How to drink more water
60% of our body weight is water. Our bodies need water to do everything - digestion, transportation of nutrients, waste extraction, and so much more. The Institute of Medicine recommends 13 cups (approximately 3 liters) of water every day for men and 9 cups (about 2 liters) of water for women (who are not pregnant). That’s a lot of water...and bathroom breaks.
So how do you drink all of that water in one day? Here’s what I do….
Use the same size glass all day- this way you know exactly how much water is in each glass.
Do not refill your glass until it is completely empty.
Once you drink a full glass of water, go to your daily planner and put a little tally by the date. Every time you finish a glass, you mark down a tally. This helps keep track of how many glasses you’ve had and is also very rewarding.
At the end of the day count up your tallies.
See how many days in a row you can meet your goal - when you get to 30 days treat yourself to a little present. (I recently bought silk hair scrunchies as my reward for staying hydrated.)
Why the tally system works - The tally system is a behavior management plan that is a visual way to keep up with long term progress. It is extremely effective and rewarding. This method also uses positive reinforcement - your body will love feeling hydrated (this is a natural reinforcer) and you’ll also enjoy the tangible reinforcers (i.e. rewards for yourself, like my silk scrunchies.)
Remember to drink an extra glass of water after your workout to replenish your body. You use up a lot of water to help your muscles perform the exercises.
Measurement Conversions
1 cup = 8 ounces
1 liter = 33.814 ounces
1 liter = 4.226 cups
