I've invited everyone active on this team to a water challenge. Not water balloons or swimming, but hydrating with at least 8 cups/glasses of water a day.
For our edification . . . here is what counts as water . . . from an SP expert blog:
". . . one of the most common questions new SparkPeople members have is "Do drinks like coffee, tea or diet soda count toward my daily water quota?"
SparkPeople recommends eight to twelve cups of water daily, but for some people, drinking that much water can be difficult. Fruit juices, milk, teas and decaf coffee also count, as do flavored (unsweetened) waters, carbonated water, and water with fruit or herbs. So, yes, you can drink beverages other than water to meet your hydration needs, but there are a few things to consider before you start sipping.
Caffeinated beverages can actually increase your need for more water and dehydrate the body (caffeine is a diuretic) so a lot of caffeinated coffee or soda will not quench your thirst.
Artificially sweetened drinks, including diet sodas, can also count toward your quota. However, we recommend no more than four servings (32 ounces) of artificially sweetened beverages daily."
All that being said . . . this expert recommends bottom line of just plain old water.
From sunny Lakeland, Florida
Eastern Time Zone