Method 1: Play water drinking games to motivate yourself
1. Play a game of drinking pong. Drinking games can motivate you to drink more water. Just remember not to drink too much water as it can be fatal. The drinking pong game is similar to beer pong, only with water. If you play it once a week, you'll be fairly successful at increasing your water intake by the end of the month. If you want an extra incentive to help you win this game, set up prizes right before you start playing. You'll need to have a sturdy and durable (waterproof) platform, 20 cups, and 2 ping pong balls. Here's how to play this game: clear everything off the table.
Fill each cup with 100 grams of water. Make sure all the cups are filled with the same volume of water.
Arrange the 10 cups at opposite ends of the table. Place the two sets of cups as far away from each other as possible. So, if your table is rectangular, place them at the long end of the table. Arrange the 4 cups neatly on the edge of the short end of the table.
In front of these 4 cups, place 3 more cups in a row.
Place 2 cups consecutively in front of these 3 cups in a row.
Place the last cup in front of the 2-cup row. You will realize that you have just created a 10-cup flat pyramid.
Arrange the remaining 10 cups in the same manner at the opposite end of the table. The two peaks of the pyramid should face each other toward the center of the table.
Take turns trying to throw ping pong balls into the cups at the other end of the table. When you drop the ball into a cup, drink from that cup. The first person to drink from all the cups wins!
2. Play the water bank game. This is a great game for the whole family, but if you live with other people, you can also play it with your roommate. Not only will the amount of water you drink increase while you play this game, but the winner will also get a prize at the end! You'll need a deposit box, jar, or decorative bowl to collect your money and a notebook or cell phone to keep track of your daily water intake. Here's how to play this game: determine when the game starts and ends. From the first to the last day of the month is a convenient and easy-to-remember time period.
Determine the value of each glass of water. Since you're going to be putting this amount of money into a deposit box (collection jar, bowl), make sure it's an affordable amount for each person.
Each time you drink a full 200 grams of water, write it down. You can make a simple note in a notebook you carry with you, or make notes on your cell phone, and create a log on your computer. Be sure to play this game with a partner you trust and who won't cheat!
At the end of each day or week, deposit the same value of money as the amount of water you drank onto the public **** bank.
When the game is over, count who has contributed the most money to the bank. Not only does that person make all the money, but he also drinks the most water for the month! If there is a tie, the prize money is split evenly between multiple players.
3. Make a water card. A water card is like a coffee loyalty card; you get a stamp every time you drink enough 200 grams of water. Once your water card is filled with stamps, you get a prize. You'll need to make cards for yourself and also carry a pen (to cross out the little squares), stickers or stamps with you. Here's how to play this game: create a table in a word document. Draw a 9×8 grid, marking 1 through 8 in the top row and each day of the week in the first column.
Copy this table 3 times on the page. That way when you print it out, you'll have three water cards.
Cut out each water card and put the one you want to use in the coming week in your wallet.
Each time you finish drinking 200 grams of water, cross it off the water card.
Each day or week, give yourself a reward when you successfully fill the mark on the card. The reward can be in any form, such as a piece of chocolate at the end of the day, or a trip to your favorite English muffin, a cup of coffee, or a new book or a video rental at the end of the week.
4. Promote drinking water with charity. Help a local charity by drinking water. With your coworkers, see how much water you can drink in a month. How many glasses of water you drink and, accordingly, how much you can donate to your favorite charity. You'll need a whiteboard or wall chart to keep track of how much water you drink at the office, as well as a jar or large envelope in which to store your donation. Here's how it works: send out an email inviting people to participate in a charity drinking game. Have people respond with their top three favorite charities and how much they would be willing to pay for each glass of water. That amount can range from a few cents to a few dollars.
Determine the length of this love game and when it will begin. Your love water game can last for a week, or even a month. It all depends on how committed you are as a team to raising money for your chosen charity.
Draw a grid on a whiteboard or wall chart to track progress. List each participant's name and leave a space next to each person's name to mark the amount of water they drink each day.
Marking progress at the end of each day will help you determine when you can reach your goal. You can draw a thermometer shape, fill in the inside with color, and celebrate when it's completely full!
Donate money at the end of the Drinking Water for Love campaign.
Method 2: Make drinking water easier
1. Find out how much water you should be drinking each day. The U.S. Institute of Medicine recommends an average of 3.7 liters (3.7 kilograms) of water per day for healthy adult males and 2.7 liters (2.7 kilograms) per day for healthy adult females, allowing for adjustments based on activity and fitness levels, climate and altitude, and water content in foods and other beverages. Keep in mind that typically, 20% of total daily water intake comes from food and 80% from plain water and other beverages, so the amount of plain water you need to consume each day varies for optimal water intake.
Perhaps the most critical thing you can do to successfully increase your daily water intake is to make it easier to drink. Try some of the following suggestions to make it easier to drink water on weekdays.
2. Carry water with you. Having your own supply of water for yourself at all times will make drinking more convenient. Put reusable water bottles in your handbag, gym bag, desk drawer or car, and make sure you fill them regularly.
Having drinkable water around makes it easier to drink water instead of soda or other beverages and gives you a visual cue to drink more.
3. Set reminders. Try setting an alarm clock or computerized reminder to go off every hour to remind you to drink, or set some personal "triggers" to remind you to drink. Triggers" to remind you to drink can be everyday activities such as getting a phone call, walking past a water fountain, stretching at work or during a workout, hearing someone say your name, or watching an advertisement on a TV program.
4. Install a water fountain in your office lobby. If you have a water fountain or piped-in water system available to you while you're at work, and it's located relatively close to you, it's much easier for you to get water without having to go to the kitchen in order to do so.
5. Prepare some flavored water ahead of time. Keep a large pitcher of flavored or purified water in your fridge at home so you can easily fill up your water bottle each morning or have a glass of water with your meals at home.
Method 3: Drink water as a substitute for sweet drinks and alcohol
1. Realize that sugary drinks or alcohol are not a substitute for water. If you're used to drinking sodas or juice drinks, or if you often drink beer or wine with dinner, consider replacing your beverage of choice with water to increase your intake of plain water. Although these beverages are high in water content, drinking water not only increases your total water intake, but also spares you the side effects of sugar, caffeine, and alcohol found in beverages.
2. Replace at least one glass of water a day. Consider drinking only water in the morning instead of after your vanilla latte.
Consider drinking a full glass of water before opening a can of soda at lunch.
Alternate between alcoholic beverages and water at parties, bars, or meals.
3. Include water in your choices when you want something to drink. Replacing soda or sports drinks with water may seem a little boring, but it's the easiest way to increase your regular daily water intake. Consider keeping some bottled water on your desk instead of a soda can, or take advantage of a new drinking habit by taking the time to stretch your legs a few times a day to get water.
4. Quench your thirst with water. Research shows that when you're thirsty, water can be just as satisfying as other beverages (e.g., sports drinks, soft drinks, juices).
Method 4: Drink water before, during and after meals
1. Make it a habit to keep a glass at your dining table. Drinking a glass of water - or at least a few sips - before, during and after meals is a great way to boost your daily water intake.
2. Drink some water with each meal. Replace your beverage of choice with water at meals, or at least make sure you have water on hand that you can drink. Not only will this save you money on eating out, but it will also reduce the amount of calories you take in from drinks, making you less likely to take in more calories on top of eating.
3. Stick to a small glass of water with each meal. Drinking water during and after meals can make you feel full and stop eating, and it also helps with post-meal digestion of food.
Method 5: Drink unsweetened water-based beverages
1. Drink unsweetened tea. Herbal or fruit teas are basically natural, calorie-free, flavored water. Try drinking unsweetened hot tea in the morning to replace hot caffeinated beverages.
Try hot or iced tea in a variety of flavors, such as mint, strawberry, peach, ginseng, or lemon, to get through the day along with a tasty beverage.
2. Add lime, lemon or other natural flavors to your water. Adding a slice of citrus fruit to your water will add a slightly fruity flavor to bland, tasteless water and will make it easier to drink more water throughout the day. Try mint leaves, cucumber slices, or berries to add other flavors to your water.
3. Try soda. If you usually drink more soda, this water is calorie-free, unsweetened, sparkling, and brings together all the benefits of regular water.
If you prefer a flavored soda, choose an all-natural flavor with no added sweeteners. Or buy regular soda and flavor it yourself.
Tip Remember that drinking water has many benefits. It can help moisturize your lips, protect against infectious diseases, and more.
You may need to increase your daily water intake in hot weather, at high altitudes, or during times of high physical exertion.
Remember that foods and water-based beverages can significantly increase your required daily water intake. Foods such as watermelon, oranges, and tomatoes contain up to 90 percent water, and soups, coffees, and juices count toward your daily water intake.
Drink a little bit of water every morning before you get up and brush your teeth.
The natural response to thirst and daily routine ensures that most people are getting enough water. If your urine is colorless or yellowish, you've probably consumed enough water.
Before you go to bed each night, plan how much mineral water you're going to drink the next day and put them in the fridge. They'll be waiting for you to wake up the next morning, chilled.
Sufficient hydration allows your body to eliminate toxins, circulate blood and nutrients, promote healthy cellular and biochemical processes, facilitate proper organ functioning, and maintain energy levels during necessary physical activities.
Warnings do not often try to replace food with water as a diet. Water does not replace the role of food in your diet because you need to take nutrients from solid foods to survive.
In some countries, drinking tap water is dangerous and can cause discomfort. If you have a problem, choose purified or bottled water.
Increasing your water or fluid intake late at night may cause you to have to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. To avoid this, you may want to limit your fluid intake after dinner.
Drinking too much water is rare, and it can cause hyponatremia, electrolyte disorders, which can have serious adverse health consequences and may even lead to death. Drink according to your thirst, consume water from a variety of foods and beverages, and follow the advice of your health care professional to avoid overdrinking during health conditions or strenuous physical activity.