How to drink more water?

mariamxo
mariamxo Posts: 21
edited September 23 in Health and Weight Loss
I find it really hard to get up to 8 cups a day. How do you guys do it? Any tips for drinking more? And exactly how bad is it to not drink up to 8 cups. Yesterday I only had 4 :| and today it's almost 12PM and I have yet to drink some.....

Thank you so much!! :)
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Replies

  • aimibean
    aimibean Posts: 243
    I always carry a 2L (64Fl oz, equal to 8 250ml glasses) bottle of water with me when I'm around the house and a 500ml (16Fl oz, equal to 2 glasses) bottle with me when I'm out as it's easier to carry. For some reason, I find it much easier to drink from the bottle, and it lets you keep track of how much you've drank!
  • Buttsmom
    Buttsmom Posts: 351 Member
    Try some of the flavored water packets you add to a bottle of water. Before I started using them I was lucky to get a couple cups in a day, now I get way over my 8 cups.
  • JLeeAlton
    JLeeAlton Posts: 311
    I have a 32 oz water bottle. i take it to work.. by the time I am home it is gone. I refill for my workout, and by the time that is over it is gone. Refill again and drink more til I go to bed. I drink water with every mean practically as well.
  • CountrySweetheart
    CountrySweetheart Posts: 25
    I have a water bottle that holds 24 oz. I take it with me everywhere, and I drink 100+ oz of water a day. Sometimes when I get tired of plain water, I use Crystal Light. Great Value (Wal-Mart) makes a cherry limeaide one, and I love it.
  • stephaniekendrick
    stephaniekendrick Posts: 87 Member
    I always keep my glass filled while around the house and when running my kids around to preschool and such I make sure I fill up my sports bottle for on the go drinking. Last night I forgot to bring it and I was under my 8 cups. I tried to suck down 4 cups before bed, but then was up at 3am to pee! lol

    Also, I find water very boring (even after adding lemon or cucumber or somethign to flavor it), so I drink Crystal Light. The flavors are all great and only 5 calories a serving, which you easily burn off walking around the house to pour your next cup! ;)

    Good luck!
    Stephanie
  • GabrielMaestas
    GabrielMaestas Posts: 88 Member
    Crystal Light! It makes the water taste so much better...Well, it actually gives the water a taste and there's a little potasium in there also. If the body is underhydrated this may result in a lowered metabolic rate AND its not good for your skins moisture level either :o)
  • songofserenity81
    songofserenity81 Posts: 138 Member
    on my non workout day I have a pint mug, as long as i drink 4 mugs of herbal tea/green teas I know I have had my quota for the day...on my workout days those cups of tea usually put me in the 3 to 4 ltr catagory
  • mayana2002
    mayana2002 Posts: 192
    Here is my secret. If I wanna ingest a lot of water I go for a room temperature water. When it is cold I take little sips of it. But if it is not cold I just take 1 glass down in my throat per stop. I know cold water is better but if i am talking about quantity i just do it because is easier to swallow and doen'st take time. I hate be holding a glass of water wherever I go so I make it simple, fast and painless! You get used to it. Now everythime I pass by the kitchen I drink one glass! :) You can try it!
  • alyssa83202
    alyssa83202 Posts: 334
    I have a 25oz. water bottle that I fill up and keep with me all day. Anytime I finish it, I just refill it. Since I have water with me all day, I barely even notice how much water I'm drinking and it becomes a lot easier to get in my 8 glasses (or more!)
  • kgalea
    kgalea Posts: 156 Member
    This has been a challenge for me as well, but I made it a New Year's resolution to get the 8 glasses in... I started trying to drink 2 of my glasses before I leave for work in the AM now and that has really helped me keep up the rest of the day. Yesterday, I forgot to drink it in the AM, then ended up just short at 7 glasses (but also had two 20-oz hot teas and a 20 oz coffee at work)
  • teeminus30
    teeminus30 Posts: 14 Member
    I once had a trainer who wanted me to drink a gallon a day. I could never do it but here are some tricks that helped me get to 8+.

    1. Drink a glass first thing in the morning. Before you do anything else.
    2. Don't let yourself have any other beverage until you have gotten your eight glasses (exceptions can be made for one cup of java in the a.m.).
    3. Carry water with you.
    4. Measure it. A lot of times what we think is a glass of water is more than 8oz. You might already be doing better than you think.

    Good Luck!
  • mariamxo
    mariamxo Posts: 21
    I've never tried crystal light but I'll look into it!!
  • BOGmama2010
    BOGmama2010 Posts: 599 Member
    For me, it's just a question of tracking it (have I had 6 or 7?). I use the same 24 oz water bottle every day and I have 4 hair bands on it. I slide the bands to the top of the water bottle at the beginning of the day and as I finish one bottle, I slide a band down to the bottom. I do try to get 96 ounces of water in, I feel dehydrated with less. Hope that helps, it has really made it a no brainer for me as far as knowing how much water I have had.

    Flavoring works if you need it - but I just like my water. :) We buy filtered water from a store because it tastes 1000 times better than our tap water and it's the only way I will drink it. It's 25 cents a gallon, but it's well worth it. You might consider trying that depending on how horrible your tap water tastes.
  • earthy_lady
    earthy_lady Posts: 10
    I carry a water bottle that holds 4 cups. I fill it up at breakfast and sip all day until lunch. At lunch time if it's not empty I chug it and refill. Then I sip all afternoon and by bed time if it's not empty I chug it again. If you ask your doctor they'll usually tell you the water you need to drink varies from person to person though, and that some of your water comes from foods (like soup or watermelon). I personally like the way my body feels when I get my 8 cups a day, and a lot of times I'll drain my bottle early. Drinking more water definitely takes some getting used to.
  • BethanyMasters
    BethanyMasters Posts: 519 Member
    I carry around a water bottle and on those days where I'm finding it particularly hard to drink all my water I'll add a little spice to my food to make it easier to drink more during my meals.
  • jordan_vakil
    jordan_vakil Posts: 45
    I have really come to love water. I used to drink alot of Mt. Dew and found myself in the hospital 3 times in 6 months with kidney problems due to drinking so many sodas. I drink up to 3 liters of water a day and I love it. It's pretty much the only thing I drink. I will have a cup of coffee in the morning ( 3 or 4 days a week) and maybe one soda a week, other than that I drink only water, A good way to do it is to just do it. Try just 8 times a day making a glass and drink it quickly to get it over with. I hated water at the beginning, but trust me, it grows on you. :) Hope this helps.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I've never tried crystal light but I'll look into it!!

    Crystal Light has artificial sweetener. The brain doesn't distinguish between artificial sweeteners and natural sugars, so insulin (the "fat storing" hormone) gets released when you ingest artificial sweeteners just like it does when you ingest sugar. When this happens your body stops burning fat and sugar from your blood is used for energy. When there isn't enough sugar in your blood you get hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) and your body sends hunger signals so that you can replenish the blood sugar.
  • noraht
    noraht Posts: 21
    I hated drinking water and really still don't like it but I too flavor mine and I have 2, 1 litre bottles which I fill in the am and when the first is gone I refill it and thru the day at work I drink all 3. I use room temperature water too as I find I drink a lot more that way. I flavor my water with Nutrilite. There are 4 different flavors, all natural, no preservatives. Each flavor is infused with vitamins.
  • NikkiJ17
    NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
    "When you think of it, drink of it" Every time you see your water bottle, every time someone mentions water or drinks or thirsty, every time it crosses your mind grab the bottle and take as much in as you can. The more you do this, the easier it will get. Your body will start to crave it.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    I use a 24oz reusable plastic cup with a lid. I can normally drink 3-4 of them a day, giving me 9-12 glasses of water a day. I keep it next to me all day and take a drink every couple minutes. Using a bigger container makes it easier to keep track and makes it easier to drink enough.
  • lupuslady
    lupuslady Posts: 99
    I have the same problem, if I drink too much water I am up all night (like every hour) peeing.
    I very happy if make it to seven glasses, I only worry if it is five. I stop drinking water, except to take my meds, at 4 pm.
    good luck......
  • OLP76
    OLP76 Posts: 768 Member
    Like anythin' else - you will need to make it a habit...
  • ReadyMom
    ReadyMom Posts: 59
    Use a straw and pound it lol! Goes down faster! I usually drink at least four 32oz cups a day. As soon as I'm done with one I fill it back up and keep it on my kitchen counter and whenever I pass it I will drink some big gulps.
  • xodaffyox
    xodaffyox Posts: 16
    Drink water with your meals instead of soda or juice. Carry a bottle of water with you when you leave the house. Try to drink a glass of water (8 oz.) before each meal; this will help you feel full quicker. Also, keep the bottle of water is sight. I noticed you're a student...so put the bottle of water on the desk when you're in class and take a few sips every couple of mins. This may even help you stay awake if you're teacher/professor is boring '-).
  • SMarie10
    SMarie10 Posts: 956 Member
    Wow, I'm amazed at all the good suggestions. I struggle daily to drink my 8 glasses, and am lucky to get 4 in during the day. I'm going to try a bigger container, room temp water, and getting more in early in the day so I'm not running to the restroom all day and up at night. I've tried adding lemon juice, but that's not really practical when I'm at work. This is why I love MFP - so many going thru the same struggles and many helpful solutions.
  • Lisamarie1226
    Lisamarie1226 Posts: 335 Member
    This worked very well for me in the past. Somehow, once the weather got colder, I find myself not hitting the 8 glasses a day as much. So I'm going to log this again...

    You know that box in your food diary page? I use that as my diary. My commute is anywhere from 45-60 minutes, so I'll take a 24 oz water bottle with me. I was doing really well about finishing it by the time I got to work.

    Then I start making "goals" for myself.

    So my diary would read something like this:

    Finished 24 oz. water bottle on my way to work. (and then I would click the water glass icon to 3).

    GOAL #1: FINISH another 24 oz water bottle BEFORE lunch.

    If I accomplished that, the glass icon would be at 6 by the middle of my work day.

    GOAL #2: FINISH another 24 oz water bottle AFTER lunch and BEFORE leaving work for the day.

    If I accomplished that, there went another 3 glasses....

    If it was a gym day, I'd refill my bottle.

    GOAL #3: FINISH another 24 oz. water bottle at the gym.

    So I could be anywhere between 9-12 glasses a day. I'm aiming for that again. I do find I feel better when I have at least 8 glasses.

    Also, I do "reward" myself with crystal light (or the Market Pantry or Great Value versions ---Target has a super yummy lime margarita flavor ;-) AFTER I've had at LEAST 4-5 glasses. It can be too sweet fo me sometimes, so instead of just using 16 oz, I usually do 18-20 oz... I like it better slightly diluted. I also have plastic water bottles, in 24 oz and 32 oz. And I always have to have limes or lemons in it.

    Good luck!
  • mariamxo
    mariamxo Posts: 21
    Thank you all so much for the good suggestions!! I'm going to do my best to get 8 today :)
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    I usually drink two glasses of water with every meal. One before I eat, and one during my meal. I usually over do it on the water. Yesterday I had over 12 glasses of water, but I work around a lot of heat, so if I don't drink a lot, I get dehydrated fast.
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    I usually drink two glasses of water with every meal. One before I eat, and one during my meal. I usually over do it on the water. Yesterday I had over 12 glasses of water, but I work around a lot of heat, so if I don't drink a lot, I get dehydrated fast.
  • radwan_masri
    radwan_masri Posts: 54
    Hi; my body type absorb so much water; if I exercise I drink so much water that is more than 8 cups; just keep a bottle of water with you at ALL times; office; house, in front of TV, car ...etc. it should work.
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