Am I the only calorie counter that doesn't count water at all, in any form? It has no calories! I drink when I am thirsty. As long as a person is not chronically dehydrated, why bother worrying about water at all?

I don't really like the taste of any favor of the stuff. But I count coffee and tea towards water.

Some [professionals, studies, scientists, doctors, fill in your definition of "they" here] say that if you're feeling thirsty, you're already dehydrated, that you should be drinking enough to not feel thirsty in the first place. Also, feelings of thirst can be misinterpreted by the body as feelings of hunger, thereby making people want to eat more when not drinking plenty of water. Some (and this was recently in an episode of The Biggest Loser) say that drinking plenty of water can help to increase your metabolism.

Personally, I'd rather drink too much water than not enough--it also helps to keep my skin clear, and it gets me off my butt from my desk at work to go to the bathroom more often

Also, I don't really intentionally "count" my water servings; it just so happens that the bottle I drink my water from is about 4 servings, so I know if I have 2 bottles, it's 8 servings. I notice I do feel better all around (less hungry, less sluggish, etc.) when I drink at least 8 servings of water a day. Just like almost anything else, I'm sure there are those who are more sensitive (and those who are less sensitive) to changes in their water intake than others.

I don't count coffee, tea, diet soda, Crystal Light-or anything that isn't just water, as water.

They all have water in them...but they also have artificial sweeteners or caffeine, or colorings, or the steeped beans/tea leaves...so they aren't just water.

I guess I think of it more along the lines of if I drank a plain cup of water and then ate a sugar-free candy (with artificial sweeteners), I would still count the water as water. Mixing that sugar-free candy (in the form of Crystal Light) into my water doesn't make the water not be water anymore

Crazy how we all think about the same seemingly-simple thing so differently

I was unsure whether I should count it or not, I drink about 5 glasses of water a day , and I drink crystal light with at least 2 meals a day and was unsure if it was ok to count it as some of my water intake or if I should make myself drink some pure water, as with everything in life I think it should be balanced, so I think I will count it but drink water as well just incase

You are not alone, Tealeaf! I don't count either...but I drink a lot of fluids ranging from herbal tea, water to diet soda.

SoulBliss - jillybean is right about the juice crystals. They are the same as Crystal Light, just no name.
I believe the artificial sweetener is the reason that drinking more then one packet gives me a headache.
TeaLeaf - The reason that I count my water is to ensure that I get enough to stay hydrated. It's easy to forget...or drink too much of other liquids, like diet pop.

Jill - I think the thinking on your "sugar free candy + water" idea is mostly correct, unless there is something about that candy that makes your body require MORE water. So, for example, I wouldn't count salty broth as water, even though its just water with salt in it...the salt would make my body require more water, so some of the water in the broth is negated by the broth making me need more water.

I know that this is what a lot of people think about caffeinated drinks...they have a diuretic effect, so some of the water they contain is negated as your body's water excretion increases...not ALL of the water, mind...but some of the water.

I stay away from artificial sweetners as well. Partly due to the fact one can of diet pop gives me a migraine for 2 days (asperatame is known to cause migraines in migraine sensitive people) Partly because of all the other stuff that is said about it, its not necessary so i would rather be safe then sorry

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?