any certain thing I was drinking and possible effects of it. There is an extra tab for keeping up with it and it is easy. If I drink a coke I log a coke, if coffee I log coffee, if tea I log tea etc... Oh, and I drink my coffee black.
  • Keeblerelfkin
    Keeblerelfkin Posts: 24 Member
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    I had the same question..... Thanks for asking....I have learned something new.....even if some people think that asking these questions are repetitive....
  • Ruthie1396
    Ruthie1396 Posts: 5 Member
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    I don't think this was an unreasonable question at all.

    If the topic had been 'how did you reach perfection' or 'question for all you gorgeous people out there' or even 'a question for all the really clever people with no tolerance or humility for others whatsoever', and you had clicked on it and THEN found it was about coffee, I could understand your irritation.

    Take a chill pill. And if you wash it down with something, whatever it is, it can probably count as water. I very much doubt you will die from dehydration whatever you choose to do.
  • chezjuan
    chezjuan Posts: 747 Member
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    I personally only log water as water, and other drinks (including tea, iced tea, diet soda, etc.) in the food portion,

    I actually don't know why I even bother logging water because I don't strive to reach 8 glasses of pure water a day... I go by total hydration and, as long as the signs show that I am hydrated (not thirsty, urine color clear -> "lemonade" yellow, etc.) then I don't sweat* it.

    Something interesting I saw in my diary - I was looking through older entries a few days ago, and could tell my workout days simply by checking my logged water intake... the days I worked out I drank much more water to replace the fluids lost to sweat, etc.

    * this pun is, unfortunately, intended.
  • herblackwings39
    herblackwings39 Posts: 3,930 Member
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    I count any fluid that is mostly water as water. With coffee, even if I drank it black, I track it in my diary to include the calories it contains, but I also use it to fill the little glass. So water doesn't get logged usually, but if it has calories count them too.
  • sdereski
    sdereski Posts: 3,406 Member
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    I used to see a registered dietitian weekly for several years. She always said that anything non-caffeinated (milk, broth, Crystal Light, etc.) counted as a water serving, but that caffeinated sodas and coffee did not because of the diuretic effect.

    This! :happy:
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
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    Heck yes! I count any liquid that I drink as water, for MFP purposes. If I counted water in the first place, that is, I would.

    Let's review the "8 glass of water a day" myth. And yes, it's just that: a myth. It first came about many decades ago by a health study that indicated the average human needs about 64 oz of fluid a day. That's fluid, not water, and the fluid can come from food as well as drinks.

    Now, then, for dieting individuals, the 8 glasses a day of fluid is a good thing. But it can be fluid of any type you desire.

    Agree and disagree. My thinking is that not all fluids are not created equal. Consider that Coca Cola is a fluid... If I drank 64 Oz of Coke a day, I would be consuming about 800 calories a day. On the healthier side, 64 oz of 2% milk contains 1000 calories. But If I drink 64 Oz of water, I am consuming 0 calories. Sometimes it boils down to content. During weight loss... drinking water instead of other beverages helps to create a calorie deficit.

    Eight glasses of water is definitely a generalization, I don't think it should be followed as gospel. I am 5'11 and weigh 220... my requirements will be different than someone who is 5'0 and 100 lbs. But then eight glasses of water has likely not killed anyone either. My thought is this... if you are thirsty and you have a choice... drink water. Its a healthy choice.

    As for the coffee question... I think it boils down to what type and what you put in it. There is a huge difference between a black decaf coffee and a Starbucks Grande Café mocha.

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