??? About Liquids, mainly water and how much??????

[rbuzzotta]

I know, you are suppose to have 8 glasses of water per day. I just can't get myself to drink water. I drink coffee (decaf), decaf tea, diet coke (decaf) but can't do water.

Does water really help you lose more??? Are the drinks I am drinking making me stall???????

Thanks

 

[becka]

At least with WW they allow you to count juice, milk and decaffinated beverages for 1/2 of your daily water amount. They recommend a minimum of 48 oz/day of water so 24 oz. can be from the items listed above.

 

[nativetxn]

I find that water works better for helping me get rid of the fluid I'm always trying to retain. I drink coffee too but I drink water in addition to that.

I think WW allows sugar free Crystal light? I'm trying to remember.

 

[glo]

When I drink lots of diet Coke, I tend to retain water. I have been drinking somewhere between 80 ans 100 oz. of water a day, and I see the difference in my skin and my retention.

 

[dizneegirl]

Water (plain old, nothing added, water) really DOES help you, in a lot of different ways.

If you listen to the hard-core low-carbers, you should be drinking 1/2 an ounce of water for every pound you weigh.

If you can at least get your 64 ounces of pure water (or maybe a little lemon added), you really would notice a difference in your skin, your hair, even on the scale.

I know how hard it is... I HATE water. It makes me nauseous. But since we started getting bottled water at work, it's much better. I don't mind it so much, and can drink a lot more.

You'll even find, as you start drinking more water, you'll start craving more water. It's weird that way.

 

[disneychrista]

I was drinking 100 oz or more of water for awhile but then a funny thing happened, my tummy went on strike. I can not drink that much anymore. And I can NOT drink ice cold water, especially in the morning or it comes right back up

From what I have heard, you can count any noncaffienated beverages in your "fluid" intake. But pure water is best for "flushing out" your system.

 

[Mish19]

Luckily I enjoy drinking water. Whats really great are those sparkling flavored waters (Clearly, America's Choice, Clearly Canadian).

 

[disykat]

I really like water and drink a lot of it. However, I don't like looking at huge amounts of it - it gets pretty overwhelming. I use a small glass (8 oz is not very much!) and refill it often. Even at restaurants if they give me a huge glass I hardly drink any, but if they give me a small glass I need several refills.

At home I drink from a nice juice glass. I have trouble when I work since I have to carry a water bottle. I think when I get a job with one assigned work area I'll get one of those bedside carafe sets so I can regularly pour myself a glass.

 

[rbuzzotta]

Well, you are all convincing (and what all the experts have been saying for years).............I vow to drink more water starting today!!

I believe I am down 10 lbs and feel good. I want to lose the 15-20 more and have stalled...........I will drink more water.....I will drink more water......I will drink more water.........

A new challenge for me...........I will drink more water.........LOL!!

THANKS GUYS for the inspiration.............

 

[bicker]

One of the big benefits of water consumption in weight-loss is that it helps keep your mouth busy so you can't be eating something! Since water toxicity doesn't occur until you've drunk well over a gallon (or two?) of water in a day, you can surely drink to stave off unnecessary eating that comes from just wanting to have something in your mouth.

While I was losing weight, I did some just-water every day, but most of my hydration came from decaf coffee and decaf diet soda. Worked great for me.

Now, in maintenance for over a year, I'm actually not even getting the supposed "magical" 8 glasses of decaf beverages per day, but rather relying on my consumption of water-laden fruits and vegetables to a great extent. You'll know if you're not drinking enough; you'll get thirsty, for starters!

Keep in mind, though, that if you're exercising vigorously, you can't rely on your thirst to notify you of your need. While exercising vigorously, you should drink decaffeinated, sugarless liquids (such as water) throughout.

 

[blanq]

Getting my water in is hard for me too, and honesty I must admit I don't get in the recommended amount; but, I am adding a little more each day so I figure I am moving in the right direction at least. Anyway, what is helping me is adding fresh lemon or lime to my water. I squeeze the lemon/lime juice in, and then plop the rest of the lemon/lime right in my ice water. Sometimes I even grate a little of the lime or lemon zest in, and it is soooo good. Honestly, sometimes I just gag when drinking plain water, but the citrus flavor has really helped.

I have heard that caffeine can cause water retention (don't know if there is truth to this or not), so I have tried to stay away from it. Crystal Light raspberry lemonade and Sunkist diet lemonade pop are wonderful, and I drink some each day, in addition to trying to increase my water intake.

 

[rachael95]

One way to help you get the water and cut down on the cokes is to take a look at your bill the next time you eat out. Do you really want to pay $1.79 for a drink?

My DH and I tried the small stuff first, bringing our lunch and deciding we'd drink more water than cokes. (I hate diet coke)

He convinced me to start getting water almost exclusively at restauarants by showing me the bill. He knew I was too much of a cheap skate to continue spending the money on a drink I didn't really need.

Not only have we saved money, he's lost 26 lbs, I'm down 18. We started at Christmas. All we've done is switch to Lean Cuisine for lunch and water for 95% of our drinks. We still will get a coke/sprite sometimes, but that's it.

We figured out that with all the sweet tea and coke we drank, we were taking in about 1,500 calories/day just in our drinks.

 

[wovenwonder]

Rosemary,
I also use to try and count other calorie free beverages in my water intake. That was until someone (forget where) asked this question......

The water is meant to cleanse your system. Would you feel comfortable 'cleansing' your dishes with those other zero calorie beverages?

 

[tlgoblue]

To make water a bit more easy to take, try incorporating it into a routine. For example, have a glass before and after every meal and snack. It soon becomes habit and you don't have to even think about it. My routine is a bit more bizzare: I drink a glass after every trip to the ladies room. It does tend to make visits more frequent, but then I'm drinking more, too. (A trick my LLL advisor gave me while nursing my DS 12 years ago. Just stuck with me. ) There have been recent suggestions that we don't really need ALL that water they've been telling us to drink every day, however, if you are dieting or are exercising, it is critical to get plenty of water. I think that speaks for most of us here.

Keep the Faith!
Tracy

 

[bicker]

Originally posted by blanq
I have heard that caffeine can cause water retention (don't know if there is truth to this or not), so I have tried to stay away from it.

Caffeine acts like a diuretic. It causes you to be LESS hydrated.

 

[bicker]

Originally posted by wovenwonder
The water is meant to cleanse your system. Would you feel comfortable 'cleansing' your dishes with those other zero calorie beverages?

Hehe...cute, but I wouldn't feel comfortable cleansing my dishes with Ivory soap, either.