water :(

kangaroux92

i can never seem to drink enough water. before i started dieting i was never thirsty, so i thought. but ever since i lowered my calories my tongue and mouth is always dry. even with being thirsty all the time, i still struggle to remember to drink water. i hate full water belly feeling and its just so hard to get into the habit . im just really not a liquid drinker of any kind the only thing i can ever manage to drink more than 6 oz of is alcoholic beverages.

i wonder if i ever will be able to drink enough water

newdaydawning79

You just have to do it, honestly. Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour as a reminder to drink 8oz. Bring a water bottle of some sort with you at all times and refill as needed. Soon it'll become a habit, and 8oz/hour shouldn't give you that over-full feeling.

melduf

You have to make it a part of your daily routine. Buy a nice bottle or glass, put an alarm on your phone and drink a little every hour. You won't feel as bloated if you drink it gradually. Keep a glass of water near at every meal.

Also, you could incorporate soup to your diet. It's not much but it's a start.

For me, I drink more if the water is cold. So I always pour a small glass, and as soon as I realize it's warmer, I drink it up and go for a refill.

Tom_H_

Don't go and drink a full glass of water every time you think your thirsty, just have a glass or bottle of water with you all the time and sip throughout the day, easy and you'll never have that bloated water feeling.

jasonmh630

I drink about 150-200 ounces of water per day and have never had that bloated feeling.

I just pee every 30 minutes lol.

PinUp2014

newdaydawning79 wrote: »

You just have to do it, honestly. Set a timer on your phone to go off every hour as a reminder to drink 8oz. Bring a water bottle of some sort with you at all times and refill as needed. Soon it'll become a habit, and 8oz/hour shouldn't give you that over-full feeling.

I keep tabs on how many times I can refill my water bottle a day without feeling sloshy. I've made a game out of, trying to best myself.

A girlfriend of mine started freezing fruit and putting it in her water bottle. It keeps it cold and also gives a bit of flavor.

And, honestly, it helps me keep within my calories. When I'm feeling hungry between meals, I sit down and have a bottle of water first (I have one of those Blender Bottles that hold 24oz). If I'm still hungry after that, then I will find something to eat. Usually, my body is just searching for something to have and water fills that need.

If that still isn't enough, think of your skin, hair, and nails. You need a decent amount of water to have any of the above be strong and attractive.

herbertwest7734

Once you get into the habit of drinking water you start to crave it much more.

Whenever I realize I have not been drinking much/enough water I do things at work like put a glass of water in a spot that I go to frequently. Then everytime I go there I take a drink. It doesn't have to be a huge drink, but by the end of the day it adds up without the feeling of forcing it down or getting that water belly feeling you dislike.

brittanyrose90

I never ever drank water until Monday. I absolutely hate the taste of water. I know people say water has no taste but to me it does. Since then I have had more than 8 glasses a day. I put a little bit of Mio water flavour in it. Water is so important for your body. Like someone above me said, you just have to do it. And she's right. It's an important part of the weight loss journey.

uconnwinsnc1

Chug it. I drink a big cold glass every morning. Fill the glass up halfway and then drink it again.

Kalikel

Try not to think of it as having to drink a glass. It's not like you must fill up a glass and drink the whole thing.

Just keep a bottle around and take a sip or two when you think of it.

Unless you have a physical or mental issue that prevents a normal thirst sensation, you can rely on your sense of thirst to carry you.

If you drink only water and you drink when you're thirsty, you will take in enough as long as you don't have some kind of problem.

IrisFlute

Drink as much as you are thirsty for. Period.

Unless (as Kalikel said) you have some diagnosed physical or mental problem, your body will tell you how much fluid you need. Worrying about drinking enough water is like worrying about breathing enough air.

Seriously, this whole water obsession has gotten out of hand. There is NO scientific basis for the 8 glasses per day thing. Lots of foods we eat are mostly water (Lettuce, for instance, is about 95% water.)

Here's a citation from National Institutes of Health
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12376390

This BBC article does a nice job of explaining:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-24464774

But there are tons of articles out there. All the reputable research now says, Drink as much as you feel like drinking and don't worry about it.

galprincess

I have a water app on my phone it really helps as usually I am busy and forget so having it come up reminds me to go drink

sheldonklein

Agree that there is no health reason for drinking large quantities (1/2 gal+) of water, other than the calories you burn walking to the bathroom. But I do. It provides some non-caloric oral stimulation, which helps me, is healthier than smoking and quieter than chewing gum. At work, I keep a 1.5 l carafe and a glass at my desk. I see the carafe and fill my glass. I drink more that way than if I had to walk to a faucet to fill my glass. I probably drink approx. 3 l a day, though I don't track it.

ASNK27

I don't drink enough water either... and I never ever crave it. I barely drink 2 bottles a day. Before when I would work out I would reach for water. I know everyone and every website says stuff about water intake but if you're having regular bowel movements and you're drinking some kind of liquid (gatorade, ice tea, coffee, etc) then count it all towards your 8 cups per day. That's what I do.

AllAboutThatPace

I have a ginormous 64 oz insulated mug at my desk that I fill up in the morning and drink throughout the day. I got it at a gas station. I love it and it stays pretty cold the entire day. I used to struggle to finish one, but yesterday, I drank two of them. Whoa. I did pee like every 15 minutes though. I also have a little reminder note taped to my computer to remind me - my coworkers call it creepy. Ha.

lisaabenjamin

I used to be like you - I would sometimes go all day without drinking anything but one or two cups of tea. But then my mum (who did exactly the same) got kidney stones and let me tell you from observation that is NOT something you want to go through!! It can be caused by being dehydrated over a long period of time and causes tiny crystals to build up in your kidneys. When I say crystals, I mean sharp, jagged little stones which eventually work themselves out through your pee-hole...the pain is supposed to be worse than childbirth!!

So now I have a pint glass (568ml) on my desk at work and make sure to drink 2 glasses before lunch and 2 after!! I pee a lot, but it's good to cleanse and at least I'm going to get kidney stones!!

I was interested in why you're now more thirsty since you reduced your calorie intake, so I took a peek at your diary. Unfortunately there's a lot of 'quick added calories' so i can't tell what you're actually eating. Do you eat a lot of processed foods or ready-meals? If so, you might be taking on a lot of sodium. This makes you thirsty!

KylaDenay

I am the same way. Other than coffee and wine, I do not drink enough water. I drink my coffee in the am and then I can go all day without the water. If I am working out than that is usually almost 32 oz for me right there. Sometimes I have 12 oz at lunch.

I know that people constantly say that you NEED to drink 64 oz or more of water. Meh drink as much as you can.

lmr0528

I've found that I can drink more water throughout the day if it's the flavored carbonated kind. I bring 1 with me to work that's 33.8 fl oz and I have to drink the whole thing before I go home. Then I drink another 1 or 2 cups during my workout at night. So that usually puts me at about 5 or 6 cups a day.

4bettermenow

I've had a kidney stone which my doctor said I could potentially avoid in the future by increasing my water intake. It was the worse pain of my life and I have had two kids. Its not something I want to endure again. So I increased my water significantly. Now, I try to drink between 65 and 80 oz a day. I also drink a cup of tea in the afternoons and 2 cups of coffee in the early morning. As far as my liquids go, thats it. Yesterday I didn't get as much water in...not even sure why. Just didn't. This morning I woke up with a horrid headache and I know its from lack of water. I gone through half a liter and its starting to go away. Your body will tell you how much you need.

LoraF83

You only need to drink enough every day to make your urine light yellow. The old adage about 8 cups isn't really true.
Just make it a habit to look at your urine when you pee. If it's dark, you need to drink more. If it's clear and light yellow, you're adequately hydrated.

EmotionalEater84

jasonmh630 wrote: »

I drink about 150-200 ounces of water per day and have never had that bloated feeling.

I just pee every 30 minutes lol.

^^ This! I drink a lot of water - my body needs it and seems to me, so does yours! Just make sure you account for the bathroom breaks

TimothyFish

I drink a pot of coffee every day, which is the equivalent of 7.5 glasses of water. On days I exercise, I drink a bottle of Gatorade and sometimes another battle of water, so there's another five glasses. And I usually drink things in addition to that.

KylaDenay

LoraF83 wrote: »

You only need to drink enough every day to make your urine light yellow. The old adage about 8 cups isn't really true.
Just make it a habit to look at your urine when you pee. If it's dark, you need to drink more. If it's clear and light yellow, you're adequately hydrated.

Exactly this

jen_2286

I found 2 things that help me (I also hate the belly full of water feeling): I make sure my water is really, really cold and I drink sparkling water instead of tap water. There's no way I could drink 2L of tap water a day without feeling queasy but for some reason I can drink 2L of very cold sparkling water during the day, no problem.

AliceDark

nosajjao wrote: »

lauraripson wrote: »

I've found that I can drink more water throughout the day if it's the flavored carbonated kind.

That's not water, that's soda. Another way to say that is "I've found I can drink more water throughout the day if its the fermented alcoholic kind."

Um, no, sparkling water or club soda with a slice of lemon or a few drops of the Mio-type flavoring is "flavored, carbonated" water.

JenSD6

I find I drink water more easily (and mindlessly) if I use a bottle with a straw. I also drink a couple of giant cups of tea every day and certainly count those towards my water intake.

hasta_la_vista_belly

Yeah, green tea helps me with water in the morning, and then frankly I just got into a mode of water being pretty much the only thing I drink when it comes to non-alcoholic drinks. Now my body craves it and I regularly drink it throughout the day.

gothchiq

take little occasional sips. Chugging it feels gross.

qb63

Try the MIO or other liquid flavor enhancer drops. They don't add calories and come in a bunch of flavors. There's even a good sweet tea flavor if you like that sort of thing.