Tips for Drinking More Water | How I Drink a Gallon+ Every Day

(Note: this is not a sponsored post, I just like the smart water bottles and they're perfect for my needs:))

Hey guys, hope you've had a great start to your week! I've been trying to add more posts about my workouts and meals etc lately, and one of the biggies I've been getting a lot of questions and emails about that I wanna cover is the importance of drinking enough water, and today I'm sharing some tips just for that!

We've all heard forever that we're supposed to have eight 8oz glasses of water a day, but that doesn't really make sense right? (I mean a 250lb man and a 130lb woman definitely need different amounts of water...) I mean I guess that it's more a general guideline just so people have a starting point, because I'm pretty sure that most of us struggle to even getting in those 8 glasses. I know I did before figuring out a method that worked for me, so that's what I'm sharing with you today! 

Now the crazy overachiever part of my brain really wants to make this a long and complex post going into detail about the symptoms of dehydration and how to spot it and all the benefits that come from keepng properly hydrated, but I will be strong! We can do a Part II if you have any more questions, but y'all are pretty smart, and so all I'm going to say is that for me personally when I started drinking my gallon a day my skin cleared up completely and started getting all smooth and glowy, I sleep better, I have tons more energy and stamina, it's kept my headaches away, my hair has more shine, and so much more! Basically the opposite of dehydration symptoms all across the board. Who'd have thought right? haha  Also because I've become so regular in the water that I consume, I see a direct turn-around in all those areas if I go longer than 48 hours not drinking as much as I know I should. Not fun at all. 

So here's my simple method: In doing our research, we figured that a pretty good rule of thumb to follow (mostly because we work out often) is to drink one ounce for every pound that you weigh. Crazy! I thought there was no way. That was roughly a gallon for me (I weigh around 135-140, 1 gallon is 128 ounces), and about a gallon and a half for Martin. His method that works for him is to just carry around a gallon jug everywhere and chugging throughout the day, but I knew that that just wasn't going to happen for me. I'm already carrying a kid in each arm with two clinging to my legs. No gallon jug.haha So I took a slightly different approach to get in my water and that was with four 1 quart bottles! I found that the large smart waters I loved drinking already were about 1 quart a piece (33.8oz), so I label them 1-4, and then I set timers on my phone to go off throughout the day and remind me when it's time to chug the next bottle. and it works!

They fit in my purse, they fit in the shopping cart, in the cup holder, at my desk etc, and they're easy and quick to drink out of. I start with the #1 bottle when I wake up around 8:30-9, then my alarms go off at 11:30, 2:00, and 4:30. I try and not drink too much at all after about 6 or I wake up during the night:) Once I've finished with a bottle, I wash it out in the sink and refill it with our yummy filtered water, and put it in the fridge. After a little while I'll start with a fresh set of bottles, but the disposability of them makes me feel better about forgetting them places (like I have done many times) instead of buying some expensive reusable bottles to leave around our city.haha (if you trust your memory, buying stainless or other reusable bottles may be easier on your budget:))

And I should probably stop here for today! Oh one thing I want to stress in case you're thinking that you already drink enough fluids during the day (you know who you are:)) is that not all fluids are created equal! You may think that if you're drinking anything at all that you're hydrated and you don't need water, but soda and juices and milk for instance are NOT providing the same effect as water, in fact most of those can DE-hydrate you instead because of sodium content, etc. 

Here are a few more tips real quick that help me drink more:

• Don't try to sip it over time. When your timer goes off, just start guzzling till it's gone, with as few posses as possible. You'll be so proud of yourself! Also you'll be more full during the day so, bonus:)
• It helped me in the beginning to give myself a little score card with boxes to check off once I'd finished a bottle. What can I say I love score cards much like your average 5 year old.
• Make a bet with a friend or spouse on who can drink more water in a single day
• Drinking with a straw helps me take in more water when I think I can't have any more.
• let your water rest at room temperature. Cold water can be really refreshing, but if you're going for sheer volume, cold water will shock your system and you won't be able to stomach as much as if it's room temperature. Also it tends to make me a bit nauseaous.
• Drinking a ton of water about 30 mins before going to workout helps me lift more, stay energized throughout my entire workout, and keeps me from getting winded and dizzy throughout. No Joke!
• If you're consuming cups of tea or powdered protein supplements for instance mixed in water, feel free to cut that water out of your daily intake. Lighten the load a bit:)

Well now I'm Really stopping.haha I hope that at least knowing that info about how I do it helps you feel motivated to try drinking more water throughout the day, and I hope that if you have any questions that you'll feel free to ask them any time! I do feel like I have tons more to add to this post, but this'll do for now:)

At any rate please let me know if any of this is useful, and or if you have any tips to share on getting in your daily H2O leave them in the comments for us all to read! Take care friends

Note: it really goes without saying really that everyone is different and we need to do what we feel is best for our bodies, etc, etc. The amount of water you drink can and should very depending on what type of climate you live in, your physical health, the amount of exercise you achieve every day, and other things. If you're uncomfortable with uncertainty you can ask your health care professional how much water is right for you:) This post is my thoughts and methods for those that have been asking.

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