The one myth that won't die: You need 8 cups of water

LovingLife_Erin wrote: »

smotheredincheese wrote: »

I drink water after exercising but other than that I drink mostly tea. I don't have sugar in it, and a mug of tea contains the same amount of fluid as a mug of water, so I don't see how drinking plain water would benefit me over drinking tea.

This is pretty much me. I may have some Robinson's low cal squash with water at times, but other than water when I'm working out/out and need a cool drink, I pretty much only drink tea with no sugar. Yummy yummy tea!

Are you also British by any chance? I'm guessing tea plays a bigger role in hydration for us than it does for most American posters on here!

Although I agree that drinking water, in and of itself, doesn't directly do much of anything for true weight loss, drinking water when you think you're hungry *can* help prevent you from mindlessly consuming calories when you were actually just thirsty instead. If I feel hungry at a time that seems unjustified, I'll have some water, first. And a lot of the time, that's done the trick. If I'm still hungry fifteen minutes later, though, I'll have something to eat instead.

Can you survive on less than 8 cups of water a day? Obviously. Will you be healthy? That depends on your definition of healthy and the metrics you use. I survive just fine on less than 8 cups, but even as a petite woman I need more like 12 cups a day for my body to properly hydrate. When your skin is always dry and your lips never seem to stop being chapped (without obvious reasons like licking them), you are not getting enough water, and for every person that is going to be a different water intake. The 8 cups was designed as a general guidline to help keep people (of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and states of health) from having basic health complaints associated with dehydration (many of which can turn into serious health complications if unresolved), like constipation, skin problems, kidney and bladder infections, mucus membrane irritations, etc.

sixxpoint wrote: »

More people are dehydrated in the world than water-logged.

I don't really care about the 8 cups a day guideline, but it's true that sometimes drinking huge amounts of water is elevated as some special diet magic, and that's silly.

I find it hard to believe that any significant number of people are dehydrated, assuming liquid is available to them. Seems like one would have to be extremely dysfunctional to not just naturally drink as much as one needs (insert thing about urine color being the best way to check here) ;-).

So great, drink your water, but don't stress about it or think that if you don't get at least 8 cups of pure water per day that means you can't lose or some silliness.

Disclaimer: I have always loved drinking (that too, sadly, but here I just mean anything thirst quenching) and I've never liked drinking calories, so guzzling lots of water throughout the day (without counting it) is just something I've always done, and it's always amazed me that people can eat a meal without having water or something else to drink too. So maybe some people really let themselves get dehydrated (when not in hot weather or engaging in athletic activity) but I can't really understand how that would be a common thing such that we have to actively try to drink water and count it.

That said, I usually do count my water at least up to the 8 cups, since it's an easy way to check something off and I like checking things off. The importance just seems oddly inflated, especially when people start insisting that tea can't count or some such.

I love to drink water.

I notice the difference when I don't. My lips get chapped, my face gets dry etc. It does have benefits. But I tend to be dehydrated based on my urine if I don't drink it, no matter what I eat.

lemurcat12 wrote: »

sixxpoint wrote: »

More people are dehydrated in the world than water-logged.

I find it hard to believe that any significant number of people are dehydrated

"Dehydration occurs when the body loses more fluid than it takes in. Dehydration can upset the delicate fluid-salt balance needed to maintain healthy cells and tissues."

"Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on how much of the body fluid is lost, estimated by loss in bodyweight. Mild dehydration is the loss of no more than 5 to 6 percent loss of body weight. Loss of 7 to 10 percent is considered moderate dehydration. Severe dehydration (loss of over 10 percent of body weight) is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical care."

"75% of Americans May Suffer From Chronic Dehydration, According to Doctors"

“We have a tendency in the U.S. to drink a lot of beverages that are mildly dehydrating."

"More than 2 billion people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water."

“60 percent of our bodies is composed of water, 75 percent in our muscles, 85 percent in our brains.”

"Over time, failure to drink enough water can contribute to a wide array of medical complications, from fatigue, joint pain and weight gain to headaches, ulcers, high blood pressure and kidney disease."

http://www.medicaldaily.com/75-americans-may-suffer-chronic-dehydration-according-doctors-247393

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2327754/

http://rehydrate.org/water/

http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Dehydration.aspx


Myth: Dehydration is relatively rare and occurs only when the body is deprived of water for days.

Reality: Low-grade dehydration (versus acute and clinical dehydration) is a chronic, widespread problem that has major impacts on well-being, energy, appearance and resiliency. Christopher Vasey, ND, a Swiss naturopath and author of The Water Prescription (Healing Arts Press, 2006), believes that most people suffer regularly from this type of chronic dehydration because of poor eating and drinking habits.

Chronic dehydration can cause digestive disorders because our bodies need water to produce the digestive juices that aid the digestive process. If we don’t get that water, we don’t secrete enough digestive juices, and a variety of problems — such as gas, bloating, nausea, poor digestion and loss of appetite — can ensue.

Bottom Line: If you’re not actively focusing on hydrating throughout the day, there’s a good chance you could be at least somewhat dehydrated, which could be negatively affecting your energy, vitality and immunity — as well as your appearance. Experiment with drinking more water throughout the day. You may observe an almost immediate difference in your well-being, and even if you don’t, establishing good hydration habits now will do many good things for your cellular health over the long haul.

lemurcat12 wrote: »

sixxpoint wrote: »

More people are dehydrated in the world than water-logged.

I don't really care about the 8 cups a day guideline, but it's true that sometimes drinking huge amounts of water is elevated as some special diet magic, and that's silly.

I find it hard to believe that any significant number of people are dehydrated, assuming liquid is available to them. Seems like one would have to be extremely dysfunctional to not just naturally drink as much as one needs (insert thing about urine color being the best way to check here) ;-).

So great, drink your water, but don't stress about it or think that if you don't get at least 8 cups of pure water per day that means you can't lose or some silliness.

Disclaimer: I have always loved drinking (that too, sadly, but here I just mean anything thirst quenching) and I've never liked drinking calories, so guzzling lots of water throughout the day (without counting it) is just something I've always done, and it's always amazed me that people can eat a meal without having water or something else to drink too. So maybe some people really let themselves get dehydrated (when not in hot weather or engaging in athletic activity) but I can't really understand how that would be a common thing such that we have to actively try to drink water and count it.

That said, I usually do count my water at least up to the 8 cups, since it's an easy way to check something off and I like checking things off. The importance just seems oddly inflated, especially when people start insisting that tea can't count or some such.

Before I got my butt back into fitness, I was chronically dehydrated. I rarely drank water and mostly drank soda and alcoholic beverages and coffee. I would occasionally piss clear in those days, but it was rare...most mornings I would wake up with very dark yellow urine.

Consuming mostly water has fixed all that...I'm pretty much always pale to clear unless I have a rough Saturday night. I drink far more than the guideline of 8 glasses. On average I'd say about a gallon per day and more during the summer months...but I also live in the desert at over a mile high in elevation...dehydration happens quick here...it's pretty much the number one thing I warn tourists about on TripAdvisor.

Boot Camp?

I don't think it is something to stress about. A 64 oz of water per day isn't really that out of reach for a goal though. That is like a 1/2 gallon bottle. Most people probably drink at least 1/2 gallon of fluids a day pretty easily.
Does it help with weight loss? I think if the water is replacing higher calorie drinks or keeping you from overeating then yes.
I drink about 48-64 oz of water a day just drinking water with my meals and whenever I am thirsty. I don't bother tracking it anymore. I've always been drinking this amount of water and still gained weight. So just drinking water is good but isn't a magic. Watch your calorie intake.

I think a lot of people are dehydrated. Until you get in the habit of drinking a lot, you just don't know it. One reason. I never drank water as a kid. Now I drink a ton and crave it. Also my fiancé rarely drinks water because he doesn't think of it. His pee is dark yellow and smells terrible so I'm pretty sure he is dehydrated.