I am a water drinker. I have been carrying around my water bottle for years. Back in college I strapped my Nalgene bottle to a carabiner on my backpack. It was my thing. While I always have water on hand I don't always drink as much water as I should.
I recently downloaded a water app (Water Your Body on Google Play) that helps me keep track of my water intake throughout the day. Based on the app it suggests that you drink half your body weight in ounces. And it gives you notifications on your phone that sounds like water running. It might make you have to go to the bathroom but it's helpful!
Since using the app I have started a basic routine throughout my day that will get me to my water intake goal without downing a bunch at the end of the day. Most days I reach my goal by early evening, creating a balanced water drinking routine.
While I love my Nalgene bottles, we recently switched over to different reusable water bottles. We now have 16.9 and 32 ounce bottles that look like regular plastic bottles but are made with a harder plastic and you can twist the top half off to put in the dish washer or to add ice or fruit to infuse. The main thing is that they also both fit in the cup holder in my car and having both sizes gives me a choice of what I want to carry. The smaller ones are by Copco and the large ones are Aladdin that I found at Walmart (similar on Amazon as well).
To start the day I drink a 16.9 ounce and usually pour some of it into my morning shake. After that I usually try to get in a workout and my goal is to finish a 32 ounce during and after my workout.
We have four of the smaller bottles and three of the large ones so that we always have cold water to grab in the refrigerator. We have a counter top Brita filter that can be time consuming to fill so having the bottles ready make running out the door with water much easier.
Between the two bottles, by lunch time I am over half way to my water intake goal.
I also recently got two Blender Bottles. They are great. I leave one in my car with protein powder (I use Designer Whey) for when I get hungry. While I normally eat protein bars (I like Luna Bars) on the go, switching to the protein shakes is half the calories plus I am getting in more water. I fill up the bottle with 12 ounces of water.
Lastly, I also try to get in a little extra water in my coffee or tea. I am a sweet coffee drinker (I drink it more for taste than the caffeine) so I am a big fan of the Cafe Express K-Cups (my favorites are Cafe Caramel, Cafe Vanilla, and Chai Latte). But in order to curb my sweet tooth a little and make my drink go a little further, instead of making an 8 ounce cup, I set it to 10 ounces. It is still plenty flavorful and every extra ounce of water helps.
I also recently stumbled upon Oat Fit oatmeal. They are delicious (taste better than the low sugar variety) and come in 100 calorie packs. I have been having them for a snack when I need something warm and comforting. It adds about another 8 ounces of water. Win win on that one.
And honestly, when I am on top of my water intake, my food intake also improves. I am less hungry because I am drinking more. And between the coffee and protein shakes, my cravings are often satisfied which helps me eat better. Especially in the winter time, if I start getting hungry in between my regular meals, I will make myself a hot drink first. Usually I can go another hour or two before eating a snack because the water filled me up and perhaps I just needed the water versus more food.
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