Do YOU track your water? Does it help?

goodbyefreshman15
goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
in Food and Nutrition
I personally have never been one to drink a ton of water, but I know it's helpful when you're trying to lose weight. Do you record how much water you drink? Does it help you stay on track? Thanks ladies & gents. :)

Replies

  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    Tracking water (well, fluids) helps me to get enough to stay well hydrated, because otherwise I'm pretty bad at forgetting to drink enough. I used to go most of the day without drinking anything and was pretty dehydrated. Now, if I don't drink enough, my running suffers.

    I'm pretty sure it hasn't made much, if any, difference to my weight loss.
  • amosmoses88
    amosmoses88 Posts: 163 Member
    Well, you're supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces. Meaning if you weigh 200lbs, drink 100 ounces of water. For me it would be 115ounces a day! But if you can drink even half of that goal, you're doing good. Drinking water helps A LOT when losing weight. I did this last year and drinking so much helped me lose 31lbs. But I recommend drinking nothing but water. It sucks, but you definitely get used to it after about a week. It becomes natural! I am horrible at tracking it, so I just try to keep a mental note of how much I've had that day and if I'm behind, you best believe I chug a few bottles. lol.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    No I don't track water consumption - I also don't track breathing..... :smile:

    Have a read if you want to know where the 8 glasses a day nonsense came from:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24464774
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I don't track water but only because I normally drink enough anyway.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
    I track my water, and I find when I don't have enough I feel dehydrated like I am hungover, I also notice it on the scale!

    I try to drink 3 cups before lunch, 3 before dinner, and 3 with dinner.

    helps keep you full too!

    Add a low calorie water flavor like Nestea or Crystal light.
  • goodbyefreshman15
    goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
    Well, you're supposed to drink half your body weight in ounces. Meaning if you weigh 200lbs, drink 100 ounces of water. For me it would be 115ounces a day! But if you can drink even half of that goal, you're doing good. Drinking water helps A LOT when losing weight. I did this last year and drinking so much helped me lose 31lbs. But I recommend drinking nothing but water. It sucks, but you definitely get used to it after about a week. It becomes natural! I am horrible at tracking it, so I just try to keep a mental note of how much I've had that day and if I'm behind, you best believe I chug a few bottles. lol.

    I actually only drink water now as it is :) Thanks so much for all the helpful information!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I used to track water but I was loosing track of how many glasses I was drinking and my logging was not accurate.

    I don't track anymore. I drink water with all my meals and in between (no juices or sodas, and occasionally a little wine), but I don't really know how many glasses per day I drink. Don't care either.
  • goodbyefreshman15
    goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
    No I don't track water consumption - I also don't track breathing..... :smile:

    Have a read if you want to know where the 8 glasses a day nonsense came from:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24464774

    This is a really interesting read! I had no idea that you could over-hydrate. (That's actually a little alarming.) Thanks for the link. :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I have no need to track my water intake...I drink a ton of water and I am almost always well hydrated save for Sunday mornings after a good whiskey night. I live in a very arid climate and over a mile high in elevation....if you're not adequately hydrated you're going to know feel like **** around here.
  • JesterMFP
    JesterMFP Posts: 3,596 Member
    But I recommend drinking nothing but water. It sucks, but you definitely get used to it after about a week.
    But I prefer it with tea and milk in. Oh well, I guess I won't be successful at this weight loss thing. :sad:
  • goodbyefreshman15
    goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
    But I recommend drinking nothing but water. It sucks, but you definitely get used to it after about a week.
    But I prefer it with tea and milk in. Oh well, I guess I won't be successful at this weight loss thing. :sad:

    Moderation :) (and a positive attitude!)
  • Destanie_Robyn
    Destanie_Robyn Posts: 304 Member
    If you can do it go for it! Personally I hate tracking water and I suck at doing it ... even when it is part of a challenge. I just try to drink when I am thirsty and I pretty much stick to water for my fluids
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    I do track it, but only because I have a nasty habit of forgetting to drink enough water if I do not. I also see a noticeable difference in how I feel when I don't drink it.
  • shawn1112
    shawn1112 Posts: 94 Member
    I don't track water but only because I normally drink enough anyway.
    This
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
    I did in the beginning, but I stopped. I always have gotten enough water on a regular basis so the tracker wasn't a tool to keep me in check, it was more of a "just because" thing.
  • goodbyefreshman15
    goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
    Thanks for all the answers everyone :) I think I will track my water, just because I don't always drink enough (props to those of you who do!).
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
    I pound water back because it makes me full.

    I don't track it per say but I use a giant 750ml cup (instead of regular size cup) and fill it up and drink it every meal and whenever I'm thirsty.

    Way easier than sipping on a small 125ml cup.

    Probably easier for guys because we can pee easier :p
  • goodbyefreshman15
    goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
    I pound water back because it makes me full.

    I don't track it per say but I use a giant 750ml cup (instead of regular size cup) and fill it up and drink it every meal and whenever I'm thirsty.

    Way easier than sipping on a small 125ml cup.

    Probably easier for guys because we can pee easier :p

    That's way more water than I've ever even dreamed of drinking. Although, maybe if I drank more water I wouldn't be so hungry all the time.. hmmm....
  • Nicolee_2014
    Nicolee_2014 Posts: 1,572 Member
    I don't track my water because I drink plenty. I think I have about 4ltrs a day & that doesn't include if I have a flavoured drink (cordial etc.)
  • florentinovillaro
    florentinovillaro Posts: 342 Member
    I personally have never been one to drink a ton of water, but I know it's helpful when you're trying to lose weight. Do you record how much water you drink? Does it help you stay on track? Thanks ladies & gents. :)

    Yes, I use a half gallon jug that I carry with me to drink at 8 10 12 2, then I refill it and drink at 4 6 8 and 10. Total 128 ounces. Sounds excessive but this was a doctor's request to help clear my uric acid and crystals after a gout attack. Dehydration is my worst enemy.

    I've read several articles on how a 1-2% dehydration can lead to a 30% reduction in performance.
  • whitebalance
    whitebalance Posts: 1,654 Member
    Yes, I track my water, and I don't include tea or soda in the count. I'm a desert rat and if I don't get a LOT of water on workout days, there's a pretty good chance I'll get a dehydration headache. I used to get those when I was momming one of my kid's sports teams... really not fun. Tracking reminds me to drink the darned water.
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    I don't see a point, I know I drink a ton of water. Tracking it doesn't help me drink more it just makes me feel silly.

    I'm one of those people that's never without a giant cup of water.
  • TripleJ3
    TripleJ3 Posts: 945 Member
    I don't track my water but I have no problem meeting and exceeding my water for the day
  • MarliQQ
    MarliQQ Posts: 112 Member
    If you mean by "tracking", logging it in my food diary I do. However, I don't mentally have to do that, only because I exclusively drink water and I drink it in pairs, two 16 oz bottles with each meal and two when I workout, so because I eat and exercise daily, water consumption is the same everyday. It will become natural if you attach drinking water to your daily activities.
  • goodbyefreshman15
    goodbyefreshman15 Posts: 71
    If you mean by "tracking", logging it in my food diary I do. However, I don't mentally have to do that, only because I exclusively drink water and I drink it in pairs, two 16 oz bottles with each meal and two when I workout, so because I eat and exercise daily, water consumption is the same everyday. It will become natural if you attach drinking water to your daily activities.

    Makes sense. :) Thanks for the tip!
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
    I pound water back because it makes me full.

    I don't track it per say but I use a giant 750ml cup (instead of regular size cup) and fill it up and drink it every meal and whenever I'm thirsty.

    Way easier than sipping on a small 125ml cup.

    Probably easier for guys because we can pee easier :p

    That's way more water than I've ever even dreamed of drinking. Although, maybe if I drank more water I wouldn't be so hungry all the time.. hmmm....

    Common trick for weight loss (and oldest in the book) is to drink a cup of water right before your meal.

    You'll be surprised at the decrease in portion size you can eat.

    Keep doing this and eventually your portion sizes will decrease!

    Worked for me!
  • edwardkim85
    edwardkim85 Posts: 438 Member
    + you'll always be hydrated and won't have to track water consumption throughout the day lol.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    No I don't track water consumption - I also don't track breathing..... :smile:

    Have a read if you want to know where the 8 glasses a day nonsense came from:
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24464774

    This.

    Most research I've read has found that drinking water with meals doesn't add to fullness but eating water-laden foods does. So skip pounding the water before dinner and instead have a bowl of veggie soup.

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