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

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  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    I never understand when people say they can't drink all the water....

    I have about 5.5 cups before lunch. I sit in my office with a waterbottle that holds 4 cups of water, and a cup with a lid and straw that holds 2 cups, i fill the bottle in the morning when I first get to work, I drink my coffee and then I drink water for the remainder of the day. By the end of the night I have between 10 - 16 cups of water, and its not forced I just like water.
  • MelsAuntie
    MelsAuntie Posts: 2,833 Member
    How, indeed. It's not pleasant to have to force myself, when I'm not thirsty. Also, coffee, fruit juice and pop are chemically water, with a little something added. I can't drink a couple of cups of coffee and a bottle of pomegranate juice or Joint Juice and still choke down 8 glasses' worth of plain water. Some nutritionist tell me; how can water cease to be water just because you filter it through coffee and add a tablespoon of creamer??????????????????????????????????????
  • Robin_Bin
    Robin_Bin Posts: 1,046 Member
    Ramp up slowly. Here are a bunch of ideas to make it easier:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Robin_Bin/view/water-265761

    ETA: And don't try to drink too much at once. Keep water or another drink by you as much of the day as possible, and drink a sip every time you think of it.
  • ttiiggzz
    ttiiggzz Posts: 154 Member
    I don't have a desk job, and don't have a desk either. ;) It is very hard for me to get my water in at work, so I tend to drink when I get home, as I prepare dinner, and for a bit afterwards. I don't want to be up all not visiting my friend john!

    Days off I'm drinking all day.
  • P05T5CRIPT
    P05T5CRIPT Posts: 285 Member
    I average between 10-14 cups a day, I just make sure I always have water with me. When I'm work I take two 2ltr bottles with me, I drink those throughout the day. You pee like mad for a while but then your body gets used to it, and you don't go as often as you did at first....well that's my experience anyway. When I get up the first thing I do is have 2 ice-cold cups of water to get the metabolism going, it's a great way to start the day. Just be mindful of your water intake and then soon it will be second nature.
  • melgcoo
    melgcoo Posts: 23
    I haven't read through the total 5 pages of comments, so not sure if it has been mentioned or not yet. I keep an old 64 oz. juice bottle and I fill it up each morning. Then I make sure I drink it all during that day. Some days that is all the water I will drink, but other days I drink more. For example, I have already finished my bottle for today, but since I have choir rehearsal tonight, I will drink more. I usually take a 32 oz. mug of water with me when I sing, since singing tends to dry out my throat.
    I have noticed that on the days that I don't drink at least my 64 oz. that I feel bloated and tired, and my lips are "dried out". Sometimes I use Mio or lemon and sometimes I just chug it straight out of the bottle.
    Good luck with it!
  • louiselebeau
    louiselebeau Posts: 220 Member
    CHUG.

    CHUG.

    CHUG.

    ^this
  • leeanneowens
    leeanneowens Posts: 319 Member
    It's hard for me too. I have started filling a 1.5 liter diet pepsi bottle half full of water each night and freezing it. In the morning, I fill it the rest of the way up and take it to work with me. I drink on it most of the day and it stays cold. I never even came close to 8 cups of water a day until I started doing this.
  • loriband
    loriband Posts: 54 Member
    I drink a gallon a day. After awhile it just comes natural and also our body will get accustom to it and you wont be running to the bathroom all the time... I think you tend to go to the bathroom more if you chug a lot at once cause your body doesn't absorb it but if you drink slower thru out the day your body absorbs and not so many trip to the bathroom.
  • mkkcp
    mkkcp Posts: 9 Member
    First world problem.
  • struggeling53
    struggeling53 Posts: 36 Member
    I have a hard time drinking enough water to, i dont like it, i try different teas, and i use cucumber or fresh ginger sliced in my water so its not so plain
  • Lovlilyn
    Lovlilyn Posts: 79 Member
    Once your body gets used to the increase in water intake you wont have to pee nearly as much.

    Mine never did.
  • Lovlilyn
    Lovlilyn Posts: 79 Member
    if youre not thirsty, dont drink.

    Try drinking before you are thirsty. Feeling thirst shows you are already dehydrated.

    Just drink your water. You don't have to drink 8 cups of pure water. Your body gets hydration from evrything you eat and drink.

    Not true.

    http://www.truefalse.co.nz/articles/truefalse79-thirstdehydration.html
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Once your body gets used to the increase in water intake you wont have to pee nearly as much.

    Mine never did.


    Mine either, and it decides to act more at night, when I want and need to get my Zzzzzs
  • sevenbabies
    sevenbabies Posts: 6 Member
    1 before morning run
    1 after morning run
    1 morn snack
    1 lunch
    1 afternoon snack
    1 dinner
    1 evening snack
    1 after teeth brushing

    Tie it to an activity and it's easy to remember
  • Sunshine2plus2
    Sunshine2plus2 Posts: 1,492 Member
    I drink about 12 cups a day. I use bottled water and have it with me all the time.
  • cld111
    cld111 Posts: 300 Member
    Once your body gets used to the increase in water intake you wont have to pee nearly as much.

    Mine never did.

    Me neither. I pee ALL the time. But, I figure it's helping get my steps in too!

    I have a 32 ounce water bottle. I'm usually pretty thirsty so I fill ip up 4-5 times a day. I think it's easy to drink water when you have a full container and it's right in front of you. Then again, I don't really make myself drink if I'm really not thirsty. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
  • S0nsh1ne
    S0nsh1ne Posts: 218 Member
    I also find it difficult. My main problem is remembering to drink. I keep water bottles on my desk at work and everytime I feel like having a snack, I drink down half a 16oz bottle (well 500ml so almost 17 oz). Over the course of the workday I can get in 4 bottles, plus one for the trip home, and one more in the evening. That's about 100 oz. But yes, it produces a lot of pee, lol

    I try to drink one on the way home too.
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
    Costco sells these wonderful Contigo drinking water containers and I find it's SO EASY to take a few bug gulps and drink 12oz. I fill mine up about 4x/day and it's really easy to get down. Way easier than glasses of water, that's for sure. They hold 32oz each one. I'm not sure how many cups that is but my urine is pale so I know it's adequate.
  • joliefrijole
    joliefrijole Posts: 19
    What helps me is those huge water bottles-Crystal Geyser is my fave. I fill one of those up, and drink a whole bottle to a bottle and a half while at work. Even if I only finish a bottle in an eight hour workday, there's 6 glasses right there. Perhaps choosing that as your goal, and then work your way up? I also end up drinking the smaller ones after a workout, and at least one bottle during dinner, and I keep another bottle by my bed, so if I wake up in the middle of the night parched, I just reach for that bottle and guzzle away!

    What also helps is not having any tempting drinks in the fridge, other than almond milk (for me). No sodas or juices.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member

    .


    , than someone that eats a diet high in processed foods.

    Some processed foods are pretty high in water, as some 'unprocessed' foods are pretty low.

    I've looked in to this a fair bit in the past - if anyone's got any research handy that contradicts it, I'd loved to see it as I couldn't find it when I looked before!

    I'm talking mostly about processed snacks like chips, crackers, that kind of crap. Clearly someone who eats an apple or cucumber for a snack is going to get in more water from that food than someone that eats chips instead.
  • kimad
    kimad Posts: 3,010 Member
    I drink 3 cups of water between breakfast and lunch, then between lunch and dinner, then another 3 at dinner.
    Then 2 at the gym, and that doesn't include my 'watered down' hot chocolate mix I make (about 6 cups of water)

    I can pack the fluid in!
  • CLFrancois
    CLFrancois Posts: 472 Member
    A cup = 8 ounces, it is not a gallon 8x. It is totally doable.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I drink between 12-16+ a day depending on my calorie burn. Usually at least 4 during a 60 minute workout alone. It's 0 calories, fills you up so you eat less crap. Yep, I do hit the bathroom a lot but I'd rather not gain weight. =) Also, if your urine is a very light yellow, no worries. It should NOT be dark, at all. If it is, you are not drinking enough. As an adult you should get at least 8 a day.

    sooooo if you don't drink water you gain weight? Curious about this....
  • collingmommy
    collingmommy Posts: 456 Member
    One 23 ounce bottle of smart water, 2 16 ounces of deer park bottled water and i glad of water as son as i wake up. That's what i do. Its not exactly 8 cups, but its close
  • fausto412
    fausto412 Posts: 100 Member
    I drink 16ounces when I wake up. I drink 16 after breakfast, at lunch, midday, at dinner, and then if I work out I usually consume 32+ ounces. It really helps in weight loss. There are times when I know I am not hungry but in need of hydration. Before my lifestyle changes I mistook my needing water for being hungry. Keep at it and you will reach at least 8 glasses a day.


    ^this is me too. I manage my hunger much better because i am drinking a 12 to 15 cups a day. like someone else said...i drink cups before leaving the house, one when i first wake up and one before i get out the door. then i drink 2 cups between breakfast and lunch....2 more while i workout at lunch and 2 to 4 more with lunch and after mid afternoon break. by the time i get home before i eat i down another glass and refill it to drink while i eat....and then i get another 1 or 2 depending if i feel hunger coming on or if right about to go to bed and my bladder is empty.
  • katrinajMiles
    katrinajMiles Posts: 71 Member
    I found the best way to do this was to drink from a water bottle worked out how many I need to consume before the end of the day to get my recommended amount of water each day.

    So with mine I drink 1 bottle before 12pm and then refill and sip for the rest of the day. I think it is easier working in an office job now i constantly sit at my desk all day sipping water while I'm doing things.

    I know some other people have a jug and they aim to drink the entire jug by the end of the day.

    I suppose it also helps if you like water if you don't slice of lime in it won't hurt you.
  • fausto412
    fausto412 Posts: 100 Member
    I drink between 12-16+ a day depending on my calorie burn. Usually at least 4 during a 60 minute workout alone. It's 0 calories, fills you up so you eat less crap. Yep, I do hit the bathroom a lot but I'd rather not gain weight. =) Also, if your urine is a very light yellow, no worries. It should NOT be dark, at all. If it is, you are not drinking enough. As an adult you should get at least 8 a day.

    sooooo if you don't drink water you gain weight? Curious about this....

    well, if you don't drink water whatever else you drink even if zero calories leads people to eat more...i stopped all my other drinks since joining mfp and the result was 40 lbs lost in 75 days...so the care for water helping with weight loss while everything else doesn't help is pretty strong from where i stand.
  • Jennwith2ns
    Jennwith2ns Posts: 296 Member
    Keep water.. everywhere. I have a bottle by my bed, a bottle at my desk, a bottle in the car, a bottle in my purse, etc. Wherever I am, it's nearby. It reminds me to drink more. If you find you just don't want to re-fill bottles, get a huge one that's 64 ounces or close to it. Finish the bottle, and you're done!
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    I usually hit about 9 cups a day, more in summer. I have a 24oz water bottle (actually I have several, so they have a chance to get washed :tongue: ) from Contigo - leakproof and it goes everywhere I go. In the car, bedside, around the house, etc. I've gotten into the habit of drinking at least 16oz before I get my first cup of coffee, otherwise I just sit and sip coffee all morning and suddenly it's noon and all I've had is coffee. I still drink my two cups of coffee every morning, but water goes down first, and I just keep drinking all day long.

    I don't drink soda (well, rarely), sometimes iced tea (unsweetened) or an iced coffee in the afternoon, but mostly it's water all day long.

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