Ahh, water. A basic necessity for humans. So explain why I think I can get away with drinking one glass and 64 ounces of coffee daily? *Spoiler alert*: I can't.
First, I reached out to a registered dietitian and asked her a few questions so I could get started the *right* way. Meet Rhyan Geiger!
To get the ball rolling, I asked Geiger a few pressing questions I had about drinking water. (I never knew I would *have* pressing questions about this topic, but here we are.)
1. What are some of the key benefits of drinking water?
There are many functions of water in the body: removing waste, regulating body temperature, protecting important tissues (like the brain), preventing constipation, and protecting joints.
2. Is it safe to drink a gallon of water a day?
Yes! Doing everyday activities like breathing or using the restroom creates fluid losses, so it is important to replenish our losses. Water can be lost with these everyday activities and physical activity, even walking!
3. What are some side effects I may experience?
Increased urinary frequency, lol! Adequate water intake can help promote healthy brain function and reduce headaches and may help relieve constipation.
4. How much water should I *actually* be drinking every day?
Each person has a different amount of water they should drink daily. For your needs, consuming 70 ounces each day would be the general recommendation. To easily find out how much water is needed, take body weight in pounds and divide it by two. That will give you the amount of water in ounces you should drink daily. Another good indicator of hydration status is urine color. Light yellow, like lemonade, or colorless is ideal.
With all my questions answered, I felt confident to start the challenge! Here we go!
💦💦💦 Day #1 💦💦💦
How it went: I'm so grateful to have a huge 64-ounce water bottle because I couldn't imagine refilling so many times. Also, I can't stop peeing.
It took me until literally right before bed to finish the entire gallon of water. I obviously need to drink more frequently, but it's just not a habit for me right now. Only having to refill this water bottle twice was also really convenient! However, refilling my painfully slow water-filter pitcher was not fun.
Day #1 thoughts:
I have to actively remind myself to drink water. If it wasn't for this challenge being on my mind, I would have easily forgotten. Also, plain water is pretty boring. I'm going to experiment this week with different ways I can increase my water intake than just drinking a huge jug of it.
Also, I had a really great digestive system today. 💩💩💩
💦💦💦 Day #2 💦💦💦
How it went: I decided I would try to do something different a few days this week when it comes to how I take in water. I didn't want to get bored (with drinking water LOL).
Day #2 thoughts:
Still peeing so much, but I actually felt more energized and motivated this day! I woke up pretty easily, but that is probably because I had to pee so bad as soon as my alarm went off. This may be the solution to getting me out of bed!
💦💦💦 Day #3 💦💦💦
How it went: Back to just drinking regular water through my huge bottle. The excessive peeing has not stopped or slowed down, and I'm pretty certain it won't.
Day #3 thoughts:
My energy is still very obvious this week! In addition, I feel like my digestive system has been working more smoothly, which is honestly really rare. *Cries in IBS.*
💦💦💦 Day #4 💦💦💦
How it went: Time for another fun variation of drinking water! This time I added a cold-brew tea bag and a bunch of berries to flavor my water.
Day #4 thoughts:
Again, just peeing constantly. I find it incredibly annoying, distracting, and just unnecessary. It throws me off when I'm in the zone at work or when I'm just trying to run errands. I had to stop my morning run halfway to pee! It's just so inconvenient.
💦💦💦 Day #5 💦💦💦
How it went: Today I wanted to feel a bit cozy. The weather here in New England randomly dropped to the 40s, and I felt like a cozy little fall queen for a day.
I drank about three cups (10 ounces each, according to my Keurig button) of hot tea, using different flavors each time! This is a great way to drink water but also have it feel as if you're doing something way more fun.
Day #5 thoughts:
Tea makes you wee, friends. I'd like that on a T-shirt. I haven't really seen many changes, except my energy is higher *and* a lot of my hormonal acne is clearing up. However, that could just be because of our good pal: time.
💦💦💦 Day #6 💦💦💦
How it went: Did you know you can buy fancy water? I sure didn't until I saw this in the store! Do I know what "alkaline water" actually does? No. Did it sound super fancy? Yes. Yes, it did.
Day #6 thoughts:
How many times can Stephanie pee in a day? The answer is 13. Aside from the chronic bathroom breaks, my energy continues to be really high! I'm also noticing that I'm sleeping a lot better. This might be because I'm so tired from getting up to pee every five minutes (this is a joke). My hormonal acne has officially cleared up, and I have this weird spike of motivation to be productive all week. Overall, actually feeling so great.
💦💦💦 Day #7 💦💦💦
How it went: Ahh, the last day. Obviously, I had to finish off the challenge with my trusty bottle. It will never fail me.
Day #7 thoughts:
Well, I feel ecstatic not to have to drink a gallon of water a day. I think that because it's really way more water than my body needs, I have been flushing most of it out. I'm confident that if I drink less water (but still enough!), I will pee less and feel way better.
Final Thoughts 💦
In conclusion...
I can admit that before this challenge, I was drinking waaay too little water — I'm talking about 1–2 cups a day. Doing this challenge has opened my eyes to how beneficial drinking water can be, which I know is one of those "duh" moments, but it's easy to just put it off.
I also really want to point out how important it is to remember that clean drinking water is a privilege right now, and I felt really grateful to be able to do this challenge because of where I live and how my living situation is. This will never be something I take for granted.
My toilet, all week:
