Why is tons of water important?

It's not. New studies have come out to disprove this theory. Google it, I'm too lazy to provide the links.

You get most of what you need from the food you eat. You do not need to force feed yourself water if you don't want to drink it.

Ok lazy. I can't find these "studies" so if you can find some links that would be great (to the actually journal articles) Did they actually compare people drinking water vs. not drinking water and a variety of diets. What about people who don't eat fruits and vegetables - do they need water? There are a lot of factors - I worry that by posting vague statements without a thorough explanation of the controls and variables of each study is going to make people misinterpret what you say and believe things without the full story.

Thanks.

If you read the book Freakonomics they talk about how it's never been based on any science.

This is just a news article but it basically covers it.
http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/05/12053524-let-go-of-the-water-bottle-youre-plenty-hydrated-people?lite

I would need to see the article and the protocol they used. It sounds like all they are saying is that the 64 oz we are told to drink is not proven. I can't tell what the study actually compared, the population and what it controlled for until I see the actual article. I would never trust a news article like that as these studies often get misinterpreted.

I was not in a lab and I'm no science doctor but when I started "forcing" myself to consume ridiculous amounts of water everything started working better and weight loss became much easier.

I was already working out and paying close attention to what I was eating.

It's not that I wasn't drinking water...I didn't always remember to drink. I would sometimes go through my whole work day w/out drinking. Now I drink 8lbs of water while I'm at work, a couple before and a couple after work. The before and after are simply because I'm thirsty but during work I'm forcing myself to drink. I will not stop because I have never felt better and the weight loss has only slowed down when I have had a series of several days where I skipped or drank much less while at work.

I am a skeptic by nature but my personal experience has me voting in favor of water.

So, is it truly beneficial to drink a trough of water everyday?

Not really, not supported by evidence. Drinking before eating may reduce the amount you eat but after that you just need to be adequately hydrates which isn't measured in gallons.

Depends on the person. I know during my workouts or when I do yard work, etc I am a huge sweat ball. It's not uncommon for me to sweat off 4+ lbs in an hour or so working out. So I always shoot for 1+ gallons of water daily. Now granted, for some that's overkill. It just depends on your body, some can be just fine on 64 ounces or less. I know for me, at half a gallon my mouth is dry, i'm thirsty cranky and my muscles get sore.

same for me....must have something to do with weight. I do a gallon a day.

I would need to see the article and the protocol they used. It sounds like all they are saying is that the 64 oz we are told to drink is not proven. I can't tell what the study actually compared, the population and what it controlled for until I see the actual article. I would never trust a news article like that as these studies often get misinterpreted.

If the studies have been misinterpreted, they've been pretty universally misinterpreted. But you're right, if you don't buy it you should definitely get on your university library web site or Google Scholar and read the studies yourself and draw your own conclusions. You're probably right that all they're saying is the '8x8 is just a random, almost baseless recommendation and hydration depends on many things, not just how many glasses of water you've had'.

Barbara Rolls has done interesting work regarding the water in foods and how it affects satiety (whereas beverage liquids don't). You should check those out while you're in there.

I would need to see the article and the protocol they used. It sounds like all they are saying is that the 64 oz we are told to drink is not proven. I can't tell what the study actually compared, the population and what it controlled for until I see the actual article. I would never trust a news article like that as these studies often get misinterpreted.

If the studies have been misinterpreted, they've been pretty universally misinterpreted. But you're right, if you don't buy it you should definitely get on your university library web site or Google Scholar and read the studies yourself and draw your own conclusions. You're probably right that all they're saying is the '8x8 is just a random, almost baseless recommendation and hydration depends on many things, not just how many glasses of water you've had'.

Barbara Rolls has done interesting work regarding the water in foods and how it affects satiety (whereas beverage liquids don't). You should check those out while you're in there.

Yea I agree with what you say - it's just hard to tell if someone is comparing drinking water vs. eating foods with high water content is better for health, weight loss, or what without seeing the articles. I have no idea what they were measuring. What if it only studied drinking 64 oz vs drinking 200 oz and its effect on weight loss. Then one person reads that accidentally interprets the results and then everyone assumes its true.

In the end it could just be that drinking more water levels out any water weight gain from a high sodium intake and less scale fluctuation freaks people out less and they are more inclined to stick to their diet. It might not actually have anything to do with the water itself.

Personally I have experienced the effects of severe dehydration even though I eat a ton of fruit and veggies and I feel a lot better when I drink more water (even though I hate drinking it) It seems to help me sleep better too. Drinking 8 glasses a day certainly can't hurt!

Valid points from everyone!

Fat is also broken down via hydrolysis (a.k.a. "cutting by water"). The more water available, the easier it is for fat to be broken down