HOW TO DRINK MORE WATER (EVEN IF YOU HATE IT!)

Water is good for you, we all know it. I planned on writing this blog about all the benefits of water, how much you should drink, and why, but after spending several hours staring at a blank screen, I rethought my original plan. I view drinking water as a boring, cumbersome task and apparently writing about water is equally non-motivating, at least for me.

This month, we decided to identify some of our habits that need to be changed and drinking more water was at the top of the list. I know that being dehydrated makes me sluggish and makes my face look a little older than I would like. I also know that often I don’t need to go to the bathroom for the majority of the day, which is great for long road trips but not so great for my kidneys. I also realize that I drink water when I work out but not routinely during the day. So, yes, the need to increase my water intake is a fact that cannot be debated.

April rolled around, and I knew it was time to make a change. REB3L set a goal of increasing water intake to 3 liters a day, and I was up for the challenge! 12 days in and I am happy to say I have stuck with the challenge, and found a lot of bathrooms that I never knew existed. So, I decided to share my RENEWED ideas about water with you.

My first step was to figure out the answer to “what does 3 liters of water look like?” I’m used to drinking out of my trusty water bottle. Yes it’s BPA-free and glass; however, I have no clue how many ounces it holds. Oh, but wait, we are not measuring ounces, we are talking liters, the metric system. Google to the rescue! Time for a little math (ugh I know, but it will be quick). 3 liters = 3,000 ml (or cc). There are 30 cc in an ounce. So, 3 liters equals 100 ounces and that’s my goal. But how much does my water bottle hold? I put water in it, poured the water back into a measuring cup and lo and behold it holds 3 cups. Great! But how many ounces is that? 1 cup = 8 ounces so 3 cups =24 ounces. Drinking 4 full water bottles a day became my goal. FYI, store bought water bottles are about 16 ounces, so you’ll need 6 of these a day. My suggestion is to pick a bottle and stick to it. That way you only have to do math one time and the rest becomes routine!

So, I filled my water bottle and got started. At the end of the day, I wasn’t exactly sure how many times I filled the bottle. I was peeing and I know it was more than once but I quickly realized I needed some help wth counting the bottles. I know I said no more math, but… I reached for my trusty phone, holder of all information in my life, and checked out the app store. I found many ways Apple could help me monitor my water intake. Hurrah!! So, I chose a free app that is easy to use called My Water, and installed it. There are several others out there, but this one has helped me.

So, for 3-4 days I was very excited! I knew what I needed to do and how to measure it. I was set up for success. Then day 6 hit. I had shared my new found information with all my friends, talked about water like it was a new discovery, and made my family drink more water than they ever wanted to. Then the reality hit: water is pretty plain, and I don’t know how long I can keep up this enthusiasm.

Changing a habit or promoting a new behavior takes time and I know that. In 6 days I had not formed a new habit and I certainly had not changed my attitude about the importance of water for my body. I think I was looking at this as a short term change–a challenge to overcome. I needed to move beyond my competitive spirit and figure out how to make this change for life.

Next, I did what all intelligent, mature adult women do: I called my mom. My parents moved to Colorado from the midwest a few years ago and one of their biggest complaints was having to drink so much more water every day, something that was not part of their daily life prior to this time. I listened to their comments, but, like any child, didn’t listen closely since I didn’t think this applied to me. I asked my mom how she made the change. She said, “I had no choice, it’s good for my body and I so I did it.”

Yes, I know mom, but how did you do it? She started by counting her water intake and noting how it made her feel. She made sure to drink 16 ounces of water right when she woke up and then with every meal. But her favorite thing to do is to buy fresh fruit and infuse her water. That sounded like a lot of work, but I was game.

I bought 2 water bottles with infusers and have started playing around with flavor combinations. I have tried several combinations of fruit, citrus, herbs and cucumber. My favorite so far is strawberry with mint. I also like lemon and cucumber. I have been sticking one bottle in the fridge at night and rotating the bottles.

The other thing I discovered is that carbonated water counts, and this makes me very happy! I do like my water bottle, but sometimes I just want to grab something quick and disposable. I love LaCroix, and the new Dasani flavored sparkling waters.

19 days in and I’m hydrated. I will be sharing my before and after face shot at the end of the month. Drinking water routinely isn’t second nature yet but i’m going to keep going because my mom told me it’s good for me, and I always listen to my mother. (At least, that’s what I tell my kids…)

Cheers!

Angela, #REB3Lnation member

Be sure to share your hydration tips with us and show us what you’re doing to drink more water!Join us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and share your pics with hashtag #REB3Lnation!