Drinking Water
Posted by desertmama on August 14th, 2007
So, I’ve tried lots of little “tricks” to keep myself drinking water. I try to always grab a cold bottle from the frig on my way out the door so I have some cold water in the car/van. I keep a glass on the counter and try to drink throughout the day. I have a glass in the bathroom for a couple of sips early in the morning and before I go to bed or when I get up in the middle of the night (when I typically feel parched). But there are still days when I struggle to drink my water.
Any one else have any good tips?
August 14th, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Yep I have the same problem! I drink tons of Crystal light. I even make some and put them in bottles and don’t fill them up all the way and freeze them. You can take one out of the freezer to take along with you and you have a cold drink that last forever.
I have always hated drinking water so this way I get it in. Try different brands too like the GoodValue at Walmart they have an awesome Apple drink..taste just like Apple juice and the Strawberry Crystal Light. Oh and hawaiian punch makes a killer grape flavor too…its my Favorite
August 14th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Competition! Do you have a day job? I used to challenge my admin to drink at least one bottle of water by certain times in the day…..1 bottle by 11, 1 bottle by 2, and 1 bottle by 5. My boss even got in on it, too, because us developers are freakishly competitive people no matter how stupid the competition.
I think the best thing you can do is force yourself to drink 8 ounces the minute you get up in the morning. Make it a habit. It’ll just kickstart the day and encourage more drinking. And give yourself little goals throughout the day to get it in. If I don’t drink enough by the time my workouts come around, I am totally in trouble….tight muscles, poor performance, overheating/heat stroke…..just a nightmare. So knowing how bad I feel without the water is a good motivator to keep drinking, even if I’m not thirsty. (I don’t recommend experimenting with this, but perhaps you can relate?!)
August 15th, 2007 at 11:33 am
I have some 32oz plastic “glasses” that I bought at Crate & Barrel years ago. I have 1 at home and 1 at my desk at work. I know that each is 4 glasses so I try to make sure that I fill the one at work at least twice if not 3 times then I always have one at home either with just water or herbal tea (no sugar). I don’t really drink anything other than water (wine doesn’t count) so it’s pretty easy. If I get thirsty I just reach for my glass and if it is empty I have to refill it. Having it all in one container makes it easy to drink and when I finish it I know I’ve had 4 glasses :). You could also buy one of those 64oz jugs with a handle and full that up once or twice a day. It’s portable and again the serving is set for you.
August 15th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
I gotta say it’s hard for me to get in my h20 also. Like Colette I use tons of the “mix-ins”. I like Crystal Light, and the store brands just fine. However, they are too sweet if I make it to package specifications so I usually put one packet in twice as much water as it recommends. It’s still a constant daily struggle with me. Good Luck with the H20!
August 15th, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Use a straw! That helps me drink the water faster and not notice. I have a 32 oz bottle at work with a straw and I have always noticed that I drink more water when I use a straw.
I also mix Crystal Light with my water when I need a change of pace.
Another similar idea is to put some lime/lemon juice in your water to change it up a bit too. If you add some sweetner you’ve got yourself a lemonade.
Good luck!
August 16th, 2007 at 11:28 am
I agree completely with Lacey - I also use “mix-ins” but have found them to be too sweet if made according to directions so I also dilute them. I’ve found I can drink more from a sport type bottle with a pop-top. Pull up the top, tip the bottle and squirt it into my mouth… for some reason I drink more this way than if I have to sip from a glass. Plus it’s easy to grab in the car and less likely to spill than something with a straw. Speaking of spilling … look out for some of the “mix-ins” that use colored dye’s… they create stubborn stains if dripped on some fabrics!
August 17th, 2007 at 7:17 am
I keep a 3 liter huge bottle in the fridge filled with my water for the day. I try to make sure I empty it before the end of the day. When I go back to work next week, I might switch to a 2 liter because I drink at least 1 during the day at school. Maybe you could fill up 8 of those little bottles each day and make sure you empty them by the end of the day…or something like that. For me, it’s like checking off my fruits and veggies. If I don’t have them all checked off, I know I need to eat more. If that bottle is still full, I know I need to drink from it instead of a diet coke or something!
August 19th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Ditto what Swizzle says about the 32 ounce cups. It is the only way I can get my water in. I would rather have to deal with 3 of those then try to keep tack of the 16 ounce cup which I’m drinking out of right now. There are times when I drink the 16 ounce one too fast, but then I’m too lazy to go downstairs and get more. If it is in the cup I’ll drink it!