lifestyle

All the (LEMON) Water

| 22 Comments

I’ve been on a year long quest to drink more water. It’s actually been just over a year and I truly believe I have cracked the code. Since I made the decision to start to drink more water, it’s been a little bit of a challenge. Apparently deciding to do something (duh) isn’t the only thing you have to do.
But… I’ve gone from drinking basically no water to drinking over two liters of water a day. (Huge for me!) The results have been amazing, too: clearer skin, more energy, and opting for more water over other drinks aka less sugar.

I will say, I think everyone will know themselves the best. I know people who swear by tracking water by apps and using the apps for accountability. I could never remember to log my water intake and it was more frustrating than helpful. I took a lot of different pieces of advice and came up with a great system that worked for me… and maybe you can adapt it to work for you as well.

1. I made the decision to drink more water | Although this isn’t enough to guarantee success on itself, it’s a start. And an important start at that! Making it a goal, made me hold myself accountable. It wasn’t easy (hello, it’s been a year!), but it did eventually pay off. I tried all sorts of things knowing that it was looping back to my ultimate goal: my health.
2. Lemons made it easy | Using lemon wedges in the water was key. I tried other fruits, but way preferred the light lemon taste. I couldn’t believe how much more quickly I was able to drink the water when there was a lemon wedge or two in there. 
3. One bottle, first thing in the morning | Even if I had a goal of drinking more water during the day, I’d put it off. I discovered that if I started by drinking water I would be more likely to drink more throughout the day, and I was off to a great start before 8am! I typically would drink a cup of coffee first thing in the morning and I’ve just replaced the coffee with the bottle of water. Well, maybe replace isn’t the right word… postponed is more accurate!
There was an article I read about how to get in the habit of something. The tip was that you have to incorporate the habit into your every day routine. You “anchor” the new habit into something you’re already doing. For example, doing a set of pushups after brushing your teeth. I had been taking medication in the morning with a sip of water from the faucet… Now I take the medication right when I come home from walking Teddy with the first sip of the water bottle. It’s the official “start” of my water drinking for the day! It was so surprisingly simple to make the habit stick when I was anchoring it to something I was already doing.
(I had read articles about the benefits of warm lemon water in the morning, but I way prefer cold water. I have no idea if it’s worse/better than warm water… but I do know that it’s something I like and that it works for me. I’ll take it.)
4. Keep the refrigerator stocked | Keeping water bottles ready to go in the refrigerator was definitely the first step to drinking more water for me. With the lemon slices, it’s really just one more step (actually cutting the water). It seriously saves time and energy when the bottles are filled and stocked with lemons and ready to go!
5. Every day is a new day | There are days when I’m not as disciplined and skip the water in the morning or only drink half. I just remember the next morning that it’s a new day and another chance to drink more.
Hello Sunshine Tumbler (c/o)
I’m honestly kind of hooked on it. It definitely started off as something I was encouraging myself to do for the health benefits and now I love the taste and reach for a lemon water whenever I’m thirsty. The only downside is that I have to go to the bathroom a LOT more hahah!!!! It’s my new policy to use the restroom before I leave any location. I got stuck underground on the subway heading to a meeting one morning and thought I was going to burst! Never again. 

I was just thinking the other day that the year is more than halfway over… it’s the perfect time to check in with any goals you had set back in January. I have to say, I’m pretty proud of myself for making this work.

xoxo
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22 Comments

Audrey Lin

I usually drink almost no water or I drink so much I need to go to the bathroom every few hours (or even minutes!) haha. Fruit infused water always encourages me to drink more! Love your tumbler 🙂 I think tumblers are a mindless way to get you to drink more water. Because there's a straw, I'd probably be drinking water whenever I was bored; it's a lot less work than tipping your head back to sip from a water bottle! -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

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Abi Street

I am so glad I saw this post. I currently have a litre bottle of water next to me which I am already struggling to drink half off. Trying to drink more water is
definitely something I need to improve on. Great post xx

Abi | abistreetx.blogspot.co.uk

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Marisa Quinn Mieczkowski

I was like you at first, I'd opt for sodas or other sugary drinks before I'd even consider drinking water. Now that I've been only drinking water for a year or two, besides the occasional lemonade or Arnold Palmer as a treat, I have headaches if I don't drink at least two liters a day. Keep drinking water though! Its so much better for you and makes you feel netter than any soda ever will!
xo,
Marisa Quinn
prepinthemitten.blogspot.com

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pinkandnavyprepster.com

These are great tips! I'll have to try lemon in my water. I've heard a lot about it, but I'm not sure if I'll like such a subtle taste. In my sophomore year of high school, I made the goal to only drink water and coffee. No soft drinks. I haven't had a soft drink since! It takes some getting used to, but I got to where I didn't even crave soft drinks anymore!

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Alyson Cruse

These are such great tips! I never drink enough water so I'll definitely use these. Thanks for sharing!
XO Alyson | mylifeasalyson.blogspot.com

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Elizabeth

I've been meaning to start drinking warm lemon water every morning. Great suggestion to anchor it to an activity I'm already doing.

I read this recently about the benefits of lemon water: http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/lemon-in-water.html According to that, room temperature is the way to go. Maybe try it out and see if you feel differently when drinking it at a warmer temperature. 🙂

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Brooke

"It's my new policy to use the restroom before I leave any location. I got stuck underground on the subway heading to a meeting one morning and thought I was going to burst! Never again." HAHAHA that is so awful, oh my gosh! I've been in that situation so many times myself, but usually from too much of my beloved iced decaf coffee! 😉

I've also been meaning to put lemon in my water more often because I've heard that it's really good for you! ….But I should probably stop telling waiters at restaurants "no lemon, please" in order for that to happen, ahaha!

xoxo, Brooke ( http://www.ThePinkLyme.com )

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Lexi

This may sound silly, but having a water bottle I love toting around every helps. I drink a ton more water now that I purchased the huge BKR. 🙂

-Lexi (www.tryscratch.com)

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