I used to drink a lot of water in my teens because I trained to represent my school at Volleyball competitions and I carried a water bottle around all the time.
This habit changed drastically after I started working and I tend to hold off going to the pantry for that glass of water or to the washroom so I could get just 1 more thing done.
I always fill my kids’ water bottles in the morning and tell them to finish the bottle so they don’t fall sick. Working-from-home during the pandemic got me thinking that I really ought to walk-the-talk. So I found the biggest bottle we have at home that could hold 3 litres of water and made it a point to finish it by the end of the day.
In the beginning, it felt like an impossible task because I just didn’t have that habit of sipping throughout the day. I usually had about half the bottle left by the end of the day and forced myself to try to finish as much as possible – undoubtedly, this resulted in a lot of waking to pee in the middle of the night.
That said, I was eventually able to finish the bottle every day after a week of this activity.
It’s been a month, now I not only finish the bottle every day, but drink slightly more on days when I workout.
Looking back, here are some of my general observations:
- It felt like I was more successful at losing weight this time around
- My skin was noticeably better with less breakouts nearing my period
- My lips were less discoloured (my lips were initially 2 colors – the outer half was always darker)
- I got even more thirsty throughout the day, especially if I workout.
If you know you are not drinking enough and have chosen to read this article, here are some tips to help you increase your water intake:
- just find the largest bottle you can get your hands on and challenge yourself to get started like I did
- make sure you take a few sips of water at the start of every meal and throughout the meal – you should have drank a glass of water by the end of the meal!
- drink water during workout rest breaks – this seems pretty straight-forward but I used to avoid drinking water while working out because I felt that it broke my momentum. But ever since I started doing this, I feel like my body cools down faster and I do better in my next set.
- pair your meals with a side that is a soup or gravy dish.
- have a fruit that has high water content like grapes and melons for your midday snack.
The results are worth-it. Besides, you’ve got nothing to lose!
Other relevant articles