Water intake question

danyleewell
danyleewell Posts: 61 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Really Dumb question..... You are suppose to drink 8 glasses of water a day and I notice a lot of you drink way more then 8. I struggle to get 8 so the question is does it have to be water or simply 8 glasses of something. Like can my glass of milk count? Can my cup of coffee count? or is it simply that PLUS 8 glasses of water??? As long as I get some water in can I count a cup of coffee as a the 8oz of fluid needed for the day?

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Totally depends on who you ask, but my belief is it all counts. The point is to be properly hydrated - it doesn't really matter how. If your pee is almost clear you're good. If it is dark then drink more.
  • tamelakaye79
    tamelakaye79 Posts: 70 Member
    I know some may argue- but the Weight Watcher's rule of thumb that I learned years ago is any liquid that is non-caffeinated counts.
  • Meushichan
    Meushichan Posts: 82 Member
    Just about any clear/ non-soda liquid counts, imo. I count my regular water, tea, and crystal light. (But I usually drink 6+ of regular water anyway, the rest is extra).
  • hjy319
    hjy319 Posts: 269 Member
    I count my coffee and tea, but that is usually only 1 cup a day. The best way I found to up my water intake was by using Camel Bak water bottle. I have a 4 cup one that I fill and take to work, and about mid day have to refil, by the time I leave I've sipped my 8 glasses by simply having it close by and ready to drink
  • ratchet2
    ratchet2 Posts: 87 Member
    I try to get my 8 cups of water in every day, but do not always succeed. If I count my coffee, I have succeeded. I can have it sitting beside me, but don't always notice it there. I work on a computer at a desk and I have set a task in my email to pop up every hour simply saying "H2O". This is my signal to have some water. Most of the time it works, unless I am busy and just dismiss it.
  • SlenderSelah
    SlenderSelah Posts: 17
    I dislike the taste of plain water, but I can easily drink 12 cups of greeen/ herbal tea without sugar. I think the urine test is the best way to check dehydration, your urine should be the colour of pale straw and if you are anything like me you should be racing to the loo every 30 mnutes
  • trekkie_bbs
    trekkie_bbs Posts: 64 Member
    I drink 16 cups of water per day minimum. I do this for a few reasons.

    1. Staying hydrated helps keep me healthy.
    2. Helps keep my skin flexible.
    3. Helps remove waste from my body.
    4. Helps curb hunger and make meals fill you up better.
    5. I LOVE water!

    Each glass of water I drink is actually 3.25 cups of water so I just make sure I drink 2 glasses of water with each meal I eat. Super simple.

    Since I also take vitamins in the morning and at night I normally drink 1.5 glasses of water at those times as well but I only add 16 cups cause I feel that is a safe number to list just in case I fall asleep and forget to take my vitamins or forget to drink 2 glasses with a meal. Sometimes my hectic schedule makes me lose track.
  • Branstin
    Branstin Posts: 2,320 Member
    If you are not use to drinking that much water than drink what you can and slowly add as time goes by. It takes time to get that much down. I drink 64oz of water a day now but it took me a while to get to that point because I drank so much Diet Pepsi. Consider adding a little Crystal Light, lemon, cucumbers, or substitute some of that 64oz with cold green tea. Try different options until you find one that works best for you.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Totally depends on who you ask, but my belief is it all counts. The point is to be properly hydrated - it doesn't really matter how. If your pee is almost clear you're good. If it is dark then drink more.

    This ^^ However, I will add that some meds/suppliments will at least temporarily make your urine a different color so check labels or check with your pharmcist if you're not sure. But yeah, generally urine color is the best judge of hydration.
  • Fit_Fox88
    Fit_Fox88 Posts: 410 Member
    As others have said, it's totally up to you and what works best for you. For me, I count only water. It was hard at first to get the recommended # of glasses, but after a few days I actually start craving it b/c my body gets used to it. Now, I can easily drink 10-12 depending on my workout schedule, sometimes even more than that. I usually drink the Ice Mountain bottles here at work which are essentially 2 cups of water per bottle.. that's the easiest way for me.
  • danyleewell
    danyleewell Posts: 61 Member
    Thanks everyone! I normally do add Crystal Light Liquid to water in order to get my water in its just Im not much of a drinker. Like I will have 1 cup of milk with Soy Protein on the drive to work then a cup of coffee when I get here (maybe 2 cups) then I normally will have two 16oz bottles of water but for the most part as of 4:30 when I get off I may have something to drink with dinner but thats eat. When I do drink soda its diet caffeine free. I think I will count 1 cup of coffee as water and just try to keep drinking more, like I said, Im not a big drinking person... :(

    Thanks everyone!
  • danyleewell
    danyleewell Posts: 61 Member
    Okay so far today and it 10am now, I have had 8 oz of milk with protein powder, 16 oz of coffee and now just opened 16.9 oz bottle of Diet Citrus Green Tea if I understood everyone yesterday, nobody would log any of that as the water intake? I would still need to drink 8 full glasses of water still?
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Totally depends on who you ask, but my belief is it all counts. The point is to be properly hydrated - it doesn't really matter how. If your pee is almost clear you're good. If it is dark then drink more.

    Basically this.

    Typical daily intake for me is 8-10 cups of water, about 10 oz each of coffee and hot tea. I'm 5'8" and 191 lb.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Drink when you're thirsty, stop when you aren't. Anything that isn't hard liquor counts. There's no arbitrary amount that you need to drink. Let thirst be your guide, that's what it's there for.
  • asciident
    asciident Posts: 166 Member
    It is a subject of a lot of debate here on the forums, but I think any nonalcoholic drink counts in getting your daily fluids.
    http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/caffeinated-drinks/faq-20057965

    That said I'm usually pretty lazy with the water counter and tend to only count my actual water, not everything I drink so my count is lower than my actual fluid intake. I'm ok with that.
  • Rachifloon
    Rachifloon Posts: 129 Member
    I asked this exact question not too long ago and the response I got was: Check your pee. No, seriously. It's not about drinking enough water for the sake of it, but to keep hydrated. Every body is different so it'll take different levels per person but a general idea is is your pee pale? Good! Is your pee sunshine yellow? Drink more water! Is your pee fluorescent neon yellow or dark sewage yellow? Uh...see a doctor.
  • Thinn2Winn
    Thinn2Winn Posts: 22 Member
    Not everyone is the same size so 8cups of water is not accurate for everyone.
    The best way to calculate your water intake is half your body weight in ounces per day.

    For example if you are 200 / 2 = 100. thus you would need 100 ounces of water, each day.

    It surprising goes by fast. Good luck :wink:
  • ninavdd
    ninavdd Posts: 18 Member
    I used to be like you and drank very little (2-3 cups of soda max.). Now I drink liters of water a day. I think its just something you get used to. In the beginning I forced myself to drink a 1-liter bottle (about 4 cups) before lunch, which I refilled and 'had' to drink before going home from work. I still do this, but now I often refill during the morning.

    Another tip, but I'm not sure it will work for you. I found it much easier to drink straight from the bottle than drinking from a glass.

    Now I drink at least my two bottles of water, next to anything I want (soda, tea, coffee). I add everything to the count, except for coffee and alcohol.
  • gonefishin1282
    gonefishin1282 Posts: 44 Member
    on a normal day I start off with a liter of water when I wake up. I normally drink 10-12 Dasani bottles during the work day then another liter of water with dinner or bed time. That averages out to 250-280 ozs daily
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 6,008 Member
    Water intake depends on body size and activity level. 8 glasses a day is an average intake suggestion beyond the water you get from food.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
    i target at least 0.5 ounce per pound of weight. for me that's 12 cups. I count anything not soda/Sodium laden (the Sodium in soda negates it) Tea and coffee count as long as you drink a reasonable amount, I think you need to drink more than 6 cups for it to begin to have a diuretic effect
  • HealthyishWithMaggieG
    HealthyishWithMaggieG Posts: 397 Member
    I agree with those that say 8 8-oz glasses a day isn't accurate for everyone. The method where you take your weight (in pounds), divide by 2, and drink that amount (in ounces), is pretty accurate.

    For me, though, I don't feel like my thirst is quenched unless I'm actually drinking water. Sure, I drink other things, too, but it doesn't quench my thirst. Again, for me, I just feel like my body performs better if I drink 11+ cups of water a day. And, no... I don't always hit that mark, but it's my goal.
  • jodie3134
    jodie3134 Posts: 60 Member
    I try to drink half my weight in water every day. A few years ago... I hated water and had to force myself to drink it. Now its much easier. I think its one of those things that has to grow on you. One of my tricks is to always have water with me. I find that I drink a lot more instead of waiting until I'm thirsty. I love my 24oz Tervis Tumblers. I fill it up, put the lid on it and use a straw (for some reason a straw makes me drink more too). I also love making flavored water. I fill up a 2 gallon jug and slice up an orange or lemon or cucumbers and place it in the water. Yum.
  • eddiesmith1
    eddiesmith1 Posts: 1,550 Member
    A few years ago... I hated water and had to force myself to drink it.

    As I've pretty much always lived near some of the largest fresh water sources in the world maybe I'm blind to issues. I see a lot of posts about I hated/Hate water I cant stand swallowing..... Perhaps someone can explain what there is to hate. Water should be pretty much tasteless (I've had tap water when traveling that wasn't - that is what filters are for)
    I haven't always drank as much water as I should (in fact lots of times I didn't) but I've never found anything that quenches thirst like water does. I can understand hating the taste of overly chlorinated heavily mineral tasting water but that is easily solved with a really cheap activated charcoal water filter like a Brita

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