Does your mouth feel like a desert by the end of the day due to your lack of water intake?

Let’s be honest. Water isn’t all that exciting. But it has some big health benefits. So drinking it is a must.

When you’re a busy mom, it can be easy to forget about your water intake, even if you don’t mind drinking it.

Why Water Matters

Even if water lacks pizzazz, it does a lot for your body. Water can:

• Help you lose weight
• Keep your skin clear and hydrated
• Boost energy
• Prevent headaches
• Help you stay regular
• Rid your body of wastes
• Lubricate joints

For me, water is always a big part of being successful in losing weight. When I lost weight with WW, my best weeks were the ones when I drank lots of water.

Ways to Increase Your Water Intake

If you’re coming up short on your water intake, try these tips for drinking more.

set your goal

How do you know if you’re getting enough water if you don’t set goals?

You’ll find all sorts of recommendations for water intake. From set amounts to a formula based on how much you weigh.

I’m not here to tell you how much water to drink.

I’m just telling you to set a goal and stick with it.

I like to base it on the water bottle I use most often. It holds 32 ounces, so I use that to calculate how many I want to drink to reach my goals.

Find a bottle you love

Speaking of water bottles, finding one you love can make it a lot more tempting to drink up!

Try different materials. You might prefer stainless steel or glass over plastic.

The shape, size, and spout type can also affect how much you like to use the bottle.

And don’t be afraid to choose a water bottle because it’s cute. Cute things are just more fun to use!

Or maybe you prefer a glass for your water.

Just choose something that make it easy and appealing to drink.

And then keep it filled and near you all day long so it’s easy to drink water.

Choose Your Favorite Temperature

Do you love your water ice cold? Cold from the tap, no ice? Room temp?

Test out different temperatures to see what you like best. The whole idea is to make water more appealing, and the temp can have a big effect on whether or not you want to drink it.

Put a Water Dispenser on Your Counter

Keep a large container of water easily accessible for quick refills. A decorative water dispenser on your countertop is an easy way to do that. Plus, you see it every time you go to the kitchen, so it doubles as a reminder to drink.

You can also fill a pitcher and keep it in the fridge for easy refills. Put it front and center so you see it every time you open the fridge.

hit it hard in the morning

If you fall behind on your water goal, it can be tough to catch up at the end of the day.

And if you’re like me and already make a lot of trips to the bathroom at night, you don’t want to make it worse by chugging lots of water right before bed.

Start your water consumption first thing in the morning. Keep pushing throughout the morning to get ahead in your goal.

That way if you slow down later, you’re still likely to reach your goal.

Have Goals Throughout the Day

You have your overall goal for how much water you want to drink. But make sure you’re on track by breaking it down into smaller goals.

If you want to finish 4 full bottles of water by the end of the day, you might decide you need to finish one by 10am, one by 12pm, one by 2 pm, and the final by 4 pm.

Drink at Designated Intervals

Get in the habit of drinking at set intervals.

An easy option is to take a big drink at least every half hour.

If you’re having a hard time remembering, set alarms or notifications throughout the day to remind you.

Have Water Before, During, or After certain Activities

When you associate drinking water with specific activities that you do every day, it becomes more automatic and easier to remember.

Here are some ideas of times to drink water:

• While you’re waiting for your coffee to brew
• Before every meal
• Before a workout
• After a workout
• After you brush your teeth
• When you wake up
• Before bed
• When you take your supplements of medications
• Before you walk your dog
• Before you leave to run errands

use a tracker

Search water tracker in the app store and you can find all sorts of options. Pick one that appeals to you, and track every ounce you drink. It can be motivating to see your count increase on the tracker.

You can even get smart water bottles that track your water intake for you.

track with rubber bands

When I’m trying to hit a certain amount of water, I usually track by the number of bottles. So I might have a goal of drinking 4 of my 32-ounce bottles in a day.

But then I start to lose track. Is this bottle 2 or 3? Did I already reach my goal? Do I have 1 bottle left? 2? 3?

It seems simple. But I always seem to lose track.

This simple trick eliminates any questions. And it can be motivating.

Once you choose your bottle, decide how many bottles you want to drink that day.

Put that number of rubber bands, hair ties or something simple around the bottle in the morning.

After you finish each bottle, remove a rubber band.

You can easily tell how many bottles you have left to drink, and you won’t lose track.

You might find it motivating to get rid of those rubber bands as quickly as possible.

add flavor

Plain water can be super boring. I don’t mind plain water. I know a lot of people don’t like it.

No one says you have to drink your water plain. Add some flavor!

Fresh fruits and veggies are an easy and healthy way to do that.

One of my personal favorites is adding cucumber slices to water. It might sound a little weird, but it’s really refreshing. I had it at a sushi restaurant years ago and loved it.

The traditional lemon water is always an option. But you can toss in whatever fruits you want. Get crazy with it!

Refill Immediately

As you finish up a glass or bottle of water, don’t wait to refill it. Head right to the kitchen, load up on more ice, and fill it up to the top.

If you wait, you might never end up refilling.

use incentives

Okay, I admit. I like a sugary drink.

I try not to. But sometimes I just need it.

So sometimes I bargain with myself to get my water in.

If I drink half of my goal for the day, I can have a glass of strawberry lemonade. Or a sugary coffee drink. Or whatever other drink you like.

This isn’t an everyday thing. But if I’m feeling cravings for something more than water, I make myself earn it.

At least I’m still getting in my water for the day.

And it can help me get my water in faster. Because I want to get to the reward!

Make It Easy to Take Water With You

I’m bad about drinking water while I’m out.

First of all, when I drink a lot of water, I have to make a lot of trips to the bathroom. Not a big fan of public bathrooms. So I don’t really want to drink too much water before I leave or while I’m out.

But the other issue is I’m usually running out the door last minute. And I don’t have time to dig out a water bottle and fill it.

Keep water bottles handy when you need to leave. If you know you’re going somewhere, fill up a water bottle in the morning and keep it in the fridge so you can grab it on your way out the door.

Add Water Through Food

You can’t really track the water you consume through food, but eating foods with high water content can help you get more water in each day.

If you eat smoothies, add plenty of ice to increase the amount of water in it.

Eat fruits and veggies with lots of water, such as watermelon, celery, cucumbers, strawberries, and lettuce.

Broth-based soups can also increase your water intake.

Remember the Benefits

Keep in mind why you’re drinking water. Sure, you know your body needs. But what else are you getting from it?

If you’re actively trying to lose weight, remind yourself that upping your water intake might help.

If you like to look good, remind yourself that water can improve your skin.

Increase Your Water Intake

Increasing your water intake may not sound like fun, but it can really make a difference in how you feel. Simple changes make it easier to chug that water and reach your water intake goals. What’s your favorite way to enjoy water?