Anyone else struggle with this?

You don't realize it because you don't know what you feel like totally hydrated. Take a week where you consciously drink 80 ounces of water every day and after you getting over how much time you spend in the bathroom, see how much better you feel.

It's normal to not realize your lack of water when you consistently don't get enough. Look at your pee and see what it tells you. If you can see through it, you're good! If it's a dark yellow or darker, you need o drink more.

When I don't have enough to drink, my fingers swell a lot. Also, my eyes feel dry. You will notice how you feel once you're properly hydrated.

It really is a habit. I keep a camelbak water bottle full of ice water with me at all times. I always drink some before I eat anything and drink between 8 to 16 glasses of water a day. I used to drink 3 20 oz cokes a day. I feel better now that I drink water but it was an adjustment. You just have to make yourself do it. Also, a lot of people mistake thirst for hunger, which is why I always drink before I decided if i'm really hungry.

And it has made my skin look great.

Yes, I have been that way all of my life too. I have tried to up my intake as well but some days I just can't force it. Good luck.

It also depends on what you eat, partially. When you eat fruit, pasta, veggies etc, you are consuming water as well. I am not saying you shouldn't drink water. As another poster said, look at your pee, it will tell you if you are hydrated or not.

I find that I have a hard time drinking warm water, but none at all drinking it when it's cold. If you're similar, it will be worth developing a habit of constantly re-chilling your water. The easiest way for me to reach my eight+ cups per day is to begin the day with two full 1-liter bottles of water in the fridge, and exchange bottles when the one I have on my desk gets warm. When I empty one, I fill it back up and keep going. Finishing two 1-liter bottles is equivalent to just over 8 cups.

Thanks for the responses. I'm not saying I don't like water, I do. I just don't find myself feeling the need to drink anything (water, tea, coffee, etc)...period. I have started being more aware of it since joining MFP, so hopefully that continues.

I've found weight loss easier and muscle recovery faster since I started drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day. There was a brief period of about a week or so when I felt like I was going to the bathroom all the time, but after that transition I dropped back down to my normal number of "plant-waterings". I also feel like I've gained better bladder control as well, which is a nice bonus.

The body is very adaptable. It can survive quite well on a low-liquid diet by storing liquids, or it can run more optimally by having a sufficient constant intake of liquid and not needing to store it.

About the only thing I can suggest is to try it. You'll find that you have to pee A LOT because your body isn't needing to store as much water, so it starts cleaning it out. You'll probably lose some immediate weight, and find that you'll need to make more #2 visits for a while as the body purges out all the material it used for liquid storage. This is all part of the transition.

You'll probably notice the difference in your physical performance and energy levels in a week or two. If you don't, it's an easy habit to drop, just do it slowly and give your body time to adapt to your lower intake (so it has time to start storing water again). Otherwise, you'll feel (and be) really dehydrated because your body doesn't have the liquid reserves it once had.

Don't overdo it, and make sure you are eating plenty of nutrients, because a high intake means your body is flushing everything (the good and the bad) out more quickly.

I go through the same thing. I really hate the taste of water, so i feel like I'm having to force myself to drink it. I love juice, but I know that too much sugar isn't good for you. I love getting the 5 calorie Kool aid packets that are sugar free. It helps me drink more water, and stay hydrated. I also have to try and stay away from sodas for they dehydrate you.

I had the same problem when I first started drinking more water.

My solution was as simple as unsweetened lemon or lime juice concentrate (the "real lemon" / "real lime" stuff you can get in the squeeze bottles that look like lemons and limes). Just a small amount of it in my water added some flavor, a little shot of vitamin c, very few calories, and no artificial sweeteners.

The problem with using something sweetened is that sweetness increases appetite (at least it does for me!). Our bodies crave sugars for the immediate energy boost they provide, and eating/drinking sweet things all the time just makes those cravings worse (again, at least it does for me, your mileage may vary).

I've found overall diet control a LOT easier once I abandoned sweetening everything, and started exploring other flavors with more enthusiasm. It was tough to do at first, but it really helps control cravings.

Interesting thread. I don't drink a lot. I have a water bottle on my desk at work and on my dresser at home, and a cup at the table, so I am sipping throughout the day, but not large amounts, certainly not as much as some of you would recommend.

I do, however, eat lots of fruit and veggies, and my pee is as light or lighter than the top band on the chart that was posted. So I guess I'm in the right range, regardless of how many/few times I have to fill my bottles during the day.

If I'm having a hard time getting the water in for the day I just chug! 3 of my water bottles equals 8 glasses of water and I can chug the whole bottle in 2 mins.

I used to never drink water. I hated it. I drank diet sodas, tea, and coffee. When I decided I finally wanted to make a lifestyle change, I went to the dr. He told me to give up my diet sodas and to drink 48 oz of water in the top portion of the day and 48 oz in the bottom portion of the day. I'm not quite there yet, but I can say that I do drink at least my 8 cups, sometimes more a day. And I've grown to really love it. Especially cold. I gave up my diet sodas, and I don't even miss them. I still drink coffee in the morning and every once in a while, I will have a glass of unsweet tea. But mostly, I opt for water. I feel better. Of course, I'm also eating healthier. Also, drinking that much water helps me feel fuller throughout the day. And like someone else said, sometimes we mistake hunger when we are actually thirsty. Your body needs water.

When I don't have enough to drink, my fingers swell a lot. Also, my eyes feel dry. You will notice how you feel once you're properly hydrated.

This is so true! When you don't drink enough you don't really notice until you do and you then see the difference.

The end of last year I started to get dry irritated skin on my right fore arm. I was so confused but I don't like to bother my doctor so I hoped it would go away. Then it got worse and was on my upper arm. I went to see the doctor and he said I had dermatitis and prescribed me a cream. Before I even bothered to go and get the cream I drank loads of water and it went away.

I feel much more awake, alert and my skin hasn't looked this good in years!!!

Drink water even when you're not thirsty! :-)

Yeah, and two minutes later I would throw up . . .

If I'm having a hard time getting the water in for the day I just chug! 3 of my water bottles equals 8 glasses of water and I can chug the whole bottle in 2 mins.