The 7 Day Hydration Challenge

Working full-time, being a mom of two, getting ready to sell our house and all of the other life events sometimes makes me forget to take care of my basic needs like staying properly hydrated. Does anyone else have this issue?!

I find myself working away and not wanting to break focus by getting a glass of water. Ridiculous! Then in the middle of the night I’m so thirsty and I’m downing that glass of water. I’m breastfeeding, and also I noticed the other day when I was pumping my milk production decreased slightly and I’m pretty sure it was because I was barely drinking water that day.

I wanted to start doing healthy living challenges and the first thing that came to mind was doing a 7 day hydration challenge. I want to focus on getting the recommended amount per day for a week and see if I notice a difference. What happens when I start drinking enough water? I also want to figure out tools that make it super quick and easy to stay adequately hydrated.

Table of Contents

Why is hydration important?

The body is made up of about 60% water, and your body depends on it for survival and proper function. According to the Mayo clinic, “when you’re thirsty, you could already be dehydrated, having lost as much as 1 to 2 percent of your body’s water content. And with that kind of water loss, you may start to experience cognitive impairments — like stress, agitation and forgetfulness, to name a few”

7 Benefits of Drinking Water

According to the Mayo Clinic, here’s what water does for your body:

Regulates body temperature
Moistens tissues in the eyes, nose and mouth
Protects body organs and tissues
Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
Lubricates joints
Lessens burden the on kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
Helps dissolve minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to your body

How much water should I be drinking per day?

I grew up hearing you should drink 8 glasses of water a day which is a good starting point for most people. To make it more personalized, you should go off of your own body weight to determine your ideal number.

According to https://health.usnews.com/ you should divide your weight in half to get the number of ounces to drink. For example if you weighed 150 pounds, you would take 150/2 = 75 oz per day. You may also need to adjust depending on exercise, hot weather, your health, and if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Keep in mind food, like watermelon, also helps keep you hydrated.

Please note you want to avoid overhydration. You should drink the recommended amount of water spaced out throughout the day, not all at once. Drinking too much water could cause water intoxication also known as hyponatermia which can be life threatening.This is where there would be a low concentration of sodium in your blood. MEdical news today reports that it’s a rare event and most commonly affects people in sports or endurance events. According to the mayo clinic here are smart ways to prevent water intoxication:

Take precautions during high-intensity activities. Athletes should drink only as much fluid as they lose due to sweating during a race. Thirst is generally a good guide to how much water or other fluids you need.
Consider drinking sports beverages during demanding activities. Ask your doctor about replacing water with sports beverages that contain electrolytes when participating in endurance events such as marathons, triathlons and other demanding activities.
Drink water in moderation. Drinking water is vital for your health, so make sure you drink enough fluids. But don’t overdo it. Thirst and the color of your urine are usually the best indications of how much water you need. If you’re not thirsty and your urine is pale yellow, you are likely getting enough water.

6 Tips to Staying Hydrated

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Drink the Right Amount of Water for You: divide your weight in half to get the number of ounces to drink.
Get a Water Filter: your body will thank you for removing extra toxins in our drinking water, and for me I just get more satisfaction knowing I’m improving my water quality. My favorite water filter is the Berkey.
Make Spa Water: fill up a big jar, bottle, pitcher with water and top it off with some sliced cucumbers, lemon, lime, or strawberries. I like to experiment with different fruits. This is a great option for drinking more water when you don’t like it.
Use one Container: fill up a big jar, water bottle, pitcher with the amount you need to drink for the day so it’s easy to keep track of where you are at.
Keep Track and Get Reminders with a phone app: my favorite app is Waterllama. It’s super cute, calculates how much water you need, and sends you reminders to drink!
Use a Straw: For some reason it’s so much easier for me to drink more water when I’m drinking through a straw.

7 Day Hydration Challenge

Day 1 Hydration Challenge:

I’ve calculated how many ounces of water I need per day by taking my weight and dividing it in half. I am breastfeeding so I added some additional ounces because of that. I also used the Waterllama app and had them calculate my recommended goal by using my gender, weight, daily activity, whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, weather.

In order to try and make it easier to drink water throughout the day, I filled up a very large mason jar with the amount I need and added some cucumbers.

AM Feels: Tired, Sore, Off Balanced, Brain Fog

PM Feels: THIRSTY with a slight headache! It’s like I’m catching up on my water. This has happened to me before where I was going days without drinking enough water and then when I focus on drinking more I’m surprised that I’m still thirsty.

Day 2 Hydration Challenge:

AM Feels: Found myself nice and thirsty at night and when I woke up. Feeling tired.

PM Feels: Feeling very discombobulated. I had one margarita and it left me feeling groggy, tired, and my heart was beating fast! This is how I tend to feel when I know I’m somewhat dehydrated and have a cocktail. Going to keep that water coming!

Day 3 Water Challenge:

AM Feels: Woke up feeling alert and not thirsty. I realized what would happen with my old patterns. Previously I would catch up with my hydration, and then the next day since I wouldn’t be as thirsty I would just end up drinking less water. Not today! Going to keep drinking my recommended amount.

PM Feels: I’m feeling very energized and alert!

Day 4 Water Challenge:

AM Feels: Feeling tired, up a few times during the night with the newborn. Overall not too thirsty.

AND I NEED TO START THE CHALLENGE OVER! Uff da – strep, ear infection, and croup hit my family. Once I’m feeling back to normal I will start up the challenge from the beginning and list my results!