Do you count it as water?

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  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I don't count water.
  • Melaniec78
    Melaniec78 Posts: 259 Member
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    According to the Mayo Clinic, caffiene DOES NOT dehydrate you. It was once believed that it did but not anymore. Water is still best, but coffee has alot of other things that are good for you as long as you arent drinking 7-8 cups a day you should be fine, and count it!

    Oh and heres the article I found just in case anyone was wondering.
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

    The mayo clinic has apparently never seen the difference between my coffee pee when I get to work and my water pee an hour later. Coffee makes my body feel dehydrated for sure. But it wakes me up so nice and stops the headaches. :) Again I do not count it as water though. The more water the better.
  • Lil_MiSsSunshiNe
    Lil_MiSsSunshiNe Posts: 167
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    According to the Mayo Clinic, caffiene DOES NOT dehydrate you. It was once believed that it did but not anymore. Water is still best, but coffee has alot of other things that are good for you as long as you arent drinking 7-8 cups a day you should be fine, and count it!

    Oh and heres the article I found just in case anyone was wondering.
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

    Already quoted it .. page 3, 12th post.
  • Stinkerbelle84
    Stinkerbelle84 Posts: 328
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    I drink two 50 oz. bottles of water a day. I usually add Lipton black tea or green tea packets to one of the bottles. A little flavor in my water usually takes the place of an afternoon snack craving at the office. I do count that towards my water intake. As far as coffee, I don't drink too much of it. I do count hot herbal tea towards my water intake though. But, I don't use either coffee or tea as a substitue for drinking water.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Why cheat your body out of actual extra water anyway? 8 cups of water really isn't THAT hard to reach.

    Because it isn't necessary, and can even be harmful if you force yourself to drink beyond your natural thirst.

    "Harmful" would only apply if you were drinking truly ridiculous amounts of water - such as over 2 gallons a day. For someone whose body actually needs 6 8 ounce glasses, drinking 2 extra glasses of water is not harmful in the least.

    8 8oz glasses is still a good recommendation as a generalization, and it doesn't hurt to tell people to NOT count caffeinated or alcoholic beverages in that total, even if it causes most people to mildly over-consume water. It's easy to remember and sufficient to hydrate pretty much anyone without some specific medical condition under all but the most extreme conditions. In other words, us desk jockeys will get along just fine with 8x8.

    If you work outdoors in the heat, you'll probably need more, but then again you'll probably quickly learn that and DRINK more, because dehydration headaches and heatstroke are just no fun whatsoever and cut deeply into productivity, and you'll quickly learn that if it's your job on the line.

    If you want to do it more accurately and with more certainty and in a way that will give you an individualized response that takes everything into account, drink 8x8 for a couple of days, then start checking your urine color every time you pee.
  • Lil_MiSsSunshiNe
    Lil_MiSsSunshiNe Posts: 167
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    Don't count it because it dehydrates.

    No, it doesn't. Even if you drink the whole pot.

    I previously agreed with the above poster but now disagree. Due to what I will quote later. I still would not count it as water consumption tho. Your statement would be true depending on the size of the pot. If the pot you are talking about is the average of 8-12 cups then according to the Mayo Clinic your statement would be false. Just saying =) Cheers.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

    I've been seeing ads that say cola and coffee drinks hydrate you as well as water does. Is this true?
    Answer
    from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
    It is true. Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

    Still, caffeinated drinks can make you jittery, sleepless or anxious. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily available.

    Actually, the Mayo Clinic does not disagree with me, though this one doctor might.

    What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?
    Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total.
    ...
    Beyond the tap: Other sources of water
    Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.

    In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.

    SOURCE: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283


    I am just going by this that they stated that I quoted in the above quote..

    "Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day. "

    You stated " even if you drink the whole pot"

    Average coffee pot is 8-12 cups.. sooo therefore exceeding the 5-7 cups a day that the MAYO CLINIC stated.
  • dalgal26
    dalgal26 Posts: 781 Member
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    Yep, count it as water....:drinker:
  • Jena_72
    Jena_72 Posts: 1,057
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    Heh.

    If your pee is quite light in color and relatively odorless, you're getting enough water. Keep doing what you're doing.

    If your pee is dark and smells, you're not getting enough water. Drink some more, regardless of how much you're currently drinking.

    Don't overthink :P
    what she said ;-)
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    Your body counts it as water and thus so should you.
  • EuphonyChloeH
    EuphonyChloeH Posts: 107 Member
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    I only count water as water and add other drinks to my meals. However, I drink a TON of water so I don't really need to count it. I say if it is closer to water than a calorie loaded beverage (tea is close to water, soda is not), why not count it? It's a personal choice.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    The mayo clinic has apparently never seen the difference between my coffee pee when I get to work and my water pee an hour later. Coffee makes my body feel dehydrated for sure. But it wakes me up so nice and stops the headaches. :) Again I do not count it as water though. The more water the better.

    The "coffee" pee, as you put it, is probably just "early morning pee" which is usually darker because typically we don't drink as much during the night. Chances are if you kept drinking coffee instead of switching to water your pee would still lighten up after an hour.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Don't count it because it dehydrates.

    No, it doesn't. Even if you drink the whole pot.

    I previously agreed with the above poster but now disagree. Due to what I will quote later. I still would not count it as water consumption tho. Your statement would be true depending on the size of the pot. If the pot you are talking about is the average of 8-12 cups then according to the Mayo Clinic your statement would be false. Just saying =) Cheers.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

    I've been seeing ads that say cola and coffee drinks hydrate you as well as water does. Is this true?
    Answer
    from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
    It is true. Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

    Still, caffeinated drinks can make you jittery, sleepless or anxious. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily available.

    Actually, the Mayo Clinic does not disagree with me, though this one doctor might.

    What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?
    Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total.
    ...
    Beyond the tap: Other sources of water
    Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.

    In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.

    SOURCE: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283


    I am just going by this that they stated that I quoted in the above quote..

    "Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day. "

    You stated " even if you drink the whole pot"

    Average coffee pot is 8-12 cups.. sooo therefore exceeding the 5-7 cups a day that the MAYO CLINIC stated.

    I said it won't dehydrate you if you drink the whole pot. Nothing you posted refutes that. If you don't want a diuretic effect, don't drink too much of anything.
  • Tzippy7
    Tzippy7 Posts: 344 Member
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    only water is water.
  • Harmoman
    Harmoman Posts: 42 Member
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    Caffine is a diuretic.... For sure don't coun't it... if anything subtract... to make up for it. (No, you won't get dehydrated over caffine...)
  • sunnyday789
    sunnyday789 Posts: 309 Member
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    only water is water.
    You're right. Even the water you make coffee with still counts as water
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    I think everyone here is convinced they are chronically dehydrated from drinking diet soda, and retaining gallons of water at the same time.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    I count it as coffee thats what it is and I count water as water.
    Coffee contains water. Do you not count the protein in milk because it's milk and not protein?
  • Lil_MiSsSunshiNe
    Lil_MiSsSunshiNe Posts: 167
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    Don't count it because it dehydrates.

    No, it doesn't. Even if you drink the whole pot.

    I previously agreed with the above poster but now disagree. Due to what I will quote later. I still would not count it as water consumption tho. Your statement would be true depending on the size of the pot. If the pot you are talking about is the average of 8-12 cups then according to the Mayo Clinic your statement would be false. Just saying =) Cheers.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/caffeinated-drinks/AN01661

    I've been seeing ads that say cola and coffee drinks hydrate you as well as water does. Is this true?
    Answer
    from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
    It is true. Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day.

    Still, caffeinated drinks can make you jittery, sleepless or anxious. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily available.

    Actually, the Mayo Clinic does not disagree with me, though this one doctor might.

    What about the advice to drink eight glasses a day?
    Everyone has heard the advice, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day." That's about 1.9 liters, which isn't that different from the Institute of Medicine recommendations. Although the "8 by 8" rule isn't supported by hard evidence, it remains popular because it's easy to remember. Just keep in mind that the rule should be reframed as: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," because all fluids count toward the daily total.
    ...
    Beyond the tap: Other sources of water
    Although it's a great idea to keep water within reach at all times, you don't need to rely only on what you drink to meet your fluid needs. What you eat also provides a significant portion of your fluid needs. On average, food provides about 20 percent of total water intake. For example, many fruits and vegetables, such as watermelon and tomatoes, are 90 percent or more water by weight.

    In addition, beverages such as milk and juice are composed mostly of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated beverages — such as coffee, tea or soda — can contribute, but these should not be a major portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water is still your best bet because it's calorie-free, inexpensive and readily available.

    SOURCE: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/water/NU00283


    I am just going by this that they stated that I quoted in the above quote..

    "Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine has a diuretic effect only if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (the equivalent of 5 to 7 cups of coffee) a day. "

    You stated " even if you drink the whole pot"

    Average coffee pot is 8-12 cups.. sooo therefore exceeding the 5-7 cups a day that the MAYO CLINIC stated.

    I said it won't dehydrate you if you drink the whole pot. Nothing you posted refutes that. If you don't want a diuretic effect, don't drink too much of anything.

    If you can not see that I was joking with you, that is on you.
  • Chipmaniac
    Chipmaniac Posts: 642 Member
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    only water is water.
    ...and coffee contains it.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I think everyone here is convinced they are chronically dehydrated from drinking diet soda, and retaining gallons of water at the same time.

    :laugh:

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