Drinking water is vitally important to all aspects of our well-being. It’s the coconut oil of liquids. Bad breakout? Have a glass of water. Tired? Water. Gaining weight? You’re not getting enough water! It’s truly a wondrous liquid, one that’s kept us going for goodness knows how long. But how do we know if we’re getting enough water everyday? I set out to drink 100 ounces of water a day for a week to see if my life changed for the better. Let the experiment begin!
DAY 1:
I downloaded the Plant Nanny app. There’s tons of water tracking apps available (even water bottles that light up when you need to drink more water!) but Plant Nanny had a gaming aspect that made me want to drink more water throughout the day. I input my weight and activity level (medium) and the app spit out the magic number of ounces I needed to hit per day. With my water bottle ready, I downed the first 50 ounces easy. The other 50…not so much. My skin isn’t exactly glowing and my life isn’t in order but I do feel a bit more focused. On to Day 2.
DAY 2:
Woke up and checked for a hydrated halo around my face. No such luck. However, my plant in Plant Nanny is growing right along. I feel much more awake and manage to make it to the gym today. It’s getting easier to drink sooo much water everyday, and I feel less hungry to boot.
DAY 3:
I feel amazing! A few of my hallmates came down with a cold, but my water intake is keeping me strong. I’ve also noticed that my skin tone has become more even (but that might just be me wishing and hoping for a decrease in redness). My afternoon nap is no longer an hour and a half, and I don’t wake up feeling like I lost half a century. Water? This stuff is the tops.
DAY 4:
I went out the night before and woke up expecting a hangover to knock me right back into bed. But when I opened my eyes, I felt great! To hit my water goal, I was chugging in between wine coolers, which meant I woke up feeling groggy but minus the headache. I hadn’t washed my makeup off the night before, so a breakout should be imminent in the coming days. Hopefully the water will protect me.
DAY 5:
Horrible day. I only drank one bottle of water today compared to my usual four. My plant in Plant Nanny was wilting, begging me for some more water. But I just got so caught up in classes and meetings and work that I wasn’t aware of how much I was (and wasn’t) drinking. I’ve noticed a mild breakout near the top of my forehead. My skin feels tighter and I found myself drifting off in class today. This just will not do. Tomorrow will have to be better.
DAY 6:
Two more days of this experiment and drinking 100 ounces of water a day hasn’t gotten any easier. I’ve heard the old adage, “if you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.” I don’t know what it’s like to want water anymore. But, today was better than yesterday in terms of my well-being. Already (!) my face doesn’t feel as tight or look as red. I even skipped my nap today! And the plant I’m caring for in Plant Nanny is plugging right along. It’s almost fully grown!
DAY 7:
The final day of my Great Water Experiment. My skin is clear (mostly). I’m still not getting enough sleep, but I’ve definitely found it easier to wake up for my earlier classes. I’m snacking way less, since I’m not as hungry anymore. The benefits of water were all there for me, after just one week of committing to my water bottle. I’m a believer.
Final remarks? Drinking enough water everyday isn’t easy. It’s not for the light-hearted. But the benefits are undeniable. It was fun for me to mark how much water I was drinking everyday. Even if all I did each day was eat bon bons and watch my soaps, I could sleep easy because I knew I was getting enough water each day. And that’s something.
Make it fun for yourself! Decorate a water bottle with stickers (the ones on mine, pictured above, are from Redbubble), download a neat tracking app, and reap the rewards of agua. Stay hydrated, collegiettes.