tips for helping drink water

clarkeje1

I used to hate plain water but I got used to it and now I crave it!

emisu2

Drink when you're thirsty and no more! Or go ketogenic... THAT will make you want to drink water.

healthylifeforme

I swear by the straw thing! I drink at least 120 oz of water at day (nothing added). I also take my water bottle with me everywhere. Even if I'm going to the store and I will tell myself silly little things like, you need to finish your water by the time you get home. Sounds crazy, but it works. Also, I know where every restroom is within a 20 mile radius of my home!

KilikiMom

the only tip you need....drink water when you are thirsty....dont drink when you are not...

brayla1

Use a clean glass or cup.
Fill from the tap by holding the glass under the faucet and opening the Cold water valve
Be careful not to overfill. When drinking receptacle is nearly full, shut off the cold water valve.

This next part can be done sitting down or standing up. If you are just starting out, we recommend sitting down in order to avoid injury.

Hold glass with the hand of your choice and in a slow, steady motion, raise it until the rim of the glass is level with your lips.
Press the rim to your lips
Tilt the glass toward you until water enters your mouth. It will take some practice and finesse to get the right amount of tilt.
Tilt the glass back again so that it is perpendicular to the ground
Swallow the water
Repeat the previous 3 steps until the glass is empty.

If desired, the glass can be "refilled", and the whole process repeated. Stay tuned for my 3-part series, "Water Refills. Fluid Dynamics and Hydration Made Easy", where I will cover refills in depth.

brayla1

Love this!! It ranks up there with an Engineer guide to cats!! lol

nas061

the only tip you need....drink water when you are thirsty....dont drink when you are not...

Exactly! You shouldn't have to force yourself to drink water. If you are peeing all the time you're drinking too much.

missashley884

Drinking water isn't such a big deal for me. But oh my goodness, I'm having to "go" all the time. I'm getting about 6 cups a day. I'm afraid to ramp it up to 8. Am I over hydrated?

i drink 6 cups ALONE during my workouts! :noway: drink more water!

Bobby_Clerici

Here is what I did.
I ceased drinking sodas - period.
I drink fresh juice with meals, green tea or water iced with a lemon.
I count it all as water. At day's end, it's simple.
You just do it. Good luck:flowerforyou:

missashley884

the only tip you need....drink water when you are thirsty....dont drink when you are not...

Exactly! You shouldn't have to force yourself to drink water. If you are peeing all the time you're drinking too much.

whats considered all the time? thats pretty subjective.

rm830

I set time limits....1st 32 oz bottle by 10am, 2nd by lunch (usually 1pm), 3rd by the time I get home(5pm)...and number 4 by the time I go to sleep(10pm)...last one is the easiest because I go to the gym after work and usually end up drinking it all while I'm there.

sweetp809

yes i have a straw in my cup and i do agree for some reason it does help. I want to thank all of you for some great ideas. i may try the fruit juice idea.

skinnynerd

If a bottle of water is ice cold it only takes me 10 minutes to drink it. If it is room temperature it wil ltake me all day.

cheesebigot

1/3 glass of ice, 3-4 mint leaves (fresh), fill with water. Especially on hot days, the mint water is particularly refreshing.

mistigoodwin

I drink A LOT of water daily!!! But I have noticed drinking from a straw helps a lot and sometimes I add a slice of lemon or crystal light just for a change. Eventually everything else will be grose and water will be all you want to drink.

rchupka87

I used to get Kidney stones all the time (I have had 17 so far, and still have 9 that I know of floating around in my kidneys) and my urologist told me I was not drinking nearly enough water. He gave me some tips that worked immediately!

1.) Chug an entire glass of water before you go to the bathroom when you wake up in the morning.
2.) Then, keep water with you all day, everywhere you go. At the house, in the car, at work, at the baseball game, wherever. Always.
3.) Sip as needed
4.) If you have to go to the bathroom, finish whatever water you have with you before you go.

I keep a glass by my bathroom sink. I have a gallon jug that I keep on my desk at work. I use the jug to fill my glass when I get to work in the am. Drink as needed, and as soon as I have to go to the bathroom, I will chug whatever is left in the glass, THEN to to the bathroom. When I get back, refill the glass, and repeat. I usually will finish about 100 oz by 3 in the afternoon. This works. AND, after like a week of doing this, you will find yourself craving water. You will be thirsty all the time. And as you bladder gets used to drinking more, you won't have to pee as often.

Oh, and a clear glass/cup/tumbler and a straw are a definite plus. :drinker:

sweetp809

Buy a Camelbak water bottle!!! (http://www.amazon.com/CamelBak-BPA-Free-Better-Bottle-Valve/dp/B0019DCD7U)

I bought one a few months back and I drink sooo much more water now!

I may have to get ones of those! they look pretty cool. thanks

senyosmom

Simply keep the bottle of water in your hand - holding it makes you drink more. Especially in the car - I can easily drink the entire bottle of water in the first 10 minutes of my car ride as long as I hold the bottle. Maybe its because I used to smoke but the hand/mouth thing works for me.

RBXChas

Drinking water isn't such a big deal for me. But oh my goodness, I'm having to "go" all the time. I'm getting about 6 cups a day. I'm afraid to ramp it up to 8. Am I over hydrated?

Check urine color. If you are light yellow/clear, you're hydrating well enough.

Agreed. It's pretty hard (but definitely possible) to overhydrate. You'd have to drink a LOT more water than eight glasses to get into dangerous territory.

That said, I never knew the tip about drinking from a straw but will have to try it! I try not to use add-ins only because it's stuff I don't necessarily need. I mean, once in a while it's fine to make your water something more interesting, but I don't want to use it as a way to get in my water. I like my water room temperature, unless I'm really hot, and even then I'll have cold water but rarely ice water.

To be honest about my own water-drinking habits, I have the SodaStream and drink a lot of carbonated water, but I know a lot of folks on here (and in general) take issue with that. Now that I know that little straw trick, I might cut back on the carbonation. Simpler is usually better, and if there's anything I need in life, it's simplicity.

loliksic41

I heard the advice to drink 2 glasses before each meal. will also help you eat less.

HarlequinnAsh

I started drinking flavored seltzer water, make sure it doesnt have anything added in, it should be zero calories, sugar and sodium all around. Then progress to swapping it out for water. I drink water with 2tbsp lemon for taste.

If its incentive, I saw this picture of someone who had two water bottles labeled with times. 9am-11am-1pm-3pm etc. So you know you need to drink a certain amount in that time frame. It helps remind you to drink more often. Once you drink more then you crave it more. I started with a 32oz bottle daily and now I drink up to 3-32oz bottles. I've also noticed I need cold water after exercises, or during but for regular drinking room temperature is easier to drink more of.

Pwettiegrrltynk39_43_58

It is the trick of the mind if u add a color to the water it will make it easier to drink it...i learn this trick by accident one day i was craving a strawberry soda and i brought the grt value brand (mio drops) but i did not put the entire drop in the water i just put enough in to give it a tint color with a faint taste of the flavor and every-time i drink it i dilute it a lil bit more...hope this help u with ur water intake..gud luck on the water intake

jenfitz

I don't recommend any add ins but I do recommend investing in a plastic tumbler with a straw. For whatever reason, having the see through tumbler and straw makes all the difference for me drinking water. I now drink at least 5 full 32oz tumblers of water a day!

This! Something about sipping from a straw makes the water disappear- !

jyuubi

I used to be the same way, but now I drink two liters a day. I got the liter Fiji bottle and now I just fill it up. The first bottle is usually finished during and after my work out. And then just fill it back up, and drink from it every now and again. I actually drink water now more than anything. When I used to get a soda or cup of juice when I got thirty, I just drink the water I have with me. Drinking two liters throughout the day is simple. If you prolong it, then you'll definitely be able to do it.

tajmel

I use a ton of ice and a straw, and only drink water and tea. Your mouth gets used to it.

rhonniema

Use a clean glass or cup.
Fill from the tap by holding the glass under the faucet and opening the Cold water valve
Be careful not to overfill. When drinking receptacle is nearly full, shut off the cold water valve.

This next part can be done sitting down or standing up. If you are just starting out, we recommend sitting down in order to avoid injury.

Hold glass with the hand of your choice and in a slow, steady motion, raise it until the rim of the glass is level with your lips.
Press the rim to your lips
Tilt the glass toward you until water enters your mouth. It will take some practice and finesse to get the right amount of tilt.
Tilt the glass back again so that it is perpendicular to the ground
Swallow the water
Repeat the previous 3 steps until the glass is empty.

If desired, the glass can be "refilled", and the whole process repeated. Stay tuned for my 3-part series, "Water Refills. Fluid Dynamics and Hydration Made Easy", where I will cover refills in depth.

:laugh:

NWCountryGal

I wish I would crave it and I don't drink anything except 2 cups of coffee in the a.m. and one 5 oz. glass of cranberry juice in the evening. Weird hey! Since I started here though I am drinking at least four 8 oz glasses(bottled water that 16 oz per bottle). So doing better:)

crzyone

In this heat in the South that we've had lately, I've been drinking a ton of water. I cut out all drinks except water and tea with supper a couple of times a week. I still miss my Dr. Pepper sometimes but most of the time once the water is there I'm fine.

My water has to have tons of ice in it. I don't like to drink out of a bottle and I don't really like to drink from a straw (a bariatric doctor here tells his patients not to use a straw because the air that is swallowed can cause bloating in the stomach...I've never hard that before....maybe that's just after surgery??...I don't know...found that interesting).

I've tried putting the fruits in the water, strawberries, lemons, etc....but, to me, it just tastes like water that has set in the fridge and picked up "ice box" flavors...ugh....really wanted to like that strawberry water...that sounded so good.

Water....it's good!!!

thejen75

this may sound strange, but I find I can drink more water when I put ice water into my bottle with a straw in it- try it :-)

thejen75

I drink A LOT of water daily!!! But I have noticed drinking from a straw helps a lot and sometimes I add a slice of lemon or crystal light just for a change. Eventually everything else will be grose and water will be all you want to drink.

Yep! She has the right idea. :-)