How to Drink More Water in the New Year and Beyond

I know it may seem bizarre to have a blog post about how to drink more water but drinking water is not as easy as it may seem, ok? Lots of people don’t drink enough water. In fact, did you know that a 2013 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 7% of respondents (out of a sample of 3,397 adults) reported drinking no water at all on a daily basis? That’s crazy, especially since our bodies need water to survive.

Thankfully, we can obtain fluids from other sources (like food and other beverages), but since water is calorie-free, caffeine-free, alcohol-free, and FREE, it’s regarded as the best fluid source for our bodies. But let’s be honest. It may be hard to drink enough water because there are sexier options available. Why drink plain ole’ water when you can have a ginger lemon kombucha instead, ya know?!!

I’m here to help you out with this “drinking more water” thing. First, here are a couple of facts about why you need to make water a mainstay in your life:

• Water is your body’s principal chemical component and makes up about 60 percent of your body weight.
• Every cell, tissue and organ in your body needs water to work properly.
• Lack of water can lead to dehydration — a condition that occurs when you don’t have enough water in your body to carry out normal functions.
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So, now that I’ve got your attention, let’s move on…

How Much Water Should I Drink?

While there’s no universal guide regarding how much water each individual should drink, we’ve all heard the guideline to drink eight 8oz glasses of water a day. I like having a guideline like this because it gives me a good place to start in terms of how to gauge my daily water intake. However, it’s important to consider other factors that may increase your daily water needs. It’s quite possible that you need to drink much more than 64oz of water per day. Here’s why:

1. Exercise: You should be drinking water before, during, and after you workout. I’ll get into this a little more below, but definitely check out this link to help you figure out how much water you should drink based on how much you exercise.
2. Climate: As a native Texan, I know something about hot, humid environments. As much as you don’t want to do, you’re gonna sweat. It just happens. And when you do sweat, you need to drink water to replenish the fluids lost through sweating.
3. Specific Health Needs: Illness resulting in vomiting or diarrhea can cause the body to become dehydrated. Pregnancy and breastfeeding create more demands on a female’s body including the need to drink more water than usual. Even certain medications can leave you feeling dehydrated, thus needing more water.

How to Drink Water

The best way to drink more water is to have it with you at all times. I’m a self-proclaimed water bottle addict (my confession is here), so I definitely practice what I preach. If you always have water with you, you’ll be sure to have it with you when you’re thirsty and less likely to drink something less healthy. Next, find a water bottle that’s convenient to carry, and allows you to easily measure your intake. For instance, if you know that you need to drink at least 80oz/day, find a 40oz water bottle and make sure you drink two of them per day. That will make it easier to keep track of how much water you’re drinking.

When to Drink Water

It’s been said that drinking a couple of glasses of water when you rise in the morning (and before your 1st cup of coffee!) can be extremely beneficial. Why? Our bodies are dehydrated after sleeping through the night. Drinking water first thing in the morning allows the body to rehydrate, helps to ensure your metabolism is functioning properly, and aids with digestion.

Drinking water before a meal can help you lose weight because it keeps you more satiated. And, drinking water before, during, and after a workout is critical because it fuels the body, prevents dehydration, and helps the body replenish. If you’re dehydrated, you won’t have the energy, strength, and endurance to give your all during your workout. Following the workout, drinking more water helps to replace the water your body loses through sweat.

Get Some Support

At the beginning of a new year, do you find yourself highly motivated to drink more water…but quickly lose your drive for doing it? Let’s fix this now. Find a buddy and do a challenge! Getting support from a friend can help so much in terms of reaching goals and establishing new habits. This can apply to losing weight and exercising consistently. Drinking more water is no different. Use this Weekly Water Tracker to check off your ounces as you drink them each day. Do this with a friend and hold each other accountable! Establish some type of reward system with your buddy that will help you stay motivated. And think about this: if you can do this for a month, you’ll be highly likely to establish this as a new habit. Sounds pretty good, right?

So, have I convinced you to drink more water yet? I hope so! You now know why you should drink more water, how much you should drink, when to drink it, and how you can engage others for support. Is anything holding you back, or do you have other quesitons that haven’t been addressed here? If so, definitely reach out and leave a comment because I’d love to help you make this a new habit.

Go fill your cup, and have a good one everybody!

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