Water

When I first made the commitment to drink more water, I literally had to write down every ounce that I drank and what time I drank it. I kept a paper and pen on the fridge. When I filled my bottle, I would write the start time. When I finally finished it, I would write the end time, at which time I would fill my bottle again and it would be my new start time. The first day, it was a struggle to even get that first four cups down! Eventually, I could see a pattern of when I wasn't drinking that much water and forced myself to drink more water during that time. 

Now, a month later, I drink my entire bottle upon first waking in the morning. So, 4 cups down! Then, I have breakfast. I try to drink another bottle full between breakfast and lunch. 8 cups down! Then, I drink my entire bottle before lunch. 12 cups! I try to drink another bottle full between lunch and dinner. 16 cups! Then, another bottle full before dinner. 20 cups! Then, between dinner and bedtime, I'll drink my last bottle full, for a total of 24 cups, or 192 ounces. I don't always get the full 4 cups between each meal, but I always make sure to start each meal by drinking the full 4 cups of water. My reason for this is two fold. First, water aids in digestion. It helps break food down, making it easier for the body to digest. Second, it makes me less hungry, making it so I don't eat too much at each meal.

Before I started drinking enough water, I had headaches EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I was miserable. Since I started drinking enough water, I've only had one headache and I didn't need to take anything for it. I was dehydrated, plain and simple. Also, I often felt hungry, but now I realize I wasn't hungry. I was just thirsty. It's amazing how different my appetite is now that I've been drinking more water (and putting the right foods into my body  ).

So, drink up, buttercup! Your body will thank you!