Here is the first official extra challenge of healthy living boot camp. Remember we all agreed to an extra challenge here and there - and this one is EASY lol

What defines water?

We all KNOW what water is, however when it comes to drinking it, it is a struggle for many of us ( myself included ) and therefore come up with many different methods of drinking "water".

Over my time here at DT, I have heard many versions of what "water" really is and what counts as "water" in take and what does not.

Now again, yes we know what water is - and that we all need to drink it.

What are your thoughts?

Is water just - water and nothing else counts as water ?

does juices count as "water" intake ?

does milk count as "water" intake ?

does flavored water count as "water" intake ?

does coffee count as "water" intake ?

what other fluids can count as "water" intake ?

how much "water" a day do you think we should intake ?

I would really like to see some group talk about this - don't just post to post, convince us as to your thoughts on this subject - enjoy ! ;)

PS: this is the first official extra boot camp challenge - this must be done by each boot camp member by midnight at the end of Monday January 10th Pass the word on to your support buddies !

Beth :peace:

I am not going first lol - :tongue:

I really want to hear what everyone else thinks before I post my :2cents:

I doubt I can keep quiet on my thoughts until Monday, but hey........ I'll try to hold out as long as I can lol :shrug: lol

Beth :peace:

Oh Beth! This is a GREAT one! IMHO, "water" is anything that's liquid, whatever you like, whatever you can do, whatever you will enjoy. We won't drink if we don't like it (although we can develop a taste and enjoyment of just plain water). It's even sodas and juices and alcohol. It's up to us to decide how we're going to "spend" our calories. I, for one, prefer not to drink my calories, but I will occassionally. I figure if I'm going to drink it, the least I could do it choose something that's not going to do me harm. You can also get your water from certain foods (fruit, veggies, etc.) but that's kinda stretching it.

The amount you need is the amount that your body needs to survive, so that all your bodily organs work properly. It has lots of good beauty benefits as well (complexion, etc.) It's essential!!! I think I heard you could die in 3 days without water (don't know if that's a fact or not). I think the consensus is 64 ounces, but I've heard less is okay and that more is okay too. I've also heard that way more can be way too much and can backfire and hurt you, but I don't remember the details.

I drink more fluids when I'm at work (I drink cuz I can't smoke). When I want a cigarette, I drink instead. That's why I almost always get in my fluids, lol! I notice if I sit at the computer at home, I drink more because I'm just simply thirsty. I also notice that when I'm less structured (weekends) or out of my own environment, I drink less. If I've eaten supper but I'm hungry immediately after (or shortly thereafter) eating yet I know I've eaten enough so that I SHOULD be full, I just drink water. The hunger goes away and I forget about eating until I get the hunger signs appear again (growling stomach, signs of weakness). If it's before a meal and I'm too hungry to wait until the meal's done, I will drink something as it will tide me over until the meal is done.

I know how many ounces are in each cup I drink from (I'm a firm believer in variety, lol) and I just add them up (up to 64) at the end of the day. I don't worry if I go under sometimes or over, but I generally stay around 64. It works for some people to fill up a whole 64 ounce container and that's what they know they have to drink. That doesn't work for me because it looks like way too much to swallow. I don't carry water bottles w/me because they just get in my way but that works for some people too. I essentially use fluids as a way to fill up, a way to distract myself from doing other things (like eating or smoking). I never force myself to drink cuz that backfires. I actually enjoy it now. I can't remember how long it took to get to that place. Not long.

Geez, do I get extra points for going on...and on...and on? HTH, Sue

PS: for those who might not know: HTH--hope this helps, IMHO--in my humble opnion.

Water to me is in everything ... and like icpc says, it all depends on how you spend your calories. Personally I do not count alchol as water. I do count diet pop, but not regular, as the sugar to me outweighs the water's benefit. Soup, tea, and coffee count as well. Milk is bonus, as you get calcium and a bit of protein.

While I do count these fluids in the daily consumtion, I do try to get at least half of my water in as pure water ... the other half usually comes as diet cola.

Ok for me personally, I discount coffee, tho I may rethink that one. I learned to like plain water about 5 years ago..almost 6, as I had to drastically cut my caffiene consumption. I was doing a lot of coffee and diet soda at the time. I saw it as a challenge.....had a styrophome cup and made a mark for each cup I drank..that progressed to a nice 22 oz squeeze bottle and 3-4 re-fills daily.
I do count plain water I add stuff to, as in Crystal lite, flavored teas etc.
For myself, I've found I do very well with about 80 oz. a day. I've read you should aim for half your weight in ounces....ie 220 pounds...110 oz. but the opinion varies by great degrees.
Yes..it IS an aquired taste...heehee..like wine maybe? But it's worth the effort and hey, with a squeeze bottle you can "squirt" it down before you know whats happened! :laugh: There are many articles available, that tout the benefits of drinking it and I have become a believer.
And Sue, yes you should get extra points!!
Bren

Ok,
I think that if there is no caffiene in it or sugar it counts. Caffiene dehydrates your system and sugar well we all know what happens to it in our bodies FAT so I count diet caffiene free sodas and unsweetened fruit juices, or crystal light. I have read posts in the past that had the opinion that artificial sweeteners are dehydrating also but have never reads a scientific reason for this theory.
Kim

Lets see what defines water..i think plain and flavored water..tea without caffine..because caffine makes you loose water ..i have never counted milk or juice..i really can't tell you why..to me it's just extra and i don't drink that much of it..the amount of water you drink depends on your weight and your level of activity..i usually try and drink 80ozs a day..when i'm training for a race it's about 100...

Vanessa

My 2 cents? I count as "water" anything liquid that has no caffeine, no sugar, and no fat. Therefore, I would count my daily cups and cups of herbal tea, my weak crystal light (I use 1/4th the recommended amount), and skim milk (which I rarely drink straight but do add to tea) as water.

It seems appropriate to mention here that I've been reading alot lately about excess water drinking by atheletes as well as by dieters. Excess water can be just as dangerous, if not more so, than getting somewhat dehydrated. Especially since it's difficult to know when you've had too much water. But there are symptoms. Here's a quick link I found with some info, if anyone else is interested.

http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C577739.html

As I don't drink caffinated drinks, and don't like sweet flavor...so no juices...water is my drink of choice. I keep a 32 oz container at my desk, also have one at home, and an 8 oz bottle in my gym bag, so that I always know I am getting enough. I think 8 glasses are just fine, though some people calibrate at, I believe, half body weight as necessary.

Our bodies are made up, primarily of water, and we need to constantly replenish that which is lost through day to day living as well as exercising and/or any kind of exertion. I also try to use water as a substitute for food cravings. Somehow, drinking from a straw helps in that regard (I can pretend it's an icecream soda, LOL).So....Water is what I turn to to keep me from eating, to keep me from getting constipated, to keep me from getting cranky or headachey. Supposedly, drinking alot of water is also good for keeping your skin surface lubricated.

I love warm water, sometimes with a lemon added for flavor. I think I must have done alot of swimming in the womb, because not only do I like drinking it, I love to swim in it! But that's another story.

You are all doing great !

Each of you are very convincing ! :up:

Let's keep it going.........

Beth :peace:
PS: my daughter and un born grand daughter are in need of on going prayers -
more information here (http://diettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45733)

As to the dehydrating effects fo caffine, I read somewhere (whish I could remember where, so I could put the link in, but it was a medical-type site), that caffine does NOT dehydrate to the extent that everyone thinks it does. The example they gave was that for 8 oz of coffee, only 1 oz of it is lost to caffine ... you still get the benefit of 7oz of water. The reason it dehydrates? It flushes the fluid from you system (aka dieretic) ... something I am not afraid of as long as I am getting enough in otherwise.

OK, here are my thoughts on water....I know it is very important to get an adequate supply of water each day. Technically, I think that any fluid not adding calories can be counted into your water intake. I know that pops and juices and such have a water base and therefore could be counted technically too. However, for myself......being the "sweetaholic" that I am, if I allowed this of myself, then all I would be drinking is soft drinks and fruit juices and the added calories would be never ending. Soooooo.....my water intake is strictly water. And I use bottled water only, which my husband thinks is hilarious, but I really love the stuff. That doesn't mean I never have trouble getting my daily quota cause God knows I do. Some days I just don't wanna drink anything but pop!
Water quenches my thirst better than anything else and drinking sweet drinks in hot weather makes me kinda nauseaous. And my skin is much smoothier and people tell me it looks great when I am drinking lots of water. I tend to have "break outs" more often when I increase the pops and fruit drinks.
Also, yes...too much water can indeed be dangerous and even cause death. But that is a LOT of water. It is called water intoxication and in all my years of nursing I have only seen one case personally.
I say enjoy your water! It really does a body good :rofl:

And now, I will stop "going on and on".

Did I rant enough to get a few extra points like Sue.....I think we should get 'gold stars" for ranting....heeheeheehee!


Blessings:spring:


Vickie:pass:

I think WATER can be taken in from anything that uses water really. However, lots of things like lemonade and foods saturate that water up- leaving you w/ the taste, but it is STILL water right? I am DEFINITLY not a water professional here, haha. With myself, I do take into consideration that WATER is consumed with foods that and drinks that I make. However, I do consume (or try to) 64oz+ of water each day. Some days I find it harder to drink water then others.. Just think of it this way, somebody made this point earlier on, your body cannot survive without water, even if you have plenty of food-- but if you JUST have water, and no food- you can survive a lot longer. That statement is all over the place, which would make sense to say, YES you get nutrients and WATER in food and other beverages, but it's important to drink pure water each day. It does so many things for your body. And I can taste the difference b/w all the different kinds. I prefer Evian or Zephryhills, or just plain tap. But either way-- WATER intake is always important!!!

I think I repeated myself like 20 times! :shrug:

And I may not have made any sense! :laugh:

I stopped counting my caffeine free diet coke as water intake but I do agree that no caffeine, no sugar does count as water. Just my choice. As Sue said, it is essential to survive. What is the world ratio: 2/3's water. What is our body ratio? It is huge. I am headache prone and they are always worse if I don't drink a lot of water and stay hydrated. So notice these things: with lots of water intake that your body craves you are less likely to suffer headaches, more likely to ingest less calories, and your skin is so much more silky smooth. To those of you that don't like water (have you ever had well water? Mmmmmm. Try adding lemon or lime slices or something similar to a pitcher of water. Anything you can think of to get yourself to drink it.

And one other thing. I start drinking it the minute I get up. I usually have about 64 oz in by noon. I am running a little behind today and probably have about 20 oz left of 64 but I also don't care for food in the morning. Is it because I am filling up on water? I have not finished my 64 oz yet today and it is 12:30 pm my time and am still not hungry. I find myself getting hungry when I am not drinking. Food for thought. Or water for thought.

I count tea, coffee, and flavored water as water. I don't usually count soft drinks because they have so much sodium but I may have to include diet drinks in there eventually as well since I don't seem to be able to shake them from my diet. LOL!


Melodie

I think water has to be calorie free. The whole idea of drinking water is to flush toxins and replenish lost water through perspiration and other activity. If you add more toxins to your body by drinking soda or add more things that your system has to process, such as juice then your body has to work harder. Drinking water should make things easier on your body so I think it should only consist of water or herbal teas without tannins. Adding a little lemon or lime juice (real lime not cordial) is ok as this is also helpful to the body...

Unfortunately, water is the only thing I count as "water". MAYBE that water that put like a hint of lime in, but thats it. I HATE water and asked my Dr. many times if there was ANYTHING I could drink instead. He would say "Weeelllll, you can drink tea or coffee, but the caffiene is still bad for you. And neither are as good for you as water". At wh/ time I would still argue, but he just ignores me. lol He would say that almost anything you drink will give you "water", but in a diluted form and its usually not great for you. Your body metabolizes it differently (wh/ I don't know if that part is true, but it really does make sense). SO in the end, I think water is the best and what you should reall drink if you're suppose to have water. :c(

I agree with sweetpea, water has to be calorie free. I count calories and I don't want to have to count what I am drinking too. I drink plain and flavored water. I drink 2-4 cups of coffee a day but I don't count them in my water intake. I also drink an occasional diet soda but mainly as a reward at the end of a good day. I can't even give a good reason why I only count water, counting anything else just seemed like cheating I guess.

I haven't had a chance to read everyone's posts yet, but I will tonight. My thoughts..

Yes, your body needs at least 60 oz of water a day TO FUNCTION PROPERLY (or so the experts say). I do agree that, for this reason, you can count decafe beverages, juice, etc. I have been told that if you drink an 8 oz cup of coffee, tea or other beverage containing caffine, you should count it as only 4 oz of liquid (or half of what you drank) because of the dieretic effect and the water that you lose from the caffine.
However, I think that TO LOSE WEIGHT we should only count water as water and not other liquids we consume in a day as our water intake. I think this way because water has no value - no calories, no fat, no carbs, no nothing. Things like Crystal Lite, Diet sodas, etc, all contain calories and too much of these can hamper your weight loss. Also, I think that even though diet sodas or Crystal Lite that contain no sugar or carbs they can still make you crave more sweet things if you drink too much of these.
Anyhoo, for what it's worth, I count my 64 oz of water in a day as water alone. I'm with a lot of you though and I HATE DRINKING IT!!!!! Before I started this challenge I never drank water. I couldn't tell you the last time I had water before January 1st.
Something else I've noticed .............Since drinking more water I have the hick ups a lot more frequently. Anybody else????

Call me crazy - but to me, water is water. Plain and simple. Maybe a wedge of lemon floating IN IT is OK. I would love to count my cup of coffee as my daily intake of water, but I don't. When I drink plain water - it keeps me from drinking a lot of other stuff that's not so good for me - like coffee.
Since I started this challenge, my coffee intake has dropped drastically! Don't have time to drink it!

Diet drinks - though zero calories and sugar, have other chemicals in it, so the less we drink of that the better too. :sigh: If we're drinking water to improve our health, then eliminating as much as possible all those other products with water in it, is even better.

Keep on hydrating!! :water:

I went to a nutritionist once and he said you should divide your weight by 2 and have that many ounces of water a day. He also said something like that your body needs plain water to lose weight, if the water has a lot of other stuff in it your body can't use it to break down fat, or to break down as much fat. That was quite a while ago and I don't remember exactly what he said. . .but I do remember he told me not to count water with lots of stuff in it.

So, I count, well water of course, as water, as well as herbal tea (which has no caffine) and flavored seltzer water.

Here's my :2cents:

Our bodies need water or we would die. There was a time in my life (when young) that I never drank water so obviously my body got its water from somewhere. It had to come from what I ate and the "stuff" I drank (milk, juice, etc). Fruits and veggies have water in them ... organic farmers tell us their veggies will supply our bodies with "organic water" ... how about that? Anyone here ever make carrot juice? Sweetest stuff on earth to drink. Sometimes you can get more juice from a carrot than an orange!

So there is water out there that doesn't look like plain water and it gets in our bodies and works like water.

BUT ... it comes with calories, sometimes LOTS of calories (the carrot juice mentioned above ... OUCH!). And all the diet drinks come loaded with chemicals. And coffee with its caffeine is another story entirely. Sooooooo ... as a dieter today, I use water for my water. I prefer bottled water ... certain brands better than others ... and we have a five-gallon dispenser in our kitchen ... hot and cold bottled water on tap at all times. It's a wonderful convenience. In the summer, we buy cases of bottled water and I have a chilled bottle of it with me all the time. So does everyone visiting me during the summer too. Lately I've noticed that I love the stuff ... better than anything else I could have to drink.

Now ... how much "should" we drink. I've heard the experts say anywhere from a little to a lot ... there are fancy formulas out there to help you calculate your personal needed amount per day. I started with 64 oz per day when I first started dieting. I was new to drinking water and it didn't go down easily. It was an effort and I'd be choking down the last of it most of the time. I did a formula calculation for myself and came out with an even higher number and tried to reach THAT amount .... I don't think I ever managed to do it.

So I've compromised. I try to drink six 8oz glasses of pure water every day. With the 3 fruits and many veggies I eat everyday I believe my body is getting plenty of water. I haven't had fruit or carrot juice in years and years and years ... I'd rather eat the whole fruit or carrot for the fiber involved. I avoid diet soda because I try to avoid artificial anything plus I read recently that the carbonation interferes with things. Dinner tastes better with a plain glass of water to sip rather than anything else ... EVEN WINE.

And that's what I think about water.

Drink up, folks. :coach:

Love from Sweet Jean XXXX

Oh, my gosh, nobody told me I would have to exercise my brain as well as my body! :c(

Ok, here goes. I haven't read any of the other responses because I wanted to come up with my own answers. I am sure when I read the thread I will see some good points I didn't think of myself......

First, if we are talking "water" nothing beats pure old plain water. I really think when I make a pledge to drink water, I need to be drinking "real" water. Although, I myself, drink a lot of the carbonated calorie free flavored waters .... I figure it is better than no water at all! If we are using the term "water" to mean "fluids", then the flavored water certainly counts.

I don't think juice and milk should count toward fluid intake. Yes, they are liquid but the dividing line for me is that these things fit into other food groups. Juice counts as a fruit or a vegetable depending on the kind of juice you drink. Milk counts as a dairy. I think as long as a liquid counts as a food item, it should not also count as a fluid/water.

Crystal light, flavored waters, coffee and tea .... those things should count toward fluid intake. They have no calories and are just water with some caffeine or flavoring anyway. I am struggling with diet soda, but I suppose in this context, comparing it to coffee for instance, it would need to be counted.

Broth, bouillon, that sort of thing, while having a few calories or other minor content, would be considered as part of a clear liquid diet in the hospital, so I think they should count toward fluid intake. I suppose that means we have to count jello as fluid? 8-|

I would hesitate to count Gatorade or other sports drinks because of the carb content. But I don't know where else I would put it. To me, something like Gatorade is almost a medication. I tend toward heat exhaustion in really hot weather. I would certainly not recommend using Gatorade toward fluid counts in a weight management diet; I guess that one would depend on the circumstances, such as severely hot weather. I would also not count alcoholic beverages because of the calorie count and general ill-advisedness of them.

How much? :water: I have read all sorts of recommendations. the 8 8oz glass traditional recommendation, the 8 8oz glass plus so many more 8 oz glasses for every so many pounds you are overweight.... I guess I don't know for sure what the answer should be to that. Maybe it varies from person to person. The only thing I am sure of is that my thirst mechanism isn't a very good guide any more because I have abused/ignored it for so long. I need to consciously remind myself to drink water. I have been surprised to find increasing my fiber consumption has increased my water consumption automatically. Maybe the idea of consuming enough water/fluids is just one part of the whole picture.

Hoorray! That should be enough rambling for me to get credit for answering this extra challenge!!!! :balloons:

I hear you Ginnyg, since I challenged myself to drink 64oz of H20, I have found that I am only drinking one cup of coffee/day, and much less of anything else, even my green teas which I love....but I count only plain H20!!! I have been tempted to count other fluids, but I believe that, like others here, if it has calories/sugar and more importantly is a diuretic, then it is leaching fluid from my body and I must not count it!!!

Also... caffeine iterferes with calcium absorbtion in the body....So if you drink tons of caffeine and you're worried about you're calcium intake or osteoporosis...then supplements of calcium would be wise :)

Take Care All~Jess

I just wanted to echo Beth's reminder that the deadline to post for this challenge is midnight on Monday 1/10. I really, really don't want someone to have to rephrase just cuz they didn't do this easy one! (as of 1/9/05: We want to hear from Amrys, Beau, Beth, Bonnie, Brandon, Denise, Heidi, Esee, Hopeful, Ivy, Jag, Jamie, geolokim, Kimmy Sue, Marci, Mikey, Millie, Muzzie, Pat, Pengwyn, Rachelsmomm, Rgilmore, Slash, Sunny, Vegas, Virginia, and Wantolose).

You guys are doing great with this! Had some really good points. You convinced me what water should NOT be considered. I usually just drink tea and water, and coffee and Crystal light occassionally. Water always seems to be the thing that people talk about when saying how to lose weight (along w/diet and exercise). Water's an important one!

I think anything you drink counts as water but who wants to drink their calories.
I've heard mixed information from the so-called experts about how much we really need. Some say alot some say what's the point that the main reason is to prevent kidney stones. Unless your suffering from Congestive Heart Failure or going nuts with consuming water I think how ever much we drink we'll be fine.
I've heard that we need about 2 quarts a day of fluids, more when we are active and that any fluid can count as water. But again who wants to drink their calories.
I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't get in all my water that I wanted to drink. The main reason I'm drinking it is so I won't be sooooo tempted to go to McDonalds and get their SUPER SIZE Mr Pibb. 10 oz. of soda is 111 calories. That would be over 400 mindless calories. And it also helps fill me up between meals.
I use to hate water and never drank it. Now I've learned to like it but only if it's ice cold. I freeze a 1 liter bottle with half ice and half cold bottled water.
Now I like it alot and take it with me everywhere to avoid temptation.
Ms web

hi everyone! Wow, you guys have some great info on this water thing!

For my two cents...(which I'm afraid is considerably more than my opinion is probably worth on this subject...) I think everyone should do what they are comfortable with...but in my plan I have decided to count my 4 bottles of water (2 liters) as ONLY pure water. Prior to this challenge, I have always counted crystal lite, caffeine free diet coke, all that stuff that is no calorie, no caffeine -- and I agree they CAN count as 'liquid'. For that matter, besides the 4 bottles of water I pledged to get each day, I make an effort to get several additional glasses of liquid in each day and for those I do allow myself to consume the other SF/CF stuff (love the taste!) But for this challenge I was thinking that I would only count pure water for my req'd 2 liters because I want to begin fostering the habit of getting in that minimum amount of pure water each day. The thing that bothers me about consuming so much of that other stuff, as I have in the past, is that although they are SF/CV, they do contain a lot of artificial sweetener, artificial color, and other unnatural stuff that our bodies have to filter out. So, I'm giving the pure approach a try this once. Will let you know if I see any difference!

Because we didn’t give a 3-day notice about the water challenge, that challenge is being extended until 1/13. So, you have 5 more days to post! Sue

I made a point not to read anyone else's post before writing mine so I wouldn't be influenced or biased. If mine is similar to someone else'e it's purely coincidental.

I learned in school that our bodies our mainly composed of water so to me it only makes sense that water is the most essential nutrient we need to live, breathe and function. Pure, clean, filtered water should be our drink of choice, because it's just that; pure and clean - nothing harmful in it or added that can potentially harm our bodies. It has a whopping zero, let me repeat zero calories (can't beat that)! When we drink water it fills us up, curbing our appetites and making us less prone to overeat (that's a excellent reason for me). Water also helps in digestion. It removes toxins and impurities from our body and helps clean our urinary tract not to mention other organs as well. Our exercise sessions will be more effective because water lubricates our muscles and cools our bodies as we sweat.

To me, there is no substitution for drinking filtered water. Anything with carbonation, even if it's diet with no calories, is not healthy for our kidneys and liver. I personally don't trust sugar subtitutes and don't need the added sugar or salt so I steer clear of flavored waters and sports drinks; I don't like the taste anyway.

Another benefit I have noticed from increasing my water intake is the appearance of my skin. It's as if there's a healthy glow to my face. A beautiful radiance that brightly shines. That alone is reason enough for me to continue with my new drinking habits.

I believe 64 ounces per day is a sufficient amount to drink though I have gotten in the habit of exceeding that number quite regularly lately. If you are going to be performing a more strenuous workout or activities you should bump that number up a couple glasses.

These are the things I believe to be true about water. My thoughts may be incorrect, however the positve changes I've seen in my body make me feel like I'm headed in the right direction. This concludes my thoughts on water.
I will now read all of the other post in this thread.

My thoughts on water are:

I do believe that other sugar free and caffeine free fluids count towards my water intake. Not coffee or diet pop, but crystal light and flavoured seltzer waters.......with that said, I only have a glass or two of "non-water" fluids per day so the majority of my water intake is pure water. The amount of water we get from non-liquid sources (fruits and veggies, etc.) is enough that I feel fine about substituting 8-16 oz per day with these other sources of fluids! :)

I will drink 6 glasses of water a day. For me that will be a challenge.

EXCELLENT!!! Thank you! Sue

Hmmmm ........ water

I don't really care for water that much. But my body craves it so I drink lots and lots of it. I've found that with the exception of an occasional slice of lemon or lime, only pure water with no additives, can quence my thirst. I'm in the habit of drinking water constantly, even to the point where I keep a sports bottle of it on the night stand next to my bed. Luckily it's one of the few good habits I have. Drinking 64-oz./2-liters is the least amount I consume in a day, most days are much more.

It hasn't always been this way. A few years ago I never drank water at all. Then I went on my 1st really strict diet. I almost gagged trying to choke down just one 8-once glass. But through perseverance I was eventually able to do it. Now it's just second nature to reach for H2O before anything else. Most times I don't even think about what I'm drinking or how much. I figured it's been a good habit not to break.

For anyone else who is struggling with meeting their water goals, you may want to try what worked for me. Flavor your water with whatever makes it easiest for you to be able to drink it. Then adjust your calories/points ect., where appropriate. Little by little, wean the flavorings out of your water. Eventually you'll be able to drink full glasses of water in its purest form without adding anything to it, which is the ideal way to drink water. The benefits will make any and all adjustments for your pallet well worth while!!! (BTW - it only took a couple weeks for me to get used to plain water.)

"If there is magic on the planet, it is contained in the water."
Loren Eisley, 1907-77, American anthropologist

muzziee
converted water drinker

I count as water anything liquid which does not contain caffeine. I never drink anything with sugar or fat in it so don't worry about that. I guess except for coffee most of my liquid is water because I don't want to sacrifice calories in a drink.


Pat

the answer to your question about water is really defined differently from individual to individual. our body really doesn't require water in it's pure form to survive, many animals in the desert survive off of the moisture and liquid in plants and such... to me, water is what comes out of the faucet and nothing else. pure, simple, no added sugars, no preservatives, and nothing OTHER than water going into my body along with it.

brandon ~o)

Hmmm....what is water? Well its something that apparently most of us have trouble drinking!!! I personally feel like I'm floating away when I drink the "appropriate" ammount. I think that naturally any water (sparkling, mineral, tap, bottled, crystal light-ed) counts as water. And I go with the WW idea that a one or two diet, non- cafinated soft drinks count as well. Juice, milk, booze...those dont count -- though I do understand that they have some kind of water content. So thats my two cents....and my homework here is done.....

Ok glad I found this today. This is what I was given by a certain member of diettalk when I first started on this road to a "new me". It makes sense and I am trying to get in as much water as I can.

Water is calorie, fat, and carbohydrate free. That's one reason why we recommend people drink so much of it! There are several other reasons:

1. To replace the water you lose while dieting. Low calorie and low carbohydrate diets are associated with some mild dehydration (fluid loss). There are fluids in whole food and people often become more active (especially if you're getting in the recommended 10,000 steps a day!).

2. To act as a "filler." There are nerve endings in the stomach that respond to expansion, even if the expansion is caused by air. This has led to a recent weight loss surgery in which a deflated balloon is inserted into the stomach, inflated, then tied off. As simple as it sounds, it actually helps. Filling with water is much more natural, adjustable, and FREE!

3. To produce greater water loss. The kidneys are like a machine which runs best when mildly overloaded. Through increasing the work of the kidneys, they actually work more efficiently and, not only process water taken in, but also by getting rid of some of the "free water" which can cause some of the swelling and water retention often associated with excess weight.

Water is second to oxygen as a substance needed to sustain life. Water makes up about 60 percent of your total body weight (about one and one-half large buckets of water). An adequate supply of water is necessary to help regulate the body temperature; to carry oxygen, hormones, and nutrients to the cells; for electrolyte balance; to cushion joints; to protect inner organs; and for the elimination of waste products.

The body loses water through perspiration, exhaled water vapor from the lungs, and excretion of urine. Each day you need to replace around four percent of your body weight in water. Drinking six to eight glasses of water a day is recommended for health maintenance. However, fruits and vegetables have a high concentration of water and the actual number of glasses needed each day is somewhat less. And individual needs vary according to dietary factors, age, weight, climate and humidity, exercise, and the effectiveness of your body's systems.

The key to keeping your body working efficiently and meeting your personal exercise needs is to take in as much water as you need. Research studies have determined that the number of ounces of water you need equals your weight divided by two. If you weigh 180 pounds, you need to drink about 90 ounces or 11 cups of water daily.

Another way to calculate your daily recommended dose of 8 oz. glasses of water is to multiply your weight in pounds by 0.08. One simple method of determining if you are getting enough water is to observe the color of your urine; it should be pale yellow. Another method of determining the amount of water needed daily is to drink a quart of water for every 1,000 calories you consume in your diet. For a 2,500-calorie diet, this would equal a daily count of 2 and one-half quarts (10 cups) of water.

The body loses about a quart of water per hour during exercise. Fifteen minutes prior to exercise, drink approximately two cups of water. During exercise, drink one-half cup (4 oz.) of water for every 15 minutes of exercise. Weigh yourself before and after exercise. Any weight lost is due to loss of water through perspiration. Drink one to two cups of water for each pound lost during the activity. The best way to replace fluid lost in exercise is with cold water. Cold water will leave the stomach sooner than warm water and help you to cool down rapidly.
Now as to what I consider water. Any fluid that does not contain sugar or cafeine is what I would assume qualifies.

Marci

Hi All,
I think water should be water with only the minimal addition ingredients, like a lemon, orange or a flavor, but no sugar!!!These other drinks have too many other ingredients that effect metabolism and nutrition. I am on the fence about flavored water with splenda, I guess I would like to count it, but in truth I don't think this should count!!!
Virginia

I think water is anything that doesn't contain calories (or is extremely low cal), carbs or anything like that.

Okay, realized at about 11:30 last night that I hadn't done this challange, but was so close to sleep didn't want to risk not being able to go to sleep. have done enough tosing and turning lately.

To me water is, well water. And that's it. Pop, coffee, juice, those are not water.

Sorry for not going on, but don't have much to say about it I guess.

I guess I have been sorta MIA lately - I was sick (among other issues) and unable to stick to my goals or even have them be that important at the time... I'm still trying to kick my postnasal drip but my chest is getting better and with any luck, i'll be able to do cardio tonight or tomorrow night. regardless, i am needing to start phase 1 tomorrow - the 12th? i think? (PS i guess i lost my buddy?) ikatiana - sorry i didn't get back to your email sooner...

my thoughts on water: when i tell myself i'm going to drink 64 oz of water, i mean water... i do have a cup of plain black coffee first thing in the morning simply because it may be good for the metabolism, but hey who knows...however, i don't count that towards my water intake. i OCCASIONALLY drink a diet soda (though it takes me 1 day 1/2 to go through one can) for the taste along with a meal, but always drink at least 8 oz of water before i eat.
ummm i don't know, just to me, water is water and not just a liquid. i also don't drink anything with calories (with the occasional exception, of course, in which case i count the calories towards my food calorie allowance and do not count it as WATER) ... Is this what you're looking for? water = water ... water does not = any liquid, diet or other! (for me) :(

Hi everyone..... I haven't joined the bootcamp challenge (thought maybe I was too late) but saw that you all were talking about water and that's something that's near and dear to my heart having had kidney problems and eventually surgery. My kidneys are fine now, but my dr's at Cleveland Clinic told me lots about water and how terribly important it is to our bodies, not just the kidneys.

Dr. Streem (isn't that a hoot?? My kidney doc's name is dr. streem....LOL) said that a good rule of thumb to gauge whether a liquid can be considered as part of your intake of water is no caffeine, no sugar (which includes natural sugars found in juices and milk - even milk has about 13 grams of sugar in it....), and with the diet pops you have to really really watch the sodium! There's only one diet pop I know of that has no sodium in it and that's the Diet Rite line. There is sodium in most all diet pops and the sodium will really mess up your hydration.

So when I'm choosing to drink my water, I usually just drink good ole water and I do love a lemon wedge in it now and again. I allow myself to have a diet drink or two after I've had all my water for the day. It feels like a treat that way and it also keeps me from drinking too much diet pop.... a very easy thing for me to do.

There are some great articles around about the benefits of water..... I posted some a long time ago here at dt, but don't know if they're still around anywhere. Maybe I can find them again if anyone's interested.

You all are doing great! Keep up the good work and keep on drinking that water! It's soooooo good for you!

My 2 cents are:

water is water is water is water ! NOW total fluids for the day can be milk, juice, etc........ like say you are in the hospital and they want you to get X amount of fluids in you - then all liquids count. BUT those are considered to be fluids NOT water - and that is my :2cents:

Beth :peace:

yes Water is water is water nothing else counts in those 8 glasses recommended a day but that clear clear water. Except for maybe a piece of lemon i don't think that would affect your water. But all other counts as liquid intake. take care and drink your water water water.

Hi guys. I happened to come across some dream interpretation material and thought this was interesting:

If the dreamer is drinking water, this is a symbol for enjoying life. If the dreamer is at presently in bad circumstances, dreaming of drinking water implies that good times are ahead.

Makes sense to me! Enjoy life: drink up! Good times ahead: drink up! :water:

Sue