I made a commitment not to drink any calories, so the only fluid I intake is water, aside from an occasional bit of milk when eating cereal.
Despite this I find myself sometimes BARELY drinking my needed 8 cups a day! Most days I only drink about 5-6. Have you guys found any ways to make sure you get enough water in on a daily basis and how much are you drinking?

Do any of you drink sparkling water and does it even apply to your daily water intake?
A few times when eating out I have opted to drink some sparkling water with some lemon and some stevia, very minimal calories and tasted almost like sprite. Not sure if I should take up drinking this more often to help me get in the extra 2-3 cups since drinking too much plain water when not very thirsty makes me feel icky.

some days I can drink all the water I need and then some and not think twice about it. some days I have to make a more concentrated effort. I've started wearing colorful hair ties around my watch band, and I move one from below the watch face to above it with every bottle of water I finish. that way every time I look down to check the time, I have a reminder of how much water I've had and how much more I should drink, which usually prompts me to go have another drink. I know I feel better when I drink more, and that's the feeling I pay attention to a lot more than some random calculation of how much water someone should drink.

If it makes you feel bad and you're not thirsty, why would you force yourself do drink MORE water? There are plenty of studies that say all this water drinking is kind of pointless and all those random emails that told you "by the time you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated" are bunk. If you're not doing excessive exercise in the heat, drink water when you're thirsty or with snacks and meals and don't worry about it.

It's a complete myth that only plain water counts toward your fluid intake. All fluids count. As the regulars on this board will know, I drink no plain water at all. I drink a mixture of coffee, tea, sparkling water with juice or flavour enhancer like Mio, and wine. I drink when I'm thirsty or when I feel like it. That's it. And I'm not dehydrated at all (as evidenced by the pale colour of my pee, springy skin, and energy levels).

Freelance

I have certain water times. I drink until I don't want any more before I leave for work in the morning. Then I drink 32oz before 11. Then I drink another 32oz before 3. Then I drink at the gym when needed. Then I'll drink another large glass while I'm eating and will usually drink a bit before going to bed.

The only reason I drink this much is because if I do not, I feel like crap during my workout and tend to chug it while working out. Which makes my stomach full and makes me feel even more crappy while I'm trying to accomplish something. I've been playing around with my water for years and this is where I feel best.

The downside is if I'm out doing something, I have to drink a lot of water before I go and usually bring some with me if I know I won't have access to water. If I don't I'm dying of thirst in a few hours.

5-6 cups a day might be OK for you, or it might not -- we're all so different. Check your own indicators of dehydration (the items freelancemomma alluded to). For medical reasons, extra hydration is important for me. I discovered that I drink a lot more if I have a large straw - might be something to try. My husband got me some cute glass straws off Etsy that I adore (there's a seller that can make little animals on the bottom of the straw - super cute). My water consumption has shot up! But speaking of - my husband almost never drinks water outside of meals (with food, he'll drink 2-3 glasses, if not more). He's always chiding me to drink more, because I really dislike drinking too much water while I eat -- I sip lightly with food, and consume most of my liquids outside of meal time. Different strokes.

Also -- I also LOVE sparkling water with lemon and stevia -- it's just an occasional treat now, but when I was more intensely dieting, I had a couple glasses a day. One thing I'll mention is that while carbonated water is not nearly as bad as soda (no sugar, after all), excessive consumption of it can still be not-so-great for your dental enamel. Not a really a concern if drinking it in moderation, but just something to know (esp. if you have terrible teeth like me ).

I like drinking a lot of water. Let your urine color be a guide. If mine isn't pale or clear I drink more.

I know you don't want to add calories, but by sucking on one peppermint lifesaver (15 calories) I can easily drink 40oz with it and not think anything of it (cause I taste the candy, not the water)

I cut out all drinks. I drink only water and milk. Make your water tasty by adding slices of cucumber or lemon wedges or a dab of honey.

and here is something I found online about water intake

I need to start following it too!

For me, what helps the most is making it convenient. I always have a water bottle with me.

Like Daki, I'm now so used to drinking a lot that I get extremely thirsty if I have to go a couple of hours w/o wetting my whistle. Growing up, I never would've guessed I'd become like this because back then I loathed water and rarely drank it.

i drink 2 big glasses right when i wake up. i was never big on drinking soda anyway, so transitioning to at least 8 glasses a day wasn't that difficult. you could set a reminder on your phone maybe? just drink a glass every few hours and you should be good.

Water is the only liquid I drink, and I keep a pitcher of filtered water in the fridge at all times because it's more refreshing that way.

OP, you mentioned that many days you only get 5 or 6 glasses of water. That's actually enough for a lot of people. Let your thirst guide you. As others have pointed out, any fluid counts so you are actually getting more fluid than 5 or 6 glasses a day because it's also in food. The original recommendation was for fluid, not specifically water. However, many people were confused and asked what counted as fluids, so doctors tried to make it easier by just saying water. Oh, if they only knew what they started

Any food that contains moisture also contains some fluid. Fruit, veggies, soups, even bread has a little bit of moisture. The body recognizes and makes use of it, just like it does if you drink it. So unless you eat crackers all day, you're getting more fluid than you think

I find I like to get a litre in by noon (when I wake up around 7-8am). I figure this helps replenish the fluids that were lost during the night which, I hope, helps my body function optimally for the rest of the day. From there on, it's fairly easy to get at least 500ml more over the next 8-10 hours, if not another litre. I usually drink water because I like it, and I also enjoy herbal teas.

What's nice about the morning routine is that I find I'm also naturally thirsty around that time of day.

I know that this is wasteful, but it's what helps me. In the morning. I number 5 16.9 ounce bottles of water. I number them 1 through 5. That way I know when I've drank all my water for the day.

I do recycle the bottles! It's really what works best for me. I don't drink the water if it's not really cold.

Why don't you buy some reusable bottles instead? You can fill them up and put them in the fridge the night before. If you take them with you to work and want them to stay cold all day but don't have a fridge at work you can fill them about halfway with water and put them in the freezer overnight (make sure your bottle is freezer safe first). Then in the morning remove and fill the rest of the way with water. The ice melts slowly over the day. You can also keep pitchers of water in the fridge at all times. It's a lot cheaper and better for the environment.