Struggling to get in recommended water intake. Anyone have any ideas of how to get that dreaded wat

Teal4me
Teal4me Posts: 104
edited November 9 in Food and Nutrition
IDEAS?
«13

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited January 2015
    Switch to ice water and keep it around all the time. Take a sip when you feel like it.

    Switching to water wasn't hard for me. Getting off the caffeinated pop was a long road. I was on and off so many times before it really stuck.

    It was giving the other stuff up that was difficult, not actually drinking the water.

    I use the Tervis glasses because they do not sweat, no matter how hot it is. They're cute, too! :)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    For me it's just having water there. If you don't want to drink it out of the bottles, have a cup or glass or something. I drink all day at work. (Uh, water, that is.)
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Tea
    Flavor drops for your water
    Fruit/veggie slices in the water
    Getting a giant water bottle and setting a goal to finish it each day
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    If your pea looks ok and you aren't craving water, there's unlikely to be an issue.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,059 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    If your pea looks ok and you aren't craving water, there's unlikely to be an issue.

    Unless it's split pea, then you'll want to get that checked out.
    (Sorry, it's 2AM, I'm on MFP, and I'm tired. Had to crack a joke, haha.)
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    Mr_Knight wrote: »
    If your pea looks ok and you aren't craving water, there's unlikely to be an issue.

    Unless it's split pea, then you'll want to get that checked out.
    (Sorry, it's 2AM, I'm on MFP, and I'm tired. Had to crack a joke, haha.)

    :drinker:

    Damn autocorrect.
  • annangelich
    annangelich Posts: 402 Member
    hehehe split pea...

    I am not a huge water drinker either, I do notice that when I exercise I drink more water.
    I also started drinking more water the moment I took notice that I wasn't drinking nearly enough. Give it time, and make it a goal to drink at little more every day. It takes time, it seems that bad habits take over more instantaneously than healthy and good ones do.
    Good luck to you in achieving your goals and increasing your water intake!
  • sunnygirl1032
    sunnygirl1032 Posts: 1 Member
    Try using a straw. It sounds funny but definitely works for me :)
  • tomatoey
    tomatoey Posts: 5,446 Member
    I actually love the taste (?) and feeling of water, so it's hard for me to understand why you don't like it. Could something be amiss with the water in your area? Maybe try a filter?
  • crashchamp
    crashchamp Posts: 147 Member
    The less sugary/carbonated I consume the more I enjoy/crave drinking water
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    2 litre bottle of fizzy water on my desk ..4-pack under it

    Lots of tea and coffee, diet sodas
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I have a cup with a straw- I'm inheirently more likely to drink water sitting around if I don't have to unscrew the cap- yeah- apparently I'm THAT lazy. So at work- I always keep a cup right there with water and a straw- otherwise- I'm drinking water from a bottle while I'm working out.
  • I hated trying to drink water in the winter. I picked up a water jug that holds my 8 glasses. They are about $3. Its an awesome way to keep track. I fill it in the morning and keep it with me at room temp. I either drink from it or pour it. I like to heat it and add lemon. Hot lemon water is really good for you too.
  • jfp420
    jfp420 Posts: 186 Member
    I also find it had to drink water, unless I'm exercising or if is really hot. I'm usually always cold so water is not that appealing to me. I have started drinking lemon water and herbal tea and that seems to be working.
  • I get bored of the taste (or non taste) of water but I bought one of the fruit infuser bottles from amazon, it was only about a fiver but that's helped me a lot!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Teal4me wrote: »
    IDEAS?

    Drink when you're thirsty, stop when you aren't. It's really that simple. There is no real "recommended" water amount. There are a lot of arbitrary amounts tossed around, but medically, your body does a perfectly good job of telling you it's thirsty.

    Plus you get hydration from soda, tea, coffee, juice, milk, food, etc. no reason to arbitrarily try and force yourself to drink a specific amount of just water every day. Besides, the actual amount you may need will vary depending on activity level, weather, and other factors.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    I made myself a rule--go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water after. I do this even if I get up at night. It's water out--water in. It doesn't matter if you like tea or other non-sugary drinks better. Organization is the key to drinking enough fluids.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I made myself a rule--go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water after. I do this even if I get up at night. It's water out--water in. It doesn't matter if you like tea or other non-sugary drinks better. Organization is the key to drinking enough fluids.
    That may be the most nonsensical rule I've ever heard.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    tigersword wrote: »
    I made myself a rule--go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water after. I do this even if I get up at night. It's water out--water in. It doesn't matter if you like tea or other non-sugary drinks better. Organization is the key to drinking enough fluids.
    That may be the most nonsensical rule I've ever heard.

    Too bad, It sure works, and the OP asked for ideas. Why don't you come up with a better idea? Best. B)
  • markiend
    markiend Posts: 461 Member
    for me... 2 empty 1.5l bottles , filled with tap water then into fridge , take 1 out the next day and have it by your desk or wherever and strangely you find yourself drinking more as it's there. When it gets too warm or empty, replace with other from fridge and see how you get on

    It worked for me. Adding flavour may work too
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    tigersword wrote: »
    I made myself a rule--go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water after. I do this even if I get up at night. It's water out--water in. It doesn't matter if you like tea or other non-sugary drinks better. Organization is the key to drinking enough fluids.
    That may be the most nonsensical rule I've ever heard.

    Too bad, It sure works, and the OP asked for ideas. Why don't you come up with a better idea? Best. B)
    I did. It's the same recommendation that the medical industry gives. If you're thirsty, drink. If you aren't thirsty, you're fine. No rigid forcing yourself to drink at random times just because necessary.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I keep bottles of water with me all the time. It's just a habit now to have a sip every 5 minutes.

    I also have coffee and tea.
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
    tigersword wrote: »
    I made myself a rule--go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water after. I do this even if I get up at night. It's water out--water in. It doesn't matter if you like tea or other non-sugary drinks better. Organization is the key to drinking enough fluids.
    That may be the most nonsensical rule I've ever heard.

    Too bad, It sure works, and the OP asked for ideas. Why don't you come up with a better idea? Best. B)

    If by "works" you mean "leads to excess drinking of unnecessary water", yeah, it works.
  • Pootler74
    Pootler74 Posts: 223 Member
    edited January 2015
    It doesn't have to be just plain water. Drink anything you like. You're probably best not making all your liquids be alcoholic or caffeinated or sugary. But those do count too. And as a poster above points out, as long as your pee is light in colour, you're drinking enough. Also, if you're eating a lot of fruit and veg, there's lots of water in those too!

    I do it by drinking a variety of things: milk, pop, squash, water, coffee, tea, green tea, coconut water.
  • Raykels
    Raykels Posts: 123 Member
    I use chilled sparkling water with a dash of cordial. Then I get my carbonated hit with out the nasties x (diet pop makes my mouth taste like its been coated in spray adhesive)
  • stephxo1
    stephxo1 Posts: 191 Member
    I carry a 2 litre water bottle everywhere I go. Easy to keep track of how much I've had. Slices of lemon makes it more refreshing or you could slice oranges, limes, etc if you prefer.
  • I have a 32 oz reusable bottle for the office and another one for home. I fill them up and try to drink 2 every day.
  • I had to find a water bottle I liked.. It sounds odd but it's true. I don't like screw lids so a pop open one that wasn't too big was ideal. Someone suggested straws and those are great too.. You will drink more water if you like what you drink out of
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    tigersword wrote: »
    tigersword wrote: »
    I made myself a rule--go to the bathroom, drink a glass of water after. I do this even if I get up at night. It's water out--water in. It doesn't matter if you like tea or other non-sugary drinks better. Organization is the key to drinking enough fluids.
    That may be the most nonsensical rule I've ever heard.

    Too bad, It sure works, and the OP asked for ideas. Why don't you come up with a better idea? Best. B)
    I did. It's the same recommendation that the medical industry gives. If you're thirsty, drink. If you aren't thirsty, you're fine. No rigid forcing yourself to drink at random times just because necessary.



    You may think your advice----let your body regulate, drink when you're thirsty is good, and I would have agreed with you even a year ago. Not everyone's body let's them know when they're dehydrated. I learned this reading a couple of swimming threads on MFP. Especially swimming dehydrates, since you sweat in the water and lose fluids without realizing it. I found it happening to me and began to drink alot of water after swimming. Solved my problem. However my husband didn't and 2 weeks before Christmas collapsed on our bed. I was in a panic---it was so sudden. He gasped "call my brother", and I did quick. My brother-in-law is a doctor (cardiologist) and lives across the street. He came immediately, and found my husband's blood pressure extremely low---he was dehydrated. We had been to the pool that morning. My husband did 45min of weights, 30mins of swiming laps, and 15 mins in the sauna. He was not thirsty and did not drink enough. So, yes, one needs to monitor fluid intake according to "our" doctor. Maybe fluid intake for a 35 yr old can go by thrist, but as you get older you have to be a little more careful--hence my "rule" which makes sure I have a constant level of hydration. I do what works, as do most people. ;)
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