[letsdoitthistime]

I do count it towards my water intake and my calorie intake because i use the packets and just dump them into my bottle of water. It taste good and its low fat. my fav one is the wild strawberry that has caffeine in it because then i get caffeine but i dont have to drink a pop and i cut down on that

[jillybean720]

Originally Posted by Suzanne 3FC

I count any fluid, flavored or not. Actually I don't count anything, I just drink as much as I want. But as far as knowing I'm replenishing my body fluids, I don't care where it comes from. I do drink lots of water, but that's because I like it. Few things are more refreshing than a glass of ice cold water

For one thing, the original guidelines are for fluid, not specifically water. I think the common reference to water is to make it easier for people to grasp or because it's readily available, but the body needs to be replenished with fluid. This fluid can come from anything - water, milk, oranges, green beans, roots and berries On average, 80% of the fluid we need comes from water and other beverages, and 20% comes from food.

I personally think it's crazy not to count a flavored beverage just because it contains a few other ingredients other than water. Our bodies are too smart for that. Otherwise, by that same reasoning, any glass of pure water that you drink along with any food would not count. After all, when it reaches your stomach there's more in there than just water.

If you drop a slice of lemon in your water, does it not still count? If you ate 4 strawberries and washed them down with a glass of water, you'd count the water. If you pureed those strawberries and mixed them into your water, would you not still count your water? Did the water cease to exist?

I agree with you for the most part with one exception: I don't "count" caffeinated beverages since caffeine is a mild diuretic and will basically remove some or much of the liquid you drank it with from your body. I try to make sure I've had plenty of fluids without caffeine before I have any caffeinated diet sodas.

[misschris531]

I drink the little packets of Crystal Light that you can mix in a water bottle, like letsdoitthistime mentioned. I only drink 1 packet per day though. I try to keep artificial sweetners to a minimum but I don't ban them altogether. And YES I do count them towards my water intake. Although I don't really keep track of water, I just try to get in 4-5 water bottles full of water or Crystal Light every day.

[Scenestealer]

The reason I hesitate to count all beverages is as Jill mentioned: some beverages just don't hydrate you. In my freshman year of college, my mom gave me a case of individual bottles of orange juice (it was real orange juice, not orange-flavored stuff, but one of those kinds that doesn't need to be refrigerated until open - like Welch's or something). I started carrying them around instead of water bottles and drinking them constantly, because I thought it would be healthier and give me more vitamins.

Then one day in class, I passed out - face first - onto the floor (from a standing position - ouch! Fortunately nothing but a few bruises). I went to the office to sit down and had more orange juice to get me going - figured it was low blood sugar from not eating a full breakfast or something. A few hours later, I passed out again, so I went to the doctor. He quickly figured out that I was severely dehydrated, and hooked me up to an IV with saline solution to get some fluid back in me. After about a gallon of the solution had gone in, he said I was free to use the bathroom, because he thought I was probably desperate and that my bladder about to burst. Not so - I told him I felt fine, and he was astonished. He said he had never seen someone so dehydrated!

So... that's the long story for why I am wary about counting things other than water. Juice can be very high in sugar, which means it's not as hydrating as water alone.

[sgregg]

I use the walmart brand because they don't have any calories and yes, I count them as my water intake. But recently, since cutting out a lot of sweets, I find them to be too sweet and I would rather drink plain water. But they go great when eating a meal and you don't want to drink water with it.