Does coffee count toward your daily water intake?

quilteryoyo
quilteryoyo Posts: 6,467 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I tend to retain water very easily. Yesterday, I ran for 34 minutes and played a tennis match, stayed under my calorie limit, but still gained almost 1/2 pound. I'm thinking it may be because I didn't drink enough water. So, starting today, I am going to make a concerted effort to drink more. I was just wondering if I can count my coffee?

Replies

  • BigBoneSista
    BigBoneSista Posts: 2,389 Member
    I believe I was told that it had to be decaf coffee/tea to count towards water intake.
  • HealthyWarrior
    HealthyWarrior Posts: 394 Member
    You will get all different answers. Personally I count my coffee as a water intake and add the 2 calories from brewed coffee as well. I was taught if its black coffee (no sugar, cream or milk) then you can count it as water. Don't get me wrong I don't drink coffee everyday to make it count as my water. I may have one coffee 3-4 times a week.

    Other people you will come across and say water is water and coffee is not water. Do what you feel is right.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Coffee doesn't change the chemical composition of h2O, and it doesn't contain enough caffeine to act as a diuretic (Takes about 250-500mg of caffeine in one dose to act as a 'mild' diuretic)
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    No it doesn't count. Yes it contains H20, so do most things. But here's why I say it doesn't count - if you didn't have a problem getting enough water... Would you be asking this question?

    Just drink more water :) I drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, BEFORE I drink my coffee. It helps my appetite and feels really refreshing.
  • twinmom01
    twinmom01 Posts: 854 Member
    I tend to retain water very easily. Yesterday, I ran for 34 minutes and played a tennis match, stayed under my calorie limit, but still gained almost 1/2 pound. I'm thinking it may be because I didn't drink enough water. So, starting today, I am going to make a concerted effort to drink more. I was just wondering if I can count my coffee?

    You weigh more because your body was probably retaining fluid to help your muscles after exercise...in most people if you weigh a day after exercise you will probably see a slight increase...

    Personally this topic is one that will have many different responses...I don't count my coffee (on average 2 cups a day) but then again I drink 75-100 ounces of pure water a day...so I get a good 9-12 cups of water a day on top of my coffee intake...

    I would say if you want to include coffee and tea into your water intake I would suggest in the very least at least 6 cups of pure water a day on top of your coffee and tea...
  • bkandisjj29
    bkandisjj29 Posts: 172
    I count coffee, flavored water, and herbal tea. I do not count diet sodas or juices.
  • neverstray
    neverstray Posts: 3,845 Member
    No.
  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 6,467 Member
    Thanks everyone for taking the time to respond. I will make sure to drink at least 6 cups of water on top of the coffee, which I do take black now but am sure I have too much on days I don't have to go to work.
  • amiller7x7
    amiller7x7 Posts: 202 Member
    You might want to take a look at the results of an Institute of Medicine (part of the National Academies) study entitled " Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate", published in 2005 which is available on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu. You can see the entire report on line for free at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=10925 Or you can read the synopsis issued by the committee at http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=10925

    Regarding caffeinated drinks, in my experience while it seems that many health professionals still think caffeinated drinks have diuretic (ie dehydrating effects), I suspect they haven't read this report - the report release summarizes caffeinated drinks as:
    "While concerns have been raised that caffeine has a diuretic effect, available evidence indicates that this effect may be transient, and there is no convincing evidence that caffeine leads to cumulative total body water deficits. Therefore, the panel concluded that when it comes to meeting daily hydration needs, caffeinated beverages can contribute as much as noncaffeinated options. "

    If you are doing lots of heavy exercising, you will need to drink more water anyway - coffee isn't a particularly refreshing drink to me after a long bike ride......water with an electrolyte replacement can be pretty refreshing - but that is just my personal experience.
  • quilteryoyo
    quilteryoyo Posts: 6,467 Member
    Well, I had 4 cups of coffee and 7 glasses of water yesterday. I think I retained it all, because I gained another half pound. I will admit that I ate over my suggested calories yesterday, but not over my BEE (?). Anyway, when I finished my food log, it still said I should lose about 2 pounds in 5 weeks. And, I had to eat peanut butter, cheese, and a couple Hersey's Kisses late because I got shaky.....I hadn't had enough protein and tend to get low blood sugar when I don't. So, I guess that could be part of it. I'll try again today and see what happens. I plan to go for a run and may take a tennis lesson. So, hopefully, all that water will go away by morning!
  • Celticladydar
    Celticladydar Posts: 6 Member
    You might find cutting back on coffee to 1-2 cups and replacing that with regular water will help. If you're retaining fluids you might watch what foods you might be eating that are higher in sodium. I find when I'm retaining fluids I'll notice my feet swelling or ankles look puffy. If you're physically active, drinking plenty of fluids and following your food plan, and still experience weight gain, it may be time to get a physical and have your doctor involved. Better safe than sorry!
  • dawnjamccormack
    dawnjamccormack Posts: 1 Member
    I drink TONS of water most days but recently started drinking coffee (only a cup a day~if that). I just wanted something warm and was tired of hot tea all the time and hot cocoa has some calories...decided to try a little coffee some. I drink 75-128 ounces of water a day depending on my activity and so forth. When I did WW years ago they said only if it was decaf~ if I remember correctly but as many others have said, there are going to be a lot of different answers.
    :bigsmile:
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I only count water as water. I log coffee as coffee. :tongue:

    I might look back over my day and see iced tea, coffee or other drinks as part of my overall fluid intake, but I still aim for 8+ cup of just plain water per day.
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
    If you drink 16 oz of water and then chew a few coffee beans after that would you discount the water you had before? How does your stomach know the difference? It's water.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    I tend to retain water very easily. Yesterday, I ran for 34 minutes and played a tennis match, stayed under my calorie limit, but still gained almost 1/2 pound. I'm thinking it may be because I didn't drink enough water. So, starting today, I am going to make a concerted effort to drink more. I was just wondering if I can count my coffee?

    Don't worry about tracking your water. If you are thirsty drink more.....
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    Water does not cease to be water just because you filter it through coffee!!
  • RllyGudTweetr
    RllyGudTweetr Posts: 2,019 Member
    Coffee counts. Tea counts. Juice counts. Milk counts. Beer counts. . . .

    And "8 glasses a day" is an arbitrary, descriptive (not prescriptive) number derived from a 1940's study that included all of the above, plus the liquid in foods, in surveying what folks usually took in for hydration, on average.

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