Drinking 8 Cups of Water a Day??

KristinL19

So, I know its recommended to drink at least 8 cups a day to help with a healthy diet. But I find it difficult to drink even 2 glasses of water a day. And I'm not drinking anything else either, I just never find myself being thirsty, really ever. At meal times, I try to force myself to drink a glass of water, but I could honestly have a meal without drinking anything at all. Just wondering how you all make sure you get close to 8 cups of water a day, or if you have any tips/suggestions as to how I could get my 8 in.
Thank you!!

Laurayinz

Honestly, I think it's become a mindless habit, regardles of thirst level. I don't always hit the 8 though. I have a glass at my desk at work, with a lid and a straw. it only holds about 12 oz, so I end up refilling it a few times a day. I count the walk to the dispenser as exercise. :laugh:

LovingMe19

Try things like crystal light. I actually drink a lot of flavored spakling water. They are so yummy and help keep me full in between meals due to the carbonation in them. Tea is another good way to get some fluids in. Some people on here don't log anything but pure water but if your making your own tea its kinda obvious that the main ingridient is water Good luck! Hope this helps some!

JenOman

I drink 12-15 glasses a day, but I have always been a water drinker. It is basically the only beverage I drink. LOVE IT!! Maybe try with lemon or lime, some people say that works for them, personally I like plain ol' tap water, but my city has excellent water. Do you eat a lot of water loaded fruit (oranges, grapefruit, grapes, melon, etc) because that could be were your body is getting its water from (yes you can get water from food)

I would still make sure you at least drink 2-3 cups before-during-after a workout.

Kalrez

Get yourself a reuseable bottle and carry it with you. Take a sip every now and then. You don't have to feel like you've been in a desert and completely parched before taking a drink. Before you know it, you'll be used to hydrating yourself and you'll drink more often.

lindsschou

I never used to drink any water at all, but drank a ton of iced teas. Since I started my weight loss journey, I have cut the iced teas down to two per week and brought my water consumption up to 2000 ml's or 64 oz per day. The more water I drink, the more water I feel I need.

anthony438

I keep a 101.4 oz jug at my desk at work - I figure if I can drink one while I'm here, I'm good

vick9180

For me, out of sight, out of mind is what happens. So I keep a bottle in front of me so that I'm reminded to get enough water. If you remember to keep water with you, you'll be more likely to drink it because it's there.

LexyDawn

I drink 24 ounce bottle in the morning, as I'm getting ready, before I've eaten anything. Then I keep a 24 ounce bottle at my desk all day and have a sip of it whenever I look at it and refill it as neccessary. The more water you drink the more your body will crave. Try to think of water as a tool your body needs to flush toxins and fat out of your body. All the hard work you are doing with diet and exercise is amplified when you drink water.


Side note: I don't usually drink water with a meal... my grandma always told me your food digests better if you don't have water until 30 mins after you eat... I'm not sure this is true, but it's my grandma, I'm not going to question her Plus it makes me feel too full.

Yeoville

I have the same problem - Its not that I'm replacing the water I'm supposed to be drinking with any other liquids - I'm just not thirsty so I don't drink, and when I am thirsty all I drink is water. Another reason I think I don't drink the recommended amount daily is that I just don't want to take that many bathroom breaks...I need to smarten up I know.

gemco

i was never a big drinker, i could go til 5pm easily before i fancied a drink of anything. so i have a 750ml sports bottle and i refill it once during the day, just got in the habit of sipping it all day, i dont always finish the second filling but usually get at least 1.2 litres a day. i really feel better for it too.

LorinaLynn

I keep a bottle on my desk and sip throughout the day. I rarely just drink a whole glass at once.

leahdanbury

I used to be like that and find that I can really only drink water if it's ice cold! And I also heard that you burn more calories if the water is cold because your body has to warm it up. Good luck!

sparrowsflight

Yeah, I go the reusable water bottle route myself. However, I also try and set goals of when I need to have finished the water bottle by. I have a 32oz water bottle that I fill up at home and drink on the way in to work. First goal is trying to finish it before I get to work (I have an hour commute) and I usually end up taking the last few swallows in the parking garage or at my desk. And then when I get to work I fill it up again and I have to finish the second fill up before lunch, although again sometimes I am drinking it during lunch. After that, I fill it up once more but just let my thirst or lack thereof dictate whether I finish a third bottle.

It's easy now, but when I started, I had to constantly remind myself to take a drink every so often. Now I do it almost automatically and I get 64-96 oz of water a day--on weekdays at least. Haven't worked out a routine for weekends that I can stick to yet, though.

GrampsWooha

one cup an hour for a work day

SueInAz

You get about 20% of your water requirements through the food you eat. "8 glasses of water per day" should include this amount, so really, you don't need to drink 8 glasses, more like 6 or 7. It also doesn't need to specifically be water. All liquids contain water (don't count alcoholic drinks in this because they actually dehydrate you) and count towards your daily intake. That said, some of how much you need is also based on your activity level and the climate where you live. Someone in a cool, humid climate wouldn't need to drink nearly as much water as someone who lives in a hot, dry climate, like I do. I'll probably get jumped on by the "drink water" fanatics here, but all of this is in line with the recommendations. More water might, or might not, make it easier to lose weight, help to flush excess sodium, etc. but for bottom line body functioning you don't need to drink a gallon a day.

All of that said, it still sounds like you aren't drinking enough water. Whether or not you think you need it, you do. I used to be like you. I'd drink a couple of cans of Diet Coke each day and that was it. I rarely drank plain water and didn't drink enough, period, and as I mentioned, I live in the desert where we actually need MORE water than the average.

I thought I was fine, but once I actually started drinking plain water, and more of it, I realized I hadn't been "fine" at all. My skin is now less dry and I generally feel better. I'm less "hungry" because my body now can tell thirst from hunger since I'm not perpetually thirsty. When I urinate, it's usually nearly clear which, by the way, is the best sign that you're getting enough water. If what you're leaving in the toilet is really yellow, you're not getting enough water. It should be no darker than the color of straw when it leaves your body.

I guess this all boils down to: you need to drink more water. Don't make excuses that you don't "need it" because you do. Add some flavoring to it if you don't like it plain but try to keep a bottle or glass on hand all of the time. You'll find yourself drinking it more and once you do, you'll realize how much better you feel.

stilettolife

I keep a 32 oz jug on my desk and drink at least 64 oz a day. At home I try to drink the same amount out of a 24 oz bottle. I also have one of those bubbles water bottles that filter the water that I take on the go with me.

lil_pulp

I keep a glass of water with a straw between me and my laptop. I don't even need hands to drink it. Plus, straws are fun. Especially the bendy kind.

juscallmeb

I just love water and it's the only thing I drink besides coffee...
I will add some crystal light once in a while and i'll drink gaterade during or after a work out.

I think for me it was the more I worked out the more water I needed and wanted.. but I bring a water bottle with me everywhere I go.. I always have one, I'm always drinking and of course always going to the bathroom. But my body stays hydrated

I suggest you keep a bottle of water near you at work and see if that helps you drink. I have a friend that never used to drink water either, and now she keeps a water bottle with her at her desk and drinks it. She feels much better and can make it through her workouts because shes hydrated.

I hope you find a way that works best for you to get your 8 glasses in!

lincolnd

I usually fit a 2 quart pitcher of water and drink out of that all day - that way I hit my 8 glasses and dont have to remember where I am.

Horuke

The 8 cups a day is a bit of a mis conception. You don't have to drink 8 cups of water a day. Since we get a lot of water from the foods we eat too. So you don't have to drink 8 cups water, just comsume it; either from water or food.

RyeLite

You would be surprised who much water you get from foods. The Brain is telling you you are thristy, but many people think its Hunger. You end up satisfying your thirst via food intake.

Keeping that in mind, when anyone gets hunry (or thinks they are hungry) drink 8 oz of water. Wait 20 minutes, if your still hungry...go for it.

maryygc

It's definitely hard to make sure you get enough water each day, soo many people have this problem (including myself)! I've found a great method though. If you make it a point to drink a cup or bottle of water right before you sit down to your major meals, it will help. I've read quite a few articles that claim if you drink water that has been in a very cold fridge right before you eat a meal, it does a few things for you - first, it obviously helps you feel full sooner during your meal. Secondly, since the water is so cold, your body has to work to start warming it up, which burns calories..meaning metabolism is being kickstarted while you're eating!

I have a hard time getting my water in sometimes but I've found that if you can make a point to get down an ice cold bottle of water before you eat, it makes a huge difference. And eventually, your body starts craving it.

Hope this helps!

adamj1910

i normally work through about 4.5 litres a day =D

fatkidlovescake

I read that drinking your 8 glasses of water a day 2litres / 64oz burns you an extra 500 calories a week... Not sure why but that got me straight on the water!
I have noticed that I've been losing weight quicker since drinking the full 8 or more a day!

skinnyinnotime

I just make sure i drink it because it's so good for you.

BTW, you shouldn't wait until you're thirsty to have a drink as thirst means your body has started to dehydrate.

dad106

I have 32 oz waterbottle with a straw that I drink two of through out the day and thats my 8 right there. Then for exercise I drink a 16 oz water, which is 2 cups and puts me up to 10.

Once you get used to it, it won't be so bad.. at first it will feel like you're forcing yourself to drink, but you'll feel better once you do.

tlp8rb

Was a problem for me, too, but I've got it licked. I keep a two liter jug of water at my side and drink it throughout the day. We are on a "rural" water system and they use chlorine to keep the water safe so I don't like the taste or smell. I get around it by using one "tube" of Propel lemon in each jug. It adds 20 calories a day to my log but is worth it.

Coffee and tea should NOT be counted. As a matter of fact, for each ounce of coffee and/or tea (natural diuretics) you need to add in an additional ounce of water. Drink half your body weight (in ounces) each day d- 200 pounds, 100 ounces of water. 160 pound, 80 ounces of water, etc.

KristinL19

Thanks everyone.
It's not that I don't like the taste of water, I really actually do like the taste. In fact, water is mostly all I drink. However, I just have a hard time drinking a lot of water because I just don't feel thirsty. I have a reusable water bottle that I'm going to try taking with me everywhere, hopefully I can make this a habit!!
Thanks for your help!!

soup78

For me, out of sight, out of mind is what happens. So I keep a bottle in front of me so that I'm reminded to get enough water. If you remember to keep water with you, you'll be more likely to drink it because it's there.

I'm the same way! I take a glass of water to my nightstand each night so I wake up and drink that first thing. Then, I drink at least 2 more before breakfast or coffee. I always have a bottle with me or in front of me I easily reach 10 glasses a day, everyday!

Hope this helps :flowerforyou:

Fgillies

For me, out of sight, out of mind is what happens. So I keep a bottle in front of me so that I'm reminded to get enough water. If you remember to keep water with you, you'll be more likely to drink it because it's there.

Same here, While i dont find myself to be really *thirsty* during the day, with the exception of during and after my workouts, if i dont have it with me, i probably wont drink it. I buy a case of water, or use a reusable tervis tumbler glass and just refill that bad boy 3-4 times a day at work or school, and my water intake before the end of the day sometimes exceeds the 8 glasses. it is common for me to hit 10-12 glasses before making it home at 5pm, and then i'll have more just because I think once you get drinking more, it will become habit, just like working out, or waking up early etc. !!!