To ask for top water drinking tips?

[GonnaDrinkWater]

I'm always telling myself I need to drink more water and I'm sure I'm not alone. Some of you may have cracked it, some of you may not.

So please share your top tips on getting through your daily water quota!

[AnneLovesGilbert]

I have a desk job and keep a big water bottle on my desk which I drink because it's in front of me. I have 2/3 litre of water for every hot drink I have. So 3 big bottles.

I wee about once an hour!

[Bunnyhipsdontliegrl]

I mostly open my mouth and put water in it. Repeatedly. The more often you do it the more water you'll drink

[KityGlitr]

Keep a 2 litre bottle and fill at start of the day. I drink more from those as I don't have to keep getting to a tap to refill after every glass. Take it out with you and the hassle of carting it around will make you drink it quickly, trust me!

Or find a really nice squash you enjoy. I love sugar free Ribena for in the house. Makes it a treat.

Drink a pint first thing in the morning, and a pint or half before bed if you don't wee too much in the night.

I love water, drink about three litres per day without fail. Makes my skin clear and gives me energy and stops me overeating!

[Hollystyrene]

Get a nice, big glass, ideally one that doesn't show smears! I find it easier to drink water if it tastes of something, so I put a few slices of cucumber or some mint in it.

[PinguPaws]

Yeah, I add a bit of lemon and mint to mine. I use a Contigo water bottle with sparkling water. A tip before exercising is to fill your water bottle nearly to the top and pop it in he freezer overnight, nothing like lovely ice cold water to cool you down after a bit of strenuous activity.

[Plexie]

Bunnyhipsdontliegrl has pretty much nailed it, but do remember to swallow too!

You don't have to drink only plain water. Either diluted squash or, if you want to avoid all the artificial ingredients, try adding slices of cucumber, lemon or lime to water and letting it stand for a while to absorb the taste. It won't be very strong but can make a nice alternative to plain water.

[humblesims]

I find it tricky to drink cold water so quite often have it at room temperature. Might sound a bit weird that. Just me I expect.

[snozzlemaid]

I always drink chilled water. Keep a bottle in the fridge. Tastes much better.

[malmi]

Kettle on the desk where I work (home office) and various types of Chinese loose-leaf tea on hand

[Doramaybe]

All liquids including tea/coffee/yogurts are counted as part of your liquid intake.

Don't overdo the water unless you are an athlete and need to replace it through vigorous exercise.

2x 500 ml bottles a day does me along with tea/coffee and yogurt.

I also have a glass jug in the fridge door. Often just use that instead of making tea or coffee, now that would obviously be in the evening, because caffeine is essential in the morning isn't it!

[KityGlitr]

I'm the same humble. Really cold water takes much longer to drink and risks brain freeze/hurting teeth. Just a faff. Much prefer room temperature water! Can easily down a pint of it in a few seconds that way. Not got any interest in slowly sipping icy cold water unless it's fizzy and I'm at a bar.

[Papafran]

Drink a small 250 ml glass every couple of hours during the day. You can also count tea and stuff.

[RainbowsAndCrystals]

I find it easy at work due to there being a constant supply of filtered cold water. I drink mine in one of those jam jars with a straw, I find drinking through a straw makes me drink quicker as well.

You can always add fruit to your water as well.

[Anatidae]

2l a day is misunderstood.

It’s based on the fact that if as a person you use 2000kcal a day, you will need 1ml of metabolic water to use that calorie.

Most of that comes from food and a significant proportion from other metabolic processes.

The amount of water you need a at will depend on your health, age, size, activity level, humidity and temperature around you.

You can drink too much water and kill yourself - always a couple of cases every year of people doing this (hyponatremia.) usually people dieting convinced they need to drink gallons.

Do you need to drink more water? Pee and check the colour. If it’s darker than pale straw have a drink. Otherwise, you probably don’t need more water, it’s yet another faddy bit of pseudoscience

[Anatidae]

you will need 1ml of metabolic water to use that calorie.

Kcal sorry, So 2000kcal = 2l.

It’s a myth anyway

[LadyDeLaFuente]

A friend of mine and I realised we both do the same thing which is to have an effervescent multi-vitamin (Boots own brand of Berocca) disolved in a glass of water in the morning. We do it to make sure we get that first glass of water of the day down our necks as I used to leave home in a rush and spend the morning parched (I don't work near a water machine). Plus you get your dose of vitamins.

[CoughLaughFart]

Open your mouth and pour it in.

[AndrewJames]

There isn't a daily water quota. But i just drink water.

[Medeci]

I've never found it difficult to drink water, always thought it was a basic human skill but perhaps I'm in a minority.
Some people must find it a struggle as I keep hearing about "challenges" to drink specified amounts of water, near year resolutions to drink more water as part of a get fit routine etc, as if it's something really hard to do.

[SendintheArdwolves]

I find it easy to drink enough water, because when I haven't drunk enough I feel thirsty/antsy/bad breath/tense and just generally like I need some water! I drink about 3l a day, but then I am big/tall and prob need more than most people. I also don't drink hot drinks, juice or anything else really, so water is my only liquid.

What is making you think you "should drink more water"? Are you experiences physical cues (thirst, dark urine, difficulty concentrating, headaches, dry lips, etc) - in which case, that is your motivation to drink more. Or do you just feel like you "ought to" and that it will have magic youthening properties?

(FWIW, I think a lot of people are dehydrated and just don't recognise what that feels like because they're so used to suppressing it, but there's nothing to say that you're one of them.)

[Doramaybe]

Sometimes I think bottles of water, along with takeaway coffee is just something that says, look at me, I am part of the pack. Rubbish, nothing wrong with buying a little cafetiere, or filling up your empty bottle from home, and bringing in a few tea bags in to work.

Same shit different price for the millennials though! And we will be all told it is the right thing to do.

[shebebutlittle]

I have one of these

[GonnaDrinkWater]

What a mixed bag! Thank you - for the laughs and the science, as well as the ideas.

It looks like getting a big 2l bottle to save me from faffing all day, popping in some lemon for yummy flavour enjoyment and leaving it out because I can't drink it cold either, is the way to go.

I get a lot of headaches, I have done all my life, which I think is probably dehydration. My skin is ok. I think the colour of my urine is ok but it gets diluted in the pan so how can I be sure? Wee in a glass? I've got really puffy bags under my eyes and I heard recently that's a sign of dehydration. What do you think? To be honest, they're what I want to get rid of!

[MrsJBaptiste]

Get up, go downstairs and drink half pint of water. Eat breakfast and drink another half pint before leaving for work. Drink 1 litre bottle of water at work, another at the gym and a pint with dinner in the evening. That plus teas and coffees throughout the day mean you've drunk loads