Drinking Water

I do not like to drink water.  Does drinking water really play a great part in losing weight???  Can I drink water with added powder drink ( country time lemonade 70 calories) to help out??

Water played a huge part in weight loss for me, plain ole water.  I drank it for two years straight and lost over 100 pounds.  Before then I was drinking diet soda and lost nothing! And for the record dislike water too.  I have tried water with added powder and it taste great, but I never seem to lose any weight on it because my body hates artificial sweeteners for some reason.

Personally I think it does. Have you tried to add some fresh lemon to it and keep it ice cold? that's how I like it, now it is just habit to drink water all day long for me. In the beginning it was hard to get me to drink it with a smile on my face, but now I cant see NOT having it.

Good luck! ~ hth

I understand where you are coming from about drinking water. What I try to do is to increase my water intake a little at a time. Start off with maybe 3 or 4 - 8oz glasses of water each day for one week and then increase it by one more 8oz glass each day for the 2nd week (so on and so forth) until you've reached a total of 8 - 8oz glasses a day. What you will find is your body will get used to it slowly but surely and before you know it, you body starts craving the water as your mouth gets dry and it also quenches your thirst.

Water is the catalyst to losing weight as it flushes out the fat and toxins in your body and helps you to lose weight. Of course, you don't want to overdo the water in your quest to lose weight. You should aim for the 8 - 8oz glasses. A lot of times the hunger we feel is really thirst. To overcome hunger, drink an 8 oz glass of water and see if that stops the hunger pangs. Also I've read where if you drink the 8 oz glass of water before you eat your meal will fill you up quicker and helps you to lose weight.

If you want you can start out by taking one of those glasses of water and putting in Crystal Light 5 Calorie drink mix (Ice Rasberry tastes really good and Strawberry Kiwi does too!) until you get used to drinking the water without any additions to it.

Good Luck!

I don't care for plain water either.  I grew up drinking water from the Colorado Rockies, and anything less than that is just icky. 

May I suggest iced tea instead? If you don't add sugar or artificial sweeteners its still healthy and there are literally hundreds of flavors available.   I make pitchers of iced tea by putting 3 bags in a 2 qt pitcher and stick it in the fridge for a few hours.

Recently I've gotten "addicted" to Good Earth Tea.  It has a sweet, cinnamony, citrus flavor that tastes sweet and rich, but not a calorie in sight. 

I have found several places that suggest even drinking things like coffee, tea, and diet soda, as well as juices, can supply one's daily water  needs.  A lot of "studies" state otherwise, but I have read enough recent articles that suggest if one does not drink water on a regular basis, he/she can still find other ways to get the necessary water.  Also, for what it is worth, I have recently read that drinking 8 glasses of water a day is not a necessity.  I don't know the answers ("truth")  to either of the two issues, but I do try to drink around 2-4 glasses of water to go along with all the coffee and occasional diet soda that I drink.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's 70 calories per glass, right?  So, to get your 8 glasses a day you'd need to drink 560 calories worth of lemonade.  That's not going to help weightloss.  Do you like tea?  Either hot or cold is fine (as long as there's no sugar added).  Or coffee?  Some people do okay with diet soda; others don't.  Some people do okay with Crystal Light or similar drinks; others don't. 

Have you tried using a filter on your water?  That can change the flavour quite a bit.  When I lived in Calgary, I couldn't tolerate the tap water because it often tasted bleach-y so I had to filter it.  Where I live now, I drink tap water no problem.  Your best bet really is to train yourself to like water - maybe by making up sugar-free drinks then slowly diluting them then alternating flavoured drink with water - until you get to the point where you like drinking water.  It'll happen eventually; you just need to get there. 

The average person needs about 2L of water in a day, but if you're dieting/excersing you should try to get more.  However, anything you put into your body has some water in it, including the food you eat.  So you don't have to drink only water for your entire water requirement.  Fruits and vegetables have a lot of water.  Soup is another fine choice, but make sure it's low sodium.  Drinking juices and sodas also counts, but watch the sugar, caffeine, and calories.  Obviously, the best choice would be pure water, but if that's tough for you then you still have a lot of options.

I used to not be able to drink much plain water, but now I drink it like a fish.  I just carry a water bottle around with me, and I find myself reaching for it and drinking from it without even thinking about it. 

I use crystal light ..and its only 5-10 calories per two cups!

amaaaziinngg. i started drinking a whole lot more water and weight starting flying off

I drink (3)  12oz of water with countrytime lemonade.  I drink (1) 8oz of cranberry juice just to clean out my system.   I think I'll take "sherriphx advice on trying some Good Earth Tea.   Thanks to everyone!

I've certainly read several places that there is no need to drink more than 2 litres a day, even when dieting (unless you live somewhere particularly hot). Also, my understanding is that 'water' means uncaffeinated fluid. I like sugar free koolaid. And nesquik. And I drink water, but not with meals.

Drinking crazy amounts of water/fluid will cause you to drop a few pounds quickly, but it's all water weight (your body will stop storing water once you convince it that you will be replenishing it constantly). However, I have a bladder the size of an acorn, and that much just makes me have to pee all the time. Also, living in GA, I prefer my body to retain a little water as a buffer against dehydration, since I do occasionally end up doing something outside unexpectedely.

Also, if you eat fresh fruits and vegetables, you're getting some water from those too.

Water (regular, old-fashioned drinking water) is actually very important to losing weight.  You don't have to drink *just* water, but you definitely don't want to drink a bunch of high calorie drinks.  Even low calorie drinks add up quickly.  As is often said around here, "don't drink your calories".

I've never been a big fan of water either - but remember, water is the life spring of our bodies.  You may not be used to drinking it now, but your body adapts to it very quickly.  Your body wants water, and in time it will become very refreshing.

I suggest working more water into your diet slowly.  I started by phasing out soda, and replacing it with (sweetened) tea.  I then alternated tea with water.  I slowly started adding ice to the tea to dilute it, until eventually all I need is a single small glass (8 oz) of tea most mornings.  This happened over the course of about a month and a half.  I still drink tea most mornings, water most of the day, and chocolate milk after workouts.  That's about it.  It didn't take me long to go from a chronic soda-aholic to a healthy water drinker.

The other factor, I've found, its keeping a steady supply of cold, fresh water around you at all times.  I was having no trouble drinking lots of water at work where I was surrounded by water coolers.  When I got home, however, I would crave other drinks.  Turns out, I just didn't want to drink lukewarm tap water.  Ice didn't really work either - it took too much effort to maintain.  I ended up buying a water cooler, and now I drink way more water, and I'm happy to do it.  I'm not saying the expense of a water cooler is right for everyone - I considered it an investment in my health - but what's important is having something you're willing to drink around all the time.  That could mean a britta filter, bottled water, a jugs of water in the fridge - whatever works for you.

It's true that "8 glasses of water a day" does not literally mean 8 physical glasses of water.  As said before, we get a lot of water from our foods, especially fruits and vegetables.  Also, pretty much any beverage contains water, although caffeine is a diaretic which purges water from our bodies.  Also remember, you need more water if you take in a lot of sodium (most Americans ingest almost twice the daily recommened amount) or if you sweat a lot.  Also, when (if) you are working out, you should drink only water, unless the workout is longer than two hours.  If your workouts go over two hours, you might want to consider a sports drink to replace carbs and sodium lost during the workout.

Oh, and yes, drinking a lot of water causes you to pee a lot.  That is no excuse not to drink it. 

--J

water does play big par as it is needed reli for evrithin in body to funtion/perform better.......if yourdrinkin the recommnded amount it speeds up ur metabolism by 3% ............u could always use cordial with no added suar...not too strong as it will still help and keep your body hydrated....but it is goood to try drinking it on its own .....cordials and things with no added sugar wold be fine , just ake sure you drink recommended amount otherwise u wil become dehydrated........wich 1 wil slow metabolism and 2 make u more fatigued and have less enrgy therefore when you exercise u will not perforn as well or for as long xxxx

I was a water hater.


I allso was a softdrink aholic.Well i was 100 pounds over weight.


I cut suftdrinks out and only drankw ater.Now i lover water its the only thing i drink plus im not adding stupid calories i dont need.


Anyway water was big for me and it growed on me and i have lost 101 pounds.

You might think this is a funny suggestion, but...

I find it easier to drink water from a bottle rather than a cup or glass.  Go figure.

Also, I read that the advice of drinking 8-8oz glasses of water a day for weight loss is an urban legend. If you look it up, you will find no study, no clinic, no one doctor, no medical consortium from whom this advice may have come.

Not that drinking water is to be avoided. Drink when you thirst. Drink first if you think you are hungry. That's what I do.

Thanks for listening.

Every morning I full a 2L bottle with water and carry it around with me everywhere I go.

I'm currently drinking 2L - 3L of water each day without any problems. Before I started my diet I was drinking probably 3-5 glasses per day.

Original Post by jaminv:

  I still drink tea most mornings, water most of the day, and chocolate milk after workouts.  That's about it.  It didn't take me long to go from a chronic soda-aholic to a healthy water drinker.

 Off topic: I was so excited when I read the recommendation to drink chocolate milk post-workout (because of the carb/protein ratio), and started immediately. A good workout followed by cold chocolate milk just makes my day fabulous : )