Tips for drinking more water?

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  • caramkoala
    caramkoala Posts: 303 Member
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    I keep lots of bottles of water in the fridge all the time.
    And I carry at least one with me everywhere I go.
    If we are going out all day, I take an insulated bag with a few half frozen bottles.
    I flavour it sometimes with tea, lemon juice, lime juice, or leave overnight with cucumber slices to 'infuse'.
    I eat soup and watery salad vegetables and watermelon.

    But by far, the BEST trick I have used to up my water intake, is to put lots of chilli in my food!:drinker: It works I promise!
  • buttons235
    buttons235 Posts: 13
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    I saw this picture on another website and thought it was a really good idea:

    http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m28bi2R0JD1qj4hmpo1_500.png

    This picture is brilliant, such a good idea!
  • Jennaannwatts
    Jennaannwatts Posts: 55
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    I have a 750ml gym water bottle (equals nearly 3 cups) , fill with sugar free cordial (5cals) and away i go.

    I have to have some sort of juice but hey ho at least im drinking the recommended amounts!! xx
  • vim_n_vigor
    vim_n_vigor Posts: 4,089 Member
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    Well, there are some people that really do need to drink a lot of water. I suppose that means there are people that really don't need to drink much of it. Do you eat fluid rich foods? Maybe you are just getting the hydration you need from the foods you are eating.
  • BOLO4Hagtha
    BOLO4Hagtha Posts: 396 Member
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    Can seltzer water be substituted instead of regular water? I find that I drink my water intake faster when I drink seltzer, otherwise I end up chugging regular water (what I couldn't drink during the day) and end up with stomach cramps.
  • fusionbox
    fusionbox Posts: 1
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    Brita water pitcher....started drinking more water right away. Much better than tap!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Drink when you are thirsty. Stop when you aren't. The human body is amazingly precise at gauging hydration levels and letting you know what it needs. You go to the bathroom so often when you increase your intake because your body is just eliminating the excess that you're drinking. It doesn't actually do anything with it.

    Barring a major medical issue, thirst is the best way to gauge how much to drink. Some people need a gallon of water a day, some people need 20 oz a day. It's highly individual based on many, many lifestyle factors, including diet, exercise, climate, etc.
  • ArtemisMoon
    ArtemisMoon Posts: 144
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    I have had the EXACT same problems and it drove me nuts for years to the point I only drank enough to survive and spent the majority of my time inches from severe dehydration. The issue for me seems to be drinking too much at once. I do better when drink smaller amounts more often. Your body seems to have more time to absorb it so you aren't as thirsty all the time. You also don't go to the bathroom as much because it all isn't hitting your system at once and more of it is being used by your body instead of being processed right out. Only very recently did I realize that myself and was finally able to start drinking more water. I still have to be careful because I have a tendency to drink a bunch right before bed, then I find myself in the bathroom once or twice before I can fall asleep. ^_^;;
  • devonette
    devonette Posts: 263 Member
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    First thing in the morning I fill a 64 oz. bottle of water (empty juice bottles are perfect for this!) and keep it right at my desk. I've used a permanent marker on the outside of the bottle to indicate 8 oz. portions so I have an idea how much water I'm drinking. I keep a 12 oz glass next to it, and refill the glass when it gets empty. I drink the water as I feel thirsty, I drink it when I feel hungry (which is all the time!), and because it's right there next to me, I reach for it and drink it without even thinking about it, and the next thing you know, the glass is empty. If I go out anywhere in the car or out for my walks, I'll fill a smaller bottle from the bigger bottle and make sure I drink from it. By the time I go to bed at night, the 64 oz. is gone, and sometimes I have to get more water because I've gone through the whole thing.

    As far as having to pee more, that's not a bad thing. It helps wash the bad stuff out, it gets you up out of your chair and moving around, and certainly helps prevent some some nasty things like kidney stones. It's also good for keeping your bowels more regular, and wards off constipation. Your bladder probably isn't used to higher water intake at the moment, so you'll pee a whole lot more frequently until it gets used to it, and then the frequency will gradually decrease as your body adjusts. My only suggestion is to stop drinking the water a couple of hours before bedtime so you don't have to get up in the middle of the night.
  • beckylawrence70
    beckylawrence70 Posts: 752 Member
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    I drink water when I want it, I never force myself to drink it, 64 oz a day is not necessary.........just my opinion.
  • soontobesam
    soontobesam Posts: 714 Member
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    I'm kind of a water *kitten* so its not really an issue for me but I found that carrying around nalgene bottle that holds like 32 oz or whatever seems to increase the amount I drink. If i just have a glass I am less likely to drink enough / go and refill it.
  • Jade17694
    Jade17694 Posts: 584 Member
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    bump - im exactly the same.
  • Meg177
    Meg177 Posts: 215 Member
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    Use a straw.

    This takes care of both taste and quantity. You will fully experience neither and get used to being hydrated.

    I love my camelbak waterbottle. 3 cups no guessing. goes down easily with no smell. I can do 3 per day and I used to get 2-3 cups H2O per day:) It comes apart and goes in the dishwasher.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I hate water too. I can't even stand the sight of it unless Im going swimming. lol
    Here is what I did to increase my intake. First of all a 'glass' of water is only 8 ounces. That's like a small juice cup, not a tall drinking glass! There is no way I can drink a tall glass of anything. I found a small 8 ounce sized cup and I fill it once to take my vitamins, meds with first thing in the morning, once for each meal and each time I have a snack. That adds up to 6 or 7 8 oz cups and if I add the water I put in my oatmeal and coffee, that's enough for the day. If I work out harder, like realllyyyy break a sweat, I sip flavored water while I work out. I hope this helps you! Good luck.
  • Lorleee
    Lorleee Posts: 369 Member
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    I've never required a lot of water, either. And I don't enjoy drinking it unless I'm really thirsty. I have been striving to increase my fluid intake and am enjoying a big mug of apple spice chai tea right now. There are lots of yummy, flavoured teas out there, many of them caffeine-free.
  • Warren_Carrol
    Warren_Carrol Posts: 21 Member
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    I'm not a water drinker either...but I discovered MIO.
    I can put away my daily 8 glasses in no time with just a small shot of that stuff.....it's really changed my view on water intake completely.
  • Firebird_Rising
    Firebird_Rising Posts: 15 Member
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    I try to spread mine out throughout the day, too. I have a reusable bottle that I fill up as soon as I get into the office. I usually manage to fill it up again a couple of hours later. After lunch, I'll fill it up once again. I leave my last two cups as "floaters" to have between then and bedtime, if at all.

    All in all, I usually manage around 7 per day, more if I'm really thirsty, less if I'm not. I never force myself to have any water when I don't. I try not to stress out too much about it. :-)

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