Water
aloughery645
Posts: 9 Member
How do you encourage yourself to drink more water. I finally got my self drinking one water a day. I need to trick myself into drinking more. Also I have had caffeine withdrawal for 5 days w/out soda
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Replies
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I'm not sure how you trick yourself. If you're suffering from dehydration and your normal biological cues aren't having you drink, set an alarm on your phone if you one and it has that feature.1
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Soda is mostly water. I drink diet soda all the time. You could also drink iced tea or add flavor enhancers to your water.1
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I drink herbal tea or water out of habit. I feel thirsty after activity, or, if I feel a bit allergy rddn, it's often improved by a big drink. You learn to recognise when you need it.
Soda tastes crap to me (unless it's diet coke with a big slug of rum) and more than one or two doses of caffeine make me feel ill and bugger up my sleep. Neither are hard to avoid once they're no longer a habit.1 -
No tricking here. I just force myself to slam an 8 ounce glass whenever I pass the sink and happen to think of it. Been doing it a couple months and still don't like the taste of plain water. It helps that I'm a big guy and can down that 8oz in 3 gulps to get it over with. As far as soda, I drink a ridiculous amount of diet cola. In the past I've done the cold turkey thing a couple times to break the caffeine addiction, just because. Any more I just don't find it to be worth the misery to do that. I am trying to cut back, mainly to save money. That's why I started doing the water thing, hoping I would be less thirsty and just drink less soda without thinking about it. So far it hasn't worked so much. I just ended up peeing a lot more.2
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I bought several water bottles that I really like. They are super cute (important to me), spill-resistant, and have straws (I like that). At any given time, there are two in the fridge getting cold, and one beside me. When I finish one, I immediately "rinse, refill, refrigerate" and get a new one. (Actually, I'm a liar. Most of the time I totally make my kids do it for me. LOL!) Because it's always sitting beside me, I drink it without even thinking about it. Being cold really matters to me, too. I hate room temperature water. If I don't finish a bottle before it gets warm, I will replace it with a cold one rather than drink it.
(That's why I don't just have 2 in rotation. If I drink one quickly, it's important there's a cold one to replace it!)
Sometimes I add those individual flavor packets to my water. Be careful with those, they totally lie about the calories. The ones I like say 5 calories, but the "serving size" is 1/2 a packet! Even though they are obviously single-use. I also drink as much unsweetened ice tea and diet soda as I want. Yes, those contain water, and they are 0 calories. And I drink one cup of coffee every day (but I use milk and sugar, so I log that). Nothing wrong with that if it fits your calories!2 -
try making unsweetened ice tea - has the caffeine but is non carbonated water (if you're not anti-fake sweetener add a few packets of whatever type is your preference)0
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I prefer the brand smart water so I find I drink that more then the regular bottled water from the food store. I don't like the flavor packets
I also am not custom to the flavor of diet soda and I went cold turkey for 5 days now 0 -
As a person who used to hate water, simply put I just had to discipline myself to drink only water until it became all I wanted. It took years. I feel like flavored/sweetened drinks "spoil" you and make water unpalatable. I now truly love water and my thirst can't be quenched by anything else.
I did start out with infused waters. Lemon, cucumber and my favorite lime with fresh grated ginger. I now almost exclusively drink plain room temperature water and think it's awesome.0 -
Also meant to add that I used to drink La Croix flavored seltzers when I first quit soda because I was addicted to fizzy drinks! The coconut one is great.0
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When you wake up, drink a glass of water.
And drink one glass before you go to bed.
I kindly disagree that soda is water...I think water is much much better to drink.
Have u ever tried fruit infused water?
Water w sliced oranges is really refreshing, or w cucumber slices.0 -
Pop drinkers: does anyone use the Sodastream? I bought one eons ago when they first came out, then a few years ago, bought another.
My favorite: orange pop I make, so I don't have to deal with Red 40, and it's made with real orange.
Another favorite pop from my Sodastream: made using frozen cranberry juice.0 -
Oh, the subject is drinking water. I only like it icy-icy cold, but then I just slug it down! Tasty that way!0
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Plant Nanny! 0
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I'm surprised on here how many people advocate drinking diet soda over water sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I drink a lot of diet soda, but I've never had a doctor or dietician say drinking diet soda was better or just as good as drinking water. In fact they say the opposite. When I tell a doctor how much diet soda I drink and how little water I consume I immediately get the talk of how bad diet soda is and that I need to drink more water. I also read this in magazines and in talking to people who have "experted" weight loss and healthy living. So why do people on here think they know better than the experts? I'm not saying you can't lose weight if you drink pop because I have in the past, but its just not as good for you as water because they put extra stuff in pop that your body doesn't need. I'm trying to ween myself off of pop little by little and drink more water. I will never stop drinking it completely, but I've heard enough about the benefits of drinking water to know I should be drinking more of it. But I guess to each their own.3
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I've hit a stage in my life where I only like drinking water if it's hot. Warm is minimally acceptable. No lemon or other citrus. Just hot water, thanks.
Since I grew up in a household where water was the default beverage (along with sugarless sun brewed Lipton iced tea and whole milk), I've personally never found the tasteless liquid unpalatable.
As far as encouraging myself? If needed, I break out the 16 oz Nalgene + a reusable straw. I'll keep it in front of me constantly and refill it as soon as it's empty. I average around 96 oz of water a day when I do this, not counting any 11 oz cups of hot tea I brew in a day (1-4).0 -
I love water and drink it all day but i find i drink more if i have my 32 oz water bottle with me. I know to drink at least two of them but it makes it not feel like im constantly getting a glass of water.0
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I drink it when I'm hungry in place of eating.0
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I kept an empty Fiji water bottle, drink 2 of those and boom..water quota for the day. I try to drink a bottle of water during my work out in the morning and just force myself to drink it through out the day. Water and unsweetened tea are my drinks of choice after 6 months now.
I never liked the taste of canned pop. Only drank fountain but switched to Zevia when I first started my journey, it's carbonated water with flavor. The cream soda and black cherry were my favorites but I don't drink them anymore.0 -
I'm surprised on here how many people advocate drinking diet soda over water sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I drink a lot of diet soda, but I've never had a doctor or dietician say drinking diet soda was better or just as good as drinking water. In fact they say the opposite. When I tell a doctor how much diet soda I drink and how little water I consume I immediately get the talk of how bad diet soda is and that I need to drink more water.
I certainly don't advocate it, but I also don't think diet soda is nearly as bad as "they" claim it to be. At least not for me. I tend to drink between a half gallon and gallon of it per day, and have done so for most of a couple decades, ever since I learned I had diabetes. Before that, it was regular Pepsi, which I'm pretty sure contributed to the diabetes. If diet soda was so godawful, I should be dead by now.I also read this in magazines and in talking to people who have "experted" weight loss and healthy living. So why do people on here think they know better than the experts?
Because often the "experts" are quacks like Dr. Oz or Dr. Mercola (can of worms explosion in 3...2...1...) Or they are just plain full of it.
As a diabetic, I'm controlling my blood sugar with a calorie limited, low-carb diet (and the weight loss helps too). I am on a couple oral meds, but I really think they don't do much of anything and am working to get off them. In fact, I got back on the diet and weight loss thing (done it before) because my blood sugar insisted on staying too high and other metabolic markers were starting to follow suit, and the pills just weren't having any significant effect.
Anyway, the point of all the above is that I am controlling my blood sugar with a dietary model that is -not- recommended by the "experts". In fact, had I been following American Diabetic Association guidelines for the last couple decades, I would be fully dependent on insulin by now, because their standards assume medication dependence and that insulin use and heart disease are inevitable.
So no, there are very good reasons why people don't buy what the "experts" are selling.
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I'm surprised on here how many people advocate drinking diet soda over water sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I drink a lot of diet soda, but I've never had a doctor or dietician say drinking diet soda was better or just as good as drinking water. In fact they say the opposite. When I tell a doctor how much diet soda I drink and how little water I consume I immediately get the talk of how bad diet soda is and that I need to drink more water. I also read this in magazines and in talking to people who have "experted" weight loss and healthy living. So why do people on here think they know better than the experts? I'm not saying you can't lose weight if you drink pop because I have in the past, but its just not as good for you as water because they put extra stuff in pop that your body doesn't need. I'm trying to ween myself off of pop little by little and drink more water. I will never stop drinking it completely, but I've heard enough about the benefits of drinking water to know I should be drinking more of it. But I guess to each their own.
Like @MarkusDarwath said, most of the "experts" you see on TV and in magazines are full of *kitten*. They're peddling fad diet nonsense, and they're mostly the reason that too many people are unable to maintain a healthy weight. I wouldn't trust them if they told me the sky is blue.
Secondly, yes, plain water is better for you than diet soda. Carrots are better for you than cake, too. That doesn't mean you should never eat cake, or that cake doesn't count as food. It probably wouldn't be good for you to drink NOTHING but diet soda, but it doesn't hurt to drink some. And diet soda has the advantage over cake that it doesn't have any calories, so it's not going to affect weight loss. In fact, in that respect diet soda is better than juice, which the "experts" are constantly recommending.aloughery645 wrote: »I prefer the brand smart water so I find I drink that more then the regular bottled water from the food store. I don't like the flavor packets I also am not custom to the flavor of diet soda and I went cold turkey for 5 days now
If you prefer Smart Water, then keep lots of it on hand. As for the flavor of diet soda, it takes getting used to. Or you can drink unsweetened coffee or tea to help with the caffeine headache.1 -
MarkusDarwath wrote: »I certainly don't advocate it, but I also don't think diet soda is nearly as bad as "they" claim it to be. At least not for me. I tend to drink between a half gallon and gallon of it per day, and have done so for most of a couple decades, ever since I learned I had diabetes. Before that, it was regular Pepsi, which I'm pretty sure contributed to the diabetes. If diet soda was so godawful, I should be dead by now
Have you ever experimented with NOT drinking any diet soda? Are you ever curious as to whether or not your overall health would be better (even marginally) without drinking so much of it?
I ask out of curiosity because my father stopped drinking his daily 2-liter (or 2) about a year ago and he swears it's made him feel better and that it's easier for him to lose weight without it.1 -
MarkusDarwath wrote: »I certainly don't advocate it, but I also don't think diet soda is nearly as bad as "they" claim it to be. At least not for me. I tend to drink between a half gallon and gallon of it per day, and have done so for most of a couple decades, ever since I learned I had diabetes. Before that, it was regular Pepsi, which I'm pretty sure contributed to the diabetes. If diet soda was so godawful, I should be dead by now
Have you ever experimented with NOT drinking any diet soda? Are you ever curious as to whether or not your overall health would be better (even marginally) without drinking so much of it?
I ask out of curiosity because my father stopped drinking his daily 2-liter (or 2) about a year ago and he swears it's made him feel better and that it's easier for him to lose weight without it.
There have been a couple times in the past when I decided I didn't like being addicted to caffeine. At the time, I thought grabbing a pepsi first thing on getting up in the morning was ridiculous and I should stop that. Going cold turkey created a miserable couple weeks from the withdrawal. After the 24/7 headache and nausea went away, I can't say that I felt any better than before. It was my plan back then to then only drink soda in moderation. That didn't work. The soda is still the taste I like best, and it's convenient, so my intake gradually increased back to where it was. I've had numerous people tell me how they felt so wonderful after giving up soda and had more energy, etc. From my limited attempts, that just isn't me.
I did learn a few months ago that I can make a limeade that would be an acceptable substitute (water, lime juice concentrate and Splenda), but the convenience factor kills it. I go through it too fast and trying to rely on it would mean having to make a new pitcher 3 - 4 times per day and needing to wash pitchers all the time, plus I don't have any carry bottles big enough or well insulated enough to satisfy what I need during a work day. Haven't found anything that keeps a drink cold for 3 hours as well as the 44oz styrofoam cups from the convenience store.
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when I'm thirst I choose to drink water. I don't drink it if I'm not thirsty.0
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I purchased a carbonator which I use to make seltzer water for myself. I keep fresh lemons on hand, and add a section to a glass of carbonated water. This makes the water into a delicious beverage and adds no calories whatsoever. I find that I have a limit in the number of glasses of water that I can drink during the day and not have to rise several times in the night to use the bathroom. This may be because I take a diuretic for my blood pressure.
I've done this for years before I started dieting seriously. It was only after I stopped drinking diet beverages that I started doing this a lot more. Now carbonated water is my main beverage other than the occasional glass of wine or whatever.0 -
I'm surprised on here how many people advocate drinking diet soda over water sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I drink a lot of diet soda, but I've never had a doctor or dietician say drinking diet soda was better or just as good as drinking water. In fact they say the opposite. When I tell a doctor how much diet soda I drink and how little water I consume I immediately get the talk of how bad diet soda is and that I need to drink more water. I also read this in magazines and in talking to people who have "experted" weight loss and healthy living. So why do people on here think they know better than the experts? I'm not saying you can't lose weight if you drink pop because I have in the past, but its just not as good for you as water because they put extra stuff in pop that your body doesn't need. I'm trying to ween myself off of pop little by little and drink more water. I will never stop drinking it completely, but I've heard enough about the benefits of drinking water to know I should be drinking more of it. But I guess to each their own.
From the many, many posts I've read from soda drinkers, it's their way of justifying their soda addiction/love. Any blogs or articles that even dare mention the fact that diet/soda has any detrimental health effects are instantly shut down.
People will vehemently disagree with me on this.. But i'm only putting out there how some of these posts come across.1 -
I don't. I drink water when I need to drink water. Seems like the last thing I need to worry about, right after "breathing" and before "avoid hugging hornets nests."0
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MarkusDarwath wrote: »There have been a couple times in the past when I decided I didn't like being addicted to caffeine. At the time, I thought grabbing a pepsi first thing on getting up in the morning was ridiculous and I should stop that. Going cold turkey created a miserable couple weeks from the withdrawal. After the 24/7 headache and nausea went away, I can't say that I felt any better than before. It was my plan back then to then only drink soda in moderation. That didn't work. The soda is still the taste I like best, and it's convenient, so my intake gradually increased back to where it was. I've had numerous people tell me how they felt so wonderful after giving up soda and had more energy, etc. From my limited attempts, that just isn't me.
I did learn a few months ago that I can make a limeade that would be an acceptable substitute (water, lime juice concentrate and Splenda), but the convenience factor kills it. I go through it too fast and trying to rely on it would mean having to make a new pitcher 3 - 4 times per day and needing to wash pitchers all the time, plus I don't have any carry bottles big enough or well insulated enough to satisfy what I need during a work day. Haven't found anything that keeps a drink cold for 3 hours as well as the 44oz styrofoam cups from the convenience store.
I'm right there with you on the convenience factor. I do most of my water drinking when I'm at home where my preferred water, ice and cup are!
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MarkusDarwath wrote: »I certainly don't advocate it, but I also don't think diet soda is nearly as bad as "they" claim it to be. At least not for me. I tend to drink between a half gallon and gallon of it per day, and have done so for most of a couple decades, ever since I learned I had diabetes. Before that, it was regular Pepsi, which I'm pretty sure contributed to the diabetes. If diet soda was so godawful, I should be dead by now
Have you ever experimented with NOT drinking any diet soda? Are you ever curious as to whether or not your overall health would be better (even marginally) without drinking so much of it?
I ask out of curiosity because my father stopped drinking his daily 2-liter (or 2) about a year ago and he swears it's made him feel better and that it's easier for him to lose weight without it.
I've completely quit soda multiple times. Once just because my friends told me I couldn't. Then again when I first joined MFP and didn't want to drink my calories and I didn't like diet soda. Both of those times I went from multiple regular sodas a day to zero. It has never made a very big difference to me at all. I missed it, but wasn't miserable without it, but I also didn't see any kind of improvement in giving it up. In the end, it's something I enjoy the taste of, and I see no purpose in depriving myself. Then I discovered Diet Dr Pepper, which actually is just as good as regular, unlike Diet Coke, which is gross. Now I have a diet soda a few times a week, just because that's how often I feel like it, and a regular soda maybe once a month. But if I wanted to drink diet soda every day, I wouldn't feel bad. It's not poison, and it's not going to stop me from reaching my goals.
To me, completely giving up soda all the time would be like completely giving up ice cream. Why? Why would I even bother if I don't have to? (BTW, I just had some chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. SO GOOD. Also not poison.)Christine_72 wrote: »I'm surprised on here how many people advocate drinking diet soda over water sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I drink a lot of diet soda, but I've never had a doctor or dietician say drinking diet soda was better or just as good as drinking water. In fact they say the opposite. When I tell a doctor how much diet soda I drink and how little water I consume I immediately get the talk of how bad diet soda is and that I need to drink more water. I also read this in magazines and in talking to people who have "experted" weight loss and healthy living. So why do people on here think they know better than the experts? I'm not saying you can't lose weight if you drink pop because I have in the past, but its just not as good for you as water because they put extra stuff in pop that your body doesn't need. I'm trying to ween myself off of pop little by little and drink more water. I will never stop drinking it completely, but I've heard enough about the benefits of drinking water to know I should be drinking more of it. But I guess to each their own.
From the many, many posts I've read from soda drinkers, it's their way of justifying their soda addiction/love. Any blogs or articles that even dare mention the fact that diet/soda has any detrimental health effects are instantly shut down.
People will vehemently disagree with me on this.. But i'm only putting out there how some of these posts come across.
I don't know why anyone needs to justify loving soda. It tastes good. It's not poison. If it fits into your health goals, and you want to drink it, why would you not? Demonizing certain foods (or drinks) as "bad" and "never consume this!" is not healthy.1 -
I find it a bit of a struggle to drink water without putting conscious effort into it. For me it has to be ice cold, or for some reason the water cooler at work is just like the best tasting water to me. Maybe try a lemon or lime slice? Even maybe drinking some good tasting bottled water? Like for some reason I find Dasani is delicious (or little whatever one you may like more than another).
Personally, after cutting out diet soda I find a glass of it now just makes me want sweet stuff like crazy when otherwise I don't crave it. Which makes me question its previous impact on my eating.1 -
I actually dont drink more than 2 glasses of any liquid a day. I dislike coffee, tea or water. I like milk and juices and drink a Coke every other day. However since i started MFP a month ago I am forcing myself to drink water. My advice is to start slow like you are doing. One glass a day and then maybe add another glass a few days later and so on. You will get there. I am only at 5 or 6 glasses after a month. I can only drink water very cold. Good luck....it really helps with the weight loss1
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