Water ...does it have to be 8 glasses ?

Options
2

Replies

  • lindsay942
    lindsay942 Posts: 13
    Options
    Thank you all for your input , I am still struggling with eight glasses but am close to six , I am in UK so basing it on our "half pint" pub glass. Am finding the forum helpful to all sorts of questions I have , so to all that do take the time to reply to questions ..please keep doing so :)
  • Iknowsaur
    Iknowsaur Posts: 777 Member
    Options
    Have you considered trying a flavored water?

    I used to have trouble with drinking water too (I would usually replace it with soda, actually) but I quit soda and switched to vitamin and sobe water. While the actual "health benefits" of the vitamins or whatever are pretty bs, and there are some artificial sweeteners, they taste pretty yummy and I get my liquids in no problem.

    A bottle of Sobe water is 20z, and I usually drink about 3 a day.
  • Ryguy08
    Ryguy08 Posts: 61 Member
    Options
    Regular, pure water (not water in solution from various types of drinks), is the best think for you to drink. I used to hate drinking water because I wanted things with flavor to them, but when I got more serious about exercise and losing weight, I got used to it. It keeps you energized and keeps your muscles hydrated and healthy.

    What has really helped me, is I use a 24 oz. bottle all the time and I stick to at least 8 12 oz. glasses a day, so that's only 4 bottles worth. Very easy for me to achieve that and then some, especially on days that I'm working out harder! :smile:
  • lindeyrae1028
    lindeyrae1028 Posts: 17
    Options
    I started drinking at least a gallon a day. Not only does your body NEED it especially when you are trying to lose weight but ever since I started drinking a gallon a day I find that I don't eat as much or want to snack as often. Regular water tends to get boring so I do fruit infusions such as pineapple and orange or lime and mint.

    A gallon seems like a lot but if you take a jug and fill it before you go to bed then you know that you have to finish drinking it by the end of the following day. Looking at that jug is very daunting BUT I find that I only have to fill my 28 oz personal bottle about 4.5 times a day before it's gone! Easy peasy!
  • MaquisJim
    MaquisJim Posts: 34 Member
    Options
    You need to stay hydrated...if I only had 8, 8oz glasses of water per day I would wither up into a raisin. I drink a gallon plus...a couple of gallons in the summer.

    8 oz of water is just a guideline..there is nothing magical about that number...there is nothing scientific backing up that number. There is nothing magical about water for weight loss other than it flushes out retained water, sodium, etc and is a better choice than a calorie dense soda or something.

    That said, staying hydrated is extremely important...you body is 60% water and you are losing water all of the time and it needs to be replaced. Water also helps energize muscles...cells that don't maintain fluid and electrolyte balance shrivel up resulting in muscle fatigue. Water also makes your skin look good and helps your kidneys flush toxins out of your body (no need for some expensive and trendy cleanse...you just need water, your liver, and your kidneys).

    The list goes on and on...and really...it's not that hard to drink water...it's really not. It's about as first world of a problem as you can possibly get.

    This.

    I know it's hard OP because when I started out I really didn't like drinking water. Ugh! But after I got over the frequent bathroom visits and the "water taste" I find that nothing really satisfies me when I'm thirsty other than water. When you start drinking it on a regular basis I hope you will find the same thing. You can also buy sparkling water - it has a fizz like soda, but it is water. I really do believe (I'm no doctor but just from my experiences since losing weight) that having the water and being hydrated does tend to help your skin. All the best and drink your water :heart:

    AGREE!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Options
    In my experience it's a lot better to slowly work your way up to 8+ glasses.

    For years I also thought "I am just not a big drinker". I was never thirsty, really. I only drank with my meals (coffee and/or milk at breakfast, and 1 diet soda at lunch and dinner). On road trips friends were like "OMG I'm so thirsty" and killing their tea or bottle of water, Slurpee, Route 44 from Sonic...and I was just kinda like hmmm why do these people need so much liquid? LOL

    But when I started using MFP I used the little glass at the bottom of your food log to increase my water, and now I think NOTHING of drinking 8-10 eight ounce servings of water every day. Sometimes more!

    For me the biggest benefit is seeing how it counteracts sodium. On days that I eat too much restaurant food or pizza (still within my calories but going over on sodium) if I drink the bare minimum of water I'll see my weight go up for a couple of days. If I drink a lot of extra water it usually goes down.

    Back when I was used to NOT drinking a lot...if I got on a "health kick" and suddenly drank 64 oz of water or more, I felt miserable, bloated, and uncomfortable and was in the restroom twenty times in an afternoon. I don't experience those issues now. I think a slow gradual change is best! Good luck!!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
    Options
    There are two schools of thought from what I have noticed.

    One is the baby boomer era idea about water. My mother, a nurse for 40 years, still says to me 'You don't need all those glasses of water! There is water in your food and other beverages, and that counts"
    The other is the Gen X era idea which basically says, 'Do you even science? Your body need more water more water more water!!'
    I tend to be somewhere in the middle. The more you listen to your body, the better you will get at hearing it's messages. I AM THIRSTY. I AM HUNGRY. I AM TIRED. So on and so on.
    I bought a very nice Nalgene 32 oz water bottle that I carry all day and I try my best to fill it 3-4 times a day and drink it all. Its hard for me, but I do feel different since I committed to it.
    But I add lemon and I drink it room temp. Cold water is tough to handle for some.
    That's my best suggestion!

    Ohh well said. I wish I'd read this before I posted.

    But yeah I feel different too. I realized I love water at refrigerator temperature. Not room temp, and not ice water. I have various water cups with lids/straws that are 16-24 oz and I refill them and refrigerate and drink on them all day. I have started to view this is a habit and way of life for me (although that sounds overly dramatic).

    When I go on a road trip I refill a water bottle many times. If I don't, I will realize I have dry lips and feel tired more easily than when I am well hydrated.
  • AwesomeGuy37
    AwesomeGuy37 Posts: 436 Member
    Options
    Your pee should let you know how hydrated you are. The darker it is the more you need to drink.
  • QueensGirl83
    QueensGirl83 Posts: 54 Member
    Options
    It's measured in cups on this site...8 cups. I found that one of my glasses=2 cups, so I really had to drink 4 glasses. Yes, I found it hard to do, but it gets easier and easier as time goes on.
  • phantomjam
    phantomjam Posts: 46 Member
    Options
    Drink when you are thirsty. Don't force yourself to drink. Remember you are also getting water from your food especially fruits and vegetables. Drinking too much water can make you sick and even kill you. Be sensible.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication
  • Lifelink
    Lifelink Posts: 193 Member
    Options
    I started drinking at least a gallon a day. Not only does your body NEED it especially when you are trying to lose weight but ever since I started drinking a gallon a day I find that I don't eat as much or want to snack as often.

    +1 Yup.
  • KatherinesRiver
    KatherinesRiver Posts: 128
    Options
    About that, 8 to 10. Depends on what your other fluid intake is and your activity level.:flowerforyou:
  • apieceofenergy
    apieceofenergy Posts: 31
    Options
    Honestly I just drink bottles of water through the day, a regular bottle of water is 2 1/2 glasses, so it's not that bad, plus drinking water really helps when I'm starting to get hungry. I've found that if I structure my day around an eating schedule, keeping my calories low is easy. I typically sleep from around noon to eight pm (3rd shift worker here) and drink 80-100 oz of water (every 2 hours=one bottle) at work alone, along with 1-2 bottles I sip on at home.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Options
    Lindsay, keep in mind that a half pint glass is equal to TWO of MFP's "glasses." You really only need to drink 4 of them. Don't struggle to get 8. :smile:
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,462 Member
    Options
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/mfp-101-water-water-everywhere-609347
  • nightflightdan
    nightflightdan Posts: 7
    Options
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24464774

    "There is no evidence that adding the eight cups of water to everything else you drink will do you any good and it could do you harm (American Journal of Physiological - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, November 2002, Drink at least eight glasses of water a day. Really? Is there scientific evidence for "8x8"? Valtin H)."

    And I particularly liked this little nugget of wisdom

    "Saying that you should drink more water than your body asks for is like saying that you should consciously breathe more often than you feel like because if a little oxygen is good for you then more must be better. "
  • ChrisM8971
    ChrisM8971 Posts: 1,067 Member
    Options
    Drink enough to stay hydrated. What that is will depend on you, the climate where you are, how much exercise you do (sweat more = drink more)

    As long as your urine is a pale straw colour you are fine.

    What counts as water? any drink that contains mainly water really, such as tea, coffee and even beer
  • Sharonmdenham
    Sharonmdenham Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    Here is an article on WebMD that explains why you need to drink more water. Please read it and don't let others tell you drink if you you want to or don't drink if you want to. Be smart about your body and it's needs and you will be healthier all around.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/6-reasons-to-drink-water
  • Sharonmdenham
    Sharonmdenham Posts: 163 Member
    Options
    Drink enough to stay hydrated. What that is will depend on you, the climate where you are, how much exercise you do (sweat more = drink more)

    As long as your urine is a pale straw colour you are fine.

    What counts as water? any drink that contains mainly water really, such as tea, coffee and even beer


    BEER does not qualify as water, yes it is liquid vut it affects your brain's communication to your kidneys. It is alcohol and it helps to dehydrate not hydrate your organs.
  • nightflightdan
    nightflightdan Posts: 7
    Options
    BEER does not qualify as water, yes it is liquid vut it affects your brain's communication to your kidneys. It is alcohol and it helps to dehydrate not hydrate your organs.
    And again, form that BBC article I posted earlier... (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24464774)

    " beer and coffee do not dehydrate you to any noticeable extent (there's a nice paper where some medical students got to drink quite a lot of beer and had their urine studied - British Medical Journal (Clin Res Ed), December 1982, Acute biochemical responses to moderate beer drinking, Gill GV). "

    If you want to read the full journal article referenced above it can be found here, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1500281/

Categories