Water -- Recommendations to get it in???

2

Replies

  • craftynerdmama
    craftynerdmama Posts: 18 Member
    Try using a straw. I find it goes back way easier. Add lemon or fruit or a few slices of cucumber is nice too!

    I can vouch for this -- I used to be in the same boat as OP -- I just couldn't force myself to drink enough water during the day until I did two things -- added ice, and a straw. I have a 24oz. Tervis cup that I keep at work... Filling it up requires going upstairs two floors to our building's "employee lounge" (they're the only place that has ice!), so it also gets me some more steps and calories burned. I fill it up before breakfast, before lunch, and usually late in the afternoon, and as a result I get about 9 servings of water a day, even without counting what I drink when I get home!
  • jeffrodgers1
    jeffrodgers1 Posts: 991 Member
    As a society we are easily swayed to convenience items. One way around this is to make water the convenience item.

    Every night, I fill a 2 liter bottle of water half full and stick it in the freezer. When I wake up, I fill the remainder of the bottle and bring it to work. The bottle sits on my desk and provides ice cold drinking water all day long.

    As a convenience it is easier for me to pour the water in a cup than walk to the other side of the building for a can of pop or coffee. (You say lazy... I say I used to spend $5 a day on pop... who's laughing now Mr.Vending Machine???)

    A couple of other things I do...

    - Never order a beverage with a meal. Always drink water. Saves money and is healthier (some restaurants charge $3.00 for a pop) Save the $3.00 (ok I'm cheap) or leave it for a tip (and if you do Your server will appreciate your request for water that much more next time)

    - Drink a glass of water before a meal. It helps give you a sense of fullness by adding volume to the food. You will likely find you eat less during your meal.

    - Avoid juices. Most juices offer minimal nutritional value and are high in sugar. If you are craving juice have a glass of water and piece of fruit instead. You will get more nutrition out of it (vitamins/fibre)

    - If you are feeling hungry... the brain sometimes confuses the signals for thirst and hunger. Drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. See if you are still hungry.

    My two cents... I am of course not a doctor. I did however lose over 100 pounds and attribute this to changing some of these behaviors.

    Hope it helps!

    Good Luck!
  • Obscuring
    Obscuring Posts: 51 Member
    #1 Reason why I get all my water is that I got a cup with a straw + lid for xmas. I think just the straw would do it though! :3 I take it anywhere!
  • 1duffwf
    1duffwf Posts: 76 Member
    Getting your daily water in can be tough! I make myself drink 2 glasses right away when I get up. Then I go for my morning walk. While I'm getting ready for work I drink another 2 glasses. It ends up being 4 glasses before I leave the house. Then by lunch I make it a goal to drink at least 1 bottle of water, same thing with the afternoon. When I work out I also make sure I drink another bottle.

    I like to use those flavor packets as well. But they do have calories - usually about 10 per packet. So I limit myself to 1-2 a day.
  • faely
    faely Posts: 144 Member
    - Never order a beverage with a meal. Always drink water. Saves money and is healthier (some restaurants charge $3.00 for a pop) Save the $3.00 (ok I'm cheap) or leave it for a tip (and if you do Your server will appreciate your request for water that much more next time)

    - Drink a glass of water before a meal. It helps give you a sense of fullness by adding volume to the food. You will likely find you eat less during your meal.

    - Avoid juices. Most juices offer minimal nutritional value and are high in sugar. If you are craving juice have a glass of water and piece of fruit instead. You will get more nutrition out of it (vitamins/fibre)

    - If you are feeling hungry... the brain sometimes confuses the signals for thirst and hunger. Drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes. See if you are still hungry.

    All of the above actions worked very well for me. I'd be too busy at work to think of drinking water so I too would notice, as I'm walking out the door, my still-full water bottle that I'd filled in the morning.

    My water bottle is a 32-ouncer, with a straw. I used to put ice in it, but I found I actually drink more when it isn't ice cold. For some reason, close-to-room-temp water goes down much easier. Since its 32 oz, I know that's = 4 cups of water. I try to drink a full cup (1/4 of the bottle) every time I take a drink. I take fewer drinks per day obviously, but now its much easier to get 2 full bottles in per day, and that's just at work. I also am eating (ok, munching and grazing) MUCH less now during the day because the water makes me full.

    I always hated drinking water. I tried adding the sweetners and flavors and fruits, and every great once in awhile I still do, (last time was about 3 months ago...grape Hawaian Punch sugar free powder, yum), but I am truly enjoying, and even look forward to, a great glass of plain, filtered, slightly cool, water. I'm even seeing great improvements in my skin and particularly my nails. Nail polish finally stays on and my nails don't break anymore when the wind blows...woohoo! :laugh:

    Good Luck!! :drinker:
  • cwilliams080676
    cwilliams080676 Posts: 118 Member
    open mouth. pour in. swallow.
    my thoughts..
    Drink it. You will get used to it. Crystal Light is crap. It is made with artificial sweeteners.
  • pinkpatron
    pinkpatron Posts: 154
    Cucumbers smashed in water.

    Drink it.

    Tis good
  • wjack459
    wjack459 Posts: 17
    i hated water because it so "bland" but i knew i had make this work === we need to drink plenty of water.!!!!! i just drink one in morning when i get up (16.6oz) one with my breakfast (even if i have lean body shake) one after i excerise, one with my lunch , and of course with my dinner!!! and as much as i can during the day .. most of the time i just try to drink in a one )gulp!!!! but i had to give up all soda and juices ( water and whole fruit or juice them) it has been 15 days since i made the big change ( right eating and exercising 5 to 6 time a week and please just stay active around the house or at work) oh yeah H2O is very important so drink plenty even if you put lemon or lime juice in it ( no kool-aid or sugar) i have done -- a lot or research so if anyone have a question feel free to ask lol no am not a doctor but i have done "great so -far)
  • Try drinking an 8oz glass of water every hour. Also caffine free tea with Splenda is good!
  • cb46
    cb46 Posts: 1 Member
    I use flavoring in my water. Otherwise, I won't drink it. I even buy ALL bottled water and still won't drink it. Usually I use crystal light , or lemon, tea, something to change the flavor.
  • ChloGlam
    ChloGlam Posts: 11 Member
    I downloaded an app for drinking water on my phone. Its been really helping me as it notifies me when I should drink more. Getting used to t now!
  • ChloGlam
    ChloGlam Posts: 11 Member
    I also put some lemon and cinnamon in my water to make it yummy :-)
  • oddyogi
    oddyogi Posts: 1,816 Member
    Do it like a shot. Have a smaller 8-ball glass that you fill up every hour, then chug it. Seems to work.
  • AlongCame_Molly
    AlongCame_Molly Posts: 2,835 Member
    1. Pour a glass of water

    2. Raise it to your lips

    3. Take a drink

    4. Swallow

    5. Repeat
  • jamielynas
    jamielynas Posts: 366 Member
    thirsty? have a drink of water!
  • samntha14
    samntha14 Posts: 2,084 Member
    I posted this to one of my MFP friends -- so I thought I would get suggestions from anyone who has any......

    I need an IV for the water....I just looked at the clock 4:13 and then looked at my full water bottle. How pathetic am I -- not an ounce all day. I wish I could be better at the water thing. I know how much it would help my weight loss, disposition and skin etc etc etc.....got any recommendations????
    Did you drink anything? I can't imagine going the entire day without drinking something. Whatever else you are drinking, switch it water, or flavored water.
  • kiern18
    kiern18 Posts: 61
    I used to have to force myself to consciously drink water. Then I got Crystal Light Liquid. I'm not trying to advertise for them, but by slightly sweetening the water, I drink so much more now and it's no longer a struggle. I would definitely recommend trying it. :)
    ''

    This. There's nothing wrong with a little Crystal Light, I drink it all the time and I am losing weight consistently. I make infused water sometimes, but when I don't have time and I am on the go, grab a Crystal Light and pour it in.
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    Reply to all of these water threads and have a glass every time they get bumped! :drinker:

    Have 2 glasses if the reply says something about not counting coffee, flavored water, soda, etc. (May be coffee, flavored water or soda, etc.)
  • debbiebn
    debbiebn Posts: 1 Member
    Yes yes, the flavoring for water makes it easy to drink. I also like ice water so big glass of ice water with flavoring makes it go down easy!
  • 1ConcreteGirl
    1ConcreteGirl Posts: 3,677 Member
    I'm not sure if you already have practice with this, but swallowing helps.

    :flowerforyou:
  • CMB1979
    CMB1979 Posts: 588 Member
    Drink it. lol I love water. I drink a 1/2 liter in one sip.

    Note: I've lived in 2 countries out of the USA.

    Republic of Georgia - Was told NOT to drink water because it will make me fat. Go figure on that one. My host family grandfather was a doctor and believed this.

    South Korea - Told I should only sip a small amount of water after a meal because it slows digestion. May be true, but isn't that a good thing?!
  • SimplySabR
    SimplySabR Posts: 48 Member
    I have a 32 ounce water bottle - the kind with a straw. It's a contigo - I swear by it.

    But anyway, I fill it up once at 8am and again at 3 or so - gets in my 64 ounces. I used to be JUST like you - I swear, evolved from the desert! I wouldn't drink an ounce all day - I guess I tried to get it from the foods that I ate.
  • Way2slk
    Way2slk Posts: 48 Member
    When I finish a bottle water, I fill it 1/4 of the way and put it in the freezer, then take one out and fill up with water or ??? The water is always cold and lasts a while in the car, bike ride, walk.
  • KAYRRIE
    KAYRRIE Posts: 201 Member
    I use a bottle water with measuring lines on it. MIne is a 24 oz bottle that shows 24, 16, and 8 oz. So I know that if I drink and refill my bottle 3 times, that equals to 9 cups a day at least. When I don't have it I don't drink any water. I would also get a cute bottle, I know it sounds stupid, but when you have something you like on front of you, it entices you to use it.
  • Salty510
    Salty510 Posts: 121 Member
    Sorry if these have been said before but I didn't read through all the comments.

    I like to set a reminder on my phone or computer that I can snooze. I'll drink say, 10 gulps then snooze it for 10-15 minutes. Then have some more. Snooze. Drink. Snooze. Repeat as long as you need to. I still do that from time to time. And on days I do it, I drink heaps more water.

    If you put a bottle or glass of water next to your bed at bedtime, drink it first thing in the morning. Before you eat anything, drink 8 oz of water.

    I can't remember where I saw it, I think Pinterest, one lady got 2 bottles and a sharpie and wrote times on it. 24 oz's from the top she wrote 10 am, 24 oz's lower she wrote 12 pm and she did it on both bottles so she could keep track through the day. It's a pretty good idea if you are out and about, I would think.
  • faely
    faely Posts: 144 Member
    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/06/28/excessive-drinking-water-dangers.aspx
    "Rather, surveys of food and fluid intake on thousands of adults of both genders, analyses of which have been published in peer-reviewed journals, strongly suggest that such large amounts are not needed because the surveyed persons were presumably healthy and certainly not overtly ill.
    Most people on this site do not fit that description. Maybe that applies to healthy people.

    From the same article:
    "your body will tell you when it's time to replenish your water supply, because once your body has lost between one to two percent of its total water, your thirst mechanism lets you know that it's time to drink some water!"
    Again, maybe that applies to healthy people but probably not many of us here. Exhaustion and not getting enough sleep, and many other conditions, can cause your body to tell you its hungry and thirsty when it isn't, and vice versa. Many of us did not drink enough water before, and now that we are drinking more, a lot more for some of us, we are getting healthier.

    8 glasses might be too much, it might be too little, it might be just right. We are all different. The bottom line is to drink enough for your body. For me, coming from 0 glasses of water per day, instead I drank easily 6 20 oz dr.peppers, and then later, diet coke's, to now drinking 4-12 glasses of water a day, with the occasional diet coke, (I think I've had 4 in the last 12 weeks), I am a lot healthier. I can already see great changes.

    It isn't just 'get some liquid in you'. It's 'get some healthy liquid in you'.

    :drinker:
  • aclowe01
    aclowe01 Posts: 14 Member
    camelback u drink soooo much and dont even realize it!

    YEAH! Camelbak! Your drink without even realizing it's gone.