Water consumption

El_Rapido
El_Rapido Posts: 97 Member
edited October 6 in Food and Nutrition
Just out of interest, do you count all your drinks as water consumption or just the times you have plain water?

So far today I have had 1 pint of orange squash, 1 glass of water and 2 cups of coffee. I've clicked on the water consumption glass 3 times, I figured the coffees would equate to 1 large glass.

Replies

  • DisneyAddictRW
    DisneyAddictRW Posts: 800 Member
    I only count water. I don't allow myself a diet coke until I have all my water for the day. By then most of the time I no longer want one. Not much of a coffee drinker but lately I've had a thing for Starbucks not sure why.
  • El_Rapido
    El_Rapido Posts: 97 Member
    I can't function without coffee in the morning on my workdays! I interpret the water consumption tab as a way of tracking hydration rather than pure water, I just wondered what others thought.
  • RainbowPearl
    RainbowPearl Posts: 42 Member
    I only count water. I drink 6 liters a day. I just love the stuff, can't seem to get enough. :drinker:
  • premiumchilenita
    premiumchilenita Posts: 600 Member
    I've heard (don't quote me on this one) that coffee should not be counted because it actually dehydrates, not that I'm a coffee drinker anyway but I track water as water and all other drinks I put in as food, bcoz most other drinks have calories in them.

    Ok, ok, I have just been googling about the dehydration of coffee and it only applies when you drink 5 cups of coffee or more, but water is still recommended, just a fun fact I thought you might like to know
  • MissOmi
    MissOmi Posts: 21
    I have wondered about this too. I drink a lot of iced tea lately because I can't have regular soda anymore. Tea accounts for the majority of my fluid consumption.
  • ukyo999
    ukyo999 Posts: 26
    I count all sugar free drinks.
  • snookumss
    snookumss Posts: 1,451 Member
    Okay, here is the deal. I've read online, in my nutrition book, the radio last week and even heard from *some* others in the forums that COFFEE can count!

    If you drink every day one/two cups of coffee your body gets used to the caffeine and it doesn't have the same dehydrating effect that it would on a newbie. You can count these towards your water.

    I count everything except soda I only count half. Chocolate Milk, Juices, teas, *yes, my coffee*, some soda and of course the water bottles I drink.

    If you drink something like tea, the only difference between water and tea is that you added something to existing water. It doesn't matter if you add a teaspoon of sugar there is technically still water your body is utilizing. Yes, there is sugar but why wouldn't the water count as much as those added calories!
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Haven't tracked it in ages, but h2o is h2o... hell, your food has most the water you need in it unless you're eating everything freeze dried.
  • Bubs05
    Bubs05 Posts: 179 Member
    I log my coffee but only count my plain ole water as water.
  • UFFStudent
    UFFStudent Posts: 20
    does anyone else have the problem that they cant seem to drink enough water? or sugar free drinks?
    I'm not a big drinker and I find 8 glasses of anything a day hard :/
    Any tips how to make sure I get these 8 glasses?
  • amberdaniels
    amberdaniels Posts: 96
    Actually, you should only count water. I am not a coffee drinker but I am a tea drinker. I enjoy a cup of tea in the morning. But because tea and coffee have the tendency to dehydrate you, you should NOT count that as your water consumption. If you don't like drinking water add a little of lemon or lime. But coffee or tea or sodas for that matter should not be added to your water consumption.
  • bbbgamer
    bbbgamer Posts: 582 Member
    I only count water, pure nothing added to it water. Using the logic of drinks, coffee, etc... having water in them, how would you log watermelon? Soup? Orange juice from concentrate? Water is water, nothing else..... if you are counting how much liquid you have consumed then by all means, but dont cheat yourself into thinking that it is water...........
  • dreamshadows
    dreamshadows Posts: 734 Member
    I only count true water as water. Pop, tea, juice, milk are bonus liquid.
  • tausha_k
    tausha_k Posts: 53
    I do log in my other drinks, coffee, tea, milk, but I only count water as water. I drink a gallon + a day. My water glass is already over flowing.
  • amberdaniels
    amberdaniels Posts: 96
    does anyone else have the problem that they cant seem to drink enough water? or sugar free drinks?
    I'm not a big drinker and I find 8 glasses of anything a day hard :/
    Any tips how to make sure I get these 8 glasses?

    Carry a bottle with you and keep refilling it. I love water but I sometimes forget to drink it, therefore I carry a bottle with me.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    If I drink another beverage I don't log it as water, just because it's already logged in my diary so I don't want to count it twice. But it all counts towards your hydration, including the water in food.
  • plhv19
    plhv19 Posts: 46 Member
    Do yourself a favor, and don't count coffee or caffeine drinks (and also, don't count those drinks with artificial sweetners and junk). Drinking the extra water on top of your other beverages will only help you.
  • Bubs05
    Bubs05 Posts: 179 Member
    does anyone else have the problem that they cant seem to drink enough water? or sugar free drinks?
    I'm not a big drinker and I find 8 glasses of anything a day hard :/
    Any tips how to make sure I get these 8 glasses?
    When I first started it was very hard. I carried a water bottle everywhere and felt like all I did was drink water and still had 2 chug 2 glasses before bed to get my 8 glasses in.
    But once you get in the habit it does get easier. You will find that your body craves more water and now I sometimes put away 8 glasses before lunch.
    BTW, I love when the little MFP water glass spills over.
  • Classalete
    Classalete Posts: 464 Member
    I carry around a gallon jug of water around my apt or office...and I make sure I drink two of them per day.

    Boom, 32 cups.
  • AmeChops
    AmeChops Posts: 744 Member
    I'll log actual water on the glass counter thingy - if I add some squash then I'll count that too AND add it to my diary for the calories. Coffee, tea, fizzy soda etc will only get logged in the diary.
  • krisrpaz
    krisrpaz Posts: 263 Member
    does anyone else have the problem that they cant seem to drink enough water? or sugar free drinks?
    I'm not a big drinker and I find 8 glasses of anything a day hard :/
    Any tips how to make sure I get these 8 glasses?

    My problem is, I love water, but only pure water and drinking only bottled water is not only expensive but bad for the environment. I bought a Brita bottle but I swear it makes NO difference with the water fountain at work. I can still taste metal and it grosses me out. I've tried Mio but it makes my stomach cramp (from the sweetener I guess?). I am still trying to find an alternative...I might buy a Brita pitcher and try to find somewhere to keep it in my tiny office.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Do yourself a favor, and don't count coffee or caffeine drinks (and also, don't count those drinks with artificial sweetners and junk). Drinking the extra water on top of your other beverages will only help you.

    Do yourself a favor, and do some research before giving inaccurate advice.

    You need the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


    As for coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

    di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
    adj.
    Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
    n.
    A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

    Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


    http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

    http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

    http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

    http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

    http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

    http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php

    http://www.caring4cancer.com/go/cancer/nutrition/questions/do-caffeinated-beverages-cause-dehydration.htm

    http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5552790&page=1#.TrQWc0O5_oo
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