What counts as water...

I see this question asked often. Can you count stuff other the pure water towards your daily intake? Yes
Here is a list of how much water is in other beverages/foods.
100% - water (obviously), unflavored seltzer water, plain tea
95% - 99% diet soft drinks, sugar free gelatin, clear broth, celery, cucumber, lettuce, summer squash, black coffee
90% - 94% sports drinks, grapefruit, strawberries, broccoli, tomatoes
80% - 89% sugar sweetened soft drinks, milk, yogurt, egg whites, fruit juice, low fat cottage cheese, cooked oatmeal, apple, carrot
60% - 79% low calorie mayo, instant pudding, lean steak, pork chop, baked potato, cooked rice
40% - 59% sausage, chicken, macaroni and cheese, diet margarine

Obviously most of these have calories, a few have added sugar, but if they fit with your daily goals use them to add variety to your day.

Replies

elphie754

So sausages, Mac and cheese, pork chops and baked potatoes etc are considered a drink?

bpetrosky

All those things are correct, but how is it useful? A person's water daily water requirements are easy to obtain with a few glasses worth. Other (non-alcoholic) drinks count, too. Trying to track water consumption in the contents of food is overthinking the problem.

amy_kee

I asked a RD what counted as water in your meal plan. She said water and water with powered drink mixes in it, as long as there was no caffeine in the powered drink mixes. So, I"m sticking with what the RD said. I agree that tracking water content in food is being overly obsessive and agree that it's over thinking the question.

mom2kpr

elphie - of course they are not drinks, but they do provide hydration

bpetrosky - you may not have a problem getting water in your day, but I see many posts of people saying they don't like plain water and what are the alternatives, so I provided some alternatives

may_kee - I am currently going to school to become a RD and this is directly from my nutrition textbook, so this list is what they are currently teaching RD's.

bpetrosky

But again, how is this applied practically? Are you giving these people a target of how much water (or water substitute) to get, and they're expected to determine the water content of sausage to help reach that goal?

Considering how awash we are in over-complicated diet advice about calories and macronutrients alone, does it help to over-complicate information about getting enough water?

livingleanlivingclean

amy_kee wrote: »

I asked a RD what counted as water in your meal plan. She said water and water with powered drink mixes in it, as long as there was no caffeine in the powered drink mixes. So, I"m sticking with what the RD said. I agree that tracking water content in food is being overly obsessive and agree that it's over thinking the question.

The diuretic effects of caffeine are negligible.... I count all liquid (with the exception of alcohol, but I drink that so rarely as it is..)

mom2kpr

bpetrosky wrote: »

But again, how is this applied practically? Are you giving these people a target of how much water (or water substitute) to get, and they're expected to determine the water content of sausage to help reach that goal?

Considering how awash we are in over-complicated diet advice about calories and macronutrients alone, does it help to over-complicate information about getting enough water?

I think everyone else is over complicating it. Say your goal is 8 glasses of water, but after 6 your bored with water. Think about what you else you've had. I had coffee or tea for breakfast - easy enough - I used 8 oz of water. Then I had strawberries for a snack and a salad with some of the vegetables and milk for lunch. No I don't know the exact oz of water, but I can be pretty safe in saying that I was well hydrated for the day & I don't need to obsess over drinking 8 glasses of plain water. Personally I drink 65 - 90 oz a day, about 30 oz with flavoring, plus my coffee and whatever else may on this list, but I've noticed that some people insist they HAVE to have 8 glasses of pure water a day - which simply isn't true.

Desert_flower3

I was fine till I read pork chops and sausage

mom2kpr

Desert_flower3 wrote: »

I was fine till I read pork chops and sausage

I agree, I find some of these a little odd, but it's from my book from a class in nutrition I'm currently taking.

RodaRose

I drink 6 or 7 of fluids each day,
The 8 cups a day is a "rule" that someone made up and others repeated it often so enough that every eventually treated as If it were a real rule

elphie754

I'd ask for a refund because if they are teaching that sausages and pork chops count as fluid intake, there is something not right lol. Almost all food has water in it, so why single these out?

faithyang

Vodka. First thing that came to mind.

Mr_Knight

bpetrosky wrote: »

But again, how is this applied practically?

Because it reduces the water requirement to "if you're thirsty, drink".

Mr_Knight

Desert_flower3 wrote: »

I was fine till I read pork chops and sausage

Muscle is mostly water.

bpetrosky

faithyang wrote: »

Vodka. First thing that came to mind.

Vodka in the US is typically 40% ABV, so the remaining 60% is pretty much water....I wouldn't suggest that as a water substitute though.

Bud light, I would suggest as a water substitute.

bbontheb

I actually like it when someone posts info like this. I hate water for the most part but I also dislike other cold beverages. I do drink like 5 big cups of tea a day now and have always wondered how much "water" you are getting from other foods to keep hydrated. Thanks OP!

Kalikel

Everyone has their own definition. To me, water is water, juice is juice, soda is soda and grapes are grapes.

But you can count anything you want! It's your diary, your body and your weight loss journey.

amy_kee

I agree that 64 oz day is just a guide. For example, people in certain climates even need more per day. I realize you have a nice, new text book and you value it highly. It's just something that people decided was good at the time the text was written. I still disagree with you and will continue to disagree. The RD that helped me was practical and didn't try to complicate things.

Sued0nim

amy_kee wrote: »

I agree that 64 oz day is just a guide. For example, people in certain climates even need more per day. I realize you have a nice, new text book and you value it highly. It's just something that people decided was good at the time the text was written. I still disagree with you and will continue to disagree. The RD that helped me was practical and didn't try to complicate things.

I think your RD is merely simplifying things

It's true that the whole you must drink x amount is fallacious. We get hydrated by foods as well as drink. Water is easy cos it's zero calories but every drink and food counts

Drink if you're thirsty, check your urine colour is a good enough guide to adequate hydration

Kalikel

You really don't even need to look at your urine to see if you should drink.

Unless you have some medical or psychological condition that affects your sense of thirst, you can trust your thirst to guide you. Keep water around, take a drink when you feel like it.

It really is that easy.

Sued0nim

Not when thirst can be misunderstood as hunger cues

unknown

This content has been removed.

mom2kpr

elphie754 wrote: »

I'd ask for a refund because if they are teaching that sausages and pork chops count as fluid intake, there is something not right lol. Almost all food has water in it, so why single these out?

This is not a comprehensive list. Obviously there are other foods that have high water content - melons for example.

mom2kpr

rabbitjb wrote: »

amy_kee wrote: »

I agree that 64 oz day is just a guide. For example, people in certain climates even need more per day. I realize you have a nice, new text book and you value it highly. It's just something that people decided was good at the time the text was written. I still disagree with you and will continue to disagree. The RD that helped me was practical and didn't try to complicate things.

I think your RD is merely simplifying things

It's true that the whole you must drink x amount is fallacious. We get hydrated by foods as well as drink. Water is easy cos it's zero calories but every drink and food counts

Drink if you're thirsty, check your urine colour is a good enough guide to adequate hydration

This.

mom2kpr

bbontheb wrote: »

I actually like it when someone posts info like this. I hate water for the most part but I also dislike other cold beverages. I do drink like 5 big cups of tea a day now and have always wondered how much "water" you are getting from other foods to keep hydrated. Thanks OP!

Your welcome.

callsitlikeiseeit

i count water as water. i guess a powedered mix (though i dont use them) would count.

anything else is ...what it is. soda is soda. coffee is coffee. food is food.

do we get hydration from other sources? of course. but that doesnt mean it should be logged as WATER.

Mr_Knight

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

i count water as water. i guess a powedered mix (though i dont use them) would count. anything else is ...what it is. soda is soda. coffee is coffee. food is food.

do we get hydration from other sources? of course. but that doesnt mean it should be logged as WATER.

Well, the good news is you can log it any way you like, because it really doesn't matter. :drinker:

Cthululululu

From what I've always been told, if you're thirsty you're in the beginning of dehydration.
Drink water consistently throughout the day to avoid that.

Then again, I also live in Florida. Constant hydration or heatstroke are my options.

PaulaWallaDingDong

Mr_Knight wrote: »

callsitlikeiseeit wrote: »

i count water as water. i guess a powedered mix (though i dont use them) would count. anything else is ...what it is. soda is soda. coffee is coffee. food is food.

do we get hydration from other sources? of course. but that doesnt mean it should be logged as WATER.

Well, the good news is you can log it any way you like, because it really doesn't matter. :drinker:

He speaks the truth.

999tigger

I dont think everyone else is overcomplicating, % overcomplicate.

Simply look at the colour of your urine to see if you are hydrated or not. Its not hard otherwise about 2l or 1.6l of fluids as a general guidleline that includes things other than water (excluding alcohol) is cool. If you exercise you need more. Tbh OP I thought you were overcomplicating it.