8 Cups of water a day... HOW?!

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  • pixtotts
    pixtotts Posts: 552 Member
    I am notoriously bad at drinking water (um or anything :S)... 99% of the time I don't realise till 10/11 o'clock at night that I haven't had a drink all day!
    But.... If I keep a full bottle of water with me I'll easily empty it and refill it several times a day..... not very good at doing that though...oops... x
  • Reinventing_Me
    Reinventing_Me Posts: 1,053 Member
    I drink 16 ounces first thing in the morning, at least two 16 ounces bottles during the day at work, and at least one 16 ounce bottle in the evening when I get home. That alone is 8 cups.

    Anytime I start my day with water, I want to drink more...I want more of that "refreshed, hydrated" feeling it gives me. Whenever I don't start drinking early, it takes more effort to get it in and I start wanting things like soda. But that's just me.
  • SnicciFit
    SnicciFit Posts: 967 Member
    I always drink a tall glass of water first thing in the morning, so I start out with 2 cups of water down before I consume anything else. Only 6 to go after that :)
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    be careful with the tea...it's a diuretic and can make you lose your fluid.

    So is water, the more you drink the more you pee.
  • JellyButter
    JellyButter Posts: 160 Member
    The more I excersise the more water I drink.
    But overall, I just watch my pee, its always clear. I can only seem to get in 6 glasses max.
  • Jimaudit
    Jimaudit Posts: 275
    I find it hard to imagine not drinking at least 8-12 cups a day. I get a deep thirst if I do not properly hydrate.

    Someone else mentioned keeping track of your urine color--that is spot-on. Should be clear.

    I alternate between a glass of water, fresh brewed decaf iced tea and hot green tea....no extra cals from liquids and still a variety.

    Get creative and you'll soon find yourself easily keeping properly hydrated. And once you properly hydrate, you will pee less often...so no running to the bathroom every 10 minutes.
  • It used to be hard for me too, but now I always carry my camelbak 24oz water bottle with me all the time. It has one of those long straws so you really don't notice how much you've drank until its gone! If you hike or go for long walks consider investing in a camelbak backpack with the 70oz pouch, I take it on all my hikes and get a lottttt of water intake that way!

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  • aimelee
    aimelee Posts: 216 Member
    i have a 32oz jug at work and one at home, and i always keep it full and drink it constantly throughout the day. First thing i do when i get to work is fill up my jug. Same thing when i get home from work - fill up my water bottle. Your body adjusts to the contstantly-need-to-pee thing. I also rarely drink anything else. I have one cup of coffee in the morning, almond milk occasionally, and a cup of decaf green tea at night. Oh, and the occasional beer. :drinker:

    I REALLY struggled with this for a long time. For awhile i had to put crystal light packets in my water because i could not stomach that much plain water. Now it has become a habit, and i prefer plain ol' water. I can actually feel it in my body and see it in my skin if i don't drink enough!
  • MJackson54
    MJackson54 Posts: 44 Member
    I eat when I'm hungry, I drink when I'm thirsty. I only drink water or herbal tea. I think we get a lot of water from foods too so the number 8 is just a guess. As long as you feel good and your urine is pale yellow . . . there is no need to go crazy over this! :drinker:
  • kmw899
    kmw899 Posts: 41
    I drink a lot of water. First thing in the morning I drink a glass of water. The glass I use is big, it holds 24 oz. I drink another 24 oz after I exercise/shower. The rest of the day I just keep drinking water with food and just because I like it. I can easily go through 9-15 cups a day.
  • MTBBilly
    MTBBilly Posts: 5 Member
    If you like to be exact there is a water bottle that tracks your water intake. Its a bit expensive at ~$20 but it will let you know exactly where your water consumption is. Of course any fluids you take in outside of the bottle will not be tracked. The name of the bottle is Hydrocoach. I am an engininerd so I like the exact numbers of the digital display.
  • I recyle those green little Perrier bottles and refill them all day at work. I force myself to drink at least 4-5 of those 12oz bottles during the day, and I also have a glass of water with breakfast and dinner. Then at night before bed I also have a glass of water that I never finish but it is right on my nightstand if I need some water in the middle of the night.

    You just have to push yourself to drink more water....it isn't easy, but just try having it near you at all times. If it is in your site at all times you are more likely to drink it more often. Remember the saying..."Out of site, out of mind".

    Surround yourself with water!
  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,641 Member
    I just got a 32 oz water bottle. fill it up twice a day, simple. 8 cups.
  • kdeaux1959
    kdeaux1959 Posts: 2,675 Member
    Oh, yes, it is possible... and most likely you do it anyway. Water comes in many forms... Including in many/most of the foods we consume. First off, if your urine is not dark, you are getting enough... if it is dark, drink more. Secondly, most "glasses" of water/beverage are larger than the recommended 8 oz they are talking about... For instance, a can of soda (poor substitute I will admit) is 12 oz so that is like a "glass and a half"... Best wishes on your journey.
  • hatescardio
    hatescardio Posts: 10 Member
    I've noticed I drink more if I've got a straw.
    I'll keep a 32oz container of water at my desk & fill a huge tupperware glass and drink that during the day just to make sure I get some fluids besides coffee in me but at home I've got a travel glass w/a straw and it helps. I have to concentrate on it though - I'm not a huge water drinker either but these little tweeks do help me drink more than I used to.
  • brittanylock09
    brittanylock09 Posts: 194 Member
    I'm so tired of seeing the clear pee thing. Truth is, your body is mostly water. You need to drink water. Certain biological processes that we participate in daily require significant amounts of water. A great example is breathing. There are several studies that show a link between asthma an water consumption. Your lungs use around 4 cups of water a day when breathing. Tea is great, but can have caffeine, juice is great, but has calories, chemicals, sugar, etc. All of these "alternatives" to water do not equal water. Suck it up and drink the water. Before you know it, it will become habit.

    ^^^^^^
    AMEN TO THIS!!!!
  • mgalsf12
    mgalsf12 Posts: 350 Member
    I have no difficulty drinking that much water each day. I drink water first thing i the morning, with meals, sips throughout the day and I drink at least 24 oz during an hour workout.Oh and yes I pee all the time. ;)
  • twoss9112
    twoss9112 Posts: 162 Member
    If you like to be exact there is a water bottle that tracks your water intake. Its a bit expensive at ~$20 but it will let you know exactly where your water consumption is. Of course any fluids you take in outside of the bottle will not be tracked. The name of the bottle is Hydrocoach. I am an engininerd so I like the exact numbers of the digital display.

    :huh:

    The $2.60 rubbermaid one does that too. There are 8 oz increments marked on the bottle.

    $20 for a bottle that reads the number to you? Wow.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    I'm so tired of seeing the clear pee thing. Truth is, your body is mostly water. You need to drink water. Certain biological processes that we participate in daily require significant amounts of water. A great example is breathing. There are several studies that show a link between asthma an water consumption. Your lungs use around 4 cups of water a day when breathing. Tea is great, but can have caffeine, juice is great, but has calories, chemicals, sugar, etc. All of these "alternatives" to water do not equal water. Suck it up and drink the water. Before you know it, it will become habit.

    ^^^^^^
    AMEN TO THIS!!!!

    Your body will take hydration from everything you eat and drink regardless of it's form.

    The pee thing is the truth. Light or clear and you are properly hydrated. You don't NEED to drink 8 cups of water a day.

    Alternatives do equal water. Your body takes hydration from them. Even coffee, pop or tea will be hydrating (sure, they have caffiene however the dehydrating effects are not as great as the hydration effects). Your body will take hydration from lettuce, apples, and everything else you consume.
  • Copequeen
    Copequeen Posts: 34 Member
    Before jan I never drank water just coffee. Now I don't drink coffee but get in about 10 cups water a day or 85 ounces. I started small and kept increasing and now it's just habit. Sometimes I add lime or lemon to it for a boost. The first week I had to pee more but now it's no different then before. And I don't feel weighted down. I just use 44 ounce cup from gas station and fill 2 times aday.
  • albertine58
    albertine58 Posts: 267 Member
    I'm in class all day too and drinking water constantly gets me more exercise because I get up & climb 2 flights of stairs to get to the bathroom, in between every class! If I didn't have to pee I wouldn't get the extra activity, & moving in between classes/during breaks is much better for your health and mental focus than just sitting there.
    Plus, drinking a lot of water keeps my weight more stable. If I eat salty foods, I drink more water. If I didn't do that, I'd probably wake up to very disheartening gains in water weight some mornings! When I drink lots of water, my clothes fit better and my stomach is flatter. Gets rid of that discouraging bloated feeling.
  • pennydreadful270
    pennydreadful270 Posts: 266 Member
    The 8 cups is pretty arbitrary anyway.

    Also, caffeinated drinks do not leave you with a net loss. Except maybe vodka red bull or something, where you're chugging sugar, caffeine and alcohol!

    But coffee/tea do not have a greater diuretic effect than the volume of water they contain, so they're still a net gain.
  • LadyMustard
    LadyMustard Posts: 104 Member
    I have a 32oz (4 cup) water bottle that I take with me EVERYWHERE. I try to have it empty before lunch, refill it, and then drink it empty again before bed. Hubby has one now too, and we ask each other at lunch, have you finished your first bottle yet? Somedays we'll text each other just to see who got to the bottom of their bottle first. I've found that if I have my water bottle with me, I'll drink from it! I've caught myself drinking from it just to give me something to do when I'm bored (great for long boring lectures).

    Buying a good water bottle is a really good investment. Get it in your favorite color, with your favorite animal, one that makes a statement (what? :huh: ) ANYTHING as long as it makes you want to take it with you. I've had friends of mine that would plaster theirs with stickers from all the states that they've visited while they were traveling. It sounds silly, but if you have a water bottle that you really like, you'll use it!!
  • ilovelucy711
    ilovelucy711 Posts: 381 Member
    It really shouldn't be that hard.
    Drink a cup as soon as you get up.
    Drink a cup with breakfast.
    Drink a cup mid-morning.
    Drink a cup with lunch.
    Drink a cup mid afternoon.
    Drink a cup with dinner.
    Drink a cup early evening.
    Drink a cup before bed.
  • brittanylock09
    brittanylock09 Posts: 194 Member
    I haven't went through all the posts so I'm not sure if it's been said... But water also hydrates your skin and keeps it plump and healthy. It helps with stretch marks. And it helps keep your skin smooth and soft. It fills out some of the wrinkles and just feels soft like baby skin.
  • ilovelucy711
    ilovelucy711 Posts: 381 Member
    Also add a splash for fresh lemon for flavor.
  • rolliepollie087
    rolliepollie087 Posts: 251 Member
    I have a 32 ounce beer mug (heh heh) that I refill multiple times per day, and I get down as much as I can =)
  • wnbrice
    wnbrice Posts: 244 Member
    Yea, I try to go through nearly a gallon a day.

    However on the clear front, that is not necessarily true. I know for myself when I was drinking a lot of soda it was clear. When I switched over to water it was darker for awhile.

    Just something I noticed for myself.
  • Sweet_Gurl_Next_Door
    Sweet_Gurl_Next_Door Posts: 735 Member
    no I have trouble with it too so its not just you
  • HarlCarl
    HarlCarl Posts: 266 Member
    There is a difference between a "glass" of water and a "cup" of water. 1 Cup = 8 oz. Most of the cups in my kitchen are larger than 1 C.