Drinking more water..

suzieannfat

How do you drink more water, even when I drink as much as I can, and still only drink 6 cups. How do some people drink 12 cups a day?

FrankieFreaking5Kids

I get less ice than I like and I use a straw. It goes down so much faster and doesn't feel like a chore.

WalkingAlong

Some people carry a bottle around all day or force it down. I believe the '8 glasses a day' thing has been debunked and you can listen to your body and drink when you're thirsty. We get a lot of water intake from our foods and our other beverages.

Supertact

try tea aswell, with nothing added

angulasalajillo

I drink 2-3 litres a day plus at least 1 litre of herbal tea...
I found that keeping a large bottle (2l) of water at my desk was the trick, and ensuring I drank the whole lot before I left the office. I then always drink at least one more litre when I get home.

I have an oversized mug for my tea too (500ml)

Anselee

I have a liter bottle that I fill at least 3 times a day and on some days I drink more depending on if I have a longer work out or if I'm just feeling thirsty. It helps to just have a bottle or a glass with you and as soon as you empty it fill it up again and repeat. After awhile it becomes a habit. You really get alot of benefits by increasing your water intake. Hope that helps xx

CEMH1

I have a desk job which helps. Bottled water always on my desk. I'm currently drinking 8-10 cups before I leave the office at 4:30. At first it was a chore but like anything if you keep it up it becomes habit. Drinking that much water also keeps me feeling full. A nice side benefit.

As mentioned we do get water through food as well. Maybe just try the 6 cups and make that a habit, when you have that seemingly like a normal thing up it another cup, until you are at your desired 8.

Good luck!

sabified

I drink 2-3 litres a day plus at least 1 litre of herbal tea...
I found that keeping a large bottle (2l) of water at my desk was the trick, and ensuring I drank the whole lot before I left the office. I then always drink at least one more litre when I get home.

I have an oversized mug for my tea too (500ml)

This (including the oversized mug! But I try not to put too much sugar in my tea... I feel like that defeats the purpose, lol... I use Stevia where I can)

and also

I have a liter bottle that I fill at least 3 times a day and on some days I drink more depending on if I have a longer work out or if I'm just feeling thirsty. It helps to just have a bottle or a glass with you and as soon as you empty it fill it up again and repeat. After awhile it becomes a habit. You really get alot of benefits by increasing your water intake. Hope that helps xx

This. Keeping a bottle on you is so helpful - you basically need to build the "habit" of drinking water (and get used to going to the bathroom a million times, lol... I think I've heard that you go more often when you first start trying because your body isn't used to getting so much water and then it gets better after, but can't remember where I got that from so not sure if it's true)

_Calypso_

I drink more at work than I do on weekends at home b/c I have a 24oz water bottle at my desk. I make sure I drink one full one before lunch, one with lunch and one or two after lunch.


At home I have a 24oz glass and I drink one full one when I first wake up. Gets all the organs up and ready for the day. Then I refill it and I drink another 24oz before I leave the house. So a min of 48oz before 8a! I also drink at least two of those after work. So that is 96oz not counting what I drink at work. That is 12cups.

I'd suggest buying a water bottle and setting a goal to refill it min 5x in one day. Goals are good

willrun4bagels

I drink 120+ ounces of water a day. I have a 32 ounce Nalgene water bottle that I literally carry with me everywhere. It's always on my desk, in my bag, in my car, at family functions, etc. with me. I'm also not pickey about how the water tastes - if it's tap water and it's safe to drink, I will drink it. My SO refuses to drink anything that doesn't come from the Brita pitcher. I also prefer room temperature water, not cold. Too cold and I can't drink it as fast: room temperature and I can drink a whole 32oz bottle in one "sip" after a workout. I love me some water!!!! And I get a headache if I go too long without any. I don't know how some people don't drink ANY (one of my coworkers for example. :huh: )

Mokey41

There is no benefit to drinking large quantities of water. If your urine is pale yellow then you're hydrated. You get lots of fluids from the food you eat and your body doesn't care if it's water, tea, coffee, soup, milk, juice or a piece of fruit (an apple is 85% water). Chugging a lot of water doesn't lead to weight loss and can actually wash out vitamins and minerals that your body needs not to mention straining your kidneys. It's been proven that the whole 8 glasses, 1/2 your bodyweight, etc are all myths.

WalkingAlong

I read a book on healthy eating habits once that actually ridiculed today's Americans and how they carry drinks around all day like babies with a bottle. 40 years ago cars didn't have cupholders, conference rooms didn't have trays of breads and pitchers of beverages, there weren't coffee shops on every corner with 100 high calorie concoctions and a fountain soda was about 10 ozs. Bottled water was Perrier and that's about it. The point was that we now like to have that oral stimulation all day... in the car, in the meeting, in the line. We used to just eat 3 meals and maybe a snack. It was an interesting perspective. The beverage industry has exploded.

bepeejaye

I drink hot water during the day at work...I mean hot..no lemon...I sip it like tea..weird,I know..but that is what I grew up drinking, and now am addicted to it. At five a.m I have two glasses, with vitamins etc

I boil a kettleful of water and put into a thermos. I also carry a bottle..26 oz. of hot water. All this I drink throughout the day. I guess the sipping part makes drinking alot more that easy. If I don't have my hot water bottle in my hand I feel like am missing something.

Back home from work I carry 28 oz. of water to the gym..I add whey protein isolate to help me with cardio or weightlifting..I work each out on alternate days....then afore retiring to bed I have two more glasses of water.

By the end of each day I find that I drink 100+ oz. of water...subconsciously!! And sometimes I even forget to log all the water in

I don't drink because some scientific study, theory or not, posits that I should. Like I said, it is just something that is second nature to me. I think a noticeable feature about that is my smooth skin...I get lots of compliments..and going to the loo..for em..number two (pardon) is "easier."

_Calypso_

I read a book on healthy eating habits once that actually ridiculed today's Americans and how they carry drinks around all day like babies with a bottle. 40 years ago cars didn't have cupholders, conference rooms didn't have trays of breads and pitchers of beverages, there weren't coffee shops on every corner with 100 high calorie concoctions and a fountain soda was about 10 ozs. Bottled water was Perrier and that's about it. The point was that we now like to have that oral stimulation all day... in the car, in the meeting, in the line. We used to just eat 3 meals and maybe a snack. It was an interesting perspective. The beverage industry has exploded.

And your point?? While I agree that bottle water and beverages in general have increased; it does not change the fact that you still need water to survive. You can survive longer w/out food that you can w/out water. Our bodies are made up of 60% water and help keep our organs funtioning properly, regulates body temp, assists with flushing of wastes and much more. We *need* about 2.5 - 3 liters per day (12 cups). However one needs to take into consideration their daily activity. Most people mistake hunger for dehydration. So instead of quenching our body's thirst, we eat. And depending on what we eat...there will be little water consumed. Which will then cause water retention.

WalkingAlong

My point is that the "we need x glasses/oz. per day" thing and a lot of the other oft-repeated 'musts' have been debunked. And that if you drink all day long that might be a habit that is not as beneficial as you believe, from a behavioral standpoint.

There are also studies that show that water-rich foods like soups are more filling to people than say the same food with the same amount of water drank on the side. A lot of people claim water is filling to them but studies don't show that being common.

It's just food for thought. No need to get defensive, I'm not taking your bottle away. :drinker:

Mokey41

I read a book on healthy eating habits once that actually ridiculed today's Americans and how they carry drinks around all day like babies with a bottle. 40 years ago cars didn't have cupholders, conference rooms didn't have trays of breads and pitchers of beverages, there weren't coffee shops on every corner with 100 high calorie concoctions and a fountain soda was about 10 ozs. Bottled water was Perrier and that's about it. The point was that we now like to have that oral stimulation all day... in the car, in the meeting, in the line. We used to just eat 3 meals and maybe a snack. It was an interesting perspective. The beverage industry has exploded.

And your point?? While I agree that bottle water and beverages in general have increased; it does not change the fact that you still need water to survive. You can survive longer w/out food that you can w/out water. Our bodies are made up of 60% water and help keep our organs funtioning properly, regulates body temp, assists with flushing of wastes and much more. We *need* about 2.5 - 3 liters per day (12 cups). However one needs to take into consideration their daily activity. Most people mistake hunger for dehydration. So instead of quenching our body's thirst, we eat. And depending on what we eat...there will be little water consumed. Which will then cause water retention.

So since the dawn of man we've been walking around dehydrated and unhealthy? Now suddenly the wonders of water have been discovered and we're all soooo much healthier? Statistics don't really back up that claim.

Mokey41

My point is that the "we need x glasses/oz. per day" thing and a lot of the other oft-repeated 'musts' have been debunked. And that if you drink all day long that might be a habit that is not as beneficial as you believe, from a behavioral standpoint.

There are also studies that show that water-rich foods like soups are more filling to people than say the same food with the same amount of water drank on the side. A lot of people claim water is filling to them but studies don't show that being common.

It's just food for thought. No need to get defensive, I'm not taking your bottle away. :drinker:

I'm thinking we must be of the same generation. Back when you drank when you were thirsty and maybe even right out of the garden hose!

lithezebra

I don't think that you need 12 cups of water a day, or even 8. I drink enough fluid, judging by the fact that I'm not dehydrated.

LiminalAscendance

My point is that the "we need x glasses/oz. per day" thing and a lot of the other oft-repeated 'musts' have been debunked. And that if you drink all day long that might be a habit that is not as beneficial as you believe, from a behavioral standpoint.

There are also studies that show that water-rich foods like soups are more filling to people than say the same food with the same amount of water drank on the side. A lot of people claim water is filling to them but studies don't show that being common.

It's just food for thought. No need to get defensive, I'm not taking your bottle away. :drinker:

I'm thinking we must be of the same generation. Back when you drank when you were thirsty and maybe even right out of the garden hose!

I think it tastes better out of the toilet.

jfauci

I don't really see the need to drink that much water. 6 cups sounds fine to me. If you're thirsty, drink more. If not, don't worry about it. There are some days that I drink 8 oz and others where I drink 32 oz. All depends on how you feel.

jayrae87

I don't think you need to be forcing yourself to drink more water than that. Listen to your body! There is such a thing as too much water and if you're forcing it, you can make yourself sick.