5 Tips to Drink More Water

Water. 

We all know it's good for us and better than juices and soda, but why is it so hard to drink?

I go by the rule of thumb to drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day. Sometimes I drink a little less, sometimes I drink a little bit more. I've reached the point now where I can gauge, based on how I'm feeling, if I should drink more or less water.

But water is BORING. It is no fun. But it sure does beat additives and chemicals and uneccessary added sugar.

Here's how to get more of that H2O goodness in, based on tried and true tips from yours truly, ex-water hater:

Infuse it.

Try some slices of lemon or lime. Try some sliced berries. Try some herbs. There are dozens of magical combinations of ingredients that can infuse water to make it taste more exciting than...well, plain water.

Get a fancy water bottle.

Buy a water bottle you don't mind carrying around with you all day. Sip from it throughout the day. At your desk, at red lights in your car, while doing the laundry. If it's with you at all times, you'll be more likely to take advantage of it. Another added benefit of your water bottle is that you can figure out how many times you need to drink and refill it each day to hit your target about of water intake per day based on how many ounces it holds. My Shakeology shaker cup is a lifesaver for me. I bring it to work in the AM full of Shakeology, clean it out when I'm done, and then I'll toss in a lemon wedge and fill it with water for the rest of the day. I know if I refill my cup with water and finish it four times, I am on the right track.

Set a reminder in your phone. 

So basic. Set reminders in your phone to go off at regular intervals throughout the day. Haven't drank xx ounces by then? Time to step it up.

Drink a glass of water as soon as your wake up, before each meal, and after using the rest room.

These cues will help you rehydrate when you either need it or in order to help digestion (like before meals).

Set a goal and track your progress each day. 

Compete against yourself. I am competitive. I don't like to lose, especially against myself. Write down, in ounces, how much water you've had to drink each day. If it's no where near your target, challenge yourself the next day to beat the previous day's intake until you've reached my target.

Those are my top five tips! Now I'm curious--how do you make sure you drink enough water? Got a favorite way to dress up your water?