Painless Ways to Drink More Water

We all know that the average person should drink about eight glasses of water a day, but few of us actually do it. Even with the best of intentions, I usually only used to drink a few glasses a day. I wanted to share with you what I have learned about painless ways to add more water to your diet. Increased water in your diet will usually result in better health and more energy. It may seem like you have to use the restroom a lot more at first, but your system will adjust soon!

The “eight glasses a day” adage is a little off, as it doesn’t take into account your weight, the weather, and your activity level, or even the size of the glasses. If you divide your weight in pounds in half, the resulting number is the approximate amount of water in ounces that you need per day. If you don’t know how many ounces your favorite glass will hold, fill it up, and then pour the water into a measuring cup. Adjust for the temperature and your activity level.

If you find the taste of water boring, mix it up a little. Add lemonade powder, kool-aid, etc. to make it taste better. Sugar free varieties are best, as they don’t add calories. Even just a small lemon slice can dramatically improve the flavor of plain water .

Keep it cold. Anything tastes better when it is really cold. Use ice or an insulated mug to keep it cold while you are drinking, or fill water bottles part of the way with water, then freeze. Add water just before you go to keep your water cool longer. If going on a long trip or hike, I will often take several bottles of water, each filled partway with ice. The bottle I intend to drink first only has a couple of inches of ice. The bottle I plan on drinking late in the day begins the day frozen solid, and will melt as we go. This way, you will have cold water much longer.

Have a larger container, that holds all of the water you would ideally like to drink during the day. This way, all you have to do is fill the container in the morning, and you’ll have an easy visual cue as to how much more you should drink today. I’d recommend keeping the big jug cold, and glasses out of that. I have a hard time drinking lukewarm water, and drinking cold water actually burns more calories than drinking lukewarm water anyway!

Another way to go about keeping track is to use a plastic or other disposable cup for the day. Mark a slash on the outside of the cup every time you finish a glass, and you’ll know at a glance how much you’ve had to drink today.

Drink during meals. Consciously stop between bites and take a sip of water. Not only does this up your water intake, it will likely reduce the number of calories you consume by causing you to eat more slowly, and thus consume less food before you feel full. Order water with your meals in restaurants. Not only will you stay hydrated, you’ll save money!

Take a bottle of water with you whenever you are in the car. Consciously take a sip when you stop at stoplights, etc. Likewise, keep a bottle of water with you at your desk at work, and order water with lunch instead of a soda. When I used to work on a phone all day, I would take a sip between each call. At 120 or more calls a day, that added up quick! It also became an automatic gesture very easily. It’s not like I had to tell myself 100 times a day to take a drink.. it just started coming naturally.

Eat it. Buy a shaved ice machine (manual ones can be found for $10 and under at discount stores), add some thick sugar free kool-aid mixture as the “syrup”, and make your own snow cones. Watermelon is also about 97% water, so eating a slice can also help to re-hydrate you. Most fruits and veggies have a high water content, so try to up your intake of these items..

Keep a bottle of water by your bedside. If you get thirsty at night, you can get a drink without having to get up. They make water carafes that use a cup as the lid, that are made for keeping by your bed at night.

Offer yourself a reward for every day you reach your water intake goals. Since, hopefully, you will be reaching your goal more and more frequently, it should be something small, but something that you will truly look forward to. Schedule yourself 15 uninterrupted minutes with the book you’re trying to finish, or allow yourself to have a piece of chocolate. If you keep your goal for the whole week, maybe a larger “prize” is in order, maybe a new pair of shoes, or a dinner out? You can also keep a “water diary” to see how much you are consuming day to day. This works well in conjunction with a food diary, as you can record both food and water intake in a single place.

Don’t beat yourself up when you have an “off” day. Just resolve to do better tomorrow.

Make a bottle of water a constant companion. Try to have it within arms reach at all times. When you pick up your keys or purse to leave the house, make sure you grab a bottle of water as well. You might be surprised how quickly reaching for your water bottle will become an almost automatic habit.
If you work or go to school in an environment in a lot of water fountains, make it a personal resolution to try not to pass one without taking a long drink.
Enlist a friend at work as your water buddy. Remind each other a couple of times a day to drink more. If you get up to go refill your water mug, ask your friend if she’d like hers refilled too.

Get kids used to drinking water early. Offer water only to drink at some meals, so they don’t get too used to having flavored drinks all of the time. Have a big pitcher of water in the middle of the dinner table to avoid having to keep getting up for refills.

If you want to re-hydrate while exercising, check out camelback packs. They are basically water bladders that you carry on your back, with a straw to drink out of. They’re great for hiking, skiing, etc, as they are a totally hands-free way to carry water and get it into your mouth.

If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, consider buying a faucet mount water pitcher or a filter pitcher. Some homes also have whole house water purification systems. For on the go use, several companies make water bottles with built in filters. Refill filters for these can get expensive, but it’s still a lot cheaper than drinking soda all day, and a good way to make your water more palatable. You can also get bottled water delivery.

If you are drinking alcohol, try to drink one drink, then one glass of water (repeat as necessary). This spaces out your drinks a little, and keeps you from getting so dehydrated. If you did drink a little too much, a glass of water before bed (with a multivitamin if possible) and another when you wake up (with an aspirin), will dull a mild hangover. It is especially important not to get dehydrated if you are drinking Algol in the sun. The dehydration combination of booze and sun can sneak up on you fast, so try to keep sipping water all day long too. If doing strenuous exercise, I like to do a cycle of drinking two glasses of water, and then one of a sports drink. This keeps your electrolytes in balance without dehydrating you.

The most basic thing to remember when you are trying to increase your water intake is just to do it. Keep your goal in mind, and make small decisions during the day that will help you reach that goal. Once you’ve reached today’s goal, try again tomorrow. You may not be drinking as much water every day as you ideally should, but I bet you’re drinking a lot more than you were before you started trying! Different methods work for different people, but setting a goal and sticking to it, baby step by baby step, is the real key to success.