Hey Sassy Peeps!
This week in our coffee chat, Lindsay and I were chatting about water. We specifically discussed why your body needs water and touched on a few ways we drink more water.
The ideal amount of water that your body needs is unique to you and takes many factors into consideration (such as your activity level, diet, metabolism, age, etc), however, a general rule of thumb is that you require HALF your body weight in ounces of water per day. So, if you weigh 150lbs, you would need 75oz daily.
Remember, water is classified as that clear liquid that comes from the tap (or a bottle). It isn’t carbonated and there is nothing added to it. The more of THAT you can drink in a day, the better. However, I do understand that sometimes (especially after surgery) plain water doesn’t sit well for some people. Again, drinking as much plain water as you can is ideal, so try adjusting the temperature of your water first. Add ice cubes, drink it straight from the tap, room temperature, or warmed up…sometimes that makes a difference.
The next thing to try is to do some infusing to your water. You can add a variety of fruits, vegetables, herbs, etc. All of these “add-ins” are low/no-calorie and will help to slightly alter the PH balance and flavor of your water and may make it sit better in your bariatric belly. I have included a list of popular infusions below, but really – the sky is the limit!
Another way to try to add some flavor to your water is by drinking herbal, decaffeinated teas. You can buy these in a variety of flavors and they can either hot or cold. Of course, there are some that are better quality than others, check the ingredients, and watch for artificial sweeteners and ingredients that you cannot pronounce.
For me, the last resort to get more water in is those flavor enhancers. These are either the squirt ones or the powder that you mix in. Most of these are loaded with artificial ingredients and do very little to quench thirst. The more artificial junk we put in our water, the less our body recognizes it as water. If you absolutely MUST use these, try to dilute them more than recommended and try to drink 1 glass of plain water between each enhanced glass. Also, if you can find an enhancer that is sweetened with stevia or monk fruit, that would be a better option than some of the ones with Splenda or aspartame.
Another thing that I frequently do to get in more water is to mix up my water bottle. Personally, I prefer about a 20oz water bottle and fill it frequently. I like to feel like I’ve accomplished something and each time I finish it, it’s like a big checkmark for me! Others like a big water bottle that they don’t need to fill as often. Some prefer plastic bottles, metal bottles, or even just straight-up glasses. A great way to keep track of how many bottles you have consumed is to wrap elastic bands around the top of the bottle and move one down to the bottom each time you finish a bottle – a little reminder of how great you’ve done throughout the day.
I hope this has helped you figure out some creative ways to reach those water goals each day. Now grab that bottle, and tip it up!
Cheers,
Christina
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