Is water intake really that important?

RobynH34
RobynH34 Posts: 11
in Food and Nutrition
I have always HATED drinking water. I can drink Crystal Light okay with water, but very seldom desire to do that either. I live on Diet Mountain Dew and I know that can't be healthy. Actually, I have been told that Diet soft drinks cause weight gain too. I know I really need to get my water intake up, but the bloated feeling and the running to the bathroom frequently is such a turn-off. I recently started my weight loss journey. What are the benefits of drinking water and weight loss, other than making you feel full so you don't eat as much? I have never been a big eater and up until a few days ago was only eating 1 meal a day. I am already having to force myself to eat 3 small meals a day and a snack, but just can't force myself to drink the water like a should other than day 1 when I tried it and couldn't stand it.

Replies

  • sarab99
    sarab99 Posts: 134 Member
    I felt the same way about water. However I've been working on drinking more. Here are some links you may want to read.
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040105/drinking-water-may-speed-weight-loss

    This is a drink cold water link:
    http://www.nbcnews.com/id/41721690/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/ways-max-your-metabolism/#.Uy7tIYXItVA

    And heres a link which includes another one to a medical journal if you want more information:
    http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/6-reasons-drinking-water-helps-solve-any-problem

    Hope it helps :)
  • SymphonynSonata
    SymphonynSonata Posts: 533 Member
    I feel you! Carbonated water might be a good alternative. Wal-Mart sells huge bottles of carbonated flavored water that's ~5 calories, or something. It's good, too! I think you can get your water from your foods too (fruits, etc). Where I live, the water out of the tap tastes "off" and is hard. I get bottled waters with 'soft' water, and it actually tastes and feels nice, so that may be a good thing to consider too.
  • Pierreleiti
    Pierreleiti Posts: 1
    Water contains many important minerals which your body needs. It is a calorie free way to get them into your body. If your body is in balance then you would have less cravings to candy or sweets.
    It would be easier for you to control your new food habits.

    That's a little fact ;)
  • sevsmom
    sevsmom Posts: 1,172 Member
    Start with adding small glasses of water a few times a day. Then start replacing your lunch time soda with water. If you try to replace too many things at once you will invariably fail. The benefits of drinking water are a google search away. I was a huge diet Dr Pepper drinker until about a year ago. I had been scaling back for a couple months. I went 5 months with no soda, drank iced tea that I brewed and used no sweetener. Then I started eliminating the regular tea and eventually switched to almost all water. I'll have a 12 oz soda once a month or so now. I'm glad I developed a healthy relationship with soda. It's a treat, not a staple!
  • RobynH34
    RobynH34 Posts: 11
    That is another thing. Did you have caffeine withdrawal? I get debilitating headaches without caffeine to where I can't hold my head up. If I don't have at least 2 caffeinated drinks a day I get them. What are some ways to help prevent this from happening or from being so severe? Would tapering down help? I know that soft drinks of any kind are unhealthy, but diet drinks have things in them that are more unhealthy than sugar, so I'd really like to try to eliminate them from my life as much as possible if not altogether.
    Start with adding small glasses of water a few times a day. Then start replacing your lunch time soda with water. If you try to replace too many things at once you will invariably fail. The benefits of drinking water are a google search away. I was a huge diet Dr Pepper drinker until about a year ago. I had been scaling back for a couple months. I went 5 months with no soda, drank iced tea that I brewed and used no sweetener. Then I started eliminating the regular tea and eventually switched to almost all water. I'll have a 12 oz soda once a month or so now. I'm glad I developed a healthy relationship with soda. It's a treat, not a staple!
  • RobynH34
    RobynH34 Posts: 11
    Oops double post.
  • RobynH34
    RobynH34 Posts: 11
    I didn't know that, thanks! :smile:
    Water contains many important minerals which your body needs. It is a calorie free way to get them into your body. If your body is in balance then you would have less cravings to candy or sweets.
    It would be easier for you to control your new food habits.

    That's a little fact ;)
  • RobynH34
    RobynH34 Posts: 11
    Thanks for the info. I will definitely check those articles out. :smile:
    I felt the same way about water. However I've been working on drinking more. Here are some links you may want to read.
    http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20040105/drinking-water-may-speed-weight-loss

    This is a drink cold water link:
    http://www.nbcnews.com/id/41721690/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/ways-max-your-metabolism/#.Uy7tIYXItVA

    And heres a link which includes another one to a medical journal if you want more information:
    http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/6-reasons-drinking-water-helps-solve-any-problem

    Hope it helps :)
  • RobynH34
    RobynH34 Posts: 11
    I remember trying one of those Wal-Mart drinks a long time ago, about 15 years ago. They were pretty good. I forgot that they existed until you reminded me. Thanks. Will have to try that out again. :smile:
    I feel you! Carbonated water might be a good alternative. Wal-Mart sells huge bottles of carbonated flavored water that's ~5 calories, or something. It's good, too! I think you can get your water from your foods too (fruits, etc). Where I live, the water out of the tap tastes "off" and is hard. I get bottled waters with 'soft' water, and it actually tastes and feels nice, so that may be a good thing to consider too.
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    The point is to hydrate your body so if plain water doesn't do it for you then flavor it, you can also include your other beverages into your water intake (ie: tea, juice, coffee, etc).
  • itisgoodtobetheking
    itisgoodtobetheking Posts: 5
    For the last week I've been drinking at least 2l of water per day. Sure, I have to go to the toilet more, but I have felt so alert and awake it's amazing. My skin has also started to look brighter, and I've found I'm hardly hungry at all. I would totally recommend it - maybe try by alternating bottles of Diet Mountain Dew with water - refill every empty bottle with water and make yourself drink it before you start the next. That way you can ease yourself into it. Diet carbonated drinks can confuse your body - there's sweetness but no sugars or calories. It's better to avoid additives and flavourings as much as possible.
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,463 Member
    This could provide some good perspective:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/ihad/view/mfp-101-water-water-everywhere-609347
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
    You can use other beverages - eg tea to hydrate too. Lots talked about caffeine having a diuretic effect but the caffeine levels in tea would mean you'd have to drink 6 cups at a sitting to have any effect at all - otherwise it's fine to hydrate. Some people like green tea (I don't) :)

    ETA http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/5281046.stm
  • gabrielleelliott90
    gabrielleelliott90 Posts: 854 Member
    I find it a lot easier if I have a 2 litre bottle of water from the supermarket to drink. I also find it easier if I can put some low cal squash in the water, it flavours it. But yeah in general it is a chore. I used to drink water like a fish, but no longer. I mainly drink it at night so I can go to bed hydrated, although it takes a lot of water for me to get hydrated so I just make sure the urine (tmi I know) is an alright colour, not hydrated but not really dehydrated and off to bed I go.
  • zeal26
    zeal26 Posts: 602 Member
    It doesn't have to be just water. You just need to keep your body hydrated. I get my hydration every day from several places - cordial (fruit squash you had to water), tea, coffee, juice, milk, soup and diet coke. I feel much better since I upped my liquid intake and my weight loss is steadier. If I go a few days with low liquid intake, my weight loss stalls entirely. I rarely drink plain water because I just don't like it.
  • krissy_anne
    krissy_anne Posts: 1
    Not drinking water will cause your body to store a lot of the water, because it doesn't know when it will get more -- this leads to water weight, which adds on pounds! Try doing fruit infused water - there's a ton of recipes online for them! I have a huge 52 oz jug of water that I take with me to work filled with ice water, its insulated and keeps it cold pretty much all day. When I first started taking it, I would barely drink about half every day, Now, I drink about 2 of them at work and another one at home

    Best of Luck!
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
    This will take some adjusting and you may find it easier to take it slow, like a comment above suggested. Replace one soda for water for a few days, then replace another. I used to HATE water and would practically gag at the thought of it. I gradually replace diet sodas with Crystal Light and then replace that with plain water. I don't drink soda at all anymore.

    I drink one nice size cup of coffee every morning, cutting back from two. I don't believe you have to cut caffeine completely. If you are anticipating a headache, take a couple of tylenol or motrin. And drink water instead. Water is important for keeping your brain hydrated and will help reduce headaches. Bonus!

    And that skin looking brighter thing is true. Same with energy and alertness. So you pee more. It's just not that big of a deal.

    I fill a jug with the amount of water I need for the day and keep it in the fridge. When it is empty I know I have gotten my water for the day. You really should be drinking a minimum of 64 oz daily.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
    You could use something like Mio. It flavors the water. There's other types out there too.
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Collected information - options, research and more
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin/view/water-265761
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    As someone mentioned, tap water in certain areas tastes funny, in others great. Tap water is cheap and since you need alot, I consider it the way to go. I bought a pitcher with a filtering system and that changed the taste. Using lemon, or other flavorings help too. Alot of people say they don't always want to run to the bathroom, and so exclude drinking alot. You have to look at your day and how it's set up. When you have a bathroom near- drink more. It's not hard to hit 8 glasses a day. I'm older than most on here, and I can tell you for sure that as you get older, upping your water intake makes a difference in overall health. This is all part of a healthy lifestyle. However drinking something is better than nothing, so try different ideas, and then go with what works. Best.
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    It doesn't have to be just water. You just need to keep your body hydrated.
    I've never been a big water drinker either. But now I have a simple plan. My husband's urologist told him this simple way to ensure proper hydration: "If you pee yellow, drink more water. If you pee light yellow to clear, you're hydrated." Eating LOTS of vegetables and fruits will supply quite a bit of water and way more satisfying than forcing a glass of water. Yes, it's true. I only drink water (with a swizzle of lemon) from a glass if I need it, per the urologist's suggestion. Easy.
  • RobynH34
    RobynH34 Posts: 11
    Thanks to all of you for the info and suggestions. :flowerforyou:

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