Drink Your Water! 6 Steps to Increase your Water Intake

You probably heard it a million times but simply can’t get yourself to drink more water. I’m not a big fan of water in general. Spare me the looks, you haven’t heard it all yet! I hate being cold, wet and dislike drinking cold water (unless it’s really hot out there). I’m more of an earth person who rushes to get dry after a shower, dreads first pool dips, and loves hot beverages. I also forget to drink because I’m an anxious person who usually prioritizes finishing my to-do list before giving myself time to eat or drink. So there were days when I literally had way less than 1 Liter of water/day. There you go. Phew.

Needless to say, I learned the hard way that I HAD to change. This post is for those who know they should drink more but find it hard to do so.

I’m sharing with you the red flags that made me start drinking acceptable amounts of water, how I did it, and what I learned along the way.

My Symptoms

Extreme Fatigue

I felt SO tired and didn’t know why. I later learned that not drinking enough water makes your body lose fluids, which decreases the volume of blood. This puts pressure on the heart because it has to work harder to deliver oxygen to organs and muscles. As a result, I felt tired and had low energy levels because my body was doing its best to function without enough water.

Poor Skin Health

My skin was dry and dull, I had dark under-eye circles, and I noticed some fine lines that, I swear, were never there before! The lack of water causes the skin to lose its plumpness and elasticity. Water also helps reducing acne by flushing harmful toxins from the body (that sounds so satisfying). You can use hydrating creams and skin treatments all you want, but drinking more water achieves better results and gives you a fresher appearance.

Sugar Cravings

My oh my! I used to crave sugar ALL the time! I wrote an article about how I overcame that as well. No matter how full I was feeling, there was always a place for desserts and sweet snacks. The truth is that dehydrating your body interferes with its ability to reach stored glucose for energy. That is why start craving food high in sugar and carbohydrates. So next time you experience sugar cravings or sudden hunger, drink more water to rehydrate your body!

Decreased Urination

It’s pretty simple. Low water intake makes the kidneys retain as much fluid as possible to maintain their function. This means less urination and darker urine with a stronger odor. Those are mega-huge red flags because you face the risk of a urinary tract infection (UTI) because your body isn’t flushing out toxins and bacteria. Ouch! You really don’t want to go there.

How I Increased My Water Intake

1. Set A Daily Goal

My doctor advised me to drink 8 cups (2 Liters) of water/day. Tell me about impossible goals! However, I eventually got there! And let me tell you, I do feel different. Setting a daily goal motivates you to do your best to reach it. I use half a liter reusable bottle that I refill 4 times a day as soon as it’s empty. This makes it easier to track my intake and makes it look more like something I could drink. It’s working pretty well so far. Do whatever is easier for you, whether it’s putting those 2-liter bottles in front of you, using 0.5-liter bottles, or drinking by cups.

2. First Thing In The Morning

Drink 1 cup of water as soon as you get out of bed. As simple as it might seem, it was super hard for me at first. My doctor’s advice was to drink 1 liter before noon, so I trained myself to drink my first 0.5-liter bottle while getting dressed, and another 0.5-liter bottle throughout the morning while getting things done. Now that your first liter is done, it’s easier to drink the remaining one during the rest of the day.

3. Log your progress

There are many mobile apps you can download that send you reminders and keep track of your progress. The satisfaction you feel when you log your progress or reach your goal is amazing and it will motivate you to keep at it! I personally used my sports watch at first, to log the number of cups I drank. Then stopped using it when it became easier for me to drink using my 0.5-liter bottle.

4. Infusions

There are plenty of tea flavors and herbal infusions that help your body get rid of toxins, not to mention their soothing effect. So have a cup or two a day and log them as part of your water intake! It’s a win-win situation. Who needs a boring cup of water when you can have a warm, exotic, cozy cup of herbal delight instead?

You can also add flavor to your water by adding fruit like strawberries and lemon, veggies like cucumber and celery, or herbs like basil and mint. It’s a refreshing idea, especially during summer! As long as it’s healthy fluids, drink up. Easy on juices though they’re loaded with sugar!

5. Exercise

I rarely exercised. I used to start a routine and then quickly lose motivation. However, I recently started exercising regularly with the help of an amazing coach and plan on sticking to it! Exercising makes you thirsty and you’ll end up easily drinking a good amount of water.

6. Drink Water After Bathroom Breaks

I learned this habit a long time ago and find it actually very smart. Think of it this way: Every time you flush toxins out of your body, refuel with water to keep that toxin-cleaning process going and keep your body hydrated. The more water you drink, the more you’ll have to go to the bathroom, the more your body will thank you for it. Making this a habit easily contributes to your goal!

It wasn’t easy. There were days when I forced myself to finish a cup and days when I couldn’t reach my goal. Drinking 2 liters of water a day became a new healthy habit with time and persistence. So you have to keep at it. Give yourself time to slowly increase your intake and soon you will notice that your body will start asking for more water.

Salud!

xoxo