Dehydration

[Verivus]

I have a chronic problem with dehydration. I just don't drink enough water/liquids and I know I'm not drinking enough (minor headaches, fatigue, etc especially in the summer), but I still can't seem to get myself to drink more. I try to carry around a water bottle with me at all times, but that doesn't increase my water intake by much because I don't drink it. It's worse when I don't carry it around. I think I have consumed maybe a little over 1 pint of water/liquid today? (minus liquids in my food) On a good day I'll drink 2 pints of water. I mostly intake liquids when I eat and that's about it. I don't like drinking water when I don't feel thirsty, and I rarely feel thirsty.

I guess I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem and what you do to increase water intake? Obviously what I'm doing now isn't enough.

[arycrest]

Would you drink more if you added some type of flavoring to your water? I'm kind of the same way though I drink more than a pint a day ... if it's plain ole H2O I don't drink enough, BUT if I add a flavoring (I use Crystal Light) to the water I can drink a lot of it.

[Gretchen]

Are you taking any diuretics, either medicines or natural things like caffeine? Are you diabetic?

If not, have you tried eating more fruits an apple or two a day? Our employee loves Gatorade, he is very active and that seems to keep him going. I agree with the post above from ayrcrest, plain water can be boring. I find a glass of milk now and then is a nice change from water and the calcium is very calming.

Another suggestion would be to have water at times you can remember, at home every time you use the bathroom (you can keep those paper dixie cups in there), and a glass of water with every meal.

Yes, I can tell when I don't get enough either with the headaches. I've read by the time you recognize you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.

[Kyleigh]

I can't stand the taste of plain water either!!!

Do you have a favourite tea flavour? I use different herbal tea bags in a jug of water and put it in the fridge. (I use the decaf kind b/c I drink enough coffee). One tea bag is good for about 6-8 glasses of water, and I go through 1 - 1&1/2 jugs a day (mostly at night).

I make a point of every single time I go into the kitchen to drink some tea (I actually drink it right from the jug LOL since my dad hates herbal tea, and no one else lives there!)

[Uns4n3]

I don't have a problem drinking water, but one thing that helps me drink a gallon a day is to fill up a jug in increments and mark them and next to the mark label a time of day. That way you see your 9 am or noon mark and know you should have consumed at least x amount of water.

[Aramis' Mummy]

How about everytime your pup has a drink so do you? lol I never and I mean never drink water. I drink coffee. I am never without a cup. Yes I know it is supposed to dehydrate you however according to my doctor I drink enough coffee that I get enough and am never dehydrated .Just drink whatever is your favorite and drink lots of it.

[jocoyn]

If I drink a big glass of water every time I pee, I pee more then I drink more.

[carmspack]

I tend to get into dehydration myself - so much on the go , especially in summer. Gatorade is a poor rehydration method - too high in sugar , which makes you pee more .
Water is improved with electrolytes . My solution is Emergen-C electrolyte mix , or my own spring water with a squirt of lime, a pinch of sea salt, a dribble of honey.
Cucumber water also excellent . Emergen-C, Vitamin D & Calcium, Joint Health, Heart Health, MSM, ElectroMix

[Syaoransbear]

I'm exactly the same way. I actually consume quite a bit of food just because I'm what I like to call a 'hydration eater'. Instead of drinking water, I just eat foods that contain water.

I haven't really found anything that helps. I try to keep two 1 litre water bottles around and aim to finish them both by the end of the day, but I almost never do. What I'm doing right now is that every time my lips feel chapped, I drink some water instead of putting on chapstick.

Flavoring the water helps too, but that can kind of get expensive.

[FlyAway]

Studies show it takes up to 20 (or more) tastes of a new food before you like it. If you drank only water and no soda, you would gradually learn to like it.

I remember learning to like brocolli. I hated it! But I ate it every day until one day I liked it. I also stopped salting my food and now everything I don't cook myself tastes too salty. It's all relative.

Set an alarm and every 2.5 hours drink 8 ounces of water. Just do it!