Do I need to drink water?

I have this same issue and I know it's important to work on it. Suggestions?

I'm finding that I just don't drink much water in any given day. I have two cups of black coffee (no cream/sugar) in the morning, and then barley any liquid throughout the day. I'm not sure why...just not terribly thirsty. Any thoughts about if drinking my 8 glasses of water a day will increase my weight loss?

I'd love to read a medically sourced document on this. The only medically sourced information I've found about this is here:

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

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~news/releases/2002/aug/080802.html

http://ajpregu.physiology.org/content/283/5/R993.full

Yes, there are many sites that directly address the "8x8" and call it a myth but it lives on.

Thirst is an excellent guide to water consumption. To the point where the International Association of Marathon Medical Directors changed their advice in 2001. Prior to that time, they advised runners to "pre-hydrate" and had guidelines about how much water to drink. In 2001, they changed their guidance due to "overwhelming evidence" that thirst was the best means of gauging water needs.

Like you, I don't get very thirsty but I do watch my water consumption because when I run I lose about 1 pound every 3 miles. I've been eating a lot of salad up until a few weeks ago and, when I started running again after a two week layoff, I noticed that I was more thirsty than usual. When I looked at what I'd eaten, I realized that I'd been eating less salad so I had to consume more liquids to compensate for that. This stuff ain't rocket science…

My liquids of choice - coffee, iced tea, Coke Zero, home made recovery drink, and, from time to time, water.

I carry a water bottle with me every day, everywhere I go. I drink probably 100 oz a day. I love water!

Try drinking the water when you're hungry (your stomach rumbles)... Alot of times it's your body telling you that you are "hungry" for water, rather than food.

Not only is that another way to get your water in, but it could make you eat less.

Exactly what I was going to write. Sometimes your brain gives you a confusing signal -- you think you are hungry, when you are in fact starting to dehydrate.
And yes, drinking plain NATURAL water (or whichever food/fruit/veggie containing water) is much better than drinking pop crap or coffee with artificial sugars and creamers!!

Your body is made of about 60% of water. Water is essential to the most important biological fuctions. Crappy additives in soda and so on are NOT.

No one is denying drinking water is better in terms of nutrition. But you cant say that soda doesnt help hydrate, as it does. And drinking water will not make fat magically burn off faster at any notable rate, and there isnt isnt essential to weight loss, which was the point of the thread originally.

Thank you HMonsterX.
Just wanted to let you now that I appreciate your postings on this subject as I can't even start b/c it drives me nuts.
There was a similar post the other day, but didn't see your post. Kept thinking when is Monster gong to post the real truth about hydration.

True, there is water in most things we drink; as well as sugars, caffeine, additives our bodies don't know what to do with etc. "Caffeine is also a diuretic and causes a loss of fluid, which then leads to a dehydrating effect. This is obviously not conductive to fitness activities such as resistance training, as fluid is needed for the transfer of nutrients to facilitate muscular growth". " Fifty percent or more of a normal adult's body weight is water, which serves a host of vital functions. Water has been called the 'cradle of life' because all living organisms require water to survive. Each body (and cell body) is bathed in fluid and it is only in this precisely regulated and homeostatically controlled environment that cells can function...water chemistry forms the basis for the chemistry of life". Direct from my MEDICAL text books; this one specifically Anatomy & Physiology 7th edition Patton & Thibodeau. I can pull out more if you'd like/require additional proof.
There is water in most foods as well however not enough to sustain the needs of our body's demands. Caffeine in the form of soda is highly detrimental to the body; coffee and tea however have far more pure water and pure ingredients. We need to feed our bodies adequately if we wish to stay healthy; especially when we are losing weight and working out which increase demands on all body systems.

True, there is water in most things we drink; as well as sugars, caffeine, additives our bodies don't know what to do with etc. "Caffeine is also a diuretic and causes a loss of fluid, which then leads to a dehydrating effect. This is obviously not conductive to fitness activities such as resistance training, as fluid is needed for the transfer of nutrients to facilitate muscular growth". " Fifty percent or more of a normal adult's body weight is water, which serves a host of vital functions. Water has been called the 'cradle of life' because all living organisms require water to survive. Each body (and cell body) is bathed in fluid and it is only in this precisely regulated and homeostatically controlled environment that cells can function...water chemistry forms the basis for the chemistry of life". Direct from my MEDICAL text books; this one specifically Anatomy & Physiology 7th edition Patton & Thibodeau. I can pull out more if you'd like/require additional proof.
There is water in most foods as well however not enough to sustain the needs of our body's demands. Caffeine in the form of soda is highly detrimental to the body; coffee and tea however have far more pure water and pure ingredients. We need to feed our bodies adequately if we wish to stay healthy; especially when we are losing weight and working out which increase demands on all body systems.

And Yes Monsterx I do know exactly what Diuretic means.