I have recently been hearing that drinking lots of water is not as important to overall good health as we once thought it was. Does anybody have experiences that would refute this (i.e., no success losing weight when not drinking enough water but better success when you started drinking more water)? I have really been trying to drink a lot more water now and HOPE that it is still considered to be a key part of weight loss!

It seems so logical to me that drinking lots of water is key to just flushing out what is bad in the body but if it's not as important as once thought, it would be nice to know.

Thanks in advance!

Ann K.

Personally, I think most of the so-called "experts" still consider water to be very important. Some of the more recent articles I've seen on the subject just remind us to consider that all those healthy, fruits and vegetables we are encouraged to eat also supply a great deal of water. Even coffee and tea (in moderation) provide water to your body -- although other reports tend to discount those because the caffeine tends to have a diuretic effect.

If you hve a particular source in mind that refutes this, perhaps you could tell us what it is so we can have a look?

Eh - I never liked to drink water very much and still don't. I try to drink a glass of water with lunch, a glass of water with dinner and a glass of water if I work out - otherwise, nada. I drink a lot of tea all day (both regular and herbal). Didn't stop me from losing 70 lbs and keeping it off for over 3 years.

I generally start to feel tired if I have not had enough water throughout the day. Granted some of the food I eat has water in it (fruit), but overall my body will tell me when I need more water.

I have heard this also...but I personally still tend to think that water is very important to overall health, since most of the body is made up of water. I find that I feel best when I drink 2-3 liters of water a day, plus any other liquids (milk in my cereal, tea after dinner, etc.) I may want. I try to avoid caffeine and other things that can dehydrate the body. When I don't get enough water, I can tell because I get very sluggish and I frequently get dehydration headaches.

[If you hve a particular source in mind that refutes this, perhaps you could tell us what it is so we can have a look?[/QUOTE]

I unfortunately don't have a source that was talking about this; I've just heard it from people (and maybe on the radio or something). It became a topic of conversation in my office when the sole guy in our workspace said he'd heard that and us ladies immediately jumped on it, asking "Where did you hear that? That's can't be true! Back that up with data!" Turns out he heard it on Oprah. Poor guy; he thought he was just making conversation!

Dehydration makes me feel horrible too - I get headaches, crankiness, fatigue, even dizziness - and when I start to feel snacky and/or bingey there's a good chance that I'm really just running low on water. So in this respect drinking enough water and herbal/green tea certainly helps my weight loss efforts. I also think my skin improves (both dryness and impurities) if I'm well-hydrated.

What I don't do anymore, however, is assume that more of a good thing helps more - during earlier efforts I used to try and force much more water down than I needed, and while it never approached dangerous quantities, it was inconvenient to say the least... (cue to Heffalump galloping to bathroom )...

My water intake makes a huge difference. If I don't get my 8 cups of water a day I tend to have swelling in my hands and feet, my skin is dry (lacking in moisture) but also oily, and I crave and snack a lot more.

My mom was hospitalized with water intoxication (water poisoning) because she wasn't counting her caffeinated beverages (as instructed by her WW leader). The kidney specialist told us that all water-containing foods and all liquids (with the exception of high proof alcohol) count toward fluid requirements, caffeine is not dehydrating enough to counterbalance the liquid it contains. For most people, thirst is an adequate indicator of fluid needs, and that very few people need more than 2 quarts of liquid per day. If you're on blood-pressure meds, diuretics or other meds that impact on kidney function or if have kidney problems or a history of them in your family, then 3 quarts should be considered an upper limit (including milk, coffee, sodas, and even soup and watermelon).

Are these recommendations written in stone? No, and I'm sure other kidney specialists might have slightly different recommendations, but I think it's safe to say that there are some pretty dangerous water myths out there (like the recommendation to drink 1/2 ounce of water per lb of body weight daily - if you're morbidly obese this could easily put you into water intoxication, even if you're in perfect health and on no medications).

I agree, with what everyone says. I personally drink about 100oz per day of water. This is because 1 I am thirsty alot, but mostly because it keeps the un needed hunger feeling away! That helps me lose.

There was something in the news about 2 weeks ago that said basically the 8-10 8 ounce glasses per day rule wasn't really a rule and that there was no scientific evidence that it helped the body at all. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4346042/

Great article Allison . . . and not just the segment on water . . . it's all worth a read -- thanks for posting it.

Good article! Personally, water is normally the only fluid I drink. I don't like to drink my calories, and I'm not a coffee or tea drinker, so it just works out that I drink water almost exclusively. I find that if I don't drink water (but this could be tea/coffee/crystal light for someone else) throughout the day, I mistake my thirst for hunger and tend to overeat. If I really don't want it, I don't drink it, but I have always enjoyed cold water, so it's never a chore to have to drink. I don't aim for any certain number, but I would guess that I drink around 100 - 120 ounces per day on an average day. I do go to the bathroom more frequently than I wish. Not being able to sleep the entire night without bathroom visits is the only downside, but I am such a light sleeper that if it weren't that, it would be something else.

This will explain it better than I can (so I don't fumble over my words):
"In order to move muscle, you need water. Muscle is considered an active tissue and water is found in the highest concentrations in active tissue.

If your body is dehydrated, chances are you're not going to have a very productive weight lifting session. Why? Your muscles are deprived of electrolytes. Muscles are controlled by nerves.

The electrical stimulation of nerves and contraction of muscles are the result of the exchange of electrolyte minerals dissolved in water.

It's essential that you drink water for health and building muscle. Without enough water, your muscles are not getting enough electrolytes. Muscle strength and control are weakened. If you want to build muscle, than you must keep your body well hydrated.

Water also helps out with the lubrication of your joints. Water is an ingredient in the makeup of the synovial fluid, which is the lubricating fluid between your joints.

If your weight lifting diet is lacking in water, even for a brief period, less fluid is available to protect these areas.

As you add more weight and stress to your body, the demands from weight lifting on the joints will increase. Adequate protective fluid is essential for optimum performance and to give longer life to your joints. Believe me, once your joints go, its never the same."
-an article from (building - muscle 101 dot com)

Over the past month I have been drinking about 80oz of water a day, and have noticed a significant difference in the way I feel. Since moving to the South (originally a northerner) I've been getting bad headaches and neck pain. For the longest time I thought it was just from sleeping in a weird position. Turns out it's actually from dehydration. Since I started drinking more water my headaches and neck pain are both gone.