No, You Do Not Have to Drink 8 Glasses of Water a Day

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Replies

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    I like drinking lots of water too, but I don't see the point of tracking it or drinking a specific number of glasses. That's what people are saying.
  • harmar21
    harmar21 Posts: 215 Member
    hmm cool. But I drink about 1 gallon of water a day.
  • nordlead2005
    nordlead2005 Posts: 1,303 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    HappyCampr1 wrote: »
    starling01 wrote: »
    And I agree that MFP's water nag is dumb.

    MFP nags you about drinking water? I've never seen this.

    The app nags/praises about weird things. I prefer to log on the computer anyway, but when I noticed this it became another reason not to log on the app.

    If you don't want to the App to recommend things, just go to the settings tab and turn it off. It isn't hard.

    The app is vastly superior to the web interface due to the quick search feature alone.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    edited August 2015
    I just find it easier to do most MFP things, including logging, on-line, not on the app. If I wanted to use the app, I'd turn it off, though.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    It always makes me sad when I see people come in the forums and ask how to force themselves to drink water or if they'll ever get used to peeing all the time. :disappointed:
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    If one is taking B vitamins, the urine can be dark.
  • rhyolite_
    rhyolite_ Posts: 188 Member
    I went a year+ drinking nothing but Sprite Zero and some tea, and I never got dehydrated. It didn't affect my weight, my skin, or even my teeth. (Hint: Sprite Zero is also water)

    I drink water now because I like it, but I don't track it or carry around a Pinterest-style gallon jug of it.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,943 Member
    Orphia wrote: »
    Read this, or read my Cliff Quotes.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html

    Quotes:

    "If there is one health myth that will not die, it is this: You should drink eight glasses of water a day.

    It’s just not true. There is no science behind it.

    Many people believe that the source of this myth was a 1945 Food and Nutrition Board recommendation that said people need about 2.5 liters of water a day. But they ignored the sentence that followed closely behind. It read, “Most of this quantity is contained in prepared foods.”

    Water is present in fruits and vegetables. It’s in juice, it’s in beer, it’s even in tea and coffee. Before anyone writes me to tell me that coffee is going to dehydrate you, research shows that’s not true either.

    Although I recommended water as the best beverage to consume, it’s certainly not your only source of hydration. You don’t have to consume all the water you need through drinks. You also don’t need to worry so much about never feeling thirsty. The human body is finely tuned to signal you to drink long before you are actually dehydrated.

    Contrary to many stories you may hear, there’s no real scientific proof that, for otherwise healthy people, drinking extra water has any health benefits.

    [A]s people in this country live longer than ever before, and have arguably freer access to beverages than at almost any time in human history, it’s just not true that we’re all dehydrated."

    ==

    Water is not a magic weight loss elixir.

    Drink if you're thirsty.

    Or if your urine is the wrong colour:

    Hydration%20Chart_zpssfncaw0k.jpg

    But basically, you will feel thirsty if you're over the borderline, so Just Drink When You're Thirsty.

    What? Not 8 glasses a day? :D<3>:)

    Thanks for posting this.
  • renuol
    renuol Posts: 10 Member
    I have drink too much water before (2-3L), and I get dizzy and light headed because of that. I guess too much water can cause your body to not absorb much nutrients from the food. Now, I just drink when I'm thirsty and I don't have that problem anymore.
  • MondayJune22nd2015
    MondayJune22nd2015 Posts: 876 Member
    renuol wrote: »
    I have drink too much water before (2-3L), and I get dizzy and light headed because of that. I guess too much water can cause your body to not absorb much nutrients from the food. Now, I just drink when I'm thirsty and I don't have that problem anymore.

    Too much water swells your brain.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    Any water-based drink will hydrate you, including sodas. Of course, the other things you're drinking in with it might be harmful, but from a purely hydrating standpoint, they still count.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    I drink 2-3L of water per day because I like drinking water. I also follow the chart.
    Long live the pee chart.
    RodaRose wrote: »
    If one is taking B vitamins, the urine can be dark.
    Or fluorescent yellow. Haha.

  • lokihen
    lokihen Posts: 382 Member
    Is it also a myth that drinking plenty of water helps prevent gallstones?
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
    I have a hard time determining my color using the pee chart because the toilets in the house are blue. I figure since the water in it after I go pee isn't green, I'm hydrated. The glass I use holds 500mL and I refill it 8 times, so 4L ir 1 gallon. Oh, I drink when I'm thirsty.
  • azulvioleta6
    azulvioleta6 Posts: 4,196 Member
    No, I need more like 12-16. Ten is my minimum on an inactive, cool day.

    I would be miserable if I drank less water.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
    harmar21 wrote: »
    hmm cool. But I drink about 1 gallon of water a day.

    I bet you're hyponatremic.
  • SteveMFP123
    SteveMFP123 Posts: 298 Member
    I drink a 2L bottle every day, I pretty much only drink water at this point.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    lokihen wrote: »
    Is it also a myth that drinking plenty of water helps prevent gallstones?

    No, this is fact. Proper hydration also helps prevent kidney stone formation.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,956 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    lokihen wrote: »
    Is it also a myth that drinking plenty of water helps prevent gallstones?

    No, this is fact. Proper hydration also helps prevent kidney stone formation.

    Indeed. But the point here is that proper hydration need not mean forcing yourself to drink more water. Proper hydration can be achieved through all beverages, not just water, and by water from foods.
  • ejbronte
    ejbronte Posts: 867 Member
    As far as I know, it certainly can't hurt to have a good bit of water in your system. It was one of the things I increased when I started my weight-loss-and-health-increasing program last December. I usually land between 6 and 8 8-ounce servings a day. I believe it's helped with my sodium/potassium balancing act; I do see an improvement in my skin; and I also believe it's one of the positive factors of the various shifts I've made over the last few months (not to mention, I gain a few steps every day because of the water intake ...)

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