Weekly Challenge: 5 Days of Drinking a Gallon of Water

My love hate relationship with water had been a constant issue since I could remember. If I had a dime for every time someone would tell me “You just need to drink more water”, I’d be banking right now! The facts tied to the benefits of drinking water are incomparable. So I decided I will find out for myself, by drinking a gallon (or more) of water everyday.

Changes I Made:

• Right after I woke up in the morning, I made myself drink 1-2 cups of water. Warm water, only because I love how it feels.
• When at Starbucks I would ask for a venti cup of water every time I was getting coffee (or get a cup of water with coffee at any other coffee shop). With every sip of coffee, I’d make it a point to take a sip of water. No questions asked. 
• I got my friends to hold me accountable. 
• Infused water makes drinking water so much fun. You’d want to go back for more sips!
• Take small servings of water (for example, one sip every 10 minutes) throughout the day instead of one huge bottle/glass at once. This ensures not having to go to the bathroom too frequently.
• Keep track of water intake throughout the day.  
• Drink a glass of water before any meal.
• Get fun containers/tumblers to keep things interesting. 
• Since I drive everywhere, I made sure to leave the house with two flasks instead of one. Every time I had to sit at a light or traffic, I’d take several sips.

Changes I Experienced:

• So much more energy. No joke! My afternoon slump completely disappeared, and wanting coffee at 2pm turned more into a ‘want’ than a ‘need’.
• I woke up earlier, feeling lighter and less groggy.
• I felt physically more active and found myself having more stamina when working out.
• I was less self conscious when wearing clothes, due to the lack of bloating.
• I was due to start my period, AND the pre-period bloating, headache and abdominal pain (which occurs every month before I start) did not happen at all! *Mind Blown*
• I didn’t see a huge change in my skin, but I did notice my face was less significantly swollen after waking up.

The challenge has been my favorite one so far. Not only because I’ve always struggled with drinking enough water, but I noticed so much difference in such a short period of time. I now have more awareness when it comes to drinking water, and my body for sure is thanking me for it!