Everyone knows that drinking water is a good idea. You’ve probably even heard that you should drink eight eight-ounce cups of water a day. That’s a debatable number, but water is good.
I never liked drinking water, and I never found a way to stick with it until now. Remarkably, I drink six six-ounce cups each day without any difficulty.
If you have no problem drinking lots of water, I probably should’ve been getting advice from you. I think most people have a hard time drinking a lot of water, so I’m listing what I did and how it’s improving my health and weight loss.*
1. I prefer my water at room temperature.
I always filled a water bottle and then stuck it in the fridge (where I usually forgot about it.) When I did drink it, I hated it. So, of course, I gave up.
I accidentally drank from a water bottle I’d forgotten to put in the fridge and found the water was good. So now, I fill my water bottle from the tap and let it sit out.
2. I use a straw.
I learned about this on a minimalist YouTube channel of all places. If we have to lift a cup to our mouths and tip it, we’re less likely to do so. Using a straw, we just lift and suck, or depending on where your cup is on your table, just suck. That makes it simple, so I actually drink my water.
3. I designated certain times to drink my water.
My water bottle holds twelve ounces, and my goal is to drink three bottles worth a day. On my weight loss checklist, it says that I should drink one bottle between breakfast and lunch, one between lunch and dinner, and one after dinner. I don’t drink before breakfast because that’s when I run, and there are no porta-potties on my route.
Knowing that when the bottle is empty, I don’t have to drink anymore until the next time slot makes it easier to finish a bottle. Plus, I want to drink my water at the right time because the last thing I want is to drink it all after dinner.
4. I chose a small, opaque water bottle.
I didn’t initially intend to use a water bottle I couldn’t see through. The only one I had with a straw came from the Carnival Cruise I went on in 2019. It’s not only solid, but it holds a picture of my best friend and me having a good time in Mexico. The fact that I can’t see how much water is in it actually helps me.
I don’t think about how much I have left to drink, which I would if I could see the water. Instead, I just drink throughout my designated time until I notice that it’s empty. I spend no time thinking about the water level, so it doesn’t feel like a chore.
This may sound like a lot of rules, but truly, I no longer resist drinking water. And to my great surprise, the results have been noticeable (unlike all the other times I tried to drink water regularly.)
1. The amount of soda I drink has dropped more than 50%.
I can only consume so much liquid a day, so if I am going to drink all that water, I have to drink less of other things. I used to have a 16 ounce Coke Zero with my lunch. It’s not a huge amount of soda, and it has no calories, but I know less it better. When I started my water regimen, I found that I couldn’t finish my soda. I now drink one of those cute little 7.5 ounce cans with lunch, something I never believed I would do.
2. I eat less dessert.
My main time for eating dessert was after dinner while watching TV with Hubby. Now that I have a bottle of water to get through after dinner, my desire for dessert has diminished. I keep my hand-to-mouth motion busy with my bottle, and the water fills me up.
This has been a long post, and if you read all the way to the end, I’m impressed. I’m a world-class skimmer of long posts. I’m so surprised at my sucessful water habit that I had to share all the details.
Let me know about your water habit. If you don’t have one, feel free to try any of my suggestions. Like me, you might be surprised that it works.
*Obviously, I’m not a doctor, and I’m not suggesting you do anything I say. My health mentor (she’s on YouTube) is famous for saying that we should figure out what works for us and not blindly follow other people’s rules. That’s probably why I listen to her.