Drinking Enough Water 101

As most of you know, over the past month and a half I've been working hard on drinking enough water. (Did you know that now the "experts" recommend drinking half your body weight (in ounces) every day, not just the "eight 8-oz. glasses" of the past?) Thankfully I was already aiming for over 64 ounces a day when I heard about that! I thought it would be fun to share some of the things that work well for me when trying to get my full water intake every day.

1. It's important to like water. :) Okay, this is obvious, right? But I know lots and lots of people who do not like water. And truthfully, some water just does not taste good, especially if you live in a city. We have good well water here, but even that has its issues, including a sulfur taste/smell, so we invested in a good under-the-sink filter just for the drinking water. Other options include putting a faucet filter on the kitchen sink, getting a Berkey filter, or even just a Brita pitcher. If you just don't care for plain water, maybe try a simple solution like adding fresh lemon slices to it, or drinking iced herbal tea instead. Some people only like their water really cold . . . in that case, keep a pitcher in the fridge all the time and make sure you have lots of ice on hand. :)
2. Keep a daily log of how much you drink. Here's what works for me . . . it's super simple, but since the beginning of February it's been working like a charm. I usually write a daily to-do list at least 5 days a week in a cheapie spiral notebook. To the right of my list for each day, I write the word "WATER" with the numbers 1 2 3 under it. Every time I finish a bottle full of water (25 oz.), I circle a number. This is a great way to keep me on track! Another great tip that I read over at Fat Chick Fed Up is this: fill a pitcher up with the amount of water you want to drink in a day and keep it in the fridge. Keep refilling your glass or water bottle throughout the day, and when the pitcher is empty, then you know you have accomplished your goal for that day! Keeping track throughout the day is the one sure way for me to actually reach my goal . . . if I have it right on my list, staring me in the face, then it's really easy to remember to drink.
3. Schedule your water intake to start early in the morning and end by early evening. This was an "aha!" moment that I just had last night. You see, I've been doing great finishing my quota of water most every day. The only problem is, I would finish two bottles full by around suppertime, then I'd chug down the rest between suppertime and bedtime. Do you see where this is headed? That meant that I'd be up off and on for several hours while I was *trying* to go to sleep (or actually had already fallen asleep) to use the bathroom. And while I don't mind more trips to the bathroom during the day, I do not like having my beauty sleep interrupted. ;) So then the lightbulb went on last night and I realized a schedule/goal was needed for the day! This is my new aim: 1st bottle finished by 10 am, 2nd bottle finished by 1 pm, 3rd bottle finished by suppertime or at least by 7 pm. After that I can still drink a little if I am thirsty, but I won't be guzzling 25 oz. of water right before bed. I followed the new plan today and so far it has gone well!

So those are just a few simple tips that work for me. They may not work that well for others, but I thought I would share in case they may be helpful to more than just me. Water is so good for us, and I definitely feel better when I am drinking plenty of it. Plus it's a huge help with weight loss, too! :)

**Yes, that picture above is the same kind of water bottle I have! It's advertised as being 28 oz but from my measurements, it seems to be more like 25 oz. Either way, it holds a bunch of water, and I LOVE it! Well worth the investment, in my opinion! :)