How do you log your water intake, if at all?

ttxqiu
ttxqiu Posts: 27
in Food and Nutrition
I was just curious. I log that I've had a cup of water whenever I drink a glass. I don't log it when I drink non-caloric beverages such as tea or coffee, and I log drinks with calories such as soy milk as food.

I generally try to aim for six glasses of water a day, but I usually end up drinking more, especially since it's helping me cut down on snacking.
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Replies

  • LovingLisa2012
    LovingLisa2012 Posts: 775 Member
    when i 1st joined i was logging my water ( i only drink water or diet coke , with the RARE splurge of a reg drink)
    only count water .. i was using the lil glass/cup tracker .. but now i rarely track it
  • oldmanstauf
    oldmanstauf Posts: 202 Member
    Usually just plain water I log. I don't count coffee, tea, diet soda or anything like that even though they are primarily water.
  • emmalou2206
    emmalou2206 Posts: 109 Member
    I sit next to the water cooler at work so that helps, I drink around 14 glasses (7 pints) of water a day. I have around one cup of coffee a day which I don't log
  • SirBen81
    SirBen81 Posts: 396 Member
    You don't need to. just drink when you're thirsty and you'll be fine. i wish they'd replace the water tracker with a sleep tracker.
  • garnet1483
    garnet1483 Posts: 249 Member
    I don't log anything I drink if it doesn't have calories. I don't drink a lot of beverages that have calories, but when I do, I log them as food. I also don't log the tsp of sugar I put in coffee or hot tea on the very rare occasions I drink it. If it was an every day, or even every week occurrence I would.
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    I was just curious. I log that I've had a cup of water whenever I drink a glass. I don't log it when I drink non-caloric beverages such as tea or coffee,

    You drink tea and coffee without water in it? :o
  • ttxqiu
    ttxqiu Posts: 27
    You don't need to. just drink when you're thirsty and you'll be fine. i wish they'd replace the water tracker with a sleep tracker.
    I think a sleep tracker would just be super-discouraging for me. All it would tell me is stuff I already know: I don't sleep enough, and I should be sleeping on a more regular schedule. :P

    The only problem with drinking when I'm thirsty is that I rarely feel thirsty except for after a workout, so I'd probably end up only drinking one or two glasses of water a day, plus my mug of tea in the morning and before bed.
  • ttxqiu
    ttxqiu Posts: 27
    I was just curious. I log that I've had a cup of water whenever I drink a glass. I don't log it when I drink non-caloric beverages such as tea or coffee,

    You drink tea and coffee without water in it? :o
    But don't the caffeine and magic voodoo chemicals in tea and coffee make them not really water and not actually as hydrating as water? I may be a Microbiology major and I may have taken Human Physiology and Biochemistry, but I actually know nothing about how this hullabaloo works.
  • JMPerlin
    JMPerlin Posts: 287 Member
    I only log water as water. Tea, coffee or whatever gets logged in as part of the meal.
  • MeeshKB
    MeeshKB Posts: 120 Member
    At home and work I drink out of a 1L bottle. When it's empty I log 4 cups, fill and repeat. :-)

    I only log water. To me, tea and coffee cancel themselves out a bit because of the diuretic effect of the caffeine. Probably not enough to nullify the benefit of the water in them, but that's how I think of it.

    It's really just an old habit of mine from my WW days to only log water as fluids. And it helps me keep drinking the water, which I find gives me more energy, reduces my snack cravings and generally makes me feel better.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
    You don't need to. just drink when you're thirsty and you'll be fine. i wish they'd replace the water tracker with a sleep tracker.

    I love the water tracker, but I'd love to have a sleep tracker too!
  • nigel061
    nigel061 Posts: 109
    If you're thirsty drink - no need to force yourself to drink water. If you're in a hot climate, at high altitude or working out a lot you will need more water , but your body will tell you this probably. If you are peeing all the time you are drinking too much!
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    You don't need to. just drink when you're thirsty and you'll be fine. i wish they'd replace the water tracker with a sleep tracker.
    Since you aren't using the water tracker, you could use it to track your hours of sleep.
  • dragonfly__
    dragonfly__ Posts: 172 Member
    Only log plain water as water. I do log my coffee as food because i add just a bit of cream to it. I don't bother to log my diet drinks even though I probably should.
  • pbajwally
    pbajwally Posts: 210 Member
    You don't need to. just drink when you're thirsty and you'll be fine. i wish they'd replace the water tracker with a sleep tracker.
    I think a sleep tracker would just be super-discouraging for me. All it would tell me is stuff I already know: I don't sleep enough, and I should be sleeping on a more regular schedule. :P

    The only problem with drinking when I'm thirsty is that I rarely feel thirsty except for after a workout, so I'd probably end up only drinking one or two glasses of water a day, plus my mug of tea in the morning and before bed.

    I too, am rarely thirsty. I could go all day without drinking anything, so I log each time I finish my water bottle. I usually get 96+ oz./ day.
  • mdsjmom98
    mdsjmom98 Posts: 333 Member
    I log my water, or coffee, but that's it. I do indulge in a caffeine free diet coke everyday, but don't log that. I have a 52 oz cup that I fill up twice while here at work, and that's my water for the day.
  • mom2mozart
    mom2mozart Posts: 307 Member
    Caffeine free, non-alcholic drinks, and milk count as "water". They help flush your system, hydrate you, and move the fiber through.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    I don't log it. I drink a lot and have never had a problem with dehydration so I don't see the point.

    If I did, I would log everything nonalcoholic. I would, however, log beer as 1 cup for every 2 cups consumed because you will still be getting a water surplus from beer. Wine and liquor are pretty dehydrating so I wouldn't log those unless they were in mixed drinks or sangria, then I'd probably go with logging 1 per every 2-3 consumed, depending on how strong the drinks were. I don't see any point in logging fluid intake if you aren't going to log it all.
  • emmalou2206
    emmalou2206 Posts: 109 Member
    I am surprised I am drinking 7 pints of water a day because prior to joining MFP two weeks ago I would have about one cup of coffee a day, thats it no other drinks or liquids. Reason - not thirsty so I forget to drink but now I am making a conscious effort to drink more and I'm finding it really helps.

    As for a sleep tracker I get around 6 hours sleep a night so I know I don't sleep enough
  • pogojr
    pogojr Posts: 83 Member
    Water = Water and I track it on the little tracker until I hit nine. Any more, I don't log (actually didn't realize that it will keep going up even though it looks like its overflowing until recently).

    If I actually have a different beverage other than water (milk, lite lemonade or an adult beverage), I log it.
  • Bukeroo
    Bukeroo Posts: 14 Member
    Caffine and alcohol are suppose to dehydrate you and make you retain water. Or something like that lol, while water is suppose to keep you hydrated and flush your body out. I drink herble teas, which don't contain any caffine and log it as water. But not sure if you are suppose to or not. I am trying to stop drinking coffee,but still have one on occassion, and log it in my food diary.
  • mbajrami
    mbajrami Posts: 636 Member
    When I was addicted to unsweet tea, I did research as I figured it counted toward my water intake. I mean, it's water with some herbs steeped in it. I found out that tea is a diuretic, so not only does it NOT count as water., but whatever ounces you drink in tea, you are supposed to drink that many ounces of water OVER your recommended water intake to make up for it. :-(
  • robot_potato
    robot_potato Posts: 1,535 Member
    I rarely log it anymore. I did at first to make sure i was getting enough, but drink plenty now so i don't feel i need to log it.
  • bktibbetts
    bktibbetts Posts: 131 Member
    I track 1 cup on the water tracker to every 8 oz. I drink. Mostly all water, but I do track unsweetened green tea as water - but make sure for every 8 oz. of green tea, I drink at least that much water as well. Hope I am doing it right. I read that at my current weight, I should be drinking 132 oz. of water a day - whoa
  • SONIA820
    SONIA820 Posts: 208 Member
    I don't bother with it...I only drink tea (which I do log under a different heading) and plain water, but usually I forget to log my water...I know I drink enough! :)
  • loztredders
    loztredders Posts: 142
    I log them after finishing a glass full most of the time, I only count plain water and green tea.
  • stephenatl09
    stephenatl09 Posts: 186 Member
    My Doctor told me whatever you drink goes to hydrate you but I only track water because it says water not drinks. Everything else I log with my food.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
    I was just curious. I log that I've had a cup of water whenever I drink a glass. I don't log it when I drink non-caloric beverages such as tea or coffee, and I log drinks with calories such as soy milk as food.

    I generally try to aim for six glasses of water a day, but I usually end up drinking more, especially since it's helping me cut down on snacking.

    I log count straight water as water. Then again, water, coffee, and alcoholic beverages (beer and wine) are about all I ever drink. I used to put a splash of lemon or lime juice into my water to flavor it up, and I'd most certainly count THAT as water. But things with caffeine, sugar, or other stuff in it I don't consider to be "water" for my daily allotment.

    I do log the occasional glass of milk, but as a food item, not as water.

    I've stopped tracking my water on the site because I always drink plenty - usually more than the site calls for.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    When I was addicted to unsweet tea, I did research as I figured it counted toward my water intake. I mean, it's water with some herbs steeped in it. I found out that tea is a diuretic, so not only does it NOT count as water., but whatever ounces you drink in tea, you are supposed to drink that many ounces of water OVER your recommended water intake to make up for it. :-(

    I don't know where you did your research but this is completely FALSE. Caffeine is a diuretic in high doses. Coffee or tea, even if they are made very strong, do not contain enough caffeine to be diuretic. Unless, of course, you drink high amounts of them. Then, just like drinking high amounts of plain water, they will be diuretic. Drinking more of any liquid than your body can use causes a diuretic effect.
  • littlewitch1973
    littlewitch1973 Posts: 139
    I log my water as water.

    Coffee, tea or any drinks with calories in them should be logged, as you are drinking calories.

    When I started a year ago, I stopped drinking Diet Pepsi, and quickly lost 8 lbs. That was all from the soda I was drinking!!

    Now, I do also drink Vitamin Water Zero, and do count those as water since there are no calories.

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