Any trick to drink 8 cups of water per day?

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Replies

  • Alicja_W
    Alicja_W Posts: 169
    For me I need to have my water with me at all times, even when I'm not thirsty. Just seeing it helps remind me to drink it. Also, for some reason, it's easier for me to get my water in when I'm drinking it with a straw.

    Edited to add this... I've read that when our bodies are thirsty, we've actually waited too late to drink the water.

    Hope this helps. :smile:

    same here its easier for me to drink with a straw :wink:
  • Daisygurl7
    Daisygurl7 Posts: 129 Member
    Try drinking from a straw. I bought a plastic cup with a lid and straw. I keep one at work and at home. You drink it faster and it really helps.

    Definitely! I had a hard time getting in 8 glasses of water then I bought a big 32 oz mug with a straw. I have no problem drinking two of those 32 oz mugs and for some reason I drink much quicker through a straw.

    Totally agree with these two! A Straw definately helps! I to have a 32 oz glass with a straw and I drink it without even thinking about it!
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Once again...
    Here we go again!

    You need the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


    As for coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

    di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
    adj.
    Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
    n.
    A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

    Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


    http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

    http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

    http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

    http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

    http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

    http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php
  • HMonsterX
    HMonsterX Posts: 3,000 Member
    Once again...
    Here we go again!

    You need the equivalent of 8 cups of water a day on average, from any source. These sources can be pure water/tea/coffee/juice/soda/milk/fruit/veg etc. It does NOT have to be pure neat water!

    http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

    http://junkfoodscience.blogspot.com/2008/07/wellness-water-8x8-myth.html

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/12/08/the-myth-behind-drinking-8-glasses-of-water-a-day/


    As for coffee being a diuretic, so many people just spout that word as a reason, without actually understanding what "diuretic" means.

    di·u·ret·ic (d-rtk)
    adj.
    Tending to increase the discharge of urine.
    n.
    A substance or drug that tends to increase the discharge of urine.

    Neat water is also a diuretic. The diuretic effect of caffeine is far, far outweighed by the actual water in the tea/coffee. Also, regular consumers of caffeinated beverages will build up a tolerance to said effect, eventually reaching the point where caffeinated drinks provide practically the same amount of hydration as a cup of neat water will.


    http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/46361-coffee-makes-dehydrated-say-what

    http://worldofcaffeine.com/2011/06/14/caffeine-does-not-dehydrate/

    http://advance.uconn.edu/2002/020722/02072207.htm

    http://nomoredirtylooks.com/2011/04/surprise-caffeinated-tea-does-not-dehydrate-you/

    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html

    http://www.sharecare.com/question/does-caffeine-dehydrate-not

    http://www.artofdrink.com/2009/12/caffeine-in-coffee-does-not-increase-dehydration-during-hangovers.php
  • Lovely_Luna
    Lovely_Luna Posts: 2 Member
    I usually find a bottle or glass that holds at least a couple cups of water and keep it with me and when it's empty I just refill it. I drink from just that all day and I usually get at least 8 cups of water a day.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I'm going to commit blasphemy here and tell you not to worry about. The need to drink 8 cups of water a day is a medical myth (http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp this is just one source). Most of us get all the water we need through the food we eat, especially if we are eating clean with high water content food like fruits and vegetables, not to mention other beverages we might drink during the day. Don't get me wrong, you need to stay well hydrated, especially if you are losing water through exercise, etc.. I also know that some people use it as a way to help fill the their stomach before or during meals. Unfortunately, there is evidence that lots of water in your stomach with meals hinders digestion, slowing it down and making your alimentary tract less efficient. Finally, my proof is in my own results. I don't track my water but I know that i don't drink 8 glasses a day and it has not slowed my progress down.

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    To each their own. Personally, I feel better, my skin looks better, I sleep better, etc when I'm drinking around 80oz of water a day. Yes, I can get by with less - but, I definitely feel sluggish and not so hot when I don't drink enough water. If you don't want to consume a lot of water in a day - that is your personal choice, but I think recommending it to others when you don't know their personal situations is a great disservice to people.
  • squishycow7
    squishycow7 Posts: 820 Member
    every time I go to the bathroom I chug a glass of water.

    it's a vicious cyle (:


    plus just carrying a water bottle around helps too.. if I see it, I'll reach for it
  • garzatwin
    garzatwin Posts: 6
    yes. buy a really cute nalgene (water bottle) and keep it with you. Put one of those cheap "mountain-climbing" clips on it. Then u can clip it to ur purse or whatever, making it less likely to lose. If you buy a 32 oz and fill it up 2 times... that equals the 8 cups u need. It wont feel like ur drinking that much and it's much much cheaper than buying small water bottles all day every day. And you'll look cool and sporty doing so:)
  • Smelerz
    Smelerz Posts: 115 Member
    I add an ounce of POM juice to a 32 oz "tupperware" bottle of water, its all natural an satisfies my sweet cravings
  • sunshine421969
    sunshine421969 Posts: 273 Member
    Hi, the best thing that got my family and I to drinking water is using the Brita Filter water pitcher.The water stays nice and cold.We also got two Brita bottles with them like they use on TBL.We feel them up and when we finish the bottle we go straight and fill it up again.WE do this through out the day.As the others said, keep it with you at all times.
    Before the Brita, we drank Crystal Light it is low in calories,but if you need a little flavor that is a good source..
  • naja20202
    naja20202 Posts: 1
    I find that having it with me all day long in a big bottle 32oz, and using a straw helps me to get through all of it in the day.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    I'm amused by people talking about how fast they drink their water. If you're chugging 32 ounces of water in 20 minutes, you're just wasting water. Your body can't process that much at once, and just tosses it out. That's why you're going to the bathroom every half hour.

    Also, thirst is the best way to gauge how much to drink. The myth that you are already dehydrated if you feel thirsty is ridiculous. Do people believe that feeling hungry means you're suffering from starvation, also?:huh:
  • fififox
    fififox Posts: 360 Member
    I NEVER drink water on its own. I started a challenge yesterday and measured out the water requirement and nearly keeled over when I saw it. The sheer volume was enough to put me off! I need to see it in small manageable quantities and not focus on the big picture! This morningI filled a jug that I left beside the kettle. I put a mark on it that marks half the days intake and filled it to there. I left a kids beaker on top of it and am taking a cup when I see it or when I go to make tea I might have a glass of water instead or while I wait for the kettle to boil. When I go back to work after the holidays I will have to take small bottles with me so I can work my way through it....kinda like mini goals, lol! No...I am not naturally a water drinker! I am interested to hear of the chilled suggestion and the straws. I must try them to see if they make a difference.
  • Circa1964
    Circa1964 Posts: 225 Member
    I have reusable bottles at home and work. I split up my day and have deadlines. One bottle by noon, 4pm, 8pm, and midnight. One of those I add Crystal Light. It helps to get it down and break up the monotony.
  • samantha0176
    samantha0176 Posts: 67 Member
    when i am at home i always have a big glass full of water...i squeeze a drop of lemon into it...and of course drink it with a straw...i can not drink my water without a straw! or lemon..YUCK...unless i am at the gym...the glass is almost 4 cups...so make sure i fill 4-5 glasses everyday...they stay on the kitchen counter and i take sips here and there....
  • JoJo_fat2fab
    JoJo_fat2fab Posts: 297 Member
    I cannot drink cold water to save my life, I fill my 64oz jug every morning and just sip here and there, by the time I do my workout I'm done with the 64oz and have to refill it and end up drinking about a gallon a day. At first I used to go to the bathroom every 20 minutes, but now I guess my body is used to and I don't go as much (I can actually sleep thru the night).
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I'm amused by people talking about how fast they drink their water. If you're chugging 32 ounces of water in 20 minutes, you're just wasting water. Your body can't process that much at once, and just tosses it out. That's why you're going to the bathroom every half hour.

    Also, thirst is the best way to gauge how much to drink. The myth that you are already dehydrated if you feel thirsty is ridiculous. Do people believe that feeling hungry means you're suffering from starvation, also?:huh:

    If I downed 32oz of water in 20 mins - I would probably explode. I can't drink that amount of water in a short time. It literally takes me ALL day to get in the amount of water I know that I need.

    That being said, they say thirst is one thing - but if your mouth is very dry, you have a headache, etc that can be classified as dehydration. So, in a sense - in some cases, extreme thirst IS a sign you're already dehydrated. I can tell when I haven't had enough water - I get a horrible headache, my eyes start to hurt and my lips/mouth get VERY dry. I'll drink 8-10oz of water and within a short time I feel better. Now, I also know when it gets to that point - I better keep drinking the water or I'll feel horrible again.

    Each person responds differently.
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
    I take a water bottle, mine holds 3 cups of water, and I throw a drink packet in it. Only 10 calories for each full packet, gives my water some flavor and before I know it, I've drunken 3 water bottle fulls :)
  • missfluffyuk
    missfluffyuk Posts: 245
    what I want to know is how do you not end up peeing 50 times a day?! I barely drink and go to the bathroom about twice an hour - which makes work and stuff really hard... adding 8 cups of water each day would be terrible!

    Because you are drinking too little, your kidneys are straining -- this is why you need to pee so much. You may also have an underlying problem.

    when you first start drinking more, you'll need to pee often but within a few days it will settle down.
  • skywa
    skywa Posts: 901 Member
    Get 2 big bottles of water.. Try you best to finish both of them every day. Then refill at night.

    I like to add lemon juice to my water every once in a while to keep myself from getting bored.
  • camy_chick
    camy_chick Posts: 277 Member
    i fill a 4 cup bottle twice a day.......but just make sure you drink 2 cups with each meal, 3 meals a day x 2 cups = 6 cups.....and drink the other 2 throughout the day. it takes some time to get used to it. but once you are used to it, you'll miss it if you miss a day.
  • Rebecca_Evans1
    Rebecca_Evans1 Posts: 27
    Remembering that the water in your food, other drinks also counts towards this :)

    Saying that, I tend to keep a bottle on my desk and add just a little bit of squash to it to make it taste a bit sweeter. I also substitute cups of tea / coffee for fruit or peppermint tea which are a bit more refreshing and good for you...

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  • dayylight
    dayylight Posts: 69
    I work in the sun all the time so we all drink water easily. When I first moved positions in my company and started spending up to 8 hours a day in the sun I got heat exhaustion the first day. It's not as bad as heat stroke but it still took me a full week to recover. And I got it again a month later because I still hadn't adjusted to the conditions. So I always stay hydrated at work now. On days I work I usually drink 4-10 glasses of water just at work.

    The other thing that helps is I only really drink water and milk. I have the very rare diet soda when I'm out somewhere, or alcohol at a bar but I limit that as much as possible. I don't drink coffee or tea, and I think fruit juice is kind of pointless, I'd rather drink a glass of water and eat the fruit. If you really just don't like water you can add sliced fruit to it to give it flavor. Or you can carry a water bottle. I drink more water now that I carry one than I did before.

    You may not need to drink 8 glass of water a day but I personally feel better when I do. Plus my skin looks better when I stay constantly hydrated.
  • Paulie68
    Paulie68 Posts: 1 Member
    If you are like me, I hate water, and love fizzy, so for me, the smart option is icy cold soda water, I easily down about 4 litres a day, and love it :)
  • shaneNSW
    shaneNSW Posts: 42 Member
    I wonder now how I ever got by without at least 8 cups a day. =)
  • beckyskeens
    beckyskeens Posts: 16 Member
    I have a water bottle that holds 16 oz. I fill it up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and make sure I drink it before leaving the table. I usually fit another bottle during the day. i don't drink anything else usually except coffee in the morning. Not an exciting answer, but it helps me! Hope it helps!
  • sexysize12
    sexysize12 Posts: 105 Member
    I use my water intake to drink green tea, pekoe tea, coffee and crystal lite mix ins and the rest if pure water. I hope this helps, keep up the good work.:drinker:
  • Ashlea_M
    Ashlea_M Posts: 165 Member
    I keep multiple small water bottles around the house and when I was at uni (just graduated) I had two in my bag and whenever I was separated from my bag (in the workshop etc) I'd take the second with me to my workspace. I just always have it with me to remind me to drink it :)
  • richardholt2011
    richardholt2011 Posts: 118 Member
    Keep a plastic cup on your desk. Drink a cupful on the hour every hour. Cross each drink off with a marker pen on the cup. (if you dont spend the day at a desk there is surely some way you could adapt this)
  • Jade_Butterfly
    Jade_Butterfly Posts: 2,963 Member
    In real terms it should read 8 cups of liquid. Any more than 2 litres of liquid a day can be harmful. That includes tea, coffee and drinks like coca cola/lemonade. Other than coffee/tea I only drink water. I add a squeeze of lime or lemon (e.g. Berri 99% lemon juice) to the water....makes it tasty.

    Sorry dear, but that is misinformation. A persons water consumption is based on bodyweight, along with activity level. Caffeinated beverages do not count for water as they do not hydrate the body. Coffee, caffeinated sodas, and alcohol actually deplete the body of 2 glasses of water for every one that you consume.

    OP: My advise. . . get your self a water bottle that you like, make it habit. . such as filling it as soon as you get up in the morning, and then always keep it with you. I have a 32oz bottle. If you prefer it cold you can always add ice or freeze it. It takes some training to get yourself in the habit of drinking it, but you can do it!:flowerforyou:
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