This post is all about the benefits I experienced during a month long water challenge!
Y’all it is no secret that I hate drinking water. Yep, you heard me correctly…I hate water. Really I’m not a huge fan of drinking liquids in general. I’m what they call chronically dehydrated.
Despite working out consistently, I still do not drink that much water. On average, I probably consume 16fl ounces a day and some of that comes from brushing my teeth HAH! Every year it’s a goal of mine to drink more water and every year I fall flat on that goal. I’m envious of my friends who drink water like it’s going out of style.
One of my goals for this year was to create and maintain a healthier lifestyle. This meant creating sustainable habits that will eventually translate into my normal routine. With a healthier lifestyle comes taking a look at my horrific hydration habits.
I decided to create a water challenge for myself. This sounds completely laughable to the normal person who is adequately hydrated but I really needed an extra push to hold myself accountable…and who doesn’t love a good, healthy challenge?!?
According to health experts, determining how much water one should consume a day requires knowing your weight and how many minutes of exercise you do a day. The magic water formula is below…
Weight x ⅔ = # of ounces you should drink a day
For every 30 minutes of exercise, add 12fl oz. of water to that number.
For me, my magic number was to try to consume at least 80 ounces of water a day which is about five 16.9fl oz water bottles. This is a daunting amount of water for someone who hates it!
For a month, I consistently drank about 80 ounces of water a day and this is what happened…
Benefits of Staying Hydrated:
The texture of my skin improved
I normally experience really dry skin and on top of that, flare-ups of rosacea. By the end of the month, I noticed small changes in the quality of my skin. It appeared less dry and my makeup was definitely going on a lot smoother. The only rosacea flare-ups I noticed during this time were workout induced and they were minimal! I’m totally feeling like a glowing goddess over here!
I was not a ravenous beast
I complain about the same three things religiously…I’m hungry, I’m cold, and I’m tired. By consistently hitting my water goal each day, I noticed I was not as hungry as I normally am. Before I could literally eat all day long and I’d still be STARVING! It’s like I had a tapeworm hiding in my belly. My coworker was actually the one to suggest drinking more water to see how it would affect my appetite and he was totally right! My new water intake has helped to curb my appetite and constant snacking.
Hello burst of energy
My energy levels were pretty low prior to taking on this water challenge. Noon would hit and it would feel like my body hit a wall for the rest of the day. I would be so tired that I would be ok going to bed at 7 pm every night. It was also extremely difficult for me to get through a challenging workout without feeling completely wiped.
I’m not going to lie, this whole new drinking water thing has been a game-changer. My energy levels have significantly increased and my workouts have been amazing! My body feels fueled to take on 5-mile runs or to lift weights. I even have been able to stay up until 9 pm most nights…I know, I’m such a party animal HAH!
Said goodbye to frequent headaches!
Headaches and the occasional migraine have been something I have suffered from for years, especially after my concussion last year. My mum would always ask “Are you drinking enough water?”…Yes, mum (but in reality not even close). Turns out, M Bear was on to something. I’m happy to report I did not experience one headache during my month-long water challenge. This is huge for me! As I continue with my new hydration habit, I hope to continue to curb those headaches!
Ways to Maintain Hydration
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Get a fancy cup!
My niece always asks to drink her water in her “fancy cup!”…pretty sure that little cutie is on to something! In order to reach your water intake goals, invest in a water-tracking water bottle! There are so many cute options out there! I’m all about tricking myself into drinking water if I’m doing it in style! Check out these cute water tracking bottles below!
Invest in a reusable straw
I found that I was much better about drinking water if I was using a straw. This sounds completely ridiculous but I’m a gal who loves a straw. I found I was drinking more water, faster when using a straw versus just sipping from a water bottle. Invest in a reusable straw so we can save the turtles!
Spice up your water
Water doesn’t have to be boring! Make drinking it more enjoyable by adding fruits like lemons or oranges! Drinking lemon water has so many amazing benefits like weight loss, skin improvement, a great source of vitamin C, and helps with digestion! Time to get creative!
This water challenge was no cakewalk for me. I struggled the entire time! At times I felt like I was drowning, running to the bathroom every 5 seconds has not been ideal, and remembering to drink is something I am still getting used to. Overall, my body really does feel great and I’m proud of myself for sticking to this challenge. I hope this new healthy habit eventually becomes part of my normal routine.
I encourage any fellow dehydrated ladies out there to complete their own water challenge. Start with small goals and go from there! Good Luck!
As a fellow chronically dehydrated individual you had me hanging on each word! So pumped you saw these fabulous results!! Can’t wait for your 90 day update! I’m on day 2, thanks for this!