5-Day Water Challenge

As things start to heat up outside it is important that we take notice of how our bodies are affected by the warmer months of the year. 

One of those changes is in the amount of water we lose from sweating so much.

I’m a serious sweater! My husband says I sweat like a 300 pound man. Which, I kinda do. Any other sweaters out there? Come on, back me up here!

Part of the reason some sweat more than others is in our genes, but of course it also depends on the environments that we’re in.

When I lived in Florida, I would walk outside my door and immediately start sweating. That’s no joke.

OK. Enough sweat talk….

As the climate starts to heat up this summer, we need to be aware of how much water we are drinking. I’d say the majority of people don’t drink the adequate amount of water a day to keep our bodies running at optimal performance.

So, my challenge to you is the 5-day water challenge! For five days I want you to focus on how much water you are drinking and push yourself to drink more!

Pick a day and let’s get started!

Tips to Get You Started

1. Keep Track

You can keep track of your water intake very easily by either getting a water bottle that tracks how much water you drink! Or by downloading a free water app to your smartphone. I like to use my Fitbit app to track my water, but there are others out there to use. Try one of these for free:

• Water Your Body
• Waterlogged
• Daily Water Free
• Water Tracker

2. Keep it near you

It is important to keep water near you all the time. That is the only way you will get in all your water. Carry a water bottle with you wherever you go and sit it near you. If it’s out of sight, it’s out of mind.

Find a water bottle that you like to drink from. It doesn’t have to be fancy but it needs to be something you’ll use. I am obsessed with my hydroflask because it keeps my water cold all day long.

3. Flavor it

Infuse your water with flavor – it doesn’t have to be boring. Think lemon, cucumber, fruit, fresh herbs and other flavors to have great tasting water on hand.

There are fruit infuser water bottles that also allow you to add natural flavors to your drink.

4. Time it

Make it a goal to drink water first thing in the morning. Also, try to drink water before and during every meal. This will help prevent overeating and will jump start your metabolism. When you want to inhale that bag of crispy, salty potato chips, pound water instead. You’ll likely realize you were simply thirsty.

Ready to get started?! Use one of the methods mentioned above to monitor your water intake for the next 5 days!

Day One

Our bodies need water in order to function properly. When we lose water throughout the day from breathing, sweating, and urinating, we must replace that water loss to avoid dehydration.

Day Two

Do you wait until you’re thirsty to take a drink? That may not be good enough! Research shows that by the time you feel thirsty, you are actually already dehydrated.

Day Three

According the the Institute of Medicine, an adequate intake of water for a female adult is 75 oz. (that’s 9 cups) and is 100 oz. (or 13 cups) for a male adult. That doesn’t even include the water found in the foods we eat (which makes up about 20% of our water intake/day).

You’re recommended water intake will increase beyond this when you are doing intense exercise, or live in a hot climate or high altitude. 

Day Four

The recommended water intake we learned about on day three doesn’t include the water found in the foods we eat (which makes up about 20% of our water intake/day). That means we should aim to DRINK that much water every day. 

Day Five

When you’re exercising, make sure you understand the following:

• Prior to exercise, drink 17 to 20 ounces.
• Every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise, drink 7 to 10 ounces.
• Following exercise (whether you’re thirsty or not), drink 16 to 24 ounces.

How did you do? Is it harder or easier than you thought it would be? I definitely think that drinking more water throughout the day made me less hungry. Besides the hassle of having to go to the bathroom so much more 🙂 it is something I am going to try to stick with! How about you?

Was this challenge helpful? Would you like to take it to the next level? If you said yes, then The Food Dare is for you! This is a 30-Day Challenge that is going to get you on track for healthy eating! Click on the button below to learn more about The Food Dare.