Water, water, water! All I hear lately is, “Don’t forget to drink your water!” Being a Diet Coke lover, water just tastes bland and if I drink too much water, my stomach feels like a pool – slushing and gushing inside me. So, when my health nut sister says drink your water, I just roll my eyes. However, she is actually right. Not only does water hydrate your body, drinking the accurate amount for your weight can actually help you lose weight, boost your metabolism, aid in filling your hunger, and give you energy. So, I decided to take the challenge, and it worked!
How much water do I really need?
Originally, I thought the
rule was 8 by 8 – eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. However, that is not true
for everyone. The amount of water you should drink is based off your weight. In
order to decipher how much water you should drink, you need to multiply your
weight by 67% (2/3). For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, multiply 150 by
.67. The answer is 100.5, therefore, you should drink 100 ounces of water every
day.
A quick list helper: 100 lbs – 67 ounces
150 lbs – 100 ounces
200 lbs – 134 ounces
250 lbs – 168 ounces
As you can see, 8 x 8, 64
ounces a day isn’t enough water unless you weigh under 100 pounds.
*One thing to keep in
mind, if you live in a hot or humid environment or you recently exercised, you
need to drink extra water to counteract the water you lose through your sweat.
If you are pregnant or nursing, an extra intake of water is needed as well.
How do I drink all this water?
This was the hardest part
for me. I normally drink 24 ounces of water on a good day. How in the world am
I going to triple that? Especially when I really don’t care for water. Well, I found
some easy tips that work great!
Drink water before your meals:
Experts say that drinking
16 ounces of water before every meal allows you to consume less calories because
the water begins to fill you up causing you to eat less. Water also helps boost
your metabolism, which aids in breaking down the food you eat. In addition, by
drinking 16 ounces of water before breakfast, lunch and dinner, you are
consuming 48 ounces of water towards your daily intake.
Keep track of your drinking:
Buying a reusable water
bottle with measurement labels allows you to track your water intake. I
purchased a Contigo reusable water bottle at Target with the measurements 8 oz,
16 oz, and 24 oz on it. This allows me to track the ounces of water I have
already drank versus what I need to continue to drink.
Here are two links to
reusable water bottles that work well.
Add flavor and bubbles:
Infusing your water with
fruits and herbs or buying sparkling water helps make drinking water not so
bland. Lemons, limes, watermelons, cucumbers, raspberries, oranges, and mint
leaves add a delectable flavor to water, along with aiding in removing toxins
and improving your organs. Some of my favorite blends are lemon slices, orange
slices and mint leaves; cucumber slices and mint leaves; and watermelon slices
with or without mint leaves. You can also purchase flavored water, which gives
you the same affect.
Giving yourself goals:
By now, you know I enjoy a
can of Diet Coke. I really didn’t want to give this up, a bit pathetic, I know.
I need to drink three bottles of 24 ounces of water a day. Therefore, I gave
myself a goal that if I could drink two 24-ounce bottles of water, then I could
have my Diet Coke. After that, I had to finish my last 24 ounces of water
before bed. This helped me drink most of the water I needed for the day.
Eventually, by the end of the week, I really didn’t want a Diet Coke and
finished drinking my water instead! In doing so, I said goodbye to 40mg of
Sodium that was cancelling out some of the water I had been drinking.
How do I remember and keep track of drinking my water?
Goals:
The first thing that helps
is making goals, i.e. my Diet Coke after 48 ounces of water. If you give
yourself something to look forward to after you complete your daily water
intake, it gives you the motivation you need to drink all your water.
Apps:
There are many apps and
calorie counters that track and motivate you to drink water, many of which go
along with the fitness wrist bands, such as Fitbit and Jawbone Up. However, a
free app that works along with those bands and on its own is http://www.myfitnesspal.com/, which helps you keep track of your water intake and
if you want, your food consumption. If you are looking to lose weight, it will
even tell you how many calories you should be consuming based on your activity
level, weight, height, and goal weight.
Sticky notes:
I know, its old school,
but old school works. Tact a few notes around your office or home that remind
you to drink you water, when you see them, take a few quick sips and move on.
You can also make a note to drink every time you look at your phone, computer, and/or
iPad.
Start right away:
Drink water as soon as you
wake up. Having a glass of water next to your bed makes it easy. Moreover, you
are knocking out ounces of water before you have officially started your day.
Reusable water bottle:
I said this before, but
using a water bottle with measurements makes a difference. It allows you to
know how much water you have drank already and how much more you need to drink.
Tally system:
If you can’t remember how
many water bottle refills you already drank or need to drink, try keeping a
tally system or tracking it on one of the previously mentioned apps. If you
want to keep a tally system, you can do a number of things. If you are
contained to one area, you can keep track of how much water you have drank on a
sticky note, a Word document on your computer, a text to yourself, rubber bands
on your wrist – take one off each time you drink X ounces of water, or you can
even give yourself stickers on a tracking sheet. Deep down, we are all kids at
heart. Have fun with this and reward yourself.
How do I avoid using the restroom constantly?
I am not going to lie, you
will be using the restroom about every 30 to 60 minutes at first. Especially if
you aren’t used to drinking a lot of water. However, your body will get used to
it. As for peeing in the middle of the night, that is more challenging. I drink
throughout the night, so I am usually up one or two times. If you don’t want to
wake up at night, try to finish your water intake around dinner time. Then
limit the amount of water you drink before bed. If you drink the right amount
of water for your weight throughout the day, you shouldn’t be very thirsty by
the evening. Also, foods such as watermelon and celery contain large amounts of
water. If you feel a bit thirsty, snack on food with high amounts of water. You
will crave your thirst and still be adding to your water goal.
Drinking the correct
amount of water for your weight will improve your organ function, hydrate your
skin, give you energy, boost your metabolism and improve your overall health.
All you need to do is find out how much water you need for your weight, make it
fun, start early, and change it up. Adding flavors to your water gives your
taste buds a little jump of excitement. You may also find after a few weeks,
that you prefer water to drinks you use to love. *gasp*
Sources:
http://www.slenderkitchen.com/how-to-calculate-how-much-water-you-should-drink-a-day/#www.resetyourbody,com
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