How to: Liven Up Your H2O Intake!

Seriously, when people tell me “I just don’t like to drink water” I laugh so hard. Is that REALLY why you won’t start your health and fitness journey? Because you hate water? Come on, my friend. Let’s get real with yourself here. 

For starters, you just aren’t used to drinking it regularly. Your body craves what you fuel it with. If you’re consistently fueling yourself with Diet Coke, GUESS WHAT… you’re going to crave Diet Coke! If you start fueling your body with WATER it will tell you when it is ACTUALLY THIRSTY through your energy, your skin, your pee. (Those days when my pee is clear, I feel like the healthiest person in the universe. Nothing can knock me off my cloud like pee that is too yellow). 

Let’s start by talking about HOW MUCH water should be the goal. I remember when I first started, I thought I was going to have to drink like 2 gallons of water a day and guys… I’m a dance teacher. i wear a leotard and tights. Bathroom trips are a workout in itself. But, I was really relieved to find out that wasn’t true. 

I aim for half my body weight in ounces a day. 

This means, if you weigh 200 lbs, aim to drink 100ounces. 

BUT, if your really don’t like the taste… which… water tastes like nothing, so, that confuses me…

Here are some ways to SPICE UP YOUR LIFE when it comes to your H2O:

1.Get an infuser pitcher or water bottle and infuse your water with fruits, cucumber, mint, etc. I LOVE to throw some fresh mangos and pineapple in my diffusor pitcher and drink that throughout the day. It is SO REFRESHING and definitely helps me up my water intake for the day. 

2. Get a water bottle that you love! There is nothing worse than trying to hit a water goal or up your water intake and you’re sipping out of a water bottle that tastes like dishwasher or constantly makes you drool all over the front of your shirt. Do you love drinking out of a straw? Do you want a water bottle that has a motivating or snarky saying on it? Whatever will make you happy, do that! This seems like such a dumb idea, but I promise, mindset is everything! Figure out how many ounces that water bottle is and how many times you need to refill it throughout the day to crush your goal. YOU CAN DO THIS! 

3.  If you realize that you have fallen behind in your water drinking for the day, I encourage you to pretend like you are 22 again and you’ve just really gotten the hang of shot gunning beers. But, replace the beer with a bottle of water. Put on your favorite pump up jam, brace yourself, and CHUG. The best part is: you will NOT feel like you just shot gunned a beer when you are done. You will feel like a goddess. You will be hydrated. Your skin will have that glow to it and people will be asking you all about what kind of products you use and you’ll say “I shot gun waters.” Make it fun! You are worth it. 

4. If you REALLY need something fizzy, try La Croix or any kind of NATURALLY FLAVORED seltzer waters! So many brands make them now and they are super easy to find at any store (even Aldi’s carries La Croix!) I drink about one fizzy water a week because the carbonation does make me a bit bloated, which I discovered when I was drinking one a day over time. It really does curb the craving for soda for me, which was HUGE when I was just starting my journey as I was completely addicted to Dr. Pepper and needed something to fill that void STAT. 

5. If you are looking for the occasional flavoring to your water, there are a few brands that are making those flavor drops now with stevia and fruit flavorings. My husband really likes these and I will occasionally add a drop or two to a big bottle of water if I just want “something” else besides plain water in that moment. Our favorite right now is Stir and we order them on Amazon in bulk because they are cheaper that way. There are a few different flavors, so pick your poison! *I don’t encourage using these drops with EVERY glass or bottle of water that you consume in a day. Stevia is still a sweetener and even though it isn’t artificial or sugar, it is still sweet and won’t help slay your sugar dragon that constantly makes you crave sweet things, so beware of that if you are really struggling with a sugar addiction you are trying to cub. 

6. PLANT NANNY! I have had so many clients that just LOVE this app! You download it on your phone and for every glass or bottle of water you drink, you track it in the app. At the end of the day, will have either grown a thriving, beautiful plant…. or your plants will be dead. You decide what kind of plant nanny you want to be. A plant killer or plant flourisher? The choice is yours. Make good choices. 

I hope all of these tips help you find a way to incorporate more water into your way of life. With every other part of your health, you won’t ALWASY be perfect, so be sure to allow yourself some freedoms, but learn to recognize what your body is REALLY wanting. Your body is never wanting ingredients it can’t actually recognize, but WATER… water is life! Adding more water and less sugary drinks, sodas, and empty calories via liquids will change your life for the better!