Need water tips
 

Hi. I am new to this forum. I have read the South Beach book and the FAQ section. I got through Phase 1 and have moved on into Phase 2 but I am having the worst time getting all my water everyday. I was hoping maybe someone had a tip to help me. My problem isn't so much that I don't like water I just seem to forget to drink enough everyday. Thank you.

I eat three meals and three snacks a day. I drink a 16 ounce glass of water before each meal and before my first two snacks. That gives me 80 ounces of water a day, and it spreads it out throughout the day for me.

Hope that helps!

Kara

I buy the big 1.5 liter bottles of water at the grocery store (I usually have 2 on hand that I wash and re-use until they're beaten up, then I recycle them and replace them with two new ones). I keep one with me during the day at all times and I just chug. I tend to drink more out of water bottles, for some reason.

I bring one with me when I go to classes in the morning, finish it, then have one at night. That gives me 100oz of water automatically, plus whatever other beverages I consume during the day (herbal tea, a diet soda, etc.).

:)
hi there
i drink one pint of water before my meal and one after my meal 3x a day. that's about 3L of water in a day. and iy keeps me full for longer but i wee a lot!:)
hope it helps.

I have 2 Nalgene bottles - one for weekends and one for work :) I just keep one filled next to me all day. I find it's replaced snacking as my mindless activity while working (I sit at a computer a lot!). The refilling and removing gets me moving too, so that's an extra bonus! I drink most of my water before dinner though, otherwise I'm up an down too much at night.

How about adding a slice of fresh lemon or lime in your water? Sometimes I drink seltzer but the bubbles make it harder to drink enough. It does add some variety though.

I don't stress out too much about the water. I'm not convinced we're meant to be chugging gallons of water each day. I have to admit though that increasing my water intake has made my skin feel great and vastly improved my sinus issues. I have a 32oz Nalgene bottle that I fill after breakfast and sip at until l get it down by lunchtime. I usually have a cup of coffee in the AM, a glass of milk for a snack, and make a pot of herbal tea most afternoons to sip while making dinner. If I'm thirsty I'll have another glass of water later in the day. This way, I feel like I'm getting more than enough. I love to add some lemon or lime in the summer, and I really like the unflavored seltzer too.

Keep a water bottle with you always. Whenever you want to munch, take a swig. I drink so much water that way that it's ridiculous.

If I didn't have to wee so much I could drink more water. My job doesn't allow me to "go" whenever I want so I've got to watch it. Then if I try to catch up after work I'm up all night..... I like the lemon it does help.

Thank you all so much. I put bottles everywhere and drank a glass before each meal and managed to get about 80 oz. today. So now it's just a matter of keeping it up.

Once you get in the habit, it's so much easier! The first few days you might feel like you're living in the bathroom and about to float away, but you get used to it! Now when I don't get my 3-4 liters of water a day, I feel like death.

Great question, Thin! :welcome3: Glad to have you with us and so glad you read the book first! Congrats on a successful path through P1!

I'm with Allie...regardless of whether we are or aren't supposed to get a certain amount of water, I feel "like death" when I don't get enough now. :shrug:

Like many here, I carry Nalgene bottles everywhere...literally. I have four and use a new one every other day...I clean/sterilize them in the dishwasher in between uses. I've read that tons of bacteria grows in the commercial ones if you use them continuously without washing them, but they don't do well in the dishwasher and I can't actually get *into* them to wash them in the sink, so...

I find it SO much easier to drink water at work--like a few people mentioned, it's easy to keep sipping when it's right next to you at the computer or if you sip whenever you want to eat. When I wasn't working, though, it was harder to actually have my water next to me. I like the ideas others posted, though. :) The nice thing about using Nalgene bottles is that you can see how much you've had at a glance, but that's just my $0.02! :D

P.S. Where in SoCal do you live, Thin? I'm originally from L.A./the Valley/Simi Valley/Thousand Oaks. I miss it terribly! :(

Great point about the bacteria. I actually manage restaurants and we sell the one liter bottles of water so I am one of a lucky few that can grab a bottle any time and not have to worry about buying them. However, remembering where I set it down is a whole other thing :). I live about 25 miles west of San Bernardino and 30 miles east of LA in a town called Rancho Cucamonga (yes there really is such a place). I love living here but I always jump at the opportunity to travel to the east coast for vacation or business. I love the culture and energy on the east.

I think time tips are great -- get the timing down: before you do X, drink 16 oz. of water! Pair it with meals/snacks. Twice a day, set an alarm clock or wristwatch alarm and make sure to get 16 oz. in. Like many of the posters, I do well at work too but not too well on the weekend. So, I don't drink anything with dinner BUT water. If I want to have Crystal Light or a Diet Soda during the day, that's fine. But dinner on the weekend is two bottles of water.

If you get into a routine, I find it gets easier! Good luck and welcome!

I wish I had a routine I work in retail so my hours are crazy especially this time of year. When it's not so crazy I do real estate and there is nothing funny about sitting in a vacant house with no working plumbing and having to go... hmmm. I am going to try the dinner thing with the water.

always bring a bottle with you. I always put those sugar free single serving crystal light things in my water, because I hate drinking a lot of water. It helps!