Drink Water!

The following is a Public Service Announcement to myself:

drink water cartoon

Why is this such a hard concept?

There are two methods in which I fail at drinking water.

Method One:

  1. Put water in a glass.
  2. Put glass down somewhere.
  3. Days later, find cloudy glass of water with cat hair floating on top. Wash glass.
  4. Put new water in glass. (repeat 2-4)

Method Two:

  1. Put water in a water bottle.
  2. Put water bottle in bag.
  3. Days later, find musty bottle of water. Wash it.
  4. Refill water bottle. (repeat 2-4)

The actual act of ingesting water is apparently very difficult for me.

I do not have this problem with food. Or chocolate. Or wine.

Do I fill a bowl with ice cream and then put it down and forget about it? No, I do not.

Just water.

I remember learning that 50% of my body is made up of water. So I should probably top it off occasionally.

Do you know what happens when I do manage to drink water on a regular basis? I look younger. I feel better. I have more energy. I’m healthier. The clouds part and the sun comes out and the universe is wonderful. Most of my problems can be solved by drinking water.

And water is free.

So why is this so hard to do?

I’m sure some of you drink water regularly. You even excel in that area of your life. In which case you are probably setting goals for showers or sleep or exercise or fresh vegetables. Right?

You could just go ahead and tell me your New Year’s Resolution. You already know what mine is. Except that I don’t actually make them. But let’s pretend I do make them. For conversational purposes.

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192 Responses to Drink Water!

  1. Jo says:

    Put it in a martini glass, it goes down SO much easier that way.

  2. Kelly says:

    I do the same thing! And right now there is a glass of water right next to me that I haven’t touched.

    • haha – me too! I don’t want to examine it too closely, but I bet I’d see some cat hair in it if I did.

      • Rebecca says:

        This sounds exactly like me as well! I’m so bad at this. You know what happens to me when I drink a lot of water? I pee constantly! Puts a cramp on my day.

  3. Melany says:

    I don’t like water that much but I LOVE carbonated water. I have been drinking it like crazy lately and it definitely makes me feel better.

  4. Denise says:

    I do that all the time. I have also never lost ice cream, great point!

  5. Anna says:

    Ah yes….the infamous water. It did get better when I didn’t buy any other drink to tempt me. And having the little water bottles cooling in the fridge helps too.

  6. Ashley says:

    I.DO.THE.SAME.THING with my water. Room temperature glasses 3/4 full of water with cat hair floating are essentially part of my home’s decor. It doesn’t help that I don’t like water unless it is brainfreeze-inducing cold…

  7. Shea says:

    Ugh this is me! My skin looks awesome and I feel awesome when I drink enough water, but I epically fail at drinking it as well :'(

    My main problem is that I fill a glass with water and my two little heathens ask for a drink and they think it’s funny to drink it all.

    • Jenn Stark says:

      That’s the same problem I have! Lately they’ve even been doing it with my nightly fruit/herbal tea. I thought for sure they wouldn’t like it (they don’t like any soda pop for goodness sake) but it’s caffeine free so I let them try. They must think it’s funny to drink ‘my’ tea.

  8. Kurokami77 says:

    I have trouble drinking water, too. But I’m worse because, due to a fun genetic condition, I had my colon removed 11 years ago. So I have to drink twice as much water than everyone else, since my primary source of collecting water into my system is gone. (But on the plus side, I can never get constipated! Woo!)

    • Cassie says:

      How very positive of you to have a plus side! I like that very much ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Sara says:

      Me too Kurokami77! I had my colon removed 6 years ago! And I too an terrible at drinking water. I love coconut water, which helps, but drinking plain water is so hard to remember.

    • Katy says:

      The colonless unite! I’m terrible at it too even though I know it’s twice as important.

      • Sara Ross says:

        How fun and interesting that “Colon-less mamas” and wishing-to-be “colon-less mamas” would connect on CRAPpy pictures! Let’s drink some water to that! ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Shelley says:

      Due to having UC, I’d love to have my colon removed. Good to know water intake needs to increase. I already have a problem with getting enough.

  9. LindaR says:

    I drink water. In the shower. Accidentally sometimes.

    I drink water. When it’s in my coffee.

    I can’t remember to drink the damned stuff either. Why IS it so hard?!

  10. Kimba says:

    I never drink the stuff. My goal is to make my body so unwelcome an environment that germs do not want to take up residence. Winning!

  11. Hilarious….I am actually someone who does drink water all day long, every day…i also shower daily (but my two are older)..the rest of it is all a pile of crap LOL showers and water….that’s about all I can manage. Love reading your life!

  12. Larissa R says:

    Ugh. I’m gonna be one of the annoying posters. Don’t stress about water unless you have a condition. Research shows that doctors (etc.) consider us dehydrated when our blood concentration goes up by 5%. Thirst kicks in earlier at around 2%. Your body is an expert at maintaining homeostasis, so let it ๐Ÿ™‚ The “8 glasses a day” was a misunderstanding. We get quite a bit of water out of food, too, and it was left out of the 8 glasses equation. And just as important: pee!

    • ian wrigley says:

      Hi Larissa. While our bodies can make do with less the benefit to your body from drinking more is substantial. As a personal trainer 5 litres a day is common when I’m working out. At least 3 on an off day. Feel better reduce bloating and get clearer skin, what’s the downside?

      • Larissa R says:

        Our bodies aren’t making do with less, though, they’re making do with what they need. It is completely illogical to me that the human species suddenly needs to over-hydrate to make up for some lack that was decided by a group of scientists. You’re right that, for many, over-hydration isn’t a problem (other than causing more frequent bathroom breaks, a higher cost if they’re spending it on bottled water, and feelings of guilt if they cannot make their daily “quota”), because the normal human kidney can process it well if not given too much at once. But the flip side is that people need to be reminded that they will need to pee more often, and they should do just that, to avoid other health problems.

  13. I’ve tried drink packets, setting reminders on my phone, making iced un-sweet tea (the caffeine is always a plus) but I can’t make myself do it… I just hate peeing all the d*mn time…

  14. Lindsay says:

    I -would- buy your bottle if it wasn’t a screw on cap! So hard to open and close those when I am on the treadmill or upside down in an awkward yoga pose! /fist shake

  15. Audreyanna says:

    See, I thought you were just being ‘sneaky’ with your water bottle advertisement by having ‘ drink water’ on the bottle, lol! I didn’t realize that there was a delayed posted. You could have never told us and we likely would have never been the wiser ๐Ÿ˜‰

  16. Elisabeth says:

    I forget to actually drink my water, too. I wonder if some of your lost water can be pinned on kids. I know mine likes Mama’s water better and disappears with it. Or spills it.

    I’ve found that cups with straws make me more likely to drink than an open top cup or water bottle. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • Lisa says:

      Me too!! Love straws.

    • Morag says:

      I got a cup with a purple curly wurly straw for Christmas – the drinking water is happening a bit better now. And it is helping my mouth muscles because apparently it takes more suction to drink through all the curls.

      • Lynn says:

        YES to the straws! The difference to me is crazy, and I had no idea til now. I’ve been doing the same thing with water since high school practically. I drank it a bit, not much. I tried using water bottles to measure how much I was drinking. That was worse. Then just got this bpa free plastic tumbler with a built in/removable straw online and it’s like magic. Seriously I don’t sell them but I would, door to door. I drink half my body-weight in ounces daily easily now.

  17. Bahia says:

    I make “fairy water” or “spa water” because I have the same problem. I don’t really like the taste of water. So I brew a cup or two of tea (green tea or herbal tea) and let it cool. While that happens I take a lemon, a cucumber, some fresh herbs, any other fruit or some combination of ingredients and put it in a jug and fill it half with water. Add the cooled tea and you have “fairy water”. It tastes so much better than plain water and so I remember to actually drink it!

    • amber says:

      “Fairy water”! Sold. That is brilliant.

    • Stephanie says:

      What a great idea! I’m going to try this!

    • Mandy says:

      An even quicker way that helps me chug is just adding a dash of juice! Also I have small goals for myself…right now my baby is still taking two naps so I need to drink my big cup of water full in the morning, during first nap, during second nap, etc…and STOP before nine-thirty or I will be peeing all night!

  18. Carol says:

    Okay, so my “resolution” last year was to drink more water. Sometimes I’m really good at it and sometimes I’m really crappy at it. I do find that water bottles help, but I can’t put them in a bag or anything. I have to keep it next to me at all times, which is really difficult and potentially irritating when I already have enough junk to keep nearby (child, child’s stuff, purse, phone, keys, etc) – I’m sure you can relate! We should start a water-deprived anonymous club or something.

  19. Paula says:

    Ya know, on the rare occasion I have managed to remember to drink water, I spend most of the day trying to get to the bathroom as quickly as possible. (I have two little ones, too, so sometimes there’s a line… or a list of “Mommy, this cannot wait!”
    I guess I get enough water from the atmosphere. o_O

    (Also, I thought that the human body was 70% water… though I do not doubt that mine is 50%. Hahaha!)

    • Laura says:

      As someone who used to wonder why her eyeballs etc etc were so dry and then realize maaaaaybe it was because I’d had zero water in like two days – a good day use to be two glasses – And as someone who later flipped all the way to 6+ *pints* a day while nursing (and back and forth a number of times as I struggled to make drinking more a habit), I feel I can definitively say that the feeling of needing to pee all the time goes away. It totally does! Maybe a week or two in? I’m not sure exactly, but stick it out if you can and you’ll see.. ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Julien says:

        I was on a health kick in college and drank about 1.5 liters of water a day. You do stop peeing so much- I swear! And one plus side to drinking a lot of water is that you don’t get hungry as much and lose a little weight.

  20. Kristin B says:

    Totally not a water drinker here, either. Crystal light helps. As do fancy-schmancy insulated cups with straws and pretty designs. Sorta. Sigh.

  21. Susan says:

    I do the same thing. Also, I don’t like water. The only way I can tolerate it is at room temperature. What a weirdo. Anyhow, the only way I can get it down and avoid the problems you described is to just chug it. As soon as you pour a glass, chug.

    • Devan says:

      I’m with you, I like it room temp and I also chug just to get some down!

    • Sanj says:

      @ Susan: me too! Gotta do it all in one step! Pour room temp tap water into glass, drink immediately, refill, drink again. Burp. Done.

      Our tap water is from a very local pacific northwest river and it’s yummy as is. But for added interest, I sometimes add a bit of vitamin C powder or Calm (calcium/magnesium) powder, or a previously made & cooled herbal tea, or a slice of citrus fruit.

      If I neglect to drink water, I’ll feel as if I have a perpetual slightly sore throat that makes me crave sweets. If I drink water, I feel good and have no cravings.

  22. Janeen says:

    I’m a water drinker. I have no problem drinking water. Some days I make tea, and then just keep watering it down all day long and drinking the weaker and weaker versions of the tea (herbal tea in this case). But really, I actually like water! I didn’t at first, but those studies about dehydration causing your brain to work at up to 30% less effectiveness, hampering your decision making abilities, etc. really got to me. I just FORCED myself to drink. I kept telling myself all day long “I’m thirsty” and “I like to drink water” and it worked! Now I am, and I do! I pee clear all day long…oh and do I pee!

  23. Albie says:

    I used to be addicted to water, about 10 years ago. Went through a phase where I’d practically have a panic attack if I realised I’d gone into a conference room for a meeting without a bottle of water. I mostly carried a 32oz bottle around with me, and refilled it several times a day. Peed. a. lot. Then I decided that was ridiculous, so cut back. Now I do the same thing — filled bottles all over my house…full…for weeks at a time. Wish I could remember how I got addicted in the first place (and I pretty much only like tap water, as long as it is good-tasting, so this was a REALLY harmless addiction!).

  24. Carrie says:

    This is great! Thank you.

  25. dana lewis says:

    the 8 glasses thing was misunderstood-you need approximately the equivalent of that in water total a day-including salad, fruit, veggies, meat. just about anything you eat but crackers and toast has quite a bit of water. also, water in any drink you drink. yes, caffeine will make you pee out some of it, yes so does alchohol, some of it. just another reason to drink more of both, in my book ๐Ÿ˜‰

    plain water sucks. now if you give me a bottle of fruit water, that i can do.

  26. Mannie says:

    I have that same problem!!!! Not just with water, but with almost any liquid. I don’t drink much at all. My husband doesn’t understand it. He drinks a lot.

  27. Cassie says:

    I drink my water hot. I know, it’s weird, but for some reason it goes down easier. I have one cup of coffee in the morning (maybe two) followed by cups of hot water for the rest of the day. I drink it out of a coffee mug so the kids and co workers are none the wiser of my odd habit. I just like it better that way, plus on a cold day it’s nice to sip on something hot that isn’t going to give me the jitters! Don’t knock it ’til you try it!

    • Lisa says:

      I’m actually with you on this. I add a little honey sometimes & pretend it’s tea. ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Devan says:

      I don’t have any idea why but this strikes me as so funny! I’m LOL!! I mean, I’m not judging, it’s just odd I think. However you can get it done….

    • Sanj says:

      @ Cassie: I also like hot water. Be sure it’s heated for drinking, not just hot tap water from the faucet: water heaters are germ breeders.

  28. Kortney says:

    The end..it made me laugh. I was going to suggest that if you have a smart phone, or some such smart tablet device download an app to alert you periodically to sip some water or at least locate the water you have prepared for the intent of drinking. I have a mindfulness app with a nice little chime you can set the interval and between which hours you’d like it to go off. That way when you hear the chime you know locate the water and drink it if you want to!

    • Devan says:

      I have a water drinking app. I work at a desk and will have a bottle sit in front of me full for 8 hours and not even take a sip! So I set my reminder, it pops up and says “time for a drink!” which makes me want something stonger than water, lol, but honestly it has helped me a great deal!

  29. Jayzandra says:

    I also have hard time drinking enough water, even though I am under doctor’s orders to do so. I can’t drink it ice cold, it hurts my teeth, and the tap water just has a funky taste at room temp. So I am trying cheap generic bottled water. It definitely goes down easier.

    • Fenny says:

      Get a filter jug. I got one a few years ago because my tap water is very hard and tastes foul. Now I love it and drink more. It’s also better for the kettle and the coffee maker. I keep mine in the fridge, but you can leave it out and have it at room temperature. And it’s a LOT cheaper than even the cheapest bottled water – without the bottle!

  30. Chelsie says:

    I find drinking from a straw helps me chug more water at one time and if the straw is a pretty color, that helps too ๐Ÿ˜‰
    Also I came up w/a combo of doTerra essential oils that are like Virgin Mojitos so that’s helpful too hehe. Here’s my rough recipe-adjust to your taste: 4 C water, 1 drop citrus bliss blend or orange eo, 1 drop lemon eo, 1 drop lime eo or a couple drops of lime juice if you don’t have the oil, plus 1 drop peppermint eo. I spose you could do all juice instead of oils, but I happened to have the oils and not the juice, plus it’s probably healthier going w/the oils as there’s no sugar. Shake vigorously and chug.

  31. Molly says:

    I like carbonated water with ice, then I refill it with regular water. But I can relate – never put down a glass of wine and didn’t finish it! ๐Ÿ™‚

  32. melinda says:

    I invest in stuff called true lemon. It’s crystallized lemon juice that comes in small packets. Because I always manage to drink lots of water with lemon when I’m at a restaurant I figured this would be a cheaper version to help me at home. And it works for me.

  33. Amanda says:

    Water is just no fun to drink. It is not bubbly, it is not sweet. And every time I get a bottle my son snags it and hides it somewhere. He loves water bottles.

  34. Kara says:

    You can always “trick” yourself. When I don’t want to drink “water,” I put a few drops of red MIO into a glass and then I believe it takes like strawberry koolaid. Even better? Still zero calories! And it has the magical property to soothe sore throats (unlike real water).

  35. Hillary says:

    Just last night I said to my fiance that I wished water tasted like wine because I’d then drink it all the time…. he tells me wine is mostly water – made me smile :)!!!
    Love your posts!!

  36. Lorraine says:

    So, my husband hates water because it is flavorless. It’s been such a struggle to get him off his chain-soda-drinking habit!

    Here is what finally worked: Twinings Cold Brew Tea — I order it from Amazon and now I even have it on subscribe and save! I also bought him a wide-mouthed mason jar lid from Cuppow (I love my Cuppow lids) so he can stick the tea bag in, screw the lid on, and the string and paper tag from the tea bag won’t fall in!

    Worth a try? Good luck!

  37. Marina D-K says:

    I also have trouble with this but being that I’m prego and feel like I will faint if I don’t drink water I have found a method! One I use the idrated app to track how much water I’m drinking each day. Second, since part of my problem is that I think water tastes boring I have started alternating plain glasses of water with 90% water and a splash of juice. I’m now regularly hitting 8 glasses a day!

  38. Jen H says:

    My husband’s aunt said that you actually drink more through a straw than from a regular cup alone. Something about it skipping your palate that way. Food for thought.

  39. Gillian says:

    OK, I have a tip for this. I went to 7-11 and got a BIG GULP, as in 52 ounces, with a bendy straw coming out the top. I keep it wherever I’m apt to be sitting down. The bendy straw makes it fun for me, and the 52 ounces means I don’t have to re-fill very often. The lid means no cat hair. The only probably lately is that my DS really really likes my big gulp and will grab it and steal the straw and hit things with it.

  40. Tina says:

    My way of drinking water is just to chug it. I mean I seem to ingest everything is a quick manner these days or it just doesn’t happen. So here it is….

    1. pour water in glass
    2. drink it all NOW
    3. leave glass next to fridge so I remember to drink more later
    4. repeat steps 1 & 2 regularly

    • amber says:

      Smart. This would probably work. Er, if I remember to do it. ๐Ÿ˜‰

      • Bob says:

        I remember reading that some of the ‘wineries’ in NZ have base-less glasses for people who visit on wine-tasting tours, i.e. you cant put the glass down because it will fall over! Perhaps this will work for drinking water too – you fill up the glass and then HAVE to drink because otherwise it has to be poured away before you can lay the glass down (on it’s side, or upside down)

    • I do that a lot. I just leave a glass out all the time by the fridge and then get half (or so) glasses with no ice and drink it all at once.

  41. Alex says:

    Great tricks mentioned. I do like to make my water fancy in an attempt to make me more attractive and unforgettable. My fav is to mix a little strawberry syrup with lots of ice cubes and to top it off with water.
    I’ve had a bottle of water on my desk all day, right there, within arm’s reach, in my field of vision. It’s not empty yet when I should be finishing my second refill… sigh. I feel thirsty even.
    My hubby is a great water drinker and he has taught me that most of the time when we feel hungry we are actually thirsty. Our body is just confused or we’re interpreting the signal wrong. So next time I feel I need another piece of candy I should drink some water instead. Well, shoulda woulda coulda ๐Ÿ™‚

  42. I love how much alike we are. I haven’t found a way to remember to drink water either. Maybe if I just open my mouth and look up the whole time I’m in the shower that might get me enough for the day? Of course that would require regular showering! ๐Ÿ˜‰

  43. Lisa Lutes says:

    This is how I do it:
    I have an upstairs mug and a downstairs mug, both in plain line of sight, always in the same place and out of reach of small children and cats. The upstairs one sits on the dresser and the downstairs one sits on the kitchen windowsill. Every time I look at one of these cups I take at least one gulp, usually I drink the whole cup then refill it. What I can never seem to do is remember to take vitamins…

    • amber says:

      That too. Vitamin taking involves water and eating. (I can’t take them on an empty stomach.) Timing! Too complicated.

      • Lisa Lutes says:

        Yes, water, eating and then taking them out of the top shelf of the cupboard where the kids won’t overdose on them. Way too many steps…

      • Rana says:

        Heh. I struggle with both the water drinking and vitamin taking, and I only really manage both by having ridiculous bedtime and breakfast routines in which I do everything all at once (drink water/drink juice/make breakfast/take vitamins/make tea/clean the litterbox/empty the dishwasher, for example).

        Unfortunately, this means that if anything interrupts me in the middle of either, it ends up taking me hours to finish. (But, eventually, the vitamins do get taken… at three in the afternoon…)

        • Lisa Lutes says:

          yes i have an elaborate list of similar things.. but if I feel tired at all (and with a 3 year old and baby that’s most days) the whole list goes out the window…

  44. Kate R. says:

    Love this! I HATE water and will only drink it when it is beyond hot, or when I absolutely have to, like when I was pregnant with twins. Getting down even half I what I was supposed to have was torture.

    If you asked my Italian great-grandmother if she wanted a glass of water, she would refuse because it “rusts the pipes.” She lived to be 98, so that’s my excuse, too.

    • Michelle says:

      I love that! As a fellow water-hater, I am totally going to start using that line.

      I only drink water if I’m at a restaurant and it’s in front of me, or if I’m working out (which hasn’t happened in 5 years).

  45. Anne says:

    That Mio stuff really helps, or the Dasani equivalent. I find that if I fill a water bottle with flavored water I actually drink the whole thing pretty quickly, then the fact that I can’t remember where I left it isn’t as much of a problem.

  46. Lisa says:

    I try to drink a lot of water, but my problem is, one glass and I might as well strap a toilet to my a$$ for the rest of the day! I don’t know what it is about water specifically, but it sure makes for an overactive bladder in my case. :\ Sorry to be gross…

    • Meghan says:

      I have the same problem. My doctor told me to be happy because it means my kidneys are working really well. Yeah, thanks. My body works the way it should, but I’m peeing every 10 minutes for at least 2 hours every time I have a glass of water… That makes me oh so happy!

  47. Lauren says:

    Me too! I’m pseudo dehydrated pretty much all the time! Except, my water doesn’t get cat hair in it. I don’t have a cat. Instead, I find hot wheels there in the bottom of the glass. Last week I actually found my cell phone in my orange juice. I think I’d prefer the cat hair! Less expensive, at any rate

  48. Amy says:

    I feel ya. I normally rarely drink and now I am being forced to drink 64+ ounces a day because of my “irritable uterus” (I am currently pregnant with #2). I force myself because the alternative is another night in labor and delivery but it does not make me feel good and I am in the bathroom all day. No thanks!

  49. Angela says:

    I do the same thing. A few things that work for me:

    1. mineral water-carbonated flavored mineral water found at trader joe’s and whole foods. I will drink a whole liter bottle in minutes no questions asked.

    2. The right ice-Our roommate works for a restaurant that has that perfect crystally-crunchy ice…like sonic and the hospital. We have him bring it home in bags. I mostly eat the ice rather than drink the water, but hey, I’m hydrating.

    3. Adding fresh sliced cucumber, lemon/lime and mint leaves to my water. I used to drink the metro-mint waters and they were really good too, but it’s so easy to just throw some stuff in a pitcher of water and have it there for the day. Plus less plastic to recycle/throw away.

  50. Natilie says:

    I find if I make myself a pitcher of ‘fancy’ water, I’m more likely to drink some. Cut cucumber and lemon, strawberries and blueberries, mint, sometimes it helps!

  51. I didn’t drink much water up until a few years ago. Now I drink tons! (Although probably a little less now that I’m a mommy). Once, while pregnant, my obgyn said I was dehydrated. When I told my friends they were like “that’s crazy, you drink more water than anyone I know!” I think I’m just a freak that needs more water than most people because I almost always feel thirsty.

    • Devan says:

      Odd, when I am hardly drinking any water, I don’t ever feel thirsty, but when I am managing to get my 8 glasses a day or more I am TERRIBLY thirsty ALL the time!! Seems like it would be opposite, but I guess maybe the body gets used to having it and wants more?? IDK, drives me crazy!

  52. Carrie says:

    I shower and get my water by osmosis. I stand in there a really long time and soak it up.

  53. The only way I can do it is get Giant brand’s lemon lime seltzer.
    The burn the burn! And it has to be SUPER COLD. Lukewarm water makes me want to barf.
    Was that TMI?

  54. Nicole says:

    Drink 2 glasses right before every meal before you eat. You won’t forget if you down it right then. I avoid ice to make it easier. It’s working for me! I down it like I’m taking Airborne when I’m sick and I don’t dilly dally then, so I realized I need to drink plain water the same way. ๐Ÿ™‚

  55. Kate says:

    I have heard that people fail to drink water because they sip it all day. I got a piece of advice to drink three water “meals” a day – fill up that bottle and then down the whole thing immediately – rather than trying to sip all day. This method works much better for me, because sipping water makes me bored with it by lunch.

    • Rana says:

      That? Is brilliant. I’m so much better at chugging a bunch at once than remembering to drink throughout the day. I’m always vaguely thirsty, so being thirsty is not enough of a cue for me.

  56. Liz Kitch says:

    This has been me for years but I just started doing something to help while at home. It may be annoying but I keep setting my kitchen timer for 1 hour so then when it beeps I have to drink whatever is left of my water. (Hmmm…sounds like a college drinking game!) But it is working!

  57. I admit i’m doing a sneak-read at work and don’t have time to read all the comments, so maybe somebody said this, but for me, the trick was having a set time frame. I had a deal with myself that I had to drink four 1/2 liter water bottles a day during my work day, and there was a “schedule”: one by 8:30, another one by lunch, one more by 1:30 and the last one before the end of the day.

    Sometimes it meant guzzling almost the whole bottle at 8:25 but that’s fine. I got used to it and now I don’t have to remind myself. Also maybe you don’t like cold water. For me, I really like room temperature water, so the icy cold water was always a deterrent.

  58. Noel says:

    Just before I sat down at the computer, I wondered to myself “Where’s my water?”. Every day I vow to be better at drinking more water because otherwise I start to break out, I get cranky, oh, and my milk supply seems lower (still bfing). When I remember…I’m such a better person.

    Chugging a glass of water right when I wake up usually helps get me on track. Seriously. It’s crazy. If I remember to drink right then, the rest of my day is water-ful! ๐Ÿ™‚

  59. Dawn says:

    Well, at least you don’t have to pee all the time! My body seems to expel water faster than I can down it…..

  60. I don’t drink enough either. I don’t know why it’s so hard.
    I try to chug a (clean, preferably non-kid-contaminated) cup of water every time I refill someone’s sippy cup. If I’m consistent with that, it buys me roughly 10 gallons of water a day.

  61. annemarie says:

    It is actually my new years resolution to drink a glass of water first thing in the morning, before coffee, or else i don’t drink water until the evening when I am so damn parched that I chug like 3-4 glasses and am up all night peeing.

  62. Also, my resolution this year is not to argue with jackasses. So far, I’ve already failed once.

  63. Shelby says:

    I have an app on my phone that tells me to drink water and I can set it to the number of ounces/glasses that I need to drink ๐Ÿ™‚

  64. Christa says:

    I keep a reusable cup with a lid & straw on my desk at work & drink from it all day long. For some reason the straw is key for me.

  65. Emily says:

    I’m currently in school (correspondence since I’m also SAHM to two boys and another on the way) for my degree in nutrition. Let me throw in my two cents:

    -You probably don’t need as much water as you think you do, though it’s always better to get too much than too little.
    -You should try to drink water between meals rather than with meals, since it’s harder on your digestion.
    -For sipping and not forgetting, herbal tea is great. To get those extra cups in, it’s a really good idea to chug a glass about 1/2 an hour before eating. It will satisfy your thirst and you actually will eat less at your meal because you won’t be trying to quench your thirst with food.
    -I should note that I’ve never really had much of a problem with not drinking enough water. I must have really good thirst instincts or something. I forget to do much more important things… like brush my children’s teeth before bed… or my own… I seem to have a tooth brushing mental block. But hey, we all drink lots of water!

  66. Aimee says:

    For me, it depends on the time of year. During the summer, you’d think I were a fish; I literally cannot get enough water. In the winter, I have to actively remind myself to drink it. And I do the same thing as scenario one, minus the cat hair.

  67. Tanya says:

    One of my friends told me that if I drank a quick glass of water every time I went pee, I’d greatly increase my water intake. It worked – go pee, wash hands, down a cup of water. Repeat. Works good.

  68. People who enjoy water and reach for water a lot are getting a dopamine reward in the brain each time. Our brain naturally evolved to be addicted to water – for survival reasons. We NEEDED to be driven to water (food and sex).

    If you have trouble enjoying and wanting water… and reaching for it eagerly.

    It is possible your dopamine reward system has been hijacked by another product… eg. coffee, alcohol….

    Go pure water for awhile and train your brain to get addicted to water?

    if you want to ๐Ÿ™‚

  69. Andrea says:

    We have ton of mint growing around the house. I pick some of it, throw it in a jug with limes, add ice and water and feel like I am half way to a mojito. It makes drinking water a little bit more bearable. Not much, mind you, still remember it better if it has rum in it, but hey, nothing wrong with baby steps.

    • amber says:

      We have a minty yard too, great idea. I never drink “mint water” only mint tea with gobs of honey. Not exactly ideal.

  70. Joy says:

    THIS. POST. IS. MAKING. ME. THIRSTY!

  71. Amanda says:

    The way I manage is to make myself drink that glass of water before I can drink my next glass of wine. You’d be amazed how fast that water goes down, especially after a long, hard day!!

  72. You MUST visit http://www.myspawater.com. Pam Wenzel is a friend of mine and is a 19-year cancer survivor. She published a book of spa water recipes that are delicious and make drinking water sooo much easier.

    I highly recommend her site and you’ll get some great ideas to help you get thirsty for water again. I used to guzzle tea and coffee like it was my job and since reading her book, I am a huge water drinker now. You’ll be amazed at how better you feel, too.

    Best of luck!

  73. Kimberly says:

    My favorite way to get my water is Crystal Light decaf iced tea. My husband and I go through a 2 quart pitcher a day!

  74. Shannon says:

    Just drink more coffee… It has loads of water in it ๐Ÿ™‚ my daughter is 2 And 2 of the best known words in her vocab are wine and coffee.

    • Mel MOSS says:

      Oh thank god I’m not alone. When we do the groceries my 5yro asks if we need to stop in at the bottle shop for mummy’s wine……..

  75. Rachelle says:

    Ha. The reason I have a hard time drinking water is because whenever my 2-year old sees my water bottle, he insists that he must also have a drink. I don’t want my water bottle contaminated with little floaties! I get him his own water, but he seems infatuated with mine. I have to sneak sips when he’s not looking, lol.

  76. Jenn says:

    I’ve found a good solution is to fill the glass with water and then just drink it right away before you even get a chance to put it down somewhere. Try to chug an 8oz glass once every hour or so and you’ll get your 8 to 10 glasses in no time!

  77. Wendy says:

    You know what works? Kidney stones! I had three of them about ten years ago, and it was such horrible pain, followed by days of painkillers and peeing through a strainer, that I have never been without a refillable water bottle since!

  78. kim says:

    I had to comment because anytime anyone says anything is wrong with them, I tell them to drink water, they are probably dehydrated. Tired, dehydrated. Headache, dehydrated. Stomachache, toothache, broken bone, cavity, doesn’t matter, you’re dehydrated. I figure I gotta be right at least 50% of the time. It is the running joke in our house.

  79. InAGlade says:

    They make awesome sparkling waters with a hint of flavor. I love Arrowhead’s Lime and Lemon. It makes a tasty alternative to soda, which is my weakness.

  80. Leigh says:

    My New Years Resolution is to become a Blood Donor. And grow my hair long enough for donation also.

  81. BethH says:

    MIO! The only way I can drink water is with MIO in it! In a water bottle cold. Also I order water at restaurants and bring the MIO with me in the restaurant (I only like the strawberry watermelon, orange tangerine {which also has B vitamins in it…score, two in one!} and peach tea {I HATE peach tea any other way})

  82. Ashley says:

    I wish my water was free!

  83. Kira says:

    Maybe I should make this my new laptop wallpaper? Currently it’s another drawing of you saying KEGELS! Which makes my dh giggle like a 12 year old boy every time he opens the laptop.

  84. Sarah says:

    I live in a really hot climate, so drinking water is kind of like, drink or you’ll de-hydrate and/or get a really bad headache.
    I use bottled water, 1.5 liter size. I open one in the morning and make sure its empty at the end of the day. This usually only works if I’m sitting working. when I’m with the kids, hmm. If I’m outside the water drinking is kind of critical.

  85. Margaret says:

    I tend to drink water after I eat chocolate. So, a steady flow of chocolate all day, means continuous water? Of course, wine goes well with chocolate too…

  86. I once found a stale, half eaten jaffa cake where i’d left it the week before. Saddest day of my life, that.

  87. Imke says:

    Hi and thank you so much for your enormously funny blog! I live in Hamburg, Germany and check on any news on your website something like three times a week ๐Ÿ™‚ Love it! Also, your observations appear to be international, as I can TOTALLY identify with them!

    I cannot drink water alone. I just cannot get it down my throat – it feels like, kind of too cold or something, or too wet… BUT if I just add a very small amount of apple or orange juice (like half an inch of juice on a pint glass of water, it goes down no problem!
    We are supposed to have VERY pure and healthy drinking water in Hamburg, so I never buy bottled water. Very cheap, very healthy, very good. I have found that when I drink a lot of water on a regular basis, I actually become thirstier, so it becomes easier to drink more. I also feel the impact more if I then do not drink enough (headaches and stuff).

  88. Heather says:

    Water isn’t free.

    • Abby says:

      Thank you! I was starting to think I was the only one that picked up on that. Maybe Amber steals it from her neighbors and that’s why she says it’s free??…I should remember that when it’s time to water the garden.

  89. Liz says:

    I can’t drink a lot of water unless I’m thirsty. I’ll have water with a meal, but likely won’t finish the glass.

    When I’m thirsty, however, I inhale it like a frat boy with a beer.

  90. Lynn says:

    All of you guys are so entertaining I wish I could “like” all the comments like I can the original post! My own selfish self is my resolution this year, ’cause I keep getting weird little health problems from sleep deprivation etc. Water rates a mention since I am a soda addict… the only reliable way I’ve found to drink more so far (and to not snack poorly) is to put everything except water, baby carrots and maybe 2 salty tortilla chips somewhere hard to reach and the healthy decoys right out on the counter. Walking through the kitchen, my laziness wins out two times out of three.

  91. Robin says:

    When I put the water in my glass, I have to stand at the sink and drink at least 1/2 of it then refill the glass before I let myself go, because I often forget to drink it otherwise. Not that I don’t want it or like it, its just the children or house or chore or something distracts me. One day I will walk in my living room and it will look like that beginning scene in Signs with water glasses on every surface.

  92. Amanda says:

    I love water! It has to be ice cold, though. (I’m known for my love of ice. Friends make it before I come over. Gotta be famous for something, right?) Get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Trudeau-Cool-24-Ounce-Hydration-Bottle/dp/B002ALLN4O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358349422&sr=8-2&keywords=straw+water+bottle and it keeps the dust and hair out, plus harder for kids to spill so you can set it wherever. The fancy kind might help you too.

  93. Michelle says:

    I have a couple tricks. One is to drink at room temp, I can get more down faster that way. Two, I love a Pepsi in the evening, or some chocolate milk (sub in whatever you like to have after the kids are in bed) and I only allow myself my special treat drink if I had plenty of water in the day. Whenever I am in the kitchen I pour a glass of water and drink it all in one big flourish. Third, I got a soda stream and carbonate my water which is so rewarding. Sometimes I add a splash of vanilla or lemon to it. Good luck.

  94. Delia says:

    Have you tried those Mio or Dasani brand water flavoring drops? I find that if I put even a few drops in my water (or a squirt for stronger flavor) I will drink the whole glass, rather than wasting it since I paid for the flavoring drops!

  95. Emily says:

    If a put a quart jar of water next to my bed at night (top on, ’cause I may knock it over otherwise), and then tell myself that I cannot get out of bed until it is consumed in its entirety, then I end up with a sunshiny day full of rainbows and light, because yeah, topping off your water amount really does make you feel great!

    It helps to have a bedmate who is on-board with this, so as to keep the kids away while the water is being consumed (and then gives Mommy a chance to run cross-legged to the potty, undisturbed).

  96. Kelly says:

    I totally relate. At any given point, I have 3-4 cups of water scattered throughout the house that I never get around to drinking.

  97. Chrissy says:

    My goal is always to drink at least 64 oz of water a day. Enter children. They steal my water bottle and drain it continuously. So I’m always refilling it, but shocked by how thirsty I feel! People ask me all the time, “how do you get your kids to drink water?” and I say, “buy a pretty water bottle you really like, set a goal to drink a certain amount and try to keep track, the rest will just play out on its own. .. . . . .. “

  98. Kari says:

    I have trouble drinking enough water on the weekends. During the week isn’t so bad, because I’m sitting at a desk at work all day. I think I need to pretend I’m pregnant. I’ll drink more water and eat healthier foods. AND take vitamins! I was so much better at these when I had a little one to grow.

  99. Liza says:

    I think that worrying about drinking enough water is more detrimental to your health than the absence of said water ingestion.
    I think that this whole 8 glasses a day is a ridiculous fad designed to freak women out. Seriously.

  100. One of my main daily goes is to drink 3 or 4 pints of water a day. Winter is the worst, I never ever ever feel like drinking water! And it’s so cold I have to microwave it! Maybe with some honey in it or something….

  101. Dianne says:

    Oh my gosh! Those are the same exact two ways in which I fail to drink water. Love this! I have NO idea why it is so hard, either. I mean, it’s free, it’s accessible, it’s awesome, it’s so good…yet my taste buds say, “Nay, nay, we want Dr Pepper. The cherry version, preferably.” And my silly brain says, “Okay, taste buds, you’re the boss of this whole body. Obviously.” Sigh.

  102. Nickol says:

    I do this with every form of liquid I intend to ingest. Coffee… where the froglegs did I set my coffee?

    Tea…
    Dang, now the tea is cold.

    Wine…
    Mmmm! I love wine. I’m going to put on Netflix, and sit in bed and drink my ZZzzzzzzzzzz.

    Water…
    If I don’t chug it at the sink some small person comes along and backwashes in the glass.

    At dinner we put a glass pitcher of water on the table. This is sometimes the only water I actually ingest all day. PS. glass pitchers are about $4 at ROSS. And the darn thing has lasted 4 months. I can hardly believe it.

  103. Jen says:

    When I drink water I just feel awful and bloated.

  104. RL Mom says:

    I hear ya! I stink at drinking water…I just don’t like the taste. Now if it tasted like Diet Pepsi, or Bud Light Lime…
    When I do try to be “better” and get on a water torture regiment, I fill a glass, put a straw in it (it goes down faster with a straw), and can’t leave that spot until its gone. This routine lasts about two weeks, when I run out of straws…

  105. I have the same trouble. But I like fizzy water. So I bought a soda stream. I don’t use the soda flavorings. I drink it straight or with lemon or orange essence. Who knows: they may have a chocolate essence you could add.

  106. Mel MOSS says:

    I have a few tips as I was exactly the same and gave gone from being parched and dehydrated to drinking 4+ bottles a day.

    I always keep a 1.5 litre bottle on the bench next to the sink. Everytime I pass it or use the sink, prep food etc I drink.

    When I go out I’ve gotten in the habit of carrying it in my hands when I can as apposed to shoving it in my bag, I find I finish a bottle before I’ve even thought about it. I try to refill it rather than putting the empty in my bag and forgetting.

    It’s crazy how satisfied and healthy I feel, I’m eating better than I ever have in my life and it started with the water ๐Ÿ˜€

  107. Maria says:

    It is easy add step 1 to both methods,
    Method 1
    before filling the glass of water drink it. Then fill the glass of water, carry it to your bedroom and wait until water gets cloudy. When you get thirsty again drink water and fill a new glass of water (because you forgot there is one waiting in the room).

    Method 2, drink then fill the water bottle with water, put it in your bag and forget about it.

    Bottom like when you think of drinking water is because you need to drink water right then… don’t postpone it and don’t measure it just drink

  108. Ally says:

    I do much better with drinking water when I’m at work. I make goals for myself: one large bottle of water before noon, one before I leave work for the day and one once I get home. If I get behind schedule, I make myself drink drink it all at once. ๐Ÿ™‚ It helps me if the water is not very cold. I can drink it faster.

    But on days when I’m not at work, it’s really a challenge. I’m trying to implement the same goals at home. (I even have an especially important incentive – to avoid more kidney stones after having a long history of them, you would think that would make me remember! lol)

  109. Linda says:

    A friend at work recently had some really bad kidney stones. She was out for days in terrible pain, and finally had to have surgery. It scared me, so I did a search online to see how to avoid getting kidney stones. I thought it would be some exotic food that you should eat, but no – the number one way to avoid getting kidney stones is to drink lots of water! I have been doing much better ever since.

  110. Emily says:

    Well, I’ve never lost a bowl of ice cream but I do keep forgetting to eat the ice cream that’s in my freezer…. Does that count for anything? I’ve also been too lazy to get up and get ice cream. The ice cream in my freezer is several weeks old. I also neglect to drink water. Actually, I’m not especially sure what I remember to put in my body. Nerds. Lots of Nerds. ๐Ÿ™‚

  111. Angela says:

    Water is free – unless you live in Germany. Where there is SO much bottled water on the market…in various flavours and levels of gas (i.e. natural, medium etc). So much so that it is considered rude to ask for tap water (even though their tap water is drinkable)! And if your kids hate ‘wasser mit gas’ (water with gas) then you have to make sure you are not served the carbonated stuff.

  112. Jenn says:

    I have the same issue with coffee…can’t tell you how many cold, gross cups of coffee I’ve found around the house.

  113. Brianne Birman says:

    My husband always says I am like the little girl from the movie ‘signs’ because I have half drank glasses of water all over the house

  114. Katie says:

    Here’s how I drink lots of water:
    Make it as lazy as possible: get a bottle with a flip up straw so you don’t have to tilt you head. Take it wherever you go. I sometimes have a kid in each arm and the bottle is dangling by my teeth, and I’m drinking water too!

    Make it taste good: don’t add lemon or anything because that’s too much work. But make sure you have a good water filter. (Something better than just activated carbon). If the water itself tastes good, you will drink it without even realizing.

    Also keep other drinks to a minimum, flavored drinks can shut down your thirst sensation.

    Drinking water shouldn’t be a struggle, it should be a natural compulsion. If it isn’t, figure out why.

    Hope this helps!

  115. Tracy says:

    Does tea count? I usually drink 2-4 cups of tea a day depending on if I forget about it while it’s cooling. I know that still isn’t enough. I am terrible with plain water, I just don’t like it. I will be super thirsty and will just tell myself that I’ll have time to drink water later, like it takes a ton of time to pour myself a glass??? I’ve heard by the time you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated so I’m going to guess I perpetually am.

  116. Karen says:

    Ok. I am a water queen. I have some tricks.

    Get 2 bottles and put one in the fridge, put some lemon in it if you’re feeling fancypants. Then time yourself. I tell myself “I have to drink this litre within 2 hours”. As soon as it’s empty, I fill it, put back int he fridge and get the next one out. Again with the 2 hours rule.

    After a week or so of doing nothing but running to the loo, you will pee like Austin Powers does when he gets unfrozen. I gotta get back in the water loop, too. Weight just falls off when I’m doing that.

  117. peter says:

    no joke, you just reminded me I left a glass of water in the kitchen.

  118. Laura says:

    Crystal light makes water so much better. In fact, my children think it’s “juice” and I never buy juice anymore.

  119. Ali says:

    I have no problem drinking water during the summer because it’s so hot here! The winter is a different story, tho. My trick is to fill my coffee mug up with water and drink it while I wait for the coffee to brew. I also drink a glass of water after I brush my teeth at night. During the day if I’m out doing errands, I try very hard to remember to bring a bottle of water with me because I usually get thirsty (from singing in the car!).

  120. Beth says:

    iDrated app for your iPhone! Seriously… There’s an app for that!

  121. Tanya says:

    Water Problem Solved!
    Get a soda-water maker! The kids love it too, and it avoids any discussion (for the moment) about buying soda! You can leave some sliced lemons in the fridge, to add a simple twist, a shot of grapefruit juice (OJ and grenadine for a kiddy cocktail), serve it up in a long stem, and enjoy some bubbly! Takes the whole “chore” aspect out of the daily dose.

  122. Vicki says:

    I do this too. It gives me headaches and makes me grumpy and makes me need to get up to find water in the night when I finally realise I’m thirsty. This, in turn, makes me get up in the night to expel the same water, in a slightly less pure form. The lack of sleep also makes me grumpy. I am often grumpy.

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  124. Marina D-K says:

    I recently got Camelbak groove water bottles for our family. This has really helped me up my water intake. Similar to Camelbak backpacks you suck the water up through a straw type thing that goes through a filter. I don’t know what it is about this water bottle but it has really helped all of us.

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