So, by now you’ve accepted the fact that in order to make any real progress toward managing your weight, you must make hydration a priority. Unfortunately, as easy as this may sound, you will not “just remember to drink more water.” It isn’t your habit to do so. When I work with clients to create this habit, it’s not as easy as one may think. Actually, it’s pretty hard. 

Most people don’t “forget to eat” for more than a meal, you may forget to stop for lunch when work is hectic, but by late afternoon you don’t need help to realize you are hungry. And yet plenty of people can get through a whole day never taking in more than a glass or two of liquid. How do you begin to cultivate the awareness of thirst, encourage trying water before you reach for food, and just generally get people to do something that often fails to enter their minds at all?

We will have to add some habits, that will create a trigger, a routine, and hopefully a habit.

Here are 25 tips to help you drink more water

I TOLD YOU I WAS A NICE GUY!!!

1. Place a glass of ice water next to your bed at night to drink upon waking in the morning.
2. Purchase reusable water bottles or tumblers for home and work.
3. Place a sticky note on the door to remind you to take your water bottle with you when leaving the house.
4. Drink one full glass of water before every meal.
5. Set up a trigger that reminds you to drink water throughout the day (alarm on phone, calendar notice, sticky note).
6. Make a batch of flavored ice cubes.
7. *Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to stop drinking water two to three hours before bedtime so you can sleep through the night without needing the bathroom. (This is a big one!!!)
8. Drink one glass of water before drinking any alcohol.
9. Drink one glass of water in between every alcoholic beverage.
10. Try making a large batch of flavored water.
11. Slice lemons and limes to keep on hand to put in water and seltzer.
12. Make a seasonal shift to warm beverages in colder months.
13. Drop one caffeinated beverage per day and replace it with water.
14. Remove soda from your diet.
15. Add hydrating foods to every meal (see list above).
16. Map out the best bathrooms throughout your day.
17. Set a case of water by the door. Leave a sticky note at eye level to remind you to grab one as you leave.
18. Drink a full glass of water first thing when sitting down to a restaurant meal.
19. Ask a friend to be your “water buddy,” reminding you and working with you to remember to drink water.
20. Start a water challenge at work or at home. Challenge coworkers or your family to drink 100 ounces every day.
21. When hunger or a craving strikes, try drinking water first, then reevaluate.
22. Start taking water with you when you are out shopping or running errands—the air in stores is often dry, and it will help you avoid impulse-buying a beverage.
23. Experiment with green teas.
24. Try out an infuser bottle.
25. If this target is just not happening for you, try adding just ten extra ounces and then another ten extra next week.

I’m sure you can use a few of them 😉