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How Much Water Should I Drink?
Updated: Sep 10
Did you know that water boosts your body’s ability to break down fat and carbs for fuel? This is known as your metabolic rate. Drinking water also helps eliminate waste and can be a good appetite suppressant. If your diet is high in sodium, your body will hold onto water, making you appear puffy and slightly swollen. This is called water retention. Increasing water intake will solve this problem.
A good goal is to be drink half your bodyweight in oz. of water. For example, a 150 lb. person should drink at least 75 oz. of water. That’s a little more than half a gallon daily. If this is too aggressive for you right now, focus on drinking at least 32 oz. of water per day. Athletes may need to consume as much as a gallon per day! Constantly putting a water bottle to your mouth, and frequent trips to the bathroom may present a challenge, but the benefits far outweigh the discomfort. Here are some suggestions to help you succeed this week:
1. Drink 8 oz. of water as soon as you wake up. The earlier you jumpstart your metabolism, the more calories you will burn throughout the day. Furthermore, we wake up a little dehydrated so getting that water in quickly will lead to more mental clarity, and proper daily functioning of your cells and organs.
2. Find out which bottling system works for you. Consider buying a water bottle labeled with progress markers and encouraging messages to keep you motivated to keep drinking throughout the day. These are available on Amazon (SEE PRODUCT BELOW). Otherwise carry a gallon, or keep track of how many 16 oz., 20 oz., or 33 oz. bottles of water you consume throughout the day.
3. If you’re like me, flavor matters! Try infusing your water with fruit or squeezing some lemon juice in it. You can also try some flavored powders (low sugar or sugar free) to make the experience more tolerable. Most times I put flavored BCAA powder in my water. BCAA’s come with the added benefit of helping with endurance and muscle recovery during and after workouts. Other times I use the True Lemon or Crystal Light powders pictured below.