The Better Homemaking Network

Here are the facts on how much water should you drink and why!

How much water should you drink? Approximately 1-oz per 2lbs of body weight. Just don’t drink more than 12 ounces in half an hour very often – it can be a little TOO hard on your kidneys. Hyponatremia is extremely rare though, and I wouldn’t worry about it unless you can’t stop to go to the bathroom for an extended period of time. And while you are exercising, you should try to drink 8 ounces every half-hour.

Try different kinds of water and stock up on your favorite. I personally found that I like plain ol’ distilled water and dislike most others, including the most popular and preppy brands. Deer Park is tolerable, and Sam’s Choice brand (from WalMart) is my favorite. But this is all personal preference, based on your taste for different minerals in your water. I really wish I could get Sparklett’s water on the East Coast!

Find some different and fun water bottles; use what you like best. I use a few of the big Propel bottles – I like the way the cap works and I refill them with my water. I also have a cool purple bottle with a straw from FlyLady.com that I use, too. And my husband surprised me with a sexy-looking Deer Park water bottle when we stopped at a gas station the other day – too bad it fell apart! Make it fun, and it is easier. Don’t worry about BPA leeching out of your bottles! Just make sure they are clean if you reuse them, throw them away if they are worn or cracked, and don’t heat them up in the microwave.

I sometimes add a little bit of flavoring to my water, but I can’t use Crystal Light, I am allergic to Nutrasweet. Weight Watchers JUST came out with their version of the Crystal Light packs, they have raspberry, lemonade, and peach tea, and use Splenda instead. You don’t have to use the entire packet, either; sometimes just a sprinkle is enough. I love just squeezing a lemon or lime into my water. Try an orange or grapefruit!

Caffeine is a diuretic, it will leech out any water you take in – that is why drinks with it don’t count, including coffee, tea, and green tea. Drinking soda does more harm than good with the amount of sugar, sodium, and chemicals (sodium benzoate is baaaaaad for you) so it doesn’t really count, either. Juice, well, it is really high in calories, and eating the actual fruit is so much better for you, and filling, too. But you CAN count it towards your intake. (Be sure it is 100% juice and not a juice drink which is mostly sugar syrup.) You can count milk, too. But… AT LEAST HALF of your recommended water intake is supposed to be just that: WATER.

Drink it COLD whenever you can. Your body has to spend calories to raise the water to your core temperature. Cold is good!

Drinking water doesn’t really “melt” fat, but… if your kidneys don’t get plenty of water, your liver has to help them out, and that takes it away from its primary job of… metabolizing stored fat!!

I drink at least 3 22-oz bottles of water (I refill them from big jugs of distilled which is my preference) and a glass of low-fat milk each day. I treat myself to the occasional natural soda (with REAL sugar, stay away from the high fructose corn syrup). No more than once a week, though; the carbonation isn’t all that great for you, either. I like to call it my “Soda-Pop Sunday”!

You will BE AMAZED at what that magic 64 ounces of water a day will do. I was like, yeah, I’m losing weight just fine, who cares about the water, I drink a little milk and lots of fruit and veggies with water in them… but when I hit a plateau after losing the first 16 pounds, I tried it. The first thing I noticed was how SOFT my skin felt! And how FULL I felt – I wasn’t hungry at all, it was easier to stretch out my points, and for the first time in five months I was able to go without dipping into those extra 35 weekly bonus points! And I just plain feel better!

What has drinking water done for you? Share your favorite tips here!