We hear it all the time. “Make sure you drink enough water!”
When I made the commitment to losing weight and getting into shape, I started studying all of the things I need to do to maximize my success while doing it the right way and making sure I don’t get sick or hurt in the process. Let me tell you, I wish I had known these things years earlier!
Before I get into how much water you should drink every day, let’s look into the benefits of drinking water.
Benefits of drinking water
- Critical for delivering oxygen throughout the body
- Joint lubrication
- Regulation of body temperature
- Improved thinking and brain function
- Waste removal
- Reduce hunger pangs
- Improved immune system
- Weight loss
- Improved digestion
- Increased energy
These are just a few of the MANY reasons to make sure you get enough water each and every day.
But how much water should you drink each day? 8oz? 24oz? 60oz?
How about 120oz.? That’s right. A gallon of water a day. I know it sounds difficult and it is. Hey, no one ever said getting healthy and losing weight was going to be easy. No, it won’t be easy but I can promise you one thing. It will be worth it!
The biggest obstacle that you’ll overcome when drinking a gallon of water a day is that you’ll be spending a lot more time in the bathroom. This is a good thing actually! Using the bathroom is how our bodies get rid of waste and toxins.
I know frequent bathroom breaks can be extremely difficult, especially if you drive for a living. I drive a school bus so believe me, I know! In the mornings I get 2 bathroom breaks spaced about an hour apart between my 3 schools after leaving the yard at 5:55 am. So timing my water intake is critical.
It’s just part of your plan. Remember I said the first of the 3P’s is having a Plan? If you don’t know about the 3P’s then make sure to check out the home page to see what it’s all about.
In the afternoon I have to wait about two and a half hours after leaving the yard. I only have 2 schools in the afternoon but no time between them. It’s also important to get your water in as early as possible each day because if you wait till later in the evening you’ll be up a few times throughout the night hitting the bathroom!
Again, planning is critical, as well as timing. Eventually, you’ll figure out what works for you. This brings me to my next step. Persistence! If you don’t stick to it every day you won’t get the full benefits and you won’t see how much better it will make you feel.
Which of course brings us to the final “P.” Patience. Give it time. You won’t start to feel better at the end of the first day of drinking a gallon of water.
Remember, Our bodies are mostly water. Keeping hydrated is critical.
There was a Star Trek The Next Generation episode where an alien referred to humans as “Ugly. Ugly. Giant bags of mostly water. You can see the clip below.
We all know there are tons of reasons to drink plenty of water.
What have I personally noticed when drinking my gallon of water a day? Besides obviously using the bathroom a lot more I notice I feel overall better. I don’t get dry mouth. Digestion is better. Bowel function is much better. And I sleep better.
One thing that can help with the bathroom issue is to sweat! If you are working out regularly, then you’ll sweat a lot of the water out so make sure you drink before working out.
When I’m sweating doing my walks or exercising the bathroom runs are less frequent, so make sure you’re working out and sweating!