Oh Water! How could I have been so wrong?

buckobuckobucko
buckobuckobucko Posts: 65
edited November 10 in Food and Nutrition
Ok so I started out the correct way trying to drink water all the time and got a little burnt out so I started drinking Coke Zero again. My weight loss had stalled so I figured that maybe I should start back again. I have been drinking 68 ounces a day (two Smart Waters) for the past three days, and this morning the scales said I had lost about 4 pounds! I haven't logged the loss yet because my scales seem to fluctuate a little. I will make sure tomorrow morning that its still reading the same. Can water really make that much of a difference or was this a coincidence?

Replies

  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    Given that diet coke as little to no calories, I would guess that there were other factors at play.
  • msteaplease
    msteaplease Posts: 32 Member
    Sounds like a coincidence.

    I find when I drink soda, even diet soda, I end up more hungry and craving not so good foods and lots of sweets.

    So maybe by drinking water you kept a lot of other cravings away, which helped the scale go down. :smile:
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    It probably was from the water. It fills you up fast and flushes out all impurities - including sodium- that cause bloating and weight gain.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    It probably was from the water. It fills you up fast and flushes out all impurities - including sodium- that cause bloating and weight gain.

    Sodium is an impurity?

    And here I thought is was an essential mineral
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
    Coke Zero and other Diet drinks have artificial sugar - so while no calories - you are not "flushing" your system and adding "toxins" to the body.

    I think the water played a big role....but not completely. Nothing wrong with having a coke zero or something every now and then, but you still need the 70+ oz of water per day!
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    The water definitely had everything to do with your weight loss! The large amount of sodium in the Coke Zero would make you retain water. By drinking extra water you can flush out the excess sodium and retained water. Water is the best "diet" drink out there. Water really does help with weight loss. There is a connection between them. Not a scientifically, and statistically proven one, but more successes than not! Keep drinking that water!
  • GoinOrganic
    GoinOrganic Posts: 86 Member
    I agree it's not just the water, but the NOT drinking an artificially sweetened carbonated drink. The carbonation is a 5.5pH, which makes us more acidic, increases inflammation and all kinds of stuff. Certain foods create inflammation specifically in the intestines, which means weight gain. You did great to make the change... remember our taste buds only live 7 DAYS, so within a week, even your taste buds won't 'crave' the soda... just your brain/memory will possibly want it!!
  • Hilary75
    Hilary75 Posts: 90 Member
    Glad I came across this post. I was a water drinking fiend but haven't been drinking as much bc I just get super busy chasing my twins around but after reading this, and refilling my nalgene bottle, I'm drinking my water again.
  • I hate water but know I have to drink it but 70 oz. a day, I'd never leave the bathroom. Please tell me if the flavorings you can buy now to add to water are any good for you? Maybe this would help me drink that needed water.
  • lmelangley
    lmelangley Posts: 1,039 Member
    I laid off Diet Coke for a month around Christmas. Not intentionally - it just worked out that way. I decided to have one - 20oz- and the next day I had put on a pound. For me, the problem is the sodium. I never knew it before, but it makes me retain water like crazy.
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    Ok so I started out the correct way trying to drink water all the time and got a little burnt out so I started drinking Coke Zero again. My weight loss had stalled so I figured that maybe I should start back again. I have been drinking 68 ounces a day (two Smart Waters) for the past three days, and this morning the scales said I had lost about 4 pounds! I haven't logged the loss yet because my scales seem to fluctuate a little. I will make sure tomorrow morning that its still reading the same. Can water really make that much of a difference or was this a coincidence?
    I commend you for asking a question.
    I've never seen a medically-based document that describes a direct relationship between weight loss and consumption of zero calorie liquids, including water.

    Zero calorie liquids are very helpful during weight loss because you can fool your stomach into thinking it's got food in it. Other than that, assuming that you're well hydrated, I can't find anything that shows that drinking liquids, including water, are of any value.

    Many people going through weight loss want to "figure it all out", which is commendable and it important in long term success. The problem that arises is that many folks hurt their back when they lose weight. How do they hurt their back? By jumping to conclusions. "I did X and I lost weight." That doesn't mean that you lost weight 'cause you did X. All that we know is that you did X, in addition to a host of other things, and lost weight.

    Drink up!
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
    The water definitely had everything to do with your weight loss! The large amount of sodium in the Coke Zero would make you retain water. By drinking extra water you can flush out the excess sodium and retained water. Water is the best "diet" drink out there. Water really does help with weight loss. There is a connection between them. Not a scientifically, and statistically proven one, but more successes than not! Keep drinking that water!

    "not scientifically proven" - :-)
  • bilzprincess
    bilzprincess Posts: 107 Member
    diet sodas are high in sodium. and no one actually drinks a portion of it: 8 oz. so that is most likely the reason. dump that stuff. no human needs it.
  • darylspindler
    darylspindler Posts: 35 Member
    Hey pal. Don't start confusing things here with science! Just kidding but you are correct that many people take personal anecdotal information or correlative data and extrapolate to a conclusion.
    Ok so I started out the correct way trying to drink water all the time and got a little burnt out so I started drinking Coke Zero again. My weight loss had stalled so I figured that maybe I should start back again. I have been drinking 68 ounces a day (two Smart Waters) for the past three days, and this morning the scales said I had lost about 4 pounds! I haven't logged the loss yet because my scales seem to fluctuate a little. I will make sure tomorrow morning that its still reading the same. Can water really make that much of a difference or was this a coincidence?
    I commend you for asking a question.
    I've never seen a medically-based document that describes a direct relationship between weight loss and consumption of zero calorie liquids, including water.

    Zero calorie liquids are very helpful during weight loss because you can fool your stomach into thinking it's got food in it. Other than that, assuming that you're well hydrated, I can't find anything that shows that drinking liquids, including water, are of any value.

    Many people going through weight loss want to "figure it all out", which is commendable and it important in long term success. The problem that arises is that many folks hurt their back when they lose weight. How do they hurt their back? By jumping to conclusions. "I did X and I lost weight." That doesn't mean that you lost weight 'cause you did X. All that we know is that you did X, in addition to a host of other things, and lost weight.

    Drink up!
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
    I hate water but know I have to drink it but 70 oz. a day, I'd never leave the bathroom. Please tell me if the flavorings you can buy now to add to water are any good for you? Maybe this would help me drink that needed water.

    Once you really start drinking water your body will start to crave it. I know that even after drinking 8 glasses of water I sometimes feel like I need more. I don't take in much sodium (aside from today) so its not sodium or dehydration - its because my body wants more.
    One thing that helped me - I drink 2-3 glasses each morning before my shower. I drink one full glass with my vitamins and then another. Before I even leave the house for work I've already consumed 2-4 glasses. Then I keep a Tervis (16oz) cup at my desk and refill it 2-3x per day. Then 2-3 glasses after work. So I can easily consume 10 glasses without much thought. Keep the water handy (in a refillable bottle) and you'll drink more. If you have to go get it each time you'll be less likely to drink as much!
  • darylspindler
    darylspindler Posts: 35 Member
    I'm not sure how you would draw that conclusion. The average person needs 2300 mg. of sodium per day. A 16 oz bottle of Coke Zero has 60 mg of sodium. So drinking 3 or 4 16 oz bottles per day would only contrinbute 10% of the needs of the averge person. Of course, there are sources of sodium that far exceed that but diet drinks are hardly a huge contributor to sodium intake. I'm not saying too much sodium can't be harmful, but to make blanket statements about "needs" without data is a bit of a stretch.
    diet sodas are high in sodium. and no one actually drinks a portion of it: 8 oz. so that is most likely the reason. dump that stuff. no human needs it.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Water Water is everything when trying to lose weight. Except of course, the occasional beer.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Water Water is everything when trying to lose weight.

    And there was me thinking it was calories.

    I never drink pure water. Guess my weight loss is a lie?
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
    diet sodas are high in sodium. and no one actually drinks a portion of it: 8 oz. so that is most likely the reason. dump that stuff. no human needs it.

    As I type I am looking at a 7.5oz can of Diet Coke (no I'm not about to drink it) and it only has 25mg of sodium!

    its not the sodium - its the artificial sweetners, carbonation and acids in diet drinks! Aspartame is not healthy and should be removed where possible from our diets.
  • itontae
    itontae Posts: 138 Member
    Drink water and it SUCKS the fat right out of your butt.

    Careful your pants don't fall down if you drink a really big glass
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Aspartame is not healthy and should be removed where possible from our diets.

    Orly?
    Is aspartame safe?

    Yes. Aspartame has been tested for more than three decades, in more than 200 studies, with the same result: Aspartame is safe. In fact, the FDA Commissioner, upon approving aspartame, noted, “Few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated, close scrutiny, and the process through which aspartame has gone should provide the public with additional confidence of its safety.”


    Have other regulatory bodies reviewed aspartame's safety?

    Yes. In addition to FDA, aspartame has been reviewed and determined to be safe by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission, and the regulatory bodies of over 100 countries.


    Have independent health organizations reviewed the safety of aspartame?

    Yes. The American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dietetic Association (ADA) have reviewed research on aspartame and found it to be safe. In fact, the ADA’s 2004 updated position paper states, “A comprehensive review of the safety of aspartame has recently been published. The review covers previous publications as well as new information that support the safety of aspartame as a food additive and negates claims of its association with a range of health problems...” Links to numerous other health organizations, which have confirmed the safety of aspartame, can be found at www.aspartame.org.
  • darylspindler
    darylspindler Posts: 35 Member
    Thank you
    Aspartame is not healthy and should be removed where possible from our diets.

    Orly?
    Is aspartame safe?

    Yes. Aspartame has been tested for more than three decades, in more than 200 studies, with the same result: Aspartame is safe. In fact, the FDA Commissioner, upon approving aspartame, noted, “Few compounds have withstood such detailed testing and repeated, close scrutiny, and the process through which aspartame has gone should provide the public with additional confidence of its safety.”


    Have other regulatory bodies reviewed aspartame's safety?

    Yes. In addition to FDA, aspartame has been reviewed and determined to be safe by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization, the Scientific Committee on Food of the European Commission, and the regulatory bodies of over 100 countries.


    Have independent health organizations reviewed the safety of aspartame?

    Yes. The American Medical Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs, the American Diabetes Association, and the American Dietetic Association (ADA) have reviewed research on aspartame and found it to be safe. In fact, the ADA’s 2004 updated position paper states, “A comprehensive review of the safety of aspartame has recently been published. The review covers previous publications as well as new information that support the safety of aspartame as a food additive and negates claims of its association with a range of health problems...” Links to numerous other health organizations, which have confirmed the safety of aspartame, can be found at www.aspartame.org.
  • junyr
    junyr Posts: 416 Member
    I agree it's not just the water, but the NOT drinking an artificially sweetened carbonated drink. The carbonation is a 5.5pH, which makes us more acidic, increases inflammation and all kinds of stuff. Certain foods create inflammation specifically in the intestines, which means weight gain. You did great to make the change... remember our taste buds only live 7 DAYS, so within a week, even your taste buds won't 'crave' the soda... just your brain/memory will possibly want it!!

    As far as I knew carbonated water, such as plain club soda, was neutral. Soda/pop/whatever is very high in phosphoric acid though which has nothing to do with the carbonation.
  • kealambert
    kealambert Posts: 961 Member
    I hate water but know I have to drink it but 70 oz. a day, I'd never leave the bathroom. Please tell me if the flavorings you can buy now to add to water are any good for you? Maybe this would help me drink that needed water.

    out of curiousity, what are you basing your 70oz intake number off of?
  • I agree it's not just the water, but the NOT drinking an artificially sweetened carbonated drink. The carbonation is a 5.5pH, which makes us more acidic, increases inflammation and all kinds of stuff. Certain foods create inflammation specifically in the intestines, which means weight gain. You did great to make the change... remember our taste buds only live 7 DAYS, so within a week, even your taste buds won't 'crave' the soda... just your brain/memory will possibly want it!!

    Yeah, I could see this being a problem when it hits the acidic stomach environment where the average pH is 1.5-3.5.
This discussion has been closed.