I’ve never drank enough water. Not long ago, that was because I was drinking WAY too much soda (as in several large sodas a day). I’ve cut way back on soda, drinking no more than two cans a day, but even still it is difficult for me to remember to drink water.
It is recommended that adults drink:
- Men: 13 glasses of water a day
- Women: 9 glasses of water a day
I’ve run across the Gallon Water Challenge a few times online, both on Facebook and on Pinterest. I decided to give it a shot, because I am aware that I’ve never drank enough water. Here are my results so far:
Week One:
During week one, meeting the gallon goal was really difficult and I had to push myself daily to do it. I tracked my water intake on an app called Water Reminder, which connects to my Apple Watch and makes it really easy to track and make sure I met the goal every day. But I felt bloated and the amount of times I’ve had to pee is just ridiculous (sorry, probably TMI).
Week Two:
It’s amazing that by week two, 1 gallon of water is suddenly an easy challenge to meet. Actually, most days I go over it by a few glasses now. As for a difference in my body, with the water, diet, and exercise, I am losing a few ounces every day now. I did have some heartburn from the increased water, but started taking an Apple Cider Vinegar Supplement (see my Supplements post) daily and that cured it. My skin is also noticeably less dry and the dark circles under my eyes are starting to fade some.
I still pee a ridiculous amount, but I figure that will be the case as long as I’m drinking this much water. Another TMI is that bowel movements have also increased.
Warning:
If you are drinking this much water, you need to be careful though. It is possible to drink too much water and wash the nutrients out of your body. If you are drinking heavy amounts of water, you will need a higher sodium intake to help balance the water and electrolytes in your body.
An imbalance between salt and water in your body is called hyponatremia. Symptoms include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Headache
- Confusion
- Fatigue
- Restlessness/irritability
- Muscle cramps
- Seizures
Look familiar? It’s pretty similar to the signs of dehydration. If you are experiencing these but know that you are drinking plenty of water, then you may want to cut back on the water and, if extreme, consult a doctor about hyponatremia.
Update 2021: A few months ago, I did a 10 day challenge where I stopped drinking soda for 10 days in an effort to break a weight loss plateau. During this time, my water intake naturally increased to almost 2 gallons a day. I forgot about this warning that I wrote for myself when I researched water intake and I did, indeed, suffer all of this. I made myself pretty sick before a friend told me to drink less water and, low and behold, it cured all my issues. This is pretty serious and feels awful. Don’t overdue the water!
