What, exactly, is a "cup of water" RE: food diary logging?

brockak
brockak Posts: 8
edited March 2 in Food and Nutrition
Is it a literal measuring cup cup (1C)? Is it a glass (12-16 oz.)?

Also, I add water to my protein shakes. Should I count that in as well?
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Replies

  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    8 oz of water...
  • katematt313
    katematt313 Posts: 624 Member
    1 cup = eight fluid ounces of water.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    8 oz of water...

    Bingo.
  • loril13
    loril13 Posts: 320 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
  • andythecurefan
    andythecurefan Posts: 43 Member
    I have 16 oz plastic cups at my desk at work. I fill these up with water and count them as 2 cups. 1 cup = 8 oz.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.

    Why? If I add crystal light does the water magically disappear and stop being water?
  • jackpotclown
    jackpotclown Posts: 3,275 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.

    I'm the same way. I just log plain water as water and then log the other stuff in my diary. (And no, not because I think it stops being water at that point.)

    I know that if I have 2 sodas, 4 cups of water, 2 cups of milk, etc - that all counts toward hydration. I just log things as they are, is all.

    ETA: In other words - I don't see the point of double logging a 16 oz soda and then putting it as 2 cups of water too. For my logging purposes, water is just literally water. It's just saving me from logging individual cups per "meal" area.
  • andythecurefan
    andythecurefan Posts: 43 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
  • Cranquistador
    Cranquistador Posts: 39,744 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?
  • CherokeeBabe
    CherokeeBabe Posts: 1,704 Member
    Yea, I can understand it for coffee and soda (not logging as water, due to sugar/cream/etc and the diuretic effect - hence needing more water to offset it) but I'd imagine sugar-free calorie-free drink mix is still *closer* to water than some other drinks. I dunno.

    I make it a rule to drink at least 6 12-16 oz glasses of plain water, then let myself have other beverages and log them separately. I drink Mio here and there for flavor and still would log that as water in most cases, especially if I already hit my water quota for the day anyway.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    ETA: I don't dislike water or anything, just love getting amped up on caffeine. You think I would learn my lesson and just drink more water, but I obviously don't :blushing:
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.

    Why? If I add crystal light does the water magically disappear and stop being water?

    Exactly. You also get water from the foods you eat. Don't overthink it, OP. Just drink until your pee looks like watered down lemonade.

    Edited because spelling is hard today.
  • Cardio4Cupcakes
    Cardio4Cupcakes Posts: 289 Member
    Here we go.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????

    Dunno broski, I just told you word for word what happens when I drink more coffee/soda than water. It doesn't happen when I drink 7 glasses of water and less coffee. Guess I'm a unicorn.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????

    Dunno broski, I just told you word for word what happens when I drink more coffee/soda than water. It doesn't happen when I drink 7 glasses of water and less coffee. Guess I'm a unicorn.

    Broski? Wow. It was a legit question and it's not unicorn..it's snowflake. Best of luck to you and your crampy toe issues.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    This content has been removed.
  • stephe1987
    stephe1987 Posts: 406 Member
    1 cup = 8 oz
    If you drink from a bigger glass then you should log appropriately. 2 glasses of 12 oz = 3 cups, 2 glasses of 16 oz = 4 cups.
    Yes, you should count the water that you add to your protein shakes. But also log the protein shake to your diary.
  • brockak
    brockak Posts: 8
    Thanks for the reply. I thought 8 oz seemed the obvious answer. I guess the 12-16 oz. glass icon threw me. It should show a measuring cup instead! ;)

    Regarding the commentary of what to include or not, the following seems to make the most sense to me:
    Yea, I can understand it for coffee and soda (not logging as water, due to sugar/cream/etc and the diuretic effect - hence needing more water to offset it) but I'd imagine sugar-free calorie-free drink mix is still *closer* to water than some other drinks. I dunno.

    Soda is just a concoction of garbage ingredients. Protein shakes however are more like a 50/50 between the powder (which is accurately broken down into categories (protein, carbs, sugar, fat, etc.)) and the water. What I'm getting at is the water, which isn't counted for otherwise, is a significant portion of a protein shake. As such, it makes sense to count it in instances of protein shakes.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????

    Dunno broski, I just told you word for word what happens when I drink more coffee/soda than water. It doesn't happen when I drink 7 glasses of water and less coffee. Guess I'm a unicorn.

    Broski? Wow. It was a legit question and it's not unicorn..it's snowflake. Best of luck to you and your crampy toe issues.

    I'm just joking around dude & I legitimately realize that I am not normal in this instance. I've been told in these threads before that I "probably have a medical condition," although I have none. I'm just pointing out to you that blanket statements about water don't apply to everyone. If someone doesn't feel properly hydrated by coffee, they don't, but they are probably not human (per threads)

    Commence the 400 reply thread of people arguing that coffee and water are literally the same substance, I will check it out later. I get to leave work now!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.

    I'm the same way. I just log plain water as water and then log the other stuff in my diary. (And no, not because I think it stops being water at that point.)

    I know that if I have 2 sodas, 4 cups of water, 2 cups of milk, etc - that all counts toward hydration. I just log things as they are, is all.

    ETA: In other words - I don't see the point of double logging a 16 oz soda and then putting it as 2 cups of water too. For my logging purposes, water is just literally water. It's just saving me from logging individual cups per "meal" area.

    I'm same same.

    I just prefer to track all the actual WATER I consume- in terms of straight up water- I could careless about the rest of it- mostly because I need to drink more water- so if I get to log it- it's a mental gold star for me LOL
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????

    Dunno broski, I just told you word for word what happens when I drink more coffee/soda than water. It doesn't happen when I drink 7 glasses of water and less coffee. Guess I'm a unicorn.

    Broski? Wow. It was a legit question and it's not unicorn..it's snowflake. Best of luck to you and your crampy toe issues.

    I'm just joking around dude & I legitimately realize that I am not normal in this instance. I've been told in these threads before that I "probably have a medical condition," although I have none. I'm just pointing out to you that blanket statements about water don't apply to everyone. If someone doesn't feel properly hydrated by coffee, they don't, but they are probably not human (per threads)

    Commence the 400 reply thread of people arguing that coffee and water are literally the same substance, I will check it out later. I get to leave work now!

    tumblr_mefuoovcqw1ra58n6.gif
  • Shalaurise
    Shalaurise Posts: 707 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    Because it is not water, it merely has water in it. I eat watermelon but don't count it as water despite the fact is has a ton of liquid in it. I made a no noodle zucchini lasagna once that turned out too liquidy because I didn't let the zucchini drain long enough... didn't count that as water either. *nods*
  • rosebudbutterfly
    rosebudbutterfly Posts: 26 Member
    What if your water is infused with a slice of lime,a leaf of fresh mint, and a slice of cucumber? Would that count that under water or would you log it separate?
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????

    Dunno broski, I just told you word for word what happens when I drink more coffee/soda than water. It doesn't happen when I drink 7 glasses of water and less coffee. Guess I'm a unicorn.

    Broski? Wow. It was a legit question and it's not unicorn..it's snowflake. Best of luck to you and your crampy toe issues.

    I'm just joking around dude & I legitimately realize that I am not normal in this instance. I've been told in these threads before that I "probably have a medical condition," although I have none. I'm just pointing out to you that blanket statements about water don't apply to everyone. If someone doesn't feel properly hydrated by coffee, they don't, but they are probably not human (per threads)

    Commence the 400 reply thread of people arguing that coffee and water are literally the same substance, I will check it out later. I get to leave work now!

    Why are you calling her broski and dude? Just curious. Carry on.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????

    Dunno broski, I just told you word for word what happens when I drink more coffee/soda than water. It doesn't happen when I drink 7 glasses of water and less coffee. Guess I'm a unicorn.

    Broski? Wow. It was a legit question and it's not unicorn..it's snowflake. Best of luck to you and your crampy toe issues.

    I'm just joking around dude & I legitimately realize that I am not normal in this instance. I've been told in these threads before that I "probably have a medical condition," although I have none. I'm just pointing out to you that blanket statements about water don't apply to everyone. If someone doesn't feel properly hydrated by coffee, they don't, but they are probably not human (per threads)

    Commence the 400 reply thread of people arguing that coffee and water are literally the same substance, I will check it out later. I get to leave work now!

    Why are you calling her broski and dude? Just curious. Carry on.

    Because I can't have a Pika/Thor hybrid as a profile picture unless I've got a penis?
  • deansdad101
    deansdad101 Posts: 644 Member
    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*
    So...the coffee and sodas don't absorb into your body????
    Dunno broski, I just told you word for word what happens when I drink more coffee/soda than water. It doesn't happen when I drink 7 glasses of water and less coffee. Guess I'm a unicorn.
    Levi;
    Finally, something you said I can agree with<vbg>

    But for "most" of the (non-unicorn) population, the whole 8 (or 98) "cups a day or you'll die" MYTH is just that - marketing hype NOT supported by science (you know, that whole "The More You "Know" - thing).

    When you're done protecting and defending unicorn "rights" perhaps you could provide a few actual, based on real science, links to studies (not sponsored by charlatans selling something) that back up your "I just knows".

    Before you go there, if the first one you want to trot out is the 2003 (I think) French and American "docs" study, you might want to read this first:
    http://tinyurl.com/n8n6ypk

    I know it's pretty long and science isn't really your thing, so here's a snippet to get you started:

    (copy/pasted from the above referenced article which actually does cite its sources)

    "So I've looked through the literature and I found a review article saying all of this and more. It was written by a group of respected physicians from American and French hospitals and it clearly supported the widely held belief that you should drink two to three litres of water a day.

    It said that people with a high urine output have a lower rate of kidney stone disease, that the flushing action of the water may reduce the risk of a urinary tract infection (especially in women after sex). Perhaps most importantly, they referenced a surprising study which showed that paradoxically an increased intake of water increased the risk of bladder cancer. But only tap water. And there's the clue.

    A footnote at the end of the article explained that what you thought was a scientific article in a scientific journal is in fact a supplement, sponsored by a major mineral water manufacturer. All of the authors received honoraria from this company, which also provided medical writing assistance. So this isn't research, it's marketing."

    Drink when you're thirsty, forget about logging every drop or arguing over whether it's "real water" or not, and spend your time focused on what actually matters - regardless of what "method" of diet and long term health you elect to endorse.
  • bubaluboo
    bubaluboo Posts: 2,098 Member
    I only count actual plain water. I don't count my green tea or coffee or crystal light, etc. I log them in my beverages heading, but not as water.
    why?
    because it's not the right kind of water
    original.0
    \m/

    THIS.

    Honestly, people could do what they want, but why cheat yourself out of plain water? I know soda has water, coffee does too, but I don't log those as water either.
    why?

    I get extremely dehydrated when I don't drink actual water. I had 3 coffees, 2 sugar free monsters and 3 cups of water today. That's a pretty typical day for me, I will probably have 2 diet cokes when I get home, and then get horrible toe cramps due to dehydration around 9 PM, then I will chug 2 cups of water and they will stop.

    Only water hydrates me. Some people can drink nothing but coffee and count it as water and be fine, but I'm not one of those people. *shrug*

    ETA: I don't dislike water or anything, just love getting amped up on caffeine. You think I would learn my lesson and just drink more water, but I obviously don't :blushing:

    Sorry off topic but...Yay another person who gets crampy toes from drinking caffeinated drinks. Sorry to cheer your misfortune but I get this and never heard of anyone else with the same problem. It's horrible, usually happens just as I get into bed and often involves all the muscles up to my knees (so it doesn't matter which way I try to stretch, it gets worse). However, for me it's not a need for pure water as I can drink as much decaf tea/coffee/soda as I like and don't get the cramps.
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