Any tricks to drinking more water?

I know I need more liquids, but I am not the type to "sip" all day, and I've had a life long habit of only drinking when I'm thirsty (yeah, I know, that's the first sign of dehydration.) Any suggestions on how to sneak in more liquids??

Fri. Oct 28, 1:52pm

At my office, there is free coffee and little styrofoam cups. In the cafeteria, the soda cups are the big clear plastic kind (maybe 16oz?) It's also kind of hot in my office. So when I get a coffee craving, I mix up a cup of coffee in the styrafoam with some powdered creamer and Equal, then I pour it over a whole cup of ice. I know, not really great, b/c there's caffeine, but, at least I'm getting the extra water from the ice! And it's yummy!

Also, when I'm waiting for something in the microwave, and just standing, watching it, I force myself to drink water continuously while it's cooking. I don't really enjoy it, but it helps me to get my water, and I get full faster while I'm eating!

Friday, October 28, 2005, 3:12 PM

drinking out of a straw helps a lot of people drink more.

Friday, October 28, 2005, 3:13 PM

I find I drink 8 times as much water if I keep a bottle nearby. I usually buy one in the morning and refill it throughout the day. I'm not sure if the bottle affects the taste of the water itself or if I've just clued in to a psychological trick. But, sip or gulp, I'm always drinkin'!

Friday, October 28, 2005, 3:42 PM

1) I have a large plastic cup that came free with one of those meal replacement shakes. It measures 25 oz. If you make that your serving size, then you only need 2.5 of them. Little psych trick. You can sip it periodically all day long...one in the morning, one in the afternoon, one or one-half at night.

2) Drink it at room temp instead of refrigerated. It's really easy to gulp it down when it's not cold.

3) Mix it up with Crystal Light or something like that to give it some flavor. Also, herbal teas have no caffeine, so that counts as plain old water too.

Friday, October 28, 2005, 3:44 PM

Do herbal teas really count as water?

Friday, October 28, 2005, 4:03 PM

I bring a 32 oz water bottle with me to work each day-for some reason, if I pour it into a glass, I will be more apt to drink it. I also make a point of having a drink of water every 15 minutes. Generally, I drink two of these bottles at work, and I usually drink at least 3 cups before work. Personally, I prefer it ice cold.

Friday, October 28, 2005, 4:54 PM

I've always wondered about Crystal light and herbal tea counting.

Saturday, October 29, 2005, 11:42 AM

I completely agree with the straw comment. You can definitely get more water in each day with a straw. I keep bottled water in my car in the cup holders at all times. I keep a case or two of bottled water in my garage so when I get out of the car with an empty bottle I just replace it with a new one. This has helped me immensely.

Saturday, October 29, 2005, 11:48 AM

I thought I was the only one who didn't get enough water! I do agree with the straw comment also. I also prefer bottled water over tap water.

Saturday, October 29, 2005, 10:34 PM

Upto 4 litres water everyday

My dietician told me 3 litres was healthy but 4 was very good! And this when I was .5 litre a day person....
I slowly willed myself to drink more. A big bottle was handy all the time at my work desk. And I set myself targets, ie to finish the water until a pre-decided time. It wasent easy. I hated it first, and spent most of my time in the ladies room, Ha ha :)
But now its become a habit and I can hardly stay away from water for too long..
Its my fav drink!

Monday, October 31, 2005, 12:06 AM

I got a 32-oz nalgene (sp?) bottle that is marked with ounces and mililiters, and I leave it on my desk at work. I try to make sure I drink a whole bottle before noon, and then I aim for a second one before I leave for the day. For whatever reason, having the numbers marked right on there really helps me drink enough.

It took me a long time to drink enough water, but now when I don't, I feel really parched, my lips get dry and crack, and I get headaches. So even if it's hard now, it'll get used to it, and it will make your body happier.

Monday, October 31, 2005, 2:34 PM

I count herbal tea as water. I don't know about crystal lite. It has 0 cals, right? So I'd probably count it, too.

Monday, October 31, 2005, 2:34 PM

I actually like a smaller bottle - I keep a 16 oz bottle at my desk and force myself to drink 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. I like my water really cold so refilling the smaller bottle more often helps it stay colder. Also, psychologically for me it is easier to say I have to finish the 1/4 or 1/2 that is left in a smaller bottle - easier to get down - then to have to finiah a big bottle.

Also, I recently have discovered Propel water by the makers of Gatorade. The flavor is great (normally I can't stand any kind of flavored water) and it is low cal so I'll throw one in occasionally as a "treat" instead of soda.

Monday, October 31, 2005, 4:17 PM

I add lemon to my water..it adds a little taste

Tuesday, November 1, 2005, 11:42 AM

I do the same. I add lemon and a few ice cubes and every once in a while a touch of sugar. You can drink a lot of water this way.

Tuesday, November 1, 2005, 4:02 PM

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