Forcing water

[Anonymous]

I don't drink enough water - 4-6 cups a day. Do you force yourself to drink water or just respond to your thirst?

[Anonymous]

Respond to thirst.

I see no reason to force yourself to drink water. "Needing" to drink a certain amount of water a day is a myth perpetuated by the fitness and bottled water industries.

As long as your urine is a pale yellow you are fine.

[Anonymous]

I prefer almost room temperature water and I drink more when I have that.

[Anonymous]

If you wait until you are thirsty, you are already in deficit.

[Anonymous]

Electrolytes help. Squeeze of lemon. Also using a water bottle so you can measure ozs.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps you just get some of your water from other sources. I hate forcing myself to drink water, but I show no signs of dehydration so I assume I'm getting a good amount from fruit and other beverages. The only time I make myself drink water is when I'm exercising, because I do think you need to be somewhat proactive at that point to avoid dehydration. The rest of the time I just drink what I feel like.

[Anonymous]

I have a hard time drinking enough water and it is practically the only thing I drink (except for 2 cups of Swiss Miss hot chocolate in the morning). I have very odd eating habits in general. Lately, I’ve found that I drink more water when I buy Fiji. Yes, it is expensive and I hate the plastic bottles. But I don’t spend money on Starbucks or other expensive coffee drinks or on cocktails so I feel I can justify the price of Fiji.

[Anonymous]

I keep my water bottle on my desk. I won't make more tea or coffee until I have finished all the water in my water bottle. Essentially, I rotate my beverages. It works for me.

[Anonymous]

I bought a large clear jug that I try to drink in one day. I don’t want to keep refilling and I need to see the water that I have left.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you wait until you are thirsty, you are already in deficit.

This. And, the more you drink, the more you will want to drink. It just makes your body feel good to drink water.

[Anonymous]

I don’t force myself to consume water if I’m not feeling it. I have a healthy thirst feedback loop, which I don’t ignore. That’s enough.

[Anonymous]

I am aware of how much I consume but don't force it. If I feel I haven't had enough, or if I'm feeling hungry and it hasn't been that far from a meal (since dehydration can present like hunger), I'll eat a few salty almonds and then I want to drink water.

[Anonymous]

I used to drink only when thirsty until I developed kidney stones. That experience has made me drink a lot more now.