8 CUPS OF WATER

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This is just my 2nd day of being on MFP - and I am loving it! I just have one quick question: Does the reccomended "8 cups of water" mean 8 measured cups of water OR 8 tall drinking glasses/water-bottles of water. I've been counting it as 8 glasses/bottle, and it just feels like a LOT. I feel like I have to have glass/bottle in my hand all day long. (And I feel like I have to go to the bathroom just as much! LOL) Anyway, I was just curious about how to count my water in-take.

Thanks in advance for you feedback

Replies

  • savvystephy
    savvystephy Posts: 4,151 Member
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    A cup of water is 8 oz. So in a standard store bought water bottle (16 oz) is two cups. Or there are 4 cups in a Nalgene (32 oz) bottle. Hope this helps! :smile:
  • sweetheart03622
    sweetheart03622 Posts: 928 Member
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    Well, regardless, I find myself going to the bathroom all day every day, but they're talking about 8-8 oz. glasses of water, so yes, 8 measured cups
  • Nicole114
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    I think it means 8 measured cups, that's the way I do it anyways. If you use a much larger cup/glass and drink 8 of them you could be getting too much water...
  • jennygiraffes
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    I've been counting each cup of water as 8 oz...i have a 16 oz. bottle that i try to fill up and drink four times....seems like a really reasonable amount to drink
  • ErrataCorrige
    ErrataCorrige Posts: 649 Member
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    My doctor says cut your weight in half and drink that many ounces a day, (i.e. and 200 lb person would need 100 oz of water). I hate having to pee all the time too, but I just try to visualize that I am peeing all the fat and toxins out!!! Then I don't mind going so much!
  • championnfl
    championnfl Posts: 324 Member
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    Read my blog on importance of water intake. Will find very informative.:wink:
  • homemom3
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    pssst that would be 4 (16oz, regular bottles) bottles of water you can get at the store. My favorite is Nestle Water. I pour 4 bottles in a pitcher first thing in the morning, a few slices of my favorite fruit/veggie and pour myself a glass all day. If you've drank it all by afternoon you are good to go. :)

    I like to use either: cucumber, strawberry, orange slices. I have heard some do lemon and lime, I can't stand those two though. Hope this helps. Oh and I"ve also heard drinking cold water burns more calories than regular water.
  • homemom3
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    <quote>"I hate having to pee all the time too, but I just try to visualize that I am peeing all the fat and toxins out!!! Then I don't mind going so much!"</quote>

    haha had to laugh at that but I do the same thing.
  • SheliaN1960
    SheliaN1960 Posts: 454 Member
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    I think it means 8 8oz glasses of water. I drink about 104 ozs everyday. I believe that it really moves the weight! Good Luck!!
  • Skulldilocks
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    My doctor says cut your weight in half and drink that many ounces a day, (i.e. and 200 lb person would need 100 oz of water). I hate having to pee all the time too, but I just try to visualize that I am peeing all the fat and toxins out!!! Then I don't mind going so much!

    Haha I do that too and I always try and pee lots before a weigh in to empty the load ;) hahaha
    I do it as normal glasses and if I use a bottle I count that as 2. today is the first day Ive made it to 5 though I find it hard without feeling really bloated :/
  • givprayz
    givprayz Posts: 328
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    The "8 glasses a day" thing was thrown out there with no research to support it. Only recently have good studies been undertaken to look at the real water needs of healthy adults. Interestingly, our bodies know how much we need, we just need to get them back on line to tell us.

    When you haven't been hydrating well for a long time, as most Americans live, your thirst cues get all mixed up. Often thirst cues get interpreted as hunger cues, or we are thirsty, but our bodies tell us we are tired. To get our bodies to start communicating properly, we must over-hydrate for about 3 weeks, long enough to stop getting all of the wrong signals. Over-hydrating would be something along the lines of 1/2 your body weight in ounces per day. After 3 weeks of this, you can start listening to your body and not forcing the water down.

    The amount of water each person needs is very individualized, and is going to change with activity level, environmental temperature, health, and other factors. Don't be surprised if some days you drink a gallon, and other days you drink a quart, that's normal. When you are sick, or very active all day, push a little more water than you feel you need, because those are high-need situations.

    In an interesting related topic, the idea that caffeine is a diuretic and you have to drink twice as much to make up for it is also erroneous. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but one our bodies adjust to pretty quickly. If you drink the same 2 cups of coffee every day, your body is used to them and there is no need to "make up" for them. If you don't usually drink caffeine, though, a sudden blast of caffeine is going to have a diuretic effect, so watch out for that.

    Now, that all said, it is not a bad idea to drink some water when you are hungry, just to partially fill the stomach and to be sure it isn't a thirst cue you are receiving. But there is no need to drink the excessive amounts of water some diet gurus recommend. Learn to listen to your body and give it what it needs and you will be on your way to lifetime health.
  • MoMoves
    MoMoves Posts: 36
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    Super helpful, all of you! Thanks for helping me clarify. :smile:

    Our entire house drinks primarily water to begin with, but I don't neccessarily think about how much I in-take daily. I just drink when I am thirsty and with a meal etc. And I find myself far less thirsty in the winter (now in the summer, I have ice water at my finger tips all the time!). Plus, since I was trying to drink too much, so it felt overwhelming! Now I realize that I've can probably double my water cup count, since my refillable water bottle holds 20-oz. - hooray!

    Thanks again, everyone that replied!
  • sapphirelazuli
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    I've been curious about this too!

    I drink everything out of pint glasses. I checked online and apparently a UK pint is the same as 19oz US. Is this right?! If so, I'm not flagging on water as much as I thought!
  • AllieWhiteley
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    I was also wondering about this. Thanks for the clarfication. So it sounds like 2 1/2 UK pints should be sufficient?
  • Skulldilocks
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    Can we count water even if it is diluted with a little bit of low suagr squash? my tap water is horribly dense and I cant afford a filter at the moment lol
    x