Why is drinking water so tough at times?

From reading by last blog post about why water is so very important to you at a cellular level, you understand that drinking it throughout the day is foundational to your health.   However, you recognize that you are still not getting as much water during the day as you believe you should.  Maybe It’s just not something you think about until you have a headache, or parched lips, and sometimes not even then!  If this is you, you are certainly not alone.  “I know I should drink more water”, is something I hear on a regular basis from my new clients.

This is a typical example – I would visit my mother and ask if she was drinking water.  She would point to the large glass of water on the table and say “oh yes, look, it’s right here”.  But, here’s the problem, having a glass of water on the table next to you is not the same thing as drinking a glass of water.  Another example – Do you know anyone that carries a water bottle around with them everywhere they go, but never needs to fill it?  I see that all the time and on occasion that person is ME!

I HATE having to go PEE so much!  Okay, this is true, take in more fluid and you will pee a little more.  Here’s the thing, that will certainly happen initially as your body adjusts to the increase.  But, your body will adjust to the new level of hydration.  Stop drinking a couple hours before bed except for a few ounces if needed.  Don’t try to make up for lack of drinking your water during the day by guzzling before bedtime.  That makes for uncomfortable sleep with getting up to pee more than you may be doing already.

Water tastes crappy!  That can be true depending on where you live and your supply.  Consider at least something like a charcoal filter for your tap water.  If you are at all curious what contaminants are in your local water supply, go to the Environmental Working Group Tap Water Database and enter your zip code.  It’s worth the few seconds it takes – trust me!  If you are on a well, it is worth it to have it periodically tested for mineral content.

Please don’t turn to single use plastic bottles of filtered or spring water to avoid the tap.  It is true that plastic leeching into the water from the bottle can be harmful, but even worse is the buildup of plastic on our lands and in our oceans.  Staying away from the single use plastic bottles is one thing you can do to reduce the impact of discarded plastics.   Read this summary from World Wild Life for more information on the current situation with plastic and what else you can do to help.

You won’t get hydrated by simply carrying a bottle around with you.  I’m sharing a few of the things I use to remember throughout the day.  If you have something that works for you, I would love to hear about it in the comments.

Nothing pretty, just basic rubber bands around your water bottle or glass that help you remember how many times you filled it up that day.  That’s what gets me, I forget how many times and therefore, how much water
I’ve had.  What I do is start with a full bottle with all the bands at the top.  Then I move one band down each time I fill the bottle.  My goal is to have all the bands at the bottom of the water bottle by end of day.  For me that is around 60 -70 ounces depending on my activity that day and what else I’ve consumed.  This bottle in the image is showing that I drank the first fill and have since filled it once so that means I am on my 2^nd bottle.  This bottle is around 14 ounces, so I place 4 bands around it giving me a total of 5 fills * 14 ounces or 70 ounces for the day.  Remember you start with the bottle full and all bands at the top!    So, how many bands would you use if you had a 16-ounce bottle and wanted to target 64 ounces of water a day?  Yup, that’s right, 3 rubber bands for a total of 4*16 or 64 ounces!

Consider alternating in water with whatever else you are drinking.  This works great in so many ways.  Drinking alcohol and coffee can be dehydrating, so mixing in a glass of plain H2O between drinks is very helpful.  Same thing goes if you still enjoy a soda here and there.  One soda – then one big glass of water.  For those of you out there drinking caffeinated tea or coffee ALL day long – this is for you!  Fill your mug with water and make sure to finish that before having more coffee or tea.  I promise you that your body will thank you in so many ways.  Also consider that requiring caffeine later in the day is a sign that your energy levels aren’t being sufficiently maintained.  Improved nutrition and hydration will help you in the long run more than any amount of stimulant.

I remember seeing someone at a health fare with this huge 72 ounce bottle with writing on it at different levels.  I had never seen that and thought it such a great idea.  This way, you don’t need to worry about how often you fill it up.  Just fill it to your goal for the day and you know when you are there.  These come in all sizes and you can find them in glass as well – look for “glass growlers”.  This way you avoid the plastic and get a workout at the same time :).