We all know that water is good for the body, and staying hydrated is one of the keys to a healthy life whether you’re an active person or not... But hopefully you are! :)
Drinking enough water ensures that your body is able to function optimally in every way. Your brain activity, physical capability, digestion, energy, and more all depend of plenty of water to allow you to feel and perform your best.
Give your body what it wants and needs!
How much water should you drink? The opinions vary here, but the most well-known recommendation is drinking eight 8oz glasses per day, or 64 ounces, but that’s a little low in my opinion… Because many factors (lifestyle, age, sex, etc.) can affect how much you as an individual really need, so I always go for the gusto and recommend shooting for a gallon a day.
Yes, that’s twice the daily recommendation we hear most often, but here’s my logic - more is better when it comes to water (within reason) and a gallon is a safe amount for almost anyone to consume without any negative effects of over-hydration. Also, if you miss your mark and don’t get through the whole gallon by nighttime, chances are you’ve probably hit (or still surpassed) the recommended 64 ounce daily water goal.
Remember that your body loses water constantly through regular body processes like eliminating waste, and you’ll be losing even more through sweat if you exercise (and/or live somewhere warm), so make sure that you’re replenishing fluids as you go.
Marking up your gallon jug (see photo above) is a great way to stay on track! A whole gallon can seem daunting, especially at first, but if you mark it up into portions and aim to finish them by certain times of the day, it can really help you stick to a schedule of drinking gradually so you get through it all before bedtime. If you leave half of your daily water until just before you go to sleep, you’ll be waking up to hit the potty all night - nobody wants that!
Also, if you wait til you’re thirsty to drink, it’s too late! Thirst is your body’s way of telling you that you’re dehydrated, so don’t wait until you feel that sensation - instead, consistently drink water throughout the day so you never get to that point.
If nothing else, let the positive effects of water on weight management motivate you to pound the ounces! It’s easy to mistake thirst for hunger, and reach for food when your body is actually asking you for water…
Drinking a big glass (or bottle) of water before you eat, and then waiting a few minutes before starting in on your meal or snack, can help to stop you from eating out of boredom, decrease portion sizes and promote satiety. Feeling more full from less food? Sounds pretty good to me!
Maybe you’re concerned about having to go to the bathroom a lot, but it’s not a bad thing - your body will eventually adjust to your water intake and your potty breaks will become a little less frequent. Plus, getting up to go to the bathroom gives you an excuse to get up and stretch your legs, and more activity throughout your day is always a good call! Let your trips to the bathroom add to your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure - I posted about it a few days back) - it all counts!
Again, drinking plenty of water is not just for the fitness fanatics… We all need to focus on getting our ounces in, so let’s all cheers to our health and drink up!
How much water do you drink per day? What do you do to make sure you get enough?
Please feel free to comment, upvote or resteem if you’d like! :)
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You aren't alone! Tons of people don't drink enough water! There are days that I forget too but this gallon trick really helps to stay on track!
wow...a gallon a day....sounds like a lot
It may seem like that until you work your way up to it, after a while it seems normal! :)
I drink about 1 liter of water per day, upgrading to a gallon is too much I think.
Maybe the best thing is to do this gradually until we get close to a daily gallon of water consumption.
And marking the gallon certainly seems like a clever idea.
Cheers!
Slowly increasing your water intake is a great idea but trying to hit that gallon mark should be a goal. I think you will be shocked by how much better you feel by increasing that one liter a day to a full gallon!
Agreed 👍🏾
This is definitely something I need to work on. I drink a minimum of 75 oz of water but I also drink tea/coffee/kombucha throughout the day. I don't like the idea of carrying around a 1 gallon jug of water tho.
You can use a 40oz bottle and just tell yourself you will finish it by a certain time. It works the same way as a gallon but it is easier to carry around! Just try to drink at least three of them throughout the day!
I usually tell my clients that the other liquids they are drinking are bonus and don't count towards the gallon. Things like coffee and tea are totally fine but I would suggest not counting them towards your desired goal.
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Ive been trying to drink a gallon a day too and its super refreshing
Have you ever tried Kangen Alkaline water? In most places you can get it free from distributors.
I really like it, and one of my favourite benefits is sleeping so well after drinking it throughout the day.
Apparently you can get other benefits but that’s the main one for me.
Anything to improve that sleep is great.
Nice reminder on the importance of drinking water. This simple task cannot be overly emphasized. Unfortunately that's where many people drop the ball on their fitness journey.
Thanks to Fitness ambassadors like yourself @annemariemay, many people can be reminded of a simple but essential daily task.