Drinking a gallon of water a day is no easy feat, especially when your day is packed with all of the things. Work meetings, family responsibilities, errands and a social life can make you feel like the only way to drink that much water is to just never leave the house.
Not true! I’ve been drinking a gallon of water a day during various points of my life. Now I have learned a lot about how to fit drinking a TON of water into my life versus changing my life to meet that gallon goal.
Here are seven ways I’ve made drinking a gallon of water very manageable, even on a busy schedule.
Get started early before the day gets hectic
As soon as I wake up, I drink a good amount of water. Usually I am thirsty anyways and want to rehydrate after the long night, but taking this moment before I start my day helps me make early progress towards my gallon goal. When I drink while I’m getting dressed and doing my morning routine, I find that I’m almost a quarter of the way done before my morning meetings start.
Take at least 10 gulps every time you drink
I don’t get to a completed gallon by slow sipping throughout the day, nope! Every time I sip, it has to be with the intention to make progress toward finishing the gallon. So take more sips than a few to chug to the finish line.
Steadily sip during meetings
I am on video calls for most of the work day, so if I waited to drink until after meetings, I’d never drink enough. My new rule is “when I’m not speaking, I’m drinking.” It’s a perfect time to get some serious ounces in since I’m confined to one spot and can still easily pay attention and be engaged in the meeting. When I have a ton of meetings in a day, I am close to finishing the gallon by 5pm. The earlier the better!
Drink a full glass of water before meals
If I wait to drink until after a meal, chances are that I will be too full to finish a good amount of water. Start out with water, and you’ll get farther in the #gallonwaterchallenge.
Add flavor to mix it up
The taste of water may not be the most exciting to guzzle all day. A good way to switch it up is to infuse fruit or add lemon or lime for an added twist throughout the day.
Plan ahead – know your restroom options when you will be away from home
You can’t expect to drink a gallon of water without a huge increase in the number of trips you’ll make to the restroom. If I know I am going to be away from home for awhile, I either plan to get the majority of my water intake before or after my time away from home, or I make sure I scope out all my bathroom options along the way before I go.
That’s it! When I’m able to follow these seven tips, I can finish my gallon goal by around 6pm, which helps avoid late drinking = late bathroom trips. And even better, then my night is free to drink wine. 🙂
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