Anyone have any hacks for drinking more water?

Just make it a habit, my throats always wants more water for some reason, & I'm pretty sure I drink enough water. I leave water bottles around the house, and everytime I see it, I just drink it

I would really like to phase out my a.m. coffee/creamer, even though I measure both and am accountable, I know that I could be drinking something better for me. Thanks for offering up the MiO suggestion. I get all my water in during te day but that would make for a nice change of pace too!

I know you're asking for ways to drink more, but I'm going to be the lone dissenter and say you probably don't need as much as you've been led to believe, so maybe it's one less thing to worry about. I personally only drink when I'm thirsty. I NEVER get "8 glasses a day." On a normal day I get 5, on a water-heavy day, I'll get 7. 8 would be a freak accident. I don't avoid it, I just use my body's cue to drink when I'm thirsty. I have had no problem losing weight, feeling healthy, having energy, with bad skin, etc...Drink when you're thirsty. The old adages "if you're thirsty, you're already dehydrated" or "most hunger signals are really thirst signals" are like other old wive's tales. Why would this one human need (probably the most necessary one, behind breathing) be so undeveloped or unreliable that we can't trust it to cue us to drink? How would our ancestors have survived if they didn't know their bodies were misrepresenting their NEED for water?

And I rarely drink with meals. Does it make sense that ancient man HAD to enjoy a few glasses of water while eating? Where did he store this water? Was he only able to eat creek-side in order to drink several glasses with his scavenged or hunted meal? I doubt it. He probably drank his fill when he was near water, it most likely wasn't stored in a convenient cave-side aquifer, ready for frequent, consistent doses throughout the day.

Lest you think me crazy, there are many others starting to question the old 8 cups a day: (just a quick google search...)
http://www.self.com/health/blogs/healthyself/2011/07/6-8-glasses-too-much-how-much.html
http://www.livescience.com/2425-idea-wet-8-glasses-water-daily.html
http://lakewood.patch.com/articles/poll-new-study-says-you-don-t-need-as-much-water-as-you-think
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/13/myth-eight-glasses-water-day

Just something to think about. Maybe you can feel good about what you get now and not stress about it not being enough. I bet you're doing great the way you're going now. If you physically feel like you need more though, I'd listen, but if it's the media's frightening you into thinking you need more, I'd listen to my own body first.

I love water but can't get myself to even drink 8 cups a day. When I'm at home I use a straw. I always tend to drink faster using with one.

I just drink plain water, but I've been drinking a lot less than I used to. When I DID drink a lot of water, it was because I had a refillable water bottle with a filter and I would just take that with me everywhere I went. Clear pee! haha

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that. If your urine is light to clear, you're probably getting enough. Another awesome sign from our amazing bodies!

I bought two BPA-free plastic water bottles. They are each 24 ounces and have a rubber grip on the outside. I keep one filled in the car and one in the house. They have a straw, which is my saving grace. I was having difficulty gulping down any decent amount until I got these.
I also count green tea as water. I finally found one that I like and have it either hot or iced without any sweetener.

I have a couple of tricks. I have a 24oz. water bottle that has a straw. I keep this bottle with me at all times. When it is almost empty, I take the top off and drink the rest while I am walking to refill it. I also have some ice cube trays that make pebble ice. I have made strawberry ice cubes, blueberry ice cubes, lemon ice-cubes, lime ice-cubes and regular. I keep them in baggies in my freezer so I have an option. Sometimes I use the orange MIO flavoring. And at work I keep Lemon essential oil that can be ingested. It makes my water smell divine. I usually end up drinking between 15-21 glasses of water a day. and I am not forcing it down. Good Luck:)

I carry around a 16 oz cup with a straw with me. I can drink like 6 in a day O.O I really don't have a problem drinking water at all any more, I love it!.. Used to only drink Sweet Tea.. didn't feel good all the time. Now I feel terrible if I don't drink plenty of water..

Yummy -- I just re-discovered True Lemon and the company's new products: True Orange and True Grapefruit. My local stores didn't have it, so I ordered it online directly from the company. They had a special to get delivery for $2.95, and because I ordered more than $10 worth, I got a free package. It really make the water go down quickly

I have a couple of tricks. I have a 24oz. water bottle that has a straw. I keep this bottle with me at all times. When it is almost empty, I take the top off and drink the rest while I am walking to refill it. I also have some ice cube trays that make pebble ice. I have made strawberry ice cubes, blueberry ice cubes, lemon ice-cubes, lime ice-cubes and regular. I keep them in baggies in my freezer so I have an option. Sometimes I use the orange MIO flavoring. And at work I keep Lemon essential oil that can be ingested. It makes my water smell divine. I usually end up drinking between 15-21 glasses of water a day. and I am not forcing it down. Good Luck:)

I have never heard of ice cube trays that make pebble ice. Please tell me online where I can purchase them? This is awesome idea and making fruit cubes also. I know this will work for me because my water bottle gets luke warm and like I said I need my water hot or cold but luke warm ...I just want to spew out of my mouth!

What I like about the True Lemon products is that it doesn't have any sweeteners. I believe it's just the crystallized fruit, so it's a little more refreshing than the products that are sweet. But thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check out the Mio flavorings.

MiO uses sucralose which is no calories and no glycemic effect.

Eight cups of water every day is not that hard to do. You probably already do drink enough. Water can be replaced in part with coffee, tea, diet soda. Just be sure when you set out your meal, you also set out your water and be sure you drink it before you leave the table. Because diet soda is more delicious than water, you are more likely to finish it. . . so it is better than nothing at all.

Drink 1 cup of water on rising
2 cups of coffee in the morning
2 cups of water or diet soda with lunch
1 cup of water in the afternoon
2 cups of water with dinner
1-2 cups of water to wash down pills

That's 9-10 cups

My blood pressure is high too . . . due to my weight. Are you feeling better?

Ruth

I need to figure out a way to psych myself into drinking more water too. My doctor said that my heart rate is actually high because I'm constantly dehydrated. When I'm at the office it's usually 120 bpm o.0. That is the one major thing I need to work on and I just can't seem to figure out how to remember to drink water!

Is more always more?

That sounds like an awful lot of water. You must spend all day between the loo & the tap. Surely if you just drink (non-sweetened) fluids to your thirst / light hunger that'll be enough?

I'm sure this has been said, however, I keep a 32 oz cup or bottle with me at all times. and I rarely let it sit empty.
That keeps me drinking my water all day.

I need to figure out a way to psych myself into drinking more water too. My doctor said that my heart rate is actually high because I'm constantly dehydrated. When I'm at the office it's usually 120 bpm o.0. That is the one major thing I need to work on and I just can't seem to figure out how to remember to drink water!

just keep a bottle/glass near you at all times. A lot of people find that a health scare is enough to make them thirsty Mine was a 14mm kidney stone. 3 surgeries in 3 WEEKS to get rid of it, 24 hour urine collections every six months to make SURE that I am hydrated and not forming stones, AND daily potassium ( apparently I am chronically low and my urine is not acid enough).

my first hint is to maybe get a 64oz container ( I think you can get a jug with a handle and a sports top at walmart for a few $$), fill it part way with crushed ice, then top it off with water. Set a goal to finish ALL of that ONE jug in a day. Keep it close at hand and you will most likely finish it without even thinking about it.