Water vs. Other Drinks

With women the more water you drink the wonders it does trust me...The other drinks are good, but water flushes you out, and keeps you going. I get my water intake in using crystal light packets...try them:)

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop. It may impact you in other ways. I can't speak from personal experience because I've never drunk much of those kinds of drinks, but obviously you need to take into account the ingredients of the drinks and whether they are high in calories. I have heard anecdotally that people have cut out all soda and diet soda and found it has helped their weight loss, but I have no idea how accurate that is. If they fit into your calorie goals, and you're not allergic/intolerant to the the ingredients, then they shouldn't stop you losing weight. Obviously if you're bothered about the other ingredients, you can do more research into them in the meantime.

Coke makes you more thirsty.

That other crap stalls me, but maybe that's just me. I use Great Value water enhancer (generic of Mio) to get in up to one gallon a day.

I used to struggle with water until I started doing the following:

Drinking out of a bottle (I think a 750ml water bottle = 3 water)
Instead of having a morning cup of tea I now have hot water with honey and lemon yum
Instead of having diet coke and a cuppie at work I now have hot water with a sweetener in it

It will get more "normal" the more you do. I feel so much better by drinking it :happy:

soda, diet or otherwise, has tons of sodium... which causes bloating and water retention, plus it's not the greatest for health reasons, like blood pressure, etc...

so, IMO, every once in a while it's okay, but all day every day?? not so much... water is the healthiest drink and i feel it should be the main drink. i used to be addicted to crystal light - yes, i said addicted, haha... anyway, i got off of the stuff a couple months ago and feel so much better since i've neen drinking just regular old water these days. i know it can get "boring", so throw a lemon or lime in there! and other things are okay, in moderation, like milk or juice or even soda, diet or otherwise... even beer! :drinker:

Caffeine is a diuretic (which makes you pee more), so if you consume too much, you'd pee more and negate the amount of water you drink.

I have read a number of different things regarding the "8 glasses a day" of water. I come down on the side as @Bobby_Clerici in that any drink that has water in it counts. I also have read that when that recommendation was put in place, it also counted the water content in your food as part of the recommendation. In other words, foods that have a high water content like fruits and vegetables contribute to your water consumption.

You're right, you are staying hydrated with these drinks. For hydration, it's absolutely fine to drink pop. It may impact you in other ways. I can't speak from personal experience because I've never drunk much of those kinds of drinks, but obviously you need to take into account the ingredients of the drinks and whether they are high in calories. I have heard anecdotally that people have cut out all soda and diet soda and found it has helped their weight loss, but I have no idea how accurate that is. If they fit into your calorie goals, and you're not allergic/intolerant to the the ingredients, then they shouldn't stop you losing weight. Obviously if you're bothered about the other ingredients, you can do more research into them in the meantime.

Coke makes you more thirsty.

Real Coke not diet due to sugar content, sugar can make one thirstier and drinking sugared drink does not satisfy that thirst. I figure choose the things that you want to give up, diet pops are not that bad, MIO is ok in moderation, G2 drinks are essential in heat/exercise.

I hydrate with beverages other than water. I'm not a big fan of soda because I don't like the carbonation, but I'll occasionally have one. But I frequently drink iced tea, flavored waters, a sports drink (especially after a long hike in hot summer weather). I've never found the alternate beverages to be detrimental to my weight loss (see ticker below) or overall health.

Some people are adamant about avoiding artificial sweeteners. Personally, I feel comfortable using them in moderation. Some people avoid sports drinks because they have added sodium. Personally, I sweat like a fiend and actually *need* the added sodium.

There is really no right or wrong answer here, it all boils down to personal preferences and what you feel comfortable with. As long as your urine is clear to light straw yellow, you're hydrated and you're fine. :happy:

I used to consume 2-3 20 oz diet Mountain Dews a day. Then I started planning a weeklong hike and decided I was not carrying that much pop on my back. It took some doing, but I kicked the Dew addiction and feel much better for it. I still have maybe one diet pop a week. Now I just crave ice cold water. If I want something different I drink a lightly sweetened ice tea.

Artifical sweetners tend to cause my ankles to swell and I retain water. I didn't really notice till I stopped drinking the stuff all the time.

I still struggle at times to get my water in, but remember, what it enough for one person is too much for another. As long as you are hydrated that is what counts.