One of my early pregnancy instructions from the OB was to drink a gallon of water a day. That’s 128 ounces, or 8 regular sized bottles of water. It seemed like a tall order at the time. I don’t mind drinking water, but sitting at a desk all day, I often zone into the computer and forget about everything else, even the cup of coffee or water at my elbow.
However, after applying myself, I have been fairly successful at meeting this goal. It’s actually harder to make it on the weekends than during the week most times. It’s to the point where if I don’t get my gallon, I feel a little thirsty and can tell I missed the mark. How’d I manage that? Here’s a few ways I’ve been successful:
1. Keep a record. I got a Fitbit in December 2018, and initially I only used it to track my daily steps and my period. Over the last year, I started paying more attention to the sleep insights and workout tracking (my main workout is walking, but it gives you insights like how long you walked, heart rate, calories burned, etc). With all my doctor visits in recent months I’ve been logging weight, and most recently, water consumption. Having a record and having each glass added up for me has made things easier. Fitbit also lets me know how many more ounces to go to reach my goal, which helps those nights where I’m a little short for the day but can see that it is just one more glass of water to make my goal. I’m sure there’s other apps, or you could just use pen and paper, but keeping a record really helps me and I think it can help others.
2. Know your measurements. While if you buy a bottled water you can easily check the label for measurements, most of us don’t solely drink bottled water. Plus, besides the save the Earth factor, buying over 2 cases a week just for you is going to get impact your budget quickly. One of the first things I did was take a measuring cup at home that had ounce measurements and fill it to 8oz, and then poured that into my regular drinking glass. I learned that while the glass may technically be 10oz, 8 is where I normally fill it to, as 10 would be the top edge of the cup. I also checked the capacity of my larger glasses so I had some perspective. This has also helped me with estimates when I’m out to eat. I personally count water and sparkling water, but not coffee or tea. If you are drinking more water based on doctor recommendation, see what they want you to include in your tally. If you’re just trying for hydration, and are including anything you drink, then make sure to get an idea of your morning coffee mug ounce size, or how many ounces the size you order at your local coffee house is.
3. Don’t forget to track everything. If you have water at a restaurant, make sure to log that in. Pay attention when they give you refills, you might need to log half a cup at a time. If you keep a cup or bottle by your bed or in the car, look at what you drank overnight or when you arrive at work and log it in the morning.
4. Always carry water with you. All your good intentions to hydrate are out the window if you don’t have water with you. My solution since I didn’t want to buy a pallet of bottled water was to order large reusable/washable bottles on Amazon. I went with a 32oz size, and I got two. I didn’t want to get a gallon sized bottle (though they do make those), I wanted something to fit in my cupholder and my (larger) purse. The bottles I have also have lines with different hours of the day to try to keep you on track with your drinking – you see how much you should be going through each hour.
I got two bottles so in theory I can have one I’m drinking from and one that is the refill at any given time, though once I finish one I try to get to the water cooler or the sink right away to refill the bottle since I need to drink 4 a day in total Side note – I do make sure to wash these bottles with soap and hot water and let them dry each night!
Last tip for today…
5. Start early. It may sound silly, but starting as soon as you get up is helpful. I’ve found that in the mornings where I drink 16-24 ounces before I even leave the house, I’m much more likely to make my gallon before it gets too late at night. Because of course, what goes in must come out, and I’m having a hard enough time getting a good night’s sleep right now without also going to the bathroom 10 times overnight. I do usually go at least two or three times; if I can stop drinking an hour before bed those trips are minimized.
I hope some of my strategies can help you! What tips do you have to stay hydrated?
Better with Sugar 