Week 1 of the 52 small changes challenge - all welcome

[OddSocksHighHeels]

So the aim is to make one small change a week over a year to keep it manageable based on a book called 52 Small Changes. I'll post each week with the new challenge and people can adapt to however it suits them.

Week 1 starting tomorrow (or today I guess as it's now after midnight) is to drink more water.

The book advises this method for working out how much you should drink: take your body weight in pounds and divide by two, that number is the amount of water you should drink in ounces eg you weigh 150lb so you should drink 75oz water per day. I can't quite follow this so I'm sticking with 1.5 litres a day as an aim.

Feel free to add fruit or veg or whatever if you don't like the taste of water by itself. I currently have a jug that I've added some raspberries and mint to waiting for me to drink tomorrow.

I will check in at the end of each day to update on my progress and keep myself accountable. I hope you all find it helpful too!

Here's to a healthier year

Count me in, better late then never, have ordered a fruit fusing water bottle on eBay.

14lbs in a stone so that's 7 ounces per stone. X30
210mls per stone.
Yikes that's a lot of water for me. I don't drink two glasses per day yet so getting it up to 14 glasses per day seems impossible.
I'll have to drink one an hour. Well I'll start small and hopefully towards end of week I'll be doing better but no chance on a work day, I don't get enough breaks to drink that much!

Morning all! Happy New Year :)

Must locate my nice filter bottle. Think DCs have been borrowing it as they didn't locate their own ones.

3 big glasses of water before bed last night. And another one this morning.

Dry January so far seems to be rehydration January.

I'm in. I'm drinking water.

Is it too late for me to join? Going to start carrying a bottle of water with me again today as I'd fallen out of the habit though at 15 stone I'm going to have to drink 3 litres a day!! Think I'll start by aiming for 2 to begin with

I'm guessing tea and coffee doesnt count as have about a litre of that per day.

This sounds like a good challenge - I'm in for a lot of small changes.

I'm not convinced by the claims we all need to drink large amounts of water (think it's a marketing ploy to sell us water) but I do not drink enough of anything some days, I know, and I feel a lot better with a couple of glasses of water.

So I'm adding a glass of water every morning when I get up, and a glass before I go to bed. I already do this 'sometimes' but I'll make it a habit.

Great challenge, thanks!

I didn't do very well yesterday. 600 ml before I started on lots of alcohol.

Today however I'm Going to carry around a 750ml water bottle which I will refill throughout the day.

Meant to start yesterday which didn't happen but have had a cup of boiled water to start the day so hopefully that bodes well for the rest of the day :)

Like allguns said - don't worry about being late to join! You can start in your own time. I started on a Sunday, others on the Monday, the Tuesday and so on. Join in whenever you like.

There is no alcohol challenge in the book - the author says she won't tackle that or smoking at all in the book - but sleep is next weeks one.

Thanks for the tip on the Aldi offer, I'll have to figure out if there's one close enough for it to be worth my while going.

I've had 2 glasses so far today, not a bad start.

Oooh I'm up for this.

I already drink loads of water when Im at work anyway (which I have been this week), but not so much at home. So Ive worked out I need to drink 2.3867 litres a day.

I might be able to miss the sleep one out though as I do get 7 hours a night and sleep really well. Will depend on what the actual challenge is though. But for now will definately do the water one.

Has anyone noticed that they are unconsciously making other little changes without thinking since they started? I've noticed I'm remembering to use my moisturiser every day, and I plucked my eyebrows today (usually saved for a panic just before a night out or big meeting). I wonder is the "I'm doing this for me" element rubbing off on other parts of my life?

but oh dear god, the amount of grey and white eyebrows that came out! Sob!

I agree hereiamagain
Couple of interesting articles here if you're interested in the theory behind the drinking recommendations
here and here

vvviola yes. I'm doing this too. Small things. Getting up that bit earlier so I have time to do my hair. Nicely. Or actually think about what I'm wearing. Instead of just piling hair up and grabbing clothes out of wardrobe.

vvviola yes me too. I'm just feeling positive about doing something and it's helping the smaller bits as well. Let's hope it stays this way!

I've already had 2 massive glasses of water and I only got up at 11.

A not small change but something I need to get better at - any tips on remembering to take my tablet everyday? It's not the pill (which I was better at taking), but I need to get into the habit and I can't work out how to set a daily reminder on my phone...

Also I've been drinking a glass of water while the kettle boils, and drinking half a glass before I refill it. Feeling positive!

I've nearly finished my first 500ml of the day. Not great but better than nowt.

Im starting today. I drink far too much tea although it is decaf and very very weak. Does that count in the daily total?

So on for this!

I'm pleased - I've been dossing about on the laptop (having a very lazy day) and just decided to actually bother getting up and refilling my bottle, which I'm going to try and drink through now. Wouldn't have bothered if not for this thread

Glad the ABs are starting to work quirkychick and hope you managed to get some rest today.

Grrr no Aldi here.

There's a Dry Jan thread if someone is wanting to join and give the booze a kick for a month.

hereiam really even coffee and your food counts towards your fluid intake according to my army PT mate. I don't even think I've really upped my fluid intake much, simply swopped it in coffee form for water. I drank a scandalous amount of coffee so pleased I'm down to 2 cups now.

BoyFromTheBigBadCity do you have tea or coffee first thing in the morning?? Leave it with the cups or beside the kettle. I have to take mine first thing before food so it's in with my cups. Means soon as I go in there I see it.

Boyfromthebadcity i have to take toe tables in the morning. one before so I put my tablets and a bottle of water by the bed. That way I take it before getting up. The other is with food so I put the box on top of the tea stuff so I see it while making breakfast

I'm managing over 2l a day of water, I really do drink a lot more from a bottle!

boy Would a post-it on the bathroom mirror work? Or somewhere where you'd get something first thing in the morning? I'm rubbish at remembering to take tablets and ignore my phone and it's alarms so I'm probably no use suggesting anything!