Anyone else struggle with this?

elynnuh

I know I should be drinking much more water/liquids than I do per day. I have been this way my whole life and on a normal day I could only drink two glasses full of tea or water and feel fine. I never find myself drinking liquids until I am thirsty. I'm trying to up my intake, but sometimes it is a challenge. As far as I know, I haven't had any problems with dehydration. Anyone else?

lmbame905

You don't realize it because you don't know what you feel like totally hydrated. Take a week where you consciously drink 80 ounces of water every day and after you getting over how much time you spend in the bathroom, see how much better you feel.

It's normal to not realize your lack of water when you consistently don't get enough. Look at your pee and see what it tells you. If you can see through it, you're good! If it's a dark yellow or darker, you need o drink more.

When I don't have enough to drink, my fingers swell a lot. Also, my eyes feel dry. You will notice how you feel once you're properly hydrated.

mrmanmeat

No, it's not difficult to drink water. You're making it hard on yourself. Just drink it.

janalayn

It really is a habit. I keep a camelbak water bottle full of ice water with me at all times. I always drink some before I eat anything and drink between 8 to 16 glasses of water a day. I used to drink 3 20 oz cokes a day. I feel better now that I drink water but it was an adjustment. You just have to make yourself do it. Also, a lot of people mistake thirst for hunger, which is why I always drink before I decided if i'm really hungry.

And it has made my skin look great.

ajcamber

One thing that worked for me was to keep a bottle or cup of water within easy reach and take sips throughout the day. I felt kinda cheesy at first always carrying a water bottle with me but it helped increase my fluid intake.

Bullygirl30

Yes, I have been that way all of my life too. I have tried to up my intake as well but some days I just can't force it. Good luck.

LordBezoar

It takes a bit of work, but it is very important to be getting all of your water in a day. It will help a ton with the weight loss and general health. For me, cold water is the easiest. I have a 32oz mug here at work and another at home that I try to keep full. I have found when I keep the water handy, I will tend to sip on that instead of the usual grazing that I used to do.

It took a while, but I can now go through three or four 32oz mugs of water in a day without problem.

chrisb75

It also depends on what you eat, partially. When you eat fruit, pasta, veggies etc, you are consuming water as well. I am not saying you shouldn't drink water. As another poster said, look at your pee, it will tell you if you are hydrated or not.

crawr0620

I go through the same thing. I really hate the taste of water, so i feel like I'm having to force myself to drink it. I love juice, but I know that too much sugar isn't good for you. I love getting the 5 calorie Kool aid packets that are sugar free. It helps me drink more water, and stay hydrated. I also have to try and stay away from sodas for they dehydrate you.

Oobs

I find that I have a hard time drinking warm water, but none at all drinking it when it's cold. If you're similar, it will be worth developing a habit of constantly re-chilling your water. The easiest way for me to reach my eight+ cups per day is to begin the day with two full 1-liter bottles of water in the fridge, and exchange bottles when the one I have on my desk gets warm. When I empty one, I fill it back up and keep going. Finishing two 1-liter bottles is equivalent to just over 8 cups.

beckajw

It's hard to get started, but then it gets easier. At first, I made myself drink. I would keep track and force myself to get in at least 3 glasses before lunch and 3 glasses after lunch and 2 around dinner. After a few weeks, I actually started to feel thirsty. Now, I'm thirsty when I wake up and get thirsty throughout the day so it's easier to drink because I feel thirst.

elynnuh

Thanks for the responses. I'm not saying I don't like water, I do. I just don't find myself feeling the need to drink anything (water, tea, coffee, etc)...period. I have started being more aware of it since joining MFP, so hopefully that continues.

yoovie

the more you drink, the more you want.

myfitnessnmhoy

Thanks for the responses. I'm not saying I don't like water, I do. I just don't find myself feeling the need to drink anything (water, tea, coffee, etc)...period. I have started being more aware of it since joining MFP, so hopefully that continues.

I've found weight loss easier and muscle recovery faster since I started drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day. There was a brief period of about a week or so when I felt like I was going to the bathroom all the time, but after that transition I dropped back down to my normal number of "plant-waterings". I also feel like I've gained better bladder control as well, which is a nice bonus.

The body is very adaptable. It can survive quite well on a low-liquid diet by storing liquids, or it can run more optimally by having a sufficient constant intake of liquid and not needing to store it.

About the only thing I can suggest is to try it. You'll find that you have to pee A LOT because your body isn't needing to store as much water, so it starts cleaning it out. You'll probably lose some immediate weight, and find that you'll need to make more #2 visits for a while as the body purges out all the material it used for liquid storage. This is all part of the transition.

You'll probably notice the difference in your physical performance and energy levels in a week or two. If you don't, it's an easy habit to drop, just do it slowly and give your body time to adapt to your lower intake (so it has time to start storing water again). Otherwise, you'll feel (and be) really dehydrated because your body doesn't have the liquid reserves it once had.

Don't overdo it, and make sure you are eating plenty of nutrients, because a high intake means your body is flushing everything (the good and the bad) out more quickly.

Starlage

so you work an 8 hour workday? keep a big bottle at your desk/near you if possible and make it a goal to DOWN a cup and hour. I used to have to force myself to do this but like others have said, the more you drink it the more you want it. Your attitude about it will likely change.

myfitnessnmhoy

I go through the same thing. I really hate the taste of water, so i feel like I'm having to force myself to drink it. I love juice, but I know that too much sugar isn't good for you. I love getting the 5 calorie Kool aid packets that are sugar free. It helps me drink more water, and stay hydrated. I also have to try and stay away from sodas for they dehydrate you.

I had the same problem when I first started drinking more water.

My solution was as simple as unsweetened lemon or lime juice concentrate (the "real lemon" / "real lime" stuff you can get in the squeeze bottles that look like lemons and limes). Just a small amount of it in my water added some flavor, a little shot of vitamin c, very few calories, and no artificial sweeteners.

The problem with using something sweetened is that sweetness increases appetite (at least it does for me!). Our bodies crave sugars for the immediate energy boost they provide, and eating/drinking sweet things all the time just makes those cravings worse (again, at least it does for me, your mileage may vary).

I've found overall diet control a LOT easier once I abandoned sweetening everything, and started exploring other flavors with more enthusiasm. It was tough to do at first, but it really helps control cravings.

jen88ve

I find it hard to because sadly my job won't let me keep a water bottle at my desk, but I think to drink out of a water bottle or I have a cup with a straw because I feel it goes down faster and when I drink one of those I'm actually drinking like 3 glasses so it doesn't seem like so much.

pdworkman

Interesting thread. I don't drink a lot. I have a water bottle on my desk at work and on my dresser at home, and a cup at the table, so I am sipping throughout the day, but not large amounts, certainly not as much as some of you would recommend.

I do, however, eat lots of fruit and veggies, and my pee is as light or lighter than the top band on the chart that was posted. So I guess I'm in the right range, regardless of how many/few times I have to fill my bottles during the day.

popat89

I know what you mean - now that I drink plenty of water I don't find it very difficult.
My doctor told me about a trick to use saltine crackers to help me drink water (if you're doing okay on sodium intake).
If you find it hard to drink more than a glass at a time drink one glass, then eat a saltine or two, then drink a second glass. Do this every time you're at the sink/refilling your water bottle. It'll help you feel like you need the water and it will make it easier initially.

Il_DaniD_lI

If I'm having a hard time getting the water in for the day I just chug! 3 of my water bottles equals 8 glasses of water and I can chug the whole bottle in 2 mins.

jaynepickle

I bought a really sweet water bottle and that helped me up my water intake. I just set a goal to drink my bottle all the way through at least twice a day (32 oz bottle). It helps me! :-)

SouthernSweetie74

I used to never drink water. I hated it. I drank diet sodas, tea, and coffee. When I decided I finally wanted to make a lifestyle change, I went to the dr. He told me to give up my diet sodas and to drink 48 oz of water in the top portion of the day and 48 oz in the bottom portion of the day. I'm not quite there yet, but I can say that I do drink at least my 8 cups, sometimes more a day. And I've grown to really love it. Especially cold. I gave up my diet sodas, and I don't even miss them. I still drink coffee in the morning and every once in a while, I will have a glass of unsweet tea. But mostly, I opt for water. I feel better. Of course, I'm also eating healthier. Also, drinking that much water helps me feel fuller throughout the day. And like someone else said, sometimes we mistake hunger when we are actually thirsty. Your body needs water.

thelegend81

so you work an 8 hour workday? keep a big bottle at your desk/near you if possible and make it a goal to DOWN a cup and hour. I used to have to force myself to do this but like others have said, the more you drink it the more you want it. Your attitude about it will likely change.

Totally agree, I keep a 2 litre bottle with me, work, home and gym. I'm probably drinking 8 litres a day. I find myself more alert and not snacking at all. It took a while to get used to and around 20 visits to the wc a day at the start, but it's worth it......

JustBeingBella

When I don't have enough to drink, my fingers swell a lot. Also, my eyes feel dry. You will notice how you feel once you're properly hydrated.

This is so true! When you don't drink enough you don't really notice until you do and you then see the difference.

The end of last year I started to get dry irritated skin on my right fore arm. I was so confused but I don't like to bother my doctor so I hoped it would go away. Then it got worse and was on my upper arm. I went to see the doctor and he said I had dermatitis and prescribed me a cream. Before I even bothered to go and get the cream I drank loads of water and it went away.

I feel much more awake, alert and my skin hasn't looked this good in years!!!

Drink water even when you're not thirsty! :-)

rehtaeh78

For almost 20 years I've had a water bottle with me everywhere I go. Especially since they've become so popular in recent years, you can find some really cute ones! My fave is a pink and black sport bottle by Nike, but I also have some cheap ones from Walmart. Fill it up and take it with you EVERYWHERE. I even take mine when I do errands so I can chug at red lights and before going in the store. I especially like to dump a lot of ice in it which feels great on warm days. The pop-up tops work better for me than the twist off tops because it's easier to use one handed. Just try it out and before you know it it'll become habit

pdworkman

Yeah, and two minutes later I would throw up . . .

If I'm having a hard time getting the water in for the day I just chug! 3 of my water bottles equals 8 glasses of water and I can chug the whole bottle in 2 mins.

AZKristi

Set a timer. If you consciously make a decision to drink an 8 ounce cup of water every hour, you'll be amazed at how easy it is to stay hydrated. Keep in mind that caffeine is a diuretic so caffeinated sodas and teas shouldn't really be included in your total water intake.