How do you make yourself drink more water?

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ashleynburk
ashleynburk Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I, like I'm sure many of you, can not get myself to drink my 8 glasses of water a day. I've tried making it flavored and even buying new water bottles to keep it fun but nothing seems to stick. Any suggestions?
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Replies

  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    Are you just not drinking enough PERIOD?

    Or are you just not drinking enough WATER?
  • ashleynburk
    ashleynburk Posts: 15 Member
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    Both? I usually average 3 glasses of water and about two cups of coffee a day.
  • misssmadalyn
    misssmadalyn Posts: 360 Member
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    I had a hard time starting to drink more water. I drink a lot of milk with my meals I switched to water because when I eat I drink a lot .. Try drinking water with meals. I also sip water throughout the day
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    I make a big batch of herbal tea every morning sweetened with stevia, I like it, but we all have different tastes. I find that once you get used to the 8 glasses of water you start wanting it. Your body adapts to having it and you don't feel good without it. You just need to get past the adaptation phase. Keep doing it and once it becomes habit you'll want it and feel better. Just like everything else we do around here. It's habits and adaptation.
  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
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    The way I did it was reading the scientific research that the whole 8 glasses thing was a myth. I drink all sorts of beverages, get plenty of water in my food, and have some water if I feel like it.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Well, a few days out of the week I'm at the gym so of course I'm going to drink water. And then...I get this thing called thirst, daily, so I drink it then. I also have a few cups of tea every night.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    ashleynburk wrote: »
    Both? I usually average 3 glasses of water and about two cups of coffee a day.

    Then you're probably fine.

    You don't need to be consuming obscene amounts of water. If you're not showing signs of dehydration and you're not drinking 99% of your calories i wouldn't worry about it.
  • DMLC2014
    DMLC2014 Posts: 71 Member
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    I use a big square jug of water in the fridge. I love drinking really cold water-- add ice might help too!
  • doineedtobeskinny
    doineedtobeskinny Posts: 4 Member
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    Here is what I'm doing for myself: I have a huge bottle (6 cups) and lots of funny cups, mugs, tumblers that each can hold at least 10 oz of water. I change my cup/mug/tumbler regularly just for fun. I place my cup and my bottle right on my desk, fulfill the bottle every morning and my goal is to finish half of it before lunch and the rest before 5pm.

    Every morning when I wake up, I push myself to drink 1 cup of water after having coffee. And I push myself to drink 1 cup of water before dinner, right after I get home from work.

    During the day, you may want to set an alarm every 1,5 hour to remind you to drink. I also love tea so sometimes I make half bottle of my favourite tea with 2 tsp of diet sugar.

    However it takes at least 10 days to become a habit, so just be patient :) Hope it helps.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,742 Member
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    californiagirl2012 wrote: »
    I make a big batch of herbal tea every morning sweetened with stevia, I like it, but we all have different tastes. I find that once you get used to the 8 glasses of water you start wanting it. Your body adapts to having it and you don't feel good without it. You just need to get past the adaptation phase. Keep doing it and once it becomes habit you'll want it and feel better. Just like everything else we do around here. It's habits and adaptation.

    I agree with this completely. Well not the tea & stevia, because like she says we all have different tastes. But with the water, you DO really get used to it and feel that you "need" it.

    For many many years my typical intake for a day was 10 oz coffee, 24 oz of diet cola, and no water.
    Now I drink between 60-100 oz of water and don't understand how I even supported my bodily functions before. Obviously you don't die w/o the textbook 8 glasses of water...but yeah...it becomes second nature.

    As for other tips - for me personally I like it refrigerator cold, in a cup with straw. They say straws promote wrinkles and whatever but I don't really care. I like my big water cup with straw and I just get into the habit of downing it (24 oz) once in the morning, once at lunch, once or twice in the afternoon. Coffee with breakfast and either water, beer, or diet soda at dinner. Works for me. Find whatever works best for you.

  • the_great_unknown
    the_great_unknown Posts: 194 Member
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    I like water, but I didn't always. About ten years ago, I started following Body For Life and the only habit that I seem to have retained from that plan is to start my day with two large glasses of cold water. Then, I drink one after my coffee, before lunch, and before my afternoon snack and with dinner. I also take Spin classes and in one hour, I will drink 1.5L in addition to the water I mentioned above. The more I drink, the more I seem to want.
  • ashleynburk
    ashleynburk Posts: 15 Member
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    Thanks everyone. Getting enough water has always been hard for me to do so I'll definitely try some of these things!
  • AlciaMode
    AlciaMode Posts: 421 Member
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    I keep a one liter bottle in my hand at all times. It manages to be drank and refilled twice a day.
  • andrikosDE
    andrikosDE Posts: 383 Member
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    When I used to live in the US I absolutely despised drinking water, so I drowned myself in diet pepsi/coke...
    A truly terrible habit and feeling.

    Since I moved to Germany 3.5 years ago, I discovered that their water is mostly carbonated and from mineral sources and super cheap!

    They have 3 varieties of mineral water: Classic (full on carbonated). medium and still.

    I've become addicted to the classic mineral water and I drink at the very least 2 liters a day (average about 3).

    This is when I realized that the only reason I drank coke was because of the bubbles, not the "flavor".
    I don't remember the last time I had a soda.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    I keep a case of bottled water in the work fridge and just make myself drink one per hour all morning (I only work on-site in the AM). At home I keep iced tea in the fridge and make sure to have at least two glasses a day. Aside from that I don't worry about it much; we get hydration from all kinds of sources beyond drinking plain water.
  • Alyssa_Is_LosingIt
    Alyssa_Is_LosingIt Posts: 4,696 Member
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    SherryTeach wrote: »
    The way I did it was reading the scientific research that the whole 8 glasses thing was a myth. I drink all sorts of beverages, get plenty of water in my food, and have some water if I feel like it.

    This.
  • dothefreddy
    dothefreddy Posts: 29 Member
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    The great thing about summer is Amish meadow tea. It really is nothing more than fresh mint boiled in water, strained into a fridge container and your sweetner of choice added. I make it several gallons at a time and it pretty much is mostly all we drink all summer long. It's incredibly refreshing.
  • dearmrsowl
    dearmrsowl Posts: 151 Member
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    andrikosDE wrote: »
    When I used to live in the US I absolutely despised drinking water, so I drowned myself in diet pepsi/coke...
    A truly terrible habit and feeling.

    Since I moved to Germany 3.5 years ago, I discovered that their water is mostly carbonated and from mineral sources and super cheap!

    They have 3 varieties of mineral water: Classic (full on carbonated). medium and still.

    I've become addicted to the classic mineral water and I drink at the very least 2 liters a day (average about 3).

    This is when I realized that the only reason I drank coke was because of the bubbles, not the "flavor".
    I don't remember the last time I had a soda.

    I missed my daily carbonated water when I lived in the states (I'm from Germany). I was never able to get used to just plain water so I always mixed it with a little bit of apple or cranberry juice. Just recently did I notice that tab water (which is safe to drink straight from the faucet almost everywhere in Germany) is much better for my stomach and doesn't leave me as bloated. Now I always have a huge jug of lemon infused tab water in my fridge. I fill up my 19oz bottle up to 6 times a day. It really helps that it has a straw. For some reason I drink way more out of this bottle than I do if I drink out of a cup or a regular bottle.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
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    Get a good 1L water bottle with a straw, I recommend a Camelbak Eddy. Keep it with you and you'll get in the habit of using it. I just drink water subconsciously now. Hit a gallon a day without even thinking about it. Had a hard time drinking water before having a water bottle. You need to get up, find a glass then fill it like 10 times a day, not that easy when you're moving and busy.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I keep a bottle of water with me and drink a sip every 5 minutes or something. I'm so used to it that I get thirsty now if I can't drink for a while (which kinda sucks, to be honest).

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