I’ve always been a devoted water drinker. Since high school, when I found out that drinking water actually made you lose weight, I’ve worked very hard to get a full 64 oz. in every day – and I generally shoot for 80 oz. I have an old water bottle that stays at my workplace that I fill up throughout the day and generally try to get all my water drinking in while at work so I don’t have to worry about counting ounces at home.
One of my previous coworkers couldn’t understand why I urged her to drink water. “I’d have to go to the bathroom so much!” she argued. “I don’t want to go to the bathroom that much!”
True, obviously drinking water will make you have to pee. Somehow, though, I don’t think that downside compares to the benefits of drinking water.
From helping to clear up your face to assisting in weight loss to helping energize your muscles, pretty much everyone is aware that drinking water is necessary to good health. But so many people don’t do it – at least not on a consistent basis. I’ve heard a variety of reasons why people may not drink as much H20 as they should – they forget about it; they don’t have time throughout the day, or, the one I’ve heard most, they’ve got other drinks they’d rather consume.
I remember seeing on a soda box several years ago a claim that soda is a liquid, so “technically” you’re getting hydrated (the ad said so in a better, catchier phrase, but you get the point). I was stunned. Were people really substituting soda for water?
Yes, yes they are – on a regular basis. In fact, my husband was the one who bought that particular box of soda, and, at the time, he was drinking a box (that is, about 12) diet sodas a day.
Y’all. That’s NOT healthy.
Thankfully, though, he went cold turkey one Christmas break a few years ago and has never looked back. He went over a year without drinking a carbonated beverage and even now, when he’s not quite as strict with himself, we do not buy sodas for our house or when we eat out. If you come over to my house, your options are water and milk.
However, if you’re one of those individuals who has trouble drinking your water throughout the day and you want to start getting more water in your body on a daily basis, here are my top five suggestions for making 2016 the year you make getting in all your ounces a habit.
1. Drink water before you go to work.
Drinking two glasses of water after waking up helps activate your internal organs. If you have a glass or a bottle of water by your bathroom sink in the morning, you’ll find it easier to remember to drink the water and be more inclined to do it.
2. Drink a glass of water before each meal.
My aunt always did this, and I’ve incorporated it into my routine as well. Drinking a glass (or two) of water before each meal helps you feel fuller faster as well as helping with digestion. I eat less if I’m able to drink water before my meal.
3. Take a water bottle to work.
Again, seeing that bottle on your desk will help you remember to drink water throughout the day. Depending on your occupation, too, you may want to time when you drink water as so you don’t have to run to the bathroom every hour or so.
4. Drink water before and after you exercise.
ALWAYS hydrate before and after you exercise. I’ll be honest, too – sometimes I count the water I drink during or after my exercise as part of my 64 ounces, and sometimes I don’t. Your body needs that water to refuel. And don’t drink the Gatorade or sports drinks if you’re exercising for 30 minutes. You don’t need it. Your body needs water – so drink that!
5. Substitute a “happy” drink for water.
I say “happy” because your happy drink could be a variety of liquids: maybe it’s your afternoon coffee or your morning diet coke or your evening glass of wine. Whatever it is, if you drink more than one, put water in there, too. Or just drink a glass of water beforehand.
You can get all of your water in, and the more often you do, the more often you will remember to do so until it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit, you’ll wonder how you ever went a day without drinking your full eight glasses of water.
Good luck and happy drinking!
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