8 Simple Ways to Drink More Water... and Make it a Habit!

One of the most crucial, basic, and overlooked weight loss strategies is to simply drink more water. Sure, we all know we need to drink more water, for a myriad of reasons, but most don’t realize just how essential water is when weight loss is our goal!

Water is essential for almost every function in our body. It protects our organs, carries nutrients to cells, regulates our body temperature, and detoxifies our bodies. The body itself is 50-60% water! We need to replenish it!

When it comes to weight loss, water can help you feel fuller, increase calorie burning, and is a necessary part of the fat burning process!

How Much Water Do You Need?

There is no exact amount each of us needs each day, because our needs fluctuate daily. A good guide to follow though is to drink half of your body weight in ounces. Take your body weight, divide it by 2, then drink that number of ounces of water each day.

If you work outdoors, exercise, or spend part of your day moving around, you may find you need more than this. Use this number to start and adjust as needed!

For more information on how much water we need and why, check out this article on How Much Should We Be Drinking?

Here are some simple ways to hit your water goal each day, and to make it a habit!

1) Start your day with water.

Your body tends to be dehydrated when you wake in the morning, because you haven’t had water for many hours. Drink a bottle of water first thing to rehydrate and get your body moving. You may even find it gives you more energy than coffee! Well, most days… 😉

2) Keep track.

You can use a bottle or gallon jug with ounce markings to keep track as you drink throughout the day. You can also use an app to track your water. There are many great apps out there that make it easy to track throughout the day. I still use Plant Nanny and I’ve used it for years. (It’s the only plant I don’t kill!)

3) Flavor it.

The possibilities for flavoring your water are endless! Try adding your favorite fruit to your bottle in the morning or in a refrigerated pitcher overnight. You can even add herbs! If you’re really struggling to get water in, you can try those water flavoring packets or small squeeze bottles of flavor. (I would keep it to a minimum though, as I would imagine those are all just chemicals.)

4) Set hourly goals.

Space out your water throughout the day. Drink one or two glasses before work. Set a goal to meet by lunch and another in the afternoon. Then plan to finish your water by dinnertime, so you aren’t up all night!

5) Change it up.

Be sure that you drink mostly regular water, but try other types of water too. Visit the water aisle and you’ll find many types- mineral, spring, sparkling, flavored, purified, infused, alkaline, and more. Steer clear of anything that has added sugar. The water you choose should have 0 carbs. This can be a great pick me up in the late morning or afternoon!

6) Order water.

At a restaurant, order water whenever possible. This is an easy way to get another glass or two in for the day! This saves money too, so it’s positive all around! If you do order a coffee or alcohol, get a water too. This helps to make sure you don’t drink too much of either, and that you still hit your water goal.

7) Find a bottle you love.

Finding a good water container is a must because it can help you drink more often! I find that I drink more out of containers where I don’t have to completely unscrew a cap. A straw can be a bonus too and help you drink more at one time. I LOVE new cups and bottles, so I’ll tell you to go ahead and splurge on this one. 🙂

8) Don’t leave home without it!

Never be too far from water, simply by having it with you all the time. Once you begin to see what it feels like to be properly hydrated, you’re going to feel more thirsty throughout the day. You’ll even notice when you’re behind on your water. I have several different size bottles to choose from, either to fit in my bag, or to bring enough water with me for the day.

Use these tips to work at meeting your water goal each day! If you find it is still a challenge to meet your goal, lower the number of ounces and work at simply adding more water to your day to start. Once you start to see and feel the benefits of more water, you’ll meet those goals in no time!

*What are your tips to getting in more water?

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