How Much Water Does Your Body Need Daily? And a Great Tip to Help You Keep Track!

Welcome 2015, and sayonara 2014 and all of the bad eating habits that I have picked up over the last few months.  I know that I am not the only one who is guilty of eating more than my fair share of goodies since, well since Halloween, but it’s time to wipe that slate clean.  There is no need to shame yourself for what is behind you, so let’s focus on what is ahead.

There are so many ways that you can help yourself to become healthier, but drinking the right amount of water for your body is one of the easiest.  There is such a widespread theory that 8 glasses of water a day is the perfect amount.  That is true if you are the same size as the tester from those studies.  Let’s be honest, chances are good that we are not.  None of us!  Out of all of the shapes and sizes out there, the thought of matching that one is pretty ludicrous.  So what is the right amount for YOU?

Easy!  It just takes super simple math, that even I can do (and I am so, so terrible at math!).  Take you weight and divide it in half.  Go ahead, I’ll give you a second…

Got it?  Okay, that is the amount in ounces that you should be drinking each day.  For instance, a 140 pound person should be drinking 70 ounces of water daily.  Easy peasy, right?

Well, not always.  I know for a fact how easy it is to get caught up in the day to day craziness and end up not drinking more than a grande latte and a sip from your kids juice box.  That is why I make sure to always carry around a 32 oz water bottle with me wherever I go.  I have it specifically marked so that I can be visually reminded of how much I need to be drinking every couple of hours.

After figuring out how much water I need to drink per day, I rounded it up a bit to a full 64 ounces, or two full water bottles each and every day.  Then I divided that number by the hours of the day that I am awake.  Since I am up between 6am to 10pm, my math looks like: 64 (ounces) divided by 16 (hours) equals 4 (ounces per hour).  Okay, so this is all a fancy way of discovering that I need to be drinking at least four ounces of water every hour in order to meet my daily intake.

And here is how I mark my water bottle:

Nothing fancy, that is just some masking tape, albeit the cute designer kind that will stay on through the dishwasher, but can still be removed when it starts to look less than stellar.  I have marked the tape to show every two hours, to remind myself that by that time during the day I should have consumed the amount of water at that line.  I went ahead and put one on both sides, one as an AM reminder and one as a PM reminder.

This is a really great way to keep yourself drinking the right amount of water that your body needs.  It can hard when you are first starting out, but it gets easier and becomes something you do without thought before long.  Just keep at it and work your way to a healthier you this year.

PS: an easy way to keep your water bottles from smelling funky is to add a tablespoon of baking soda to the bottle, fill with hot water and allow to soak for one hour, then wash as usual.  I try to do this once a week or so.

How are you planning on being a healthier you in the new year?  Do you have big goals or are you trying to break it up?  Leave me a comment and let me know…maybe I can work in a post or two about them.  🙂