WW Food and Point Issues - So Tired Of Water!

Hello everyone. I was wondering what every one does to spice up their water. I am super tired of the plain stuff. I have Crystal Light, but dont know if that counts towards water intake since it has artificial ingredints. Also, tea? Does that count as water? Thanks!

Hi Keelygal,

I count tea as water. I keep a 16 oz. glass at my desk. Sometimes it's just water, but, most of the time it is either my own lemonade or white tea (see below)

Lemonade - I keep the minute maid frozen fresh squeezed lemon juice in the fridge at work - I fill my glass (about an inch from the top) with ice water then squirt in some lemon juice and add splenda or sativa powder.

White Tea - I fill my glass (about an inch from the top) with ice water then squirt in 1/2 a dropper of white tea extract that has natural blueberry flavoring and add splenda or sativa powder.

Sometimes I make a Lemonade/white tea combo since the white tea extract has so many good things for me and taste so good, while the lemon water is a great diuretic.

Hope this helps. - Goldie

The white tea extract I use is from InVite http://www.invitehealth.com/

I buy a 1.5 liter water bottle and use one of the Crystal Light "to go" packs in it. It keeps the Crystal light from tasting over-whelming, but it spices the water up a little. I also steep 2 or 3 tea bags of my favorite herbal tea, put it in a 1.5 liter water bottle, then add water until the bottle's full...

It's how I get my water in on the days where I just CAN'T drink plain water...and I count it toward my water intake for the day. After all, the main ingredient is water.

I'll put cucumber slices in my water and let it dilute into the taste of the water...Believe me, it's fantastic. VERY refreshing. I'm tempted to try it with some random fruits and such...

I recently discovered homemade lemonade that is fantastic! The juice from 2 lemons, approx 2 cups of water (I use more) & a touch of splenda to taste. If you make up a pitcher at a time (about 6 lemons) then you can just keep it in the fridge cold.

Hi,

I make up a large container of iced green tea. six bag of tea to a little less than 2 qrt hot water, steep for a 5 minutes or so and then add lots of ice. Great way to get both the advantages of green tea and the water. Slice of lemon and you are set!!! :p

You can count up to 1/2 of your water requirement in drinks that have no caffeine and no alcohol.

Crystal lite counts for up to 1/2 the requirement officially.

Remember that even the milk you drink counts for 1/2 the water requirement.

Thank you everyone! I'll have to try all of these ideas!!

I use a bit of the "chug-a-lug" principle to help me get my water in - first thing in the morning,before lunch and dinner and before a work-out I chug-a-lug a LARGE glass of water. That takes care of almost half of my required water. Also, I have a small glass of water (flavored, or a hot beverage) before I eat any snacks. This also helps me gauge whether or not I'm truly hungry or just thirsty. :D

thanks Kelly S, didn't know about the milk, I make my oatmeal w/1% milk.

thanks for the info and inspiration Bethel, congrats on your super weight loss. I'm going to try drinking a glass before each meal.

Yep, even coffee and caffeinated beverages should count. I disagree strongly with Weight Watchers official stance on this, because unless anything you drink, except alcoholic beverages (which even then sometimes count, but it's a lot more complicated) counts towards your fluid requirements.

There are so many diet myths out there regarding how much water a person "needs," and most of them are untrue. My mother was hospitalized with water intoxication and now has permanent kidney damage because she followed her WW leader's advice and did not count coffee as part of her water intake. She was only drinking about 1 gallon of liquid a day in total, but it was too much. If you are taking a blood pressure medication, eating a low sodium diet, or otherwise tend toward electrolyte imbalances, it is very important that you talk to your doctor about your fluid requirements.

Despite what WW's official position is, kidney specialists will tell you that it does not matter what your water contains, even cafeine. Even though cafeine (if not used regularly) has diuretic properties, it does not cause a water deficit. You do not have to drink extra water to compensate for a cup of coffee (at worst a cup of coffee may be equivalent to a slightly smaller quatity of water. Say 7 oz, instead). Research has shown that with regular consumption, the difference between coffee and water is negligible.

It is not true that your body has to "process" the water in foods and beverages any differently than plain water. In fact, plain water isn't even plain water, unless you're drinking distilled (which tastes yucky to most people). There is always stuff in your water, such as minerals and particulates. Your body uses the water from food and coffee as it easily as it does tap water.

actually I work for a urologist and you need only 6-8 8oz glasses a day...and there still is much debate on the caffeine issue. My new residents have done research on both sides of the argument.

W/W just says that caffeinated beverages don't count...many leaders have gone on to say (which is not W/W sanctioned) that you need to add a cup of water for every caffeinated beverage. This needs to be dealt with in my mind....

Technically your urine should be a light straw color...too deep yellow and you are dehydrated...clear you are over hydrated.

And your water should be spread out (and like the last poster said if you have reason to eat a extra low sodium diet or bp meds talk to your doctor) over the course of the day to avoid the electrolyte imbalance.

If caffienated drinks didn't keep you somewhat hydrated, I know at least one person who should have toppled over long ago. The ONLY thing she drinks is diet coke. I did say ONLY.

I on the other hand drink around 2.5 liters, plus diet soda, tea or coffee here or there. (But I like water and am taking medications that make me thirsty.)

It's been a while since anyone posted here but I thought I'd add my 2 cents worth - I add flavorings to water sometimes - like vanilla, banana, any of them work great. It doesn't take much and it adds a lot. Personally I hate water, so I have to add something or I just won't drink it. I don't add any sweetener, just the flavorings. It does the trick!

I put a large sprig of sweet mint and sliced lemon into cold water and let it steep - it tastes very refreshing and is 0 points.

In winter I make cinnamon chai and steep with apple slices and splenda. It tastes like apple cider and it's only one point for an entire jug - just zap in the microwave to heat each glass!

There's a product called True Lime (and its sisters, Lemon and Orange) that helps me get more water down. It's just crystalized lime juice in little packets like sugar and it's 0 calories. I'm still not a fan of water, but it helps, and I really do like being able to toss some packets in my purse and just go.

My husband is on kidney dialysis. What you drink is extremely important to health. Plain water is the best. Cola drinks, coffee and teas are the worst. Water with lemon or Crystal Light is good.

This is great advice...I was wondering the same thing about the water...gets boring quickly but I definitely will try some of these options.

This is one of my issues as well. I have to take water to work, because the only thing they have there to drink is highly sugared fruit juice. But plain water gets boring to me, too. I've started drinking Gatorade :) Every night, I prepare two 20 ounce bottles, each one half full of Gatorade, then fill it up with water. I freeze one bottle, and take both to work. The frozen one has defrosted by afternoon. I'll drink two glasses of plain water before leaving for work, and at least two at home. I've done the same thing with V8 Splash.

Crystal Light has been a godsend for me! Usually at work though I just drink regular water, but it's nice to have a little something sweet with my dinner.

This is all great information and really good suggestions. I have at least one cup of tea a day, sometimes two, and thought it wasn't supposed to count towards my water intake, which I always seem to fall short on because I'm not really a fan of regular water either.

I found what works best for me is buying a big bottle of flavoured water, like lemon or something fruity, and filling a quarter of another water bottle up with that, and then using 3/4 of a bottle's worth of regular water. It is just enough to be a bit more interesting without being overwhelming, as I find a lot of flavoured waters are. The bottle of flavoured stuff lasts longer that way too since you're diluting it!

My mother was hospitalized with water intoxication and now has permanent kidney damage because she followed her WW leader's advice and did not count coffee as part of her water intake. She was only drinking about 1 gallon of liquid a day in total, but it was too much.

Why on earth was she drinking a gallon of liquid a day? Even if it was part coffee, she'd have to be drinking way too much coffee than was good for her. 8 cups of water is two quarts. If she was drinking a two quarts of
water and a two quarts of coffee, that was really way too much coffee for anyone to be drinking.

I understand the caffeinated beverage thing, sort of. The caffiene is supposed to negate the liquid because your body has to compensate for the caffiene by using up more body fluid.

It's been a while since anyone posted here but I thought I'd add my 2 cents worth - I add flavorings to water sometimes - like vanilla, banana, any of them work great. It doesn't take much and it adds a lot. Personally I hate water, so I have to add something or I just won't drink it. I don't add any sweetener, just the flavorings. It does the trick!

what a fantastic idea! I had never thought of this! I just added a bit of vanilla flavoring ---delish! I even had some lemon extract and tried that...wonderful! How smart and clever you are! thank you!:hug:

You just replied to a 4 year old thread!

You just replied to a 4 year old thread!

Was that wrong to do? I am sorry!!:?:

You just replied to a 4 year old thread!

Was that wrong to do? I am sorry!!:?: I won't do it again....

Junesgirl-

Its not wrong to do!! I think she just thought it was cool! The discussion took place 4 years ago, and someone today is reading it! You can reply to whatever thread you please my dear!
<333

Junesgirl-

Its not wrong to do!! I think she just thought it was cool! The discussion took place 4 years ago, and someone today is reading it! You can reply to whatever thread you please my dear!
<333

thank you so much. I was scared to come back here...lol but you made me feel better!!

Carbonated water! I live on the stuff.

Carbonated water is much better. They say it's the bubbles people become addicted to in Soda - more than anything. Have you seen those SodaStreams? You can carbonate your own water at home. We have one and I LOVE it. You can get either soda flavorings, or just water enhancers.

Another tip - drink water through a fun colorful twirly straw! Yeah it's childish and silly - that's why it's fun.