I am new here, and I apologize if this has been asked and answered a hundred times already. But, does calorie free drinks like crystal light count toward water intake..just like water does? Can I give up regular water and replace it with crystal light? I dont really like water, and force myself to have some water, but if I could use crystal light (without guilt) I know I could keep my belly full with the suggested 8 glasses.
Officially from W/W (and this is in all the Week 1 Booklets as well as the information in the online program) you can use non alcoholic and non caffeinated drinks for up to 1/2 of the required water. This means for 3 of your 6 8-oz cups of water you can use things such as Crystal Lite, Milk, Juice, Propel, etc for your them but the other should be pure water. However this is is the only OFFICIAL way to do it ... many use Crystal Lite as their sole water intake with no plain water.
Personally I drink the 6 8-ounce glasses (that is only a mere 48 ounces a day spread out) and drink some other stuff such as Crystal Lite as an addition.
There have been several studies recently, that the 6-8 glasses of water need is a myth, especially regarding it being plain and uncaffeinated. If you use caffeine regularly, your body stops treating it as a diueretic. My mother found out the hard way. She was drinking her 6 glasses or more of plain water, 2 glasses of milk, and a few cups of coffee (which she didn't count because of the caffeine). She ended up in the hospital with water intoxication (her kidneys couldn't keep up with the liquids). If you're not on blood pressure medicine, water intoxication isn't likely, so I'm not saying you should worry about getting too much water, just that you don't need to think of water as a "magic bullet" part of your weight loss.
... just that you don't need to think of water as a "magic bullet" part of your weight loss.
Actually it has very little to do with weight loss except that keeping the body hydrated (and yes there is scientific studies but you also get a lot of water from the foods you eat/drink but that is a whole other post ) and when the body is hydrated it works at an efficient level thus able to concentrate on other things we want it to do like losing weight.
The best benefit that water has is it can help the mind think it is full because it does take up space in your system.
Ladies,I am going to try WW. I was reading and someone metioned week1??Is there a different method for different weeks after you start?
I got the plan from my husband friend.I have 24 points a day. 35 flexpoints a week. Thats about all I know. I will be drinking LOTS of water too. Any other things I need to know that anyone would be kind enough to help with?
Doctors disagree on how much water a person needs, but it is a great appetite sepressant, and is also great for sinus problems (which is why I drink tons of water and other liquids). My point was more about it being plain and uncaffeinated. I gave up caffeine for about a year, but added it back in, when my doctor said I should try it for the fatigue of my fibromyalgia (it can make fibro better, or worse). It has helped quite a bit so, I have three to five 8 to 10 oz caffeinated beverages a day. In addition, I almost always have soup at at least one meal, and sometimes even for snack. It was difficult to get 8 additional glasses of water in daily, but I thought it had to be done.
Then my mother went into the hospital with water intoxication. It was probably triggered by the flu, but I was on the same blood pressure medicine, so I thought I might need to be careful, so I talked with Mom's kidney specialist. He is the one that told us (and I have since read) that the body stops using caffeine stops acting as a diuretic if you use it regularly. He also said that ALL liquids count as water in your diet.
I still try to drink 2 - 3 quarts of liquids (and I don't count soup, because it's dumb to try figure out how much is liquid. I drink about half plain water, because I like ice water, but I also count count milk, diet cola, and ice tea.
These are the three best researched articles on water:
"Water! Why drink at least two quarts a day?
Because that's roughly how much water we lose normally through perspiration, waste removal and other functions. Add sultry weather or enough exercise to break a sweat and the amount of water needed to stay healthily hydrated - not to mention avoid fatigue, light-headedness, nausea, and even heat stroke - quickly climbs.
Additionally, water keeps your energy up, weight down, muscles strong, joints supple, digestive system smooth -- your whole system in physical balance.
Water:
1) regulates body temperature
2) makes up 83% of blood
3) removes waste
4) composes 75% of brain
5) helps carry nutrients and oxygen to cells
6) moistens oxygen for breathing
7) helps convert food to energy
8) protects and cushions vital organs
9) helps body absorb nutrients
10) accounts for 22% of bones
11) cushions joints
12) makes up 75% of muscles
It really depends on the person and their activity level as well as the weather. I find the more I drink the less I actually retain with my activity level and climate. Additionally because of diureteic effects of caffeine drinks you should have 1 8-ounce glass of water for each 8-ounce glass/cup of these you drink to minimize the effects.
On the other hand however, there is a thing as too much water. If you drink in excess of 8 liters without getting the proper other nutrients your body will actually start depleting itself of those nutrients."
AND
"Water, Water, Everywhere, Even In Your Food from healthcentral.com The Dr. Dean Digest Daily Issue on January 19, 2001
I have never liked specific rules like "You must drink eight glasses of water per day to be healthy." Here is a study from Tufts University that backs me up.
A study of a small group of women, measured each drop they took in and each drop they eliminated, and found that the water, juice and decaffeinated beverages consumed averaged the recommended eight cups per day.
"But the real surprise was that women met almost 40 percent of their water needs with food alone. In fact, when their water intake from food, water and other beverages and metabolic reactions was added up, they exceeded their minimum recommendation by 50 percent."
Eating and drinking as they naturally would, they took in more fluid than they needed.
Foods contain a lot of water; some are more than half water. Vegetables are about 95 percent water, sirloin steak is 60 percent water, a slice of white bread is 37 percent water.
Dr. Wayne Campbell of Purdue University thinks people mistakenly think they have to drink eight cups of water each day. Because foods contribute to water balance too, most people are getting their eight cups of water without actually drinking eight cups of water.
You can get your fluids from food and from other beverages, but not alcohol. Alcohol doesn't count.
People who exercise heavily and sweat a lot, and anyone who is ill, especially with fever, vomiting or diarrhea should drink a lot. People older than 70 can be dehydrated without feeling thirsty, so they should drink a lot whether or not they feel a need.
Of course, if you want to chug down eight glasses a day, no harm done.
Source: January 2001. Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter."
AND
"Can you drink too much water?
by Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D., C.D.E.
Yes, and there is even a technical term for it: water intoxication!
In healthy people, the amount of water we drink is controlled by our thirst mechanism, located in the brain. We consume water in the form of liquids (juice, milk, soda) and also in foods primarily fruits and vegetables). The only foods that DON'T contain water are commercially dehydrated foods. Healthy adults require approximately three quarts of fluid each day. About half of this comes from food, with the remainder from beverages, hence the advice to drink eight cups of liquid each day. If you exercise, are breastfeeding, are ill, or live in a hot climate,your fluid needs are higher than the three quarts each day. However, it is possible to drink too much water if you put your mind to it. We're talking A LOT OF WATER, more than is possible under normal circumstances. Often associated with other obsessive-compulsive behaviors, drinking large amounts of water can be hazardous. Too much water in our system causes the dilution of essential electrolytes in our blood stream, which has implications for control of heart beat. My recommendation is 8-12 cups of fluid, combined with additional fluid to support exercise or hot conditions.
If you're drinking more than this, consult your physician. "
Also here is an article on why water helps weight loss,
"Are you Hungry? Many of us mix up food pangs with water cravings!
By Malcolm Stewart, PhD
As a clinical and health psychologist, I work with many people who want to lose weight for personal or medical reasons. It's not uncommon to hear complaints of intense hunger between regular eating times, no matter how satisfying their meals. For some people, it's puzzling, irritating hunger that makes them want to pick at food constantly. Others describe sharp cravings that demand immediate satisfaction.
Regardless, the effect is the same: Despite increasing their physical activity (perhaps the key weight loss technique), they can't lose unwanted pounds.
But a little-known fact both helps explain these food pangs - and provides a means to deal with them: Sometimes thirst masquerades as hunger. So you may think your body is asking for food when what it's actually asking for is water.
Your body needs water - a lot of water, every day - more than anything else except oxygen. We can live without food for a week or more if necessary, but not without water. If your body has just 2 percent less than it requires, you'll feel fatigued. A 10 percent shortfall can produce significant health risks. A week without water can be fatal.
Adults need six to eight 8-ounce glasses (about 1 ½ to 2 quarts) every day, more if you're large or physically active and even more if you drink much coffee, tea or cola, because the caffeine in these is a mild diuretic.
Why do we sometimes feel hungry when in fact we're thirsty? For one thing, many of us seem to have learned to interpret some signs of thirst as signs of hunger. For another, the body may seek food as a source of water because about 37 percent of our daily water intake comes from food. Fruits and vegetables are typically 70 to 95 percent water. Cooked meat is 50 to 60 percent. Even bread is made up of about 35 percent water.
So your body may signal that it's hungry in order to get more water through food. And because water is so important, the body gives off strong messages when it needs more, which is why thirst masquerading as hunger can be so compelling. Which would be fine if food didn't contain calories as well as water.
Being able to understand that sometimes "I'm hungry" really means "I'm thirsty" can help you react more healthfully, starting with drinking eight glasses daily. This takes a conscious effort for most of us, but it's easier if you make a habit of drinking water every time you do a particular activity - for instance, each time you go into the kitchen or
whenever you're about to make a phone call. You can also up your intake by using a larger glass or drinking a refill. Some people find "sipper bottles" convenient.
Now apply this to dealing with hunger between meals (which can be translated as "reach for water, not the ice cream"). If you feel hungry when it's not meal time, first have a large glass of water, then get busy doing something - keep at it for at least 20 minutes before you consider eating anything.
After drinking one glass, you may immediately want another. This is your body saying, "Yes! That was want I really wanted - give me more!" If you still feel hungry after 20 minutes, try having another glass of water, then get busy again.
People often feel like they're "bad" or "weak" if they feel hungry at times they think they shouldn't be. However, once you are aware that thirst can masquerade as hunger, you
realize that hunger pangs often are a legitimate request by the body - but for water rather than food.
This isn't a cure - all for curbing hunger, but I've learned from my practice that it can go along way toward beating between meal eating. And that can mean weight-loss success."
kaplods, I am not disagree nor agreeing with you so please don't take it like that I am merely adding some info for everyone to make their own personal decisions.
BTW here is a guide from nutritonists/registered dieticians on how much one should drink:
"How much water do you need?
The old standard suggestion of 6 to 8 8-ounce glasses of water a day is still good. But people who exercise may need more like 2 or 3 quarts, especially when it's hot and humid outside (and during illness).
Get in the habit of carrying a water bottle. It's easy to measure, handy to cart around especially during workouts, and saves waiting in line at the water fountain - - where it never seems polite to guzzle what you really need when others are waiting.
Drink cool water when you're hot. Cool water empties out of the stomach and enters the system faster. Drink warmer water (room temperature or warm uncaffeinated tea or broth) when exercising outside in the cold.
Drink before you're thirsty. People who drink to satisfy thirst replace only about half of what they need. An intelligent, buy the book, "hydration schedule" for a workout looks something like this:
· 17 ounces of water 2 hours before your workout
· 8ounces or more 15 minutes before your workout
· 4 to 8 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during your workout
· another 8 ounces after your workout you thirsty, but not always."
But again this was asking about if Crystal Light counted and per W/W the official word is for only 1/2 of what they consider needed which is 6 8-ounce glasses.
Something else you all need to consider. Electrolyte depletion... My mom has done it to herself twice and ended up in the hospital on an IV.
I did it to myself and got a major muscle cramp in my calf. 2 and 1/2 weeks later and my leg is still tender and the bruises are still working themselves to the surface. It is/was very gruesome to look at, oh so sexy in shorts.
Not saying this to scare anyone, but if you have questions about how much water you should be taking in, consult your doctor. Your own specific requirements rarely fall within the averages. Especially if you take prescripion meds to regulate your health.
well i dont know much about what percentage of your toenails is composed of water, but i know i looove those crystal light packets you put in a bottle of water.
raspberry's my personal fav
Last edited by Christine1128; 06-24-2006 at 12:11 AM.
Crystal Light
) and when the body is hydrated it works at an efficient level thus able to concentrate on other things we want it to do like losing weight.
