I have heard that you are supposed to be drinking about 2-3 liters of water a day. I seem to be having a heck of a time getting to that much because I either get really bored with water or feel waterloggled halfway through the day. Any tricks to get to that 3 liter point?
Well, if it's the taste of water that's unappealing to you after a while, you could always try Crystal Light or some other low cal/sugar free drink mix. For me, with a meal or while I'm working out, plain water is fine, but in between when I'm just drinking it has to taste like something. I go through a lot of those Crystal Light To Go packets.
If it's just the actual consumption of liquid... are you trying to get in most of your liquids at a certain point in the day? Then it might help to space it out a lot more... say have a glass with breakfast, midmorning, lunch, afternoon, dinner, evening, etc. What seems to help me is always having water sitting next to me no matter what I'm doing, so that at any given point I can just take a couple of sips. It doesn't seem like a lot, but when I add it up, I usually consume between 80 and 108+ oz. a day, depending on if I worked out or not.
LindseyLouWho said exactly what I was going to say! I found a really big water bottle (80 oz or some such silliness) that I fill up at the beginning of the day and carry it around with me all day. I got the most obnoxious color I could find too (it's lime green) so I'm less likely to leave it behind on accident. My goal each day is to empty it before I go to bed. Some days I add one packet of a sugar free drink mix (I use walmart brand) other days I add a wedge or 2 of lemon. I've even added a tea bag from time to time. I guess it's about what works best for you. Good luck!
Not sure where you work, but I'm in an office and I have a 600mL bottle of water on my desk (any bigger and its just TOO much for me) I aim to drink 4 a day. I have no suggestion for the taste, as I truly hate water as well. I just keep thinking "the ends justify the means"
I have a glass that contains a half liter, so I just drink one with breakfast, lunch, and dinner and also have 1 after I work out. It's easier for me to just sit and chug with a meal than try to space it out all day, and that way it helps fill me up so I might not eat as much.
Btw, I drink a total of 2 liters of water every day. And yes, I have to pee a lot!
the correct amount of water is ounces equivalent to 1/2 your body weight- there's no magic number that is good for all of us, so shooting for 1/2 your body weight is best.
try to think of the things that water does for you- your digestive system works better, your brain works better, and your skin looks better, and you have more energy. those are all good things. they will help you think like Renny Sue about the ends justifying the means.
try crystal light like was suggested, try herbal teas, try sparkling flavored waters (you can pretend they are soda)- anything to get you drinking your water. Before you know it this will be a new habit!!
Like others I keep 2 32 oz nelgen bottles in my frige at tall times. When I'm at home I can keep a bottle and a glass next to me all night and just sip. I also take a same bottel with me when I'm at school and just sip though class.
If it is the taste of water that puts you off try putting melon cubs, lemons, orange, lime slices, cucumber slices or something like that in your water. That way you'll get a little bit of flavor.
I also have a general rule that I will not let myself have any diet pop until I have had 2 liters of water.
i agree with futurepixie..i've heard you should drink half your body weight. I keep a liter "miniature" water jug on my desk all day and work and try to drink 2 of those while at work. I also drink 4 cups of tea a day. i am not sure if you have a teavana in your area, but they have some really great flavored teas. i add a packet of splenda and i am good to go. they have a particular "diet" tea called strawberry slender pur-eh that is really good.
Ok. This sounds really weird, but maybe I'm not alone here... but I'm not much of a water drinker. I do, however, live in a dry climate and dehydrate like it's my job, so I really *need* water throughout the day, just straight-up plain ole' water. I have noticed that I can mindlessly drink water all day long if I'm drinking it through a straw. I got sick of plastic straws getting lost in my Nalgene, so I got one of these at REI last weekend...
Jen you totally crack me up. Not weird at all. I bought the same camelbak bottle in blue about 3 months ago and I agree I can sip through the straw all day long and never miss getting my water on. When I revert back to my good old fashioned wide mouth nalgene drinking is a chore.
I must have been blessed with a taste for water. I've always drank it over anything else. Like I mentioned in a previous post - I didnt even know what Coke tasted like until I got to college!
But what other people said is the key...just have it with you. I have a 1 liter bottle (not as obnoxiously sized as it sounds) that I fill up before during and after work. I can drink 3 of them very easily. Then of course, if you just plain dont like water...do the Crystal Light, lemon wedge deal.
As for the drawbacks to drinking so much water...do you all ever get used to the peeing??? I was told that your body will go through a moment of adjustment to all the water where youll pee all the time - but then youll get used to it and everything will return to normal. But its not happening for me!! I run to the bathroom with a bursting bladder every hour on the hour. Anyone know about this?
I can't drink a lot of straight water either. I do drink a lot of Crystal Light iced tea and recently, I found a place online that sells boxes of different zero-cal and lo-cal powder drink mixes, some with vitamins, to add to bottled water. So I bought 2 Glaceau flavored vitamin waters (20 oz) at the store, drank those and now I refill the bottles with tap water and add different packets to them. I've been having blue-raspberry, apple, orange & lime (these two not great, lol), raspberry lemonade with fiber, another mix with glucosamine for the joints. I can manage about 2-3 bottles a day now, plus a couple of glasses of Crystal Light.
Well, I have been following your sage advice and now carry a 20oz bottle of water EVERYWHERE. I also have at least 4 packets of Crystal Light packets in my purse at all times. I like the 20oz better because it gives me a sense of accomplishment every time I finish it off. Trekkiegirl, could you give me the name of that site where you found the flavor packets? I like the Crystal Light but am afraid of that becoming boring too soon. But the good news is that since I have been drinking 3 liters of water every day, I went down another 2.5 lbs! YAY WATER
PS Junebug, I have found that I can drink a lot more with a straw. Maybe it has something to do with not taking in so much at one time?
Well, I'm glad I'm not alone. Seriously, everyone around here looks at me like I'm mad... So really, everyone else is weird, NOT US!
Steph, I got the 24oz green one and water that gets stuck in the straw sometimes shoots out, but other than that I have been a water-drinking machine!
I love the water bottle aisle at REI... so many pretty colors and options... Ok, I know that IS weird!
I guess I was also born with the water gene, my hubby on the other hand was not a fan of water, every time he "had" to drink it he grimaced like he was going to gag. He started drinking the water flavors from walmart also, and now he drinks water all the times.... prefers it even!
I have a big 1 liter bottle, so I usually just try to drink through 2 or 3 of those. I used to use smaller bottles but I started to think "geez I still have 3 of these left to drink" and switched to a bigger bottle.
Drinking Enough Water
