15 Ways to Drink More Water

While I was at AIT, we had this Platoon Sergeant that was hilarious. Everyone always thought that he was joking, but you never wanted to get on his bad side. He always called me the nerd and the baby of the platoon. He would always listen to our complaints and our problems, but if there was really nothing he could do about it, his answer was always "Drink Water." He simply meant that nothing is going to change so you might as well sit back and wait. He said it at least 15 times every day. He was known for this phrase. If something is going wrong, Drink water.

He wasn't far off. As I did some research for today's blog, I realized that water is one of the most under utilized drinks as well as free and the healthiest. All of the times you should be drinking water, are probably taken over by other substances like pop or coffee.

• Make it available. Don't go anywhere without a glass or bottle of water, even to another room.
• Decorate a cool water bottle. Personalize your water bottle and make it fun. (even if you get made fun of for it a little bit.) 
• Drinking from a straw can help you take bigger gulps at a time without thinking about it. 
• Drink a full glass right away when you wake up. This is a great way to start your day off right.
• One Full glass before every meal will help suppress your appetite and make you eat less.
• Drink at least one glass with every meal, also helping to suppress your appetite, but it will also aid with digestion.
• Carry a big water bottle with you. Keep a cup next to you and continuously refill the cup with the bottle. It will seem like you are drinking it quicker and will actually help you
• Set a timer on your phone for every hour and ensure that you have at least drank 4 ounces of water that hour (more if you are doing something active)
• Add some fruit to it. There are a ton of great recipes out there
• If you just can't seem to drink enough straight water, it is okay to get the low calorie, low sugar crystal light packages to add to your water bottles. Because it is better than pop!
• If you don't think you can make it through the morning without a Diet Coke, for every ounce of Diet Coke you drink, try doubling or tripling it in water. I have also seen people who force themselves to drink 3 or 4 glasses of water before they get the pop. (This can also give you time to realize that you really don't need the pop.)
• Tea can also be a good way of drinking water, but try to make it decaf when possible. (Caffeine is a diuretic, which makes you more dehydrated in the long run.)
• Keep a chart with how many glasses you are drinking every day. This can be a good way to ensure that you are drinking enough, but also to create a habit (it takes 21 days to create a habit, 30 days to officially break it) 
• Free apps like Waterlogged keeps track of how much you have drank on your phone. My Fitness Pal has an input place also. 
• Eating something a little spicy will ensure that you down that glass of water before the meal is over. 

Overall, knowing the benefits of water to your body can help you want to drink water as well! Enjoy your water and the benefits like glowing skin, more energy, and weight loss are just a few reasons to keep drinking up!

Are there other tips that keep you hydrated? Please share!

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