Include water or add it separately?

tdalebar
tdalebar Posts: 19 Member
This is an open question to anyone who knows whether or not when I have an 8 oz cup of coffee if I should just add it as coffee or consider the coffee separate from the water and add the water as well.

This might seem obvious to some, but I'm SO new to this that it's not so obvious to me. Thanks in advance for helping, trying to help, or at least having a chuckle at my expense. I'm a good sport.

Replies

  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,913 Member
    I add it as coffee not as water, but it's still water. However, coffee is 2 calories. And if you have stuff in your coffee, it will be more than 2 calories.

  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,191 Member
    edited August 2019
    I also add mine as coffee with skimmed milk. I dont add the water for the coffee but log how many cups of water I have separately to make sure I drink water as I often forget as I am mainly a tea drinker.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 33,905 Member
    Do you drink water at all?

    Coffee can count as part of your daily liquid. Water is good for you too!

    I don't log water. I drink a lot of it, though. Easily 100 ounces (I'm 140 pounds) on non-exercise days.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    It is a good question and you are very smart for trying to be super precise right now. Many people don't bother to log the coffee they just log the caloric ingredients they add to it like cream and sugar. I think it is a really good idea to log everything you can right now so you can decide what is worth tracking and what is overkill based on your particular habits.

    Logging water is optional. Since it is on the screen many people, including myself, have logged a little when starting. Some people keep doing it. For me it was a short-lived practice. If your mid morning urine is dark drink more water if it is pretty clear you are good to go just drink when you get thirsty. Doesn't hurt to drink extra if you know you will be sweating to stay ahead on hydration. It is also a good idea to drink extra when you know you will be consuming alcoholic beverages.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    edited August 2019
    Water doesn't stop being water just because something was added to it. It's still water so can be counted towards your 'fluid' intake for the day.

    Whether you count the coffee calories or not is up to you and your needs but generally speaking there are so few calories in the coffee that it's negligible and not going to impact your weight. Other stuff that might get added (sugar, milk, cream, syrups, etc) 100% need to be accounted for.
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,191 Member
    Enjoy your weekend😀
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    First ask yourself if there's any point whatsoever in logging your water intake.
    (There is however a point in logging all food and drinks that contain calories.)

    For me there was no point at all in counting or logging water and I suspect that's the same for most people.

    Yes it's good to be hydrated but that doesn't have to be water, it's not a set amount for every person, it's not the same amount every day for an individual, most people have a perfectly good mechanism to tell them if they aren't drinking enough, there's no benefit to drinking too much.....
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    I've never logged water. If you're worried about proper hydration, go by the color of your urine and not by how much water you've had that day. Your urine should be pale yellow other than first thing in the morning, when it may be darker. If it's dark later in the day, drink more water.

    You should log anything that has calories. A cup of black coffee has very few calories (less than 5), so some people may think that's negligible and not worth logging. Others will want to log that coffee so their logging is as accurate as possible. Keep in mind that even though coffee is very low calorie, if you're having multiple cups, it can add up. And of course, if you add anything to the coffee, you should log your cream, sugar, etc.
  • Danp
    Danp Posts: 1,561 Member
    Another in the 'never logged water, never saw the point' camp here.
  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,131 Member
    I don't log water either, but I log coffee. Not for the calories, because I drink it black with Splenda, but just because it is part of my breakfast and PM snack.

    I only drink water (no alcohol, sodas or juices) with all my meals and also in between, and like #apullum said, I guide myself by the color of the urine to determine if I am hydrated or not. If you feel that you need to log your water intake to keep track of it, go for it. But don't sweat the small stuff, but do consider your cup of java as part of liquid intake.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited August 2019
    I log coffee. I drink it instant because I'm lazy, and I drink it black no sugar because that's how I like it. Instant coffee has more calories than brewed. 34 calories for the 32 oz I drink (and yes, it does count towards hydration). If I decided to switch to filter brewed coffee, that's 10 or so calories for the same amount, maybe not worth logging. Knowing me, though, I would still want to log it out of habit.

    I never log water because my sense of thirst is good enough to keep me hydrated.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    34 cals for black coffee, no sugar? Is that true?

    I too drink instant because I prefer it and since my husband decided he preferred tea and threw out the coffee machine I have no option! But my default instant comes up as 0cals. I do buy a couple of flavoured instants which come in as 2 cals per cup, but now I’m a bit concerned! I drink enough through the day that that hike in calories would definitely eat into what is already a small deficit.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    34 cals for black coffee, no sugar? Is that true?

    I too drink instant because I prefer it and since my husband decided he preferred tea and threw out the coffee machine I have no option! But my default instant comes up as 0cals. I do buy a couple of flavoured instants which come in as 2 cals per cup, but now I’m a bit concerned! I drink enough through the day that that hike in calories would definitely eat into what is already a small deficit.

    Instant coffee is about 2 cals per leveled teaspoon of dry (that's about 2.3 or 2.4 calories per gram of weight). Your label may be using a serving of 1-2 tsp, so they can list it as 0 because it's less 5.
  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    Thank you for that information. Time to rethink the drink! Looks like hot water for me here on out when I want a hot drink. Maybe I can squeeze in one cup in the morning but I’m not going to go for more than that now I know I’ve been wrong logging only the flavoured cups.
  • unicorngems
    unicorngems Posts: 56 Member
    I had it as coffee with skimmed milk as I have a desk job and limit myself to 4 cups a day. I add on 4 cups first thing then space my coffee's out through out the day.

    I track my glasses of water separately at the bottom and aim for between 6-8 glasses over my shift!

    I just keep re-filling that pint glass, only issue is needing to go to the wee all of the time.
  • rissadiann
    rissadiann Posts: 5 Member
    I log coffee separately. Yes, coffee is mostly water but it’s not going to hydrate you like water does. I don’t think anyone has a “right or wrong” answer with this, probably just personal preference.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    edited August 2019
    Thank you for that information. Time to rethink the drink! Looks like hot water for me here on out when I want a hot drink. Maybe I can squeeze in one cup in the morning but I’m not going to go for more than that now I know I’ve been wrong logging only the flavoured cups.

    You could get one of these drippers that rest over the cup for pour over hand brewing. They're cheap and not too bulky to store.