FLAVORED WATER??? Is it ok?

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nicholekeffer
nicholekeffer Posts: 9
in Food and Nutrition
Hey everyone. Here is my question. I have recently started getting serious about losing weight and getting healthy. One thing that I have noticed is that my water intake is a lot higher if I add something like the Propel flavors (or even the generic Wal Mart ones) to my water. Is this ok? I'm assuming in this case (since the flavors that I have used do not contain calories/carbs/sugar) that water is water, right? It is still good for me??? Is it really any different than drinking plain, boring ice water? I realize that it is definitely better for me then the several cans of Diet Pepsi I was drinking everyday, but is it just as healthy as unflavored/plain water??? Please, someone, ANYONE, let me know the answer to this. Thanks for the help!
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Replies

  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
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    i drink flavoured water and diet soda and have no problems losing.
  • redmcgee1
    redmcgee1 Posts: 14 Member
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    I do flavored water all the time, either the MIO flavorings or the propel flavor...the others i do not care for. I have heard not to do it and others say it is fine. To me since I was so addicted to pepsi I feel the flavored water is much better than the pepsi...
  • kmm7309
    kmm7309 Posts: 802 Member
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    I use it every day. Great alternative to soda!! :)
  • kepete
    kepete Posts: 268 Member
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    I drink 6 servings of regular waters and add 4-6 flavored servings per day. Lost 100 so far without any problems!
  • EngineerPrincess
    EngineerPrincess Posts: 306 Member
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    I used to drink a ton of it but when I stopped drinking as much flavored water and kept on drinking plain water (bought a filter I liked the taste from) I lost more weight. Why? For a lot of people, fake sugars make them crave food or real sugar, and they don't notice it. I am wary of the chemical effects fake sugars have on your body, so I try to have as few as possible. If I do go for a soda or flavored drink I usually go for diet, but that's about once a week. :) I drink fruit juices though when I'm not too high on sugars!
  • irisheyez718
    irisheyez718 Posts: 677 Member
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    I use MIO for in some of my daily water, and its not hurting me.
  • eclare87
    eclare87 Posts: 97 Member
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    i think artificial sweeteners throw off my taste buds so i try to avoid some flavored waters if they have sucralose or other sweetening chemicals (see Aquafina flavored water for example) there are some flavored water brands that don't have any in them. Hint is one that I really like, but it's expensive. i do like seltzer water or club soda with a fresh lemon or lime slice! Pretty cheap. Sometimes i just squeeze lemons or lime into my water bottle. cucumbers and/or mint also taste nice in water.
  • deannakittygirl
    deannakittygirl Posts: 228 Member
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    I know that many people use these to get hydrated but for me I only log plain water toward my daily water intake. I feel the body should not have to work to get its water by filtering out flavorings colorings and artificial sweeteners, just my opinion. I do drink iced tea coffee and diet sodas also but in addition to the 8 cups of plain old H2O. oh and thought I would add that propel contains sodium also.
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
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    I drink tons of propel. I'm not so sure about diet sodas. I've been hooked on them for about a week or two now after not having them in forever and I've come to a screeching halt. Going to have to cut them out again and see If I resume losing.

    Flavored waters are a great alternative. Especially if you are like me and hate the taste of plain water.
  • poodlepaws
    poodlepaws Posts: 269 Member
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    Flavored water is the ONLY way I'll drink it.. .Propel or Crystal Light ( I prefer CL cuz it's cheaper). I've done fine with it.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
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    what my dietician told me is this: flavored waters are waters that have additives in them, and since they are no calorie additives, they are manufactured and non organic and by that definition not really good for you...

    BUT...and this is the caveat: drinking water is MORE important and if you really have a hard time with the natural taste of water which so many of us do, then the flavor additions aren't that bad...really, they get you drinking more water, which is SO MUCH healthier than too much milk (fat) too much juice (sugars) and too much pop (syrups and even bigger additives)

    so it's not good for you if you are striving to cut out all preservatives and so forth, but if it gets you drinking more water, then it's SO good for you..

    make sense?

    Lauren
  • eclare87
    eclare87 Posts: 97 Member
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    For a lot of people, fake sugars make them crave food or real sugar, and they don't notice it. I am wary of the chemical effects fake sugars have on your body, so I try to have as few as possible.

    Good point. Another problem with fake sugar is it throws off your taste buds. So many fake sweeteners are actually 10x sweeter than sugar itself, you won't be able to appreciate naturally sweet foods like fresh fruit! I find that by limiting "diet" drinks, I'm able to appreciate some strawberries and blueberries more as my dessert. :)
  • sterlingsu
    sterlingsu Posts: 2
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    I stay away from artificial sweeteners due to them aggravating my migraine, but have also been told that artificial sweeteners can cause people to crave sweets. I tapered from sugared sodas and drinks at first by adding a tiny bit of fruit juice (the sweeter stuff like apple and orange) and now I use either lemon or lime juice if I want something different from the taste of flavored water. I also considered non-caffeinated tisanes (herbal teas) to be just as good as water, as long as I am drinking them without any sweetener. That way I can get something with flavor without getting any added calories or chemicals.
  • zrmac804
    zrmac804 Posts: 369 Member
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    I'm not a fan; the artificial sweeteners make me feel sick. But if it's working for you and you're losing weight, by all means enjoy them.

    My favourite cold drink is iced tea, especially the fruity herbal and green tea varieties.
  • ethansmug
    ethansmug Posts: 159 Member
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    One of the greatest fighter of all time (Lyoto Machida) drinks his own pee......I think I may try this with a splash of Mio.
  • mmmyotwnz
    mmmyotwnz Posts: 119 Member
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    I have added the Propel, Crystal Light and Lifewaters occasionally. If I am on the go and get thirsty/hungry(not snack time)it seems to take the edge off and keep me hydrated. The Lifewater has added vitamins in it, so when I do drink it I feel that it's giving me added nutrients that I need. I can understand the draw though, sometimes the monotony of day in day out water gets to you. The more water I drink, the better I feel, never thought I would say that. Plus it is the one thing on earth your kidneys don't have to work hard to filter it out. I am not a soda drinker at all so I would pick water for a choice over a diet soda.
    I agree with everything in moderation though.
  • briannaj3
    briannaj3 Posts: 2
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    Just be careful what they flavour it with! Often they will use unnatural flavouring. Why don't you try adding lemon to your water? That's what I do! or just super cold water is always nice. Sometimes when I add water to ice cube moulds I add blueberries or mint, or small berries etc. It flavours the water and looks pretty too! :)
  • jchizick
    jchizick Posts: 12 Member
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    Suck it up and drink as much water as you can. Once in a while as a treat add a flavour to your water. You seem to enjoy aspartame. If you are serious about getting healthy then don't use it. Oh and drink natural spring water, tap water is useless. Look at all the people that are saying its fine to drink flavoured water and then check how fit and healthy they are...but then again it's your body not mine. Do whatever you want.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    If it's going to get you moving in the right direction I say drink it. I used to have a terrible time getting all my water - I hated plain water. I was only drinking juice - which is mostly sugar. I started drinking a lot of flavored waters (like propel) just to get me in the habit. Over time I alternated it with green and white tea. Now, I only use it every once in a while. I haven't had juice at all for so long I don't remember the last time. Flavored water products are a good way to get the sweet sensation without the sugar while you are transitioning from sugar drinks and working on getting your healthy habits built. I've never had any problems with it and it has never caused me to crave and then binge on sugar, like some people have mentioned before. :drinker:
  • shivles
    shivles Posts: 468 Member
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    As others have said the artificial sweetness can trigger a chain reaction of sweet cravings. Although, baby steps, flavoured water is much better than soda, but plain water is much better than flavoured. Try and wean yourself off, you'll soon get used to it. If I fancy a change I use a herbal tea bag to flavour my water.

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