MONTH ONE UPDATE
Well, it has been three weeks since I picked up the water gauntlet. How is my gallon a day going?
I am very happy to announce that I have done it EVERY DAY!
Whoo hoo!
Now, if I am being perfectly honest, a few days I was a little off, but since I wasn’t counting the ice I put in every glass and it melted, maybe I was never off and I was always over. Hey, a girl can hope, right?
Here are a few of the things I realized along the way.
In the very beginning, it seemed all my thoughts were consumed by when and how I was going to drink enough water. I quickly ran into an issue with work. With a bunch of coworkers and a boss who likes to pitch people’s Tupperware if it’s in the fridge too long, I knew right away my 2 Quart Tupperware pitcher was only going to work at home.
Hmmm, now I’m in a quandary. How will I monitor the water at work?
Well, I found a 12 ounce container which I would need to refill five times. Once on my way out the door—from the tap not my stash in the fridge—and a second when I immediately got to work. I would have to fill it twice after that, and once more for my drive home. Awesome!
Problem solved!
Did I notice any immediate changes from drinking a gallon of water a day?
Yes, aside from peeing more often, on day two I experienced an unexpected side effect.
I usually drink four to six cups of coffee, but if I stuck to my normal morning ritual, my stomach would be sloshing with liquid and I would never get my water in for the day. There was no way I could ever expect to drink a gallon of water with all that coffee taking up valuable tummy real estate. The first night I had to guzzle two glasses before bed so that my first day didn’t spiral right down the toilet….which it ended up doing in the middle of the night anyway LOL
After the drastic cut back in coffee consumption on day two, it was easier to get my water in. Oh, I still have coffee, but rather than swilling cold coffee, or topping off my mug with the remains in the pot then whitening it up with flavored creamers—which are full of crap my body doesn’t need—I’m saving money. And rather than drinking stale coffee, I’m enjoying my one or two mugs more than ever before. After all, that first cup is always the best, right?
Now, it’s no secret that Deanna enjoys her cocktails and wine. When I drink alcohol, I rarely alternate cocktails with water and this can easily lead to over drinking—not that I’ve ever done that! Surely you jest!
But when you have a goal of a gallon of water a day, you have to get it in, even if you are drinking other stuff. And hey, I saved money when I went out by having a glass of water between my two margaritas instead of three margaritas.
Looks like I just did my liver a favor!
But I have to admit I was a little disappointed during my second week. I was still constantly thinking about whether or not I drank my water. Would drinking all this water ever become a habit? I want to think healthy, and sit back while I happily ponder all the good things this mass quantity of water was giving me. Instead, it was beginning to feel like a burden. Like maybe this was more trouble than it was worth and I should just follow the FDA recommended rule of eight—eight glasses of 8 ounces.
Then, a few days ago, something happened.
I began to crave the water.
Yesterday, on my way home from work (a 30 min drive) I forgot to top off my glass. I felt like a parched desert by the time I got home! Maybe it was just in my head, but I couldn’t wait to have a glass of water. I think this is because my body has gotten used to proper hydration. And maybe I’m learning to pick up on the clues my body has probably been trying to tell me all along.
And you know what else? My skin looks great! Seriously, the color, the texture, everything. I live in Ohio and the weather here in January will make your skin dryer than a popcorn fart. I still need lotion, but it hasn’t been nearly the problem it usually is. Awesomesauce!
It has gotten a lot easier to make sure I drink my gallon, and I’m sensing that it is on its way to becoming a habit, though my inner critic is almost afraid to declare it is now a solid habit in my life.
I still have ten days left in the month and I can taste the success—and it is strangely similar to a cool, crisp glass of H2O.
With February closing in, I am already eager to take on my next challenge on this journey toward thinking healthy not thin. I have even been preparing for it the next change, but you will have to wait for the beginning of the month to find out what it is.
How about you guys?
Did any of you take up the gallon a day challenge? How is it going? Are you having success? Challenges?
I would love to hear from you!
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Happy drinking, folks!
~Deanna
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