What are your thoughts on this:

For every 8 ounce cup of coffee we drink we are supposed to drink 8 ounces of water, right? This is because coffee is a diuretic.

An 8 ounce cup of coffee averages 85 mg of caffeine, so that means that for every 1 ounce of caffeine we consume, we need to offset that with 1 ounce of water (approx).

So I switched to decaf coffee and my Coach told me that it doesn't matter if it's green tea, regular tea or decaf coffee it's still the same with the water: one cup of water for one cup of any other beverage. I asked her why and she said it's because while decaf coffee doesn't have AS MUCH caffeine, it still has some.

So let's do the math. On average decaf coffee has 10 ounces of caffeine whereas caffeinated has 85 - keeping the same formula in mind, that would mean that we could have 8 cups of decaf before needing 8 ounces (or 1 cup) of water.

I told this to my Coach and she had no answer except "that's what Head Office says". I'm a very fact based person and that doesn't work for me. Math is math and facts are facts.

I'm not saying I want to drink 8 cups of decaf a day, but if I have an extra one or two at 10-20 mg of caffeine, I only need an extra 1-2 ounces of water if the above formula holds true. And they always tell us the one for one reason is because of the caffeine, so it would have to, right?

IN GOD WE TRUST: ALL OTHERS NEED TO PROVIDE DATA :-)

i drink a large (probably 16 oz) mug of decaf coffee every day and I dont adjust my water and I am losing just fine!

Exactly Avalon - I just hate being hit with misinformation and untruths.

Many posters here have been told that it's not necessary to drink extra water when drinking decaf coffee or tea. I drank decaf coffee/tea throughout my dieting last year, and never drank extra water to compensate... and lost more than 60 lbs total. Personally I think your coach is 'out to lunch' on this one.

Your coach is misinformed.

Water is water. Once you mix it with other things it is still water. Diet soda hydrates as does Mio.

Caffiene itself is not a diuretic. This is a myth.

Coffee is a diuretic but not because of the caffiene. It's not a powerful one though.

Agree with JohnP. Myths. As long as your still getting in your water everyday, you'll be good!

Thanks John - what is your opinion on how much water we need to drink a day? I know obviously that will vary person to person - but look at me at 115 pounds. . . . I think 8 a day should be fine - regardless of the 2 cups of coffee and 2 decafs I have - what do you think?

And is there any truth to the fact that the body needs more water when it's in ketosis or is this another myth? If it does, can you explain why please and thanks.

Either you're properly hydrated or you're not. The amount of water you need to drink to stay hydrated varies quite a bit depending on a number of factors.

The diet one eats because most foods have a lot of water in them matters.

The envirornment one lives in. (110 degrees is different than 70)

How much exercise one gets.

Bottom line is if you're urinating on a regular basis and your urine is fairly clear than you're most likely properly hydrated.

I would guess in your case that 8 cups of water would probably be enough even with the 4 cups of coffee but what does your urine look like? PM me a picture. (KIDDING!! - I don't even want to know the answer to this question)

LOL John - I was just about to run off to the washroom with my iPhone.

We will just leave it at that, but thanks for the info.

I don't replace water when I drink decaf tea. I already feel like I'm drinking enough to hydrate a small village as it is!

Your in God we trust comment made my professor side LAUGH!!! I tell students all the time to be able to BACK UP what they say.

Yep - so when my Coach tells me "because Head Office said so", yeah, no, that's not gonna work for me. I was OK with hearing that from my mother when I was a child, but it doesn't work for me as an adult.

I never adjusted for coffee, caffeinated or not. I do try to keep the amount of coffee I drink limited, but not for the reasons IP uses. It is, however, important to drink enough while doing a ketogenic diet to protect your kidneys and prevent stone formation. Otherwise with hydration I also do what JohnP recommends, i.e. check on color of urine.

Be very careful with your coach's advice. At your size water intoxication would be more of an issue than the bit of caffeine you get in decaf coffee.

I was told to replace too. And I try, but I don't beat myself up over it. I get a ton of water in and all is well on the flush side. There seem to be more benefits to drinking coffee, from what I have read. For me personally, balancing the coffee with water is my way of creating a habit of moderation. If I do this, I need to offset with this. I've always been extreme with food so finding a balance, for me, is important.

**Also, if you get the daily videos, today is about coffee!**