IDEAL BALANCE

Water is important. For all the reasons. That is another topic entirely. Today we are here assuming you agree but maybe you’re finding getting in that 1/2 your body weight in ounces keeps eluding you. We talk about this all the time with our clients so we’ve devised several little hacks to help you get your water intake up while working with your habits.

1. Wake up with water.

When you wake up in the morning, you’re dehydrated. Your body has just spent the evening repairing and working while you rested….all without a single sip of water! The best thing you can do for your body at this point is to rehydrate it on purpose. This can happen a couple of different ways. We know of a woman whose father kept a large cup of water at his bedside to drink all the way through first thing in the morning when he woke, before he even left the bedside. You can do something similar.

If you’re a coffee drinker, we have a different challenge for you. First of all, please understand that coffee dehydrates you further so be nice to your body and don’t let coffee be the first thing you put into your body! We suggest you fill whatever cup you typically drink coffee out of with water first. Drink that down, then you’re allowed to move onto coffee.

If you’re feeling particularly healthy and motivated, consider adding a fresh squeeze lemon to that first cup of water in the morning.

2. Get a bigger bottle.

This may seem obvious, but it’s often the simplest solutions that elude us. Most of us have a favorite water bottle or cup that we drink from without much effort. If you find yourself struggling to get the full amount of ounces in, this is a simple way to help you. Just a simple change of a 16 to 20 or 20 to 24 ounce bottle / cup can take your ounces up without any extra behavior modification or brain calories. If you drink two or three a day, you could add up to 15 ounces of water with this simple trick!

Likewise, if you need to get in 100 ounces of water a day and you’re carrying around a 20 ounce water bottle, you might find that refilling five times seems difficult. If you can change bottles to one that is 33 ounces, you’ll only need to refill twice. That alone could make the difference in achieving your water intake goals.

Related: Make your health habits easier

3. Plan it.

Here’s the deal: unless you’re a really special and disciplined person, you’re not going to get in your water without a plan. So, figure it out. What is your normal routine? What is your schedule and how does water fit in? How much water does your favorite bottle hold? Here is an example of a plan:

• 25 ounce water bottle
• Drink 1x 12 ounce coffee cup full of water before coffee
• Drink 1x water bottle before lunch, refill @ lunch break
• Drink 1x water bottle during lunch, refill before leaving for home
• Drink 1x water bottle while cooking dinner / with dinner
• 87 ounces of water (great plan for someone who weighs < 175 lbs)

Create a plan like this for yourself. Routines are where the magic of habits and progress happen!

Related: 7 steps to your ideal weight

4. Take two.

This is the big one. Many of you get to work, sit down and crank out tasks one after another, rarely stopping for a break, for lunch, for a water-bottle refill. We understand that even that tiny little bit of friction to walk to the kitchen or wherever can keep you from getting in your ounces. Instead of ignoring that or feeling bad about it, we’re going to solve for that tiny bit of friction. That means you’re going to start bringing two or three FULL water bottles to your desk when you start your workday. This way there is no extra step between you & drinking water and you can get in all the ounces without any extra brain calories or work during the busy work day.

5. Order water only.

Make a pact right now: If I go out to eat, I’ll order only water. Here’s the truth: you’re going to get plenty of calories, you don’t need to add them with empty beverages! You’ll also save on your bill since water is typically free and beverage prices keep going up. If you MUST have a drink while you’re out, make this pact: I’ll drink an entire glass of water first.

There you have it, five simple ways to get your ounces in!

Ideal Balance is The Life Coaching Facility in Navarre, Florida that focuses on Fitness, Family & Finance. We help our clients create the discipline & habits they need to strip off what’s holding them back from living the life God created them to live. We work with clients in 1-on-1 sessions in person, virtually and in small groups. We offer life coaching, financial coaching, health coaching. We also offer personal training and home organization locally here in Navarre, Florida. Fill out the information below if you’re interested in our help and we will contact you.