12 Months of Fitness: Challenge #1 - Drink More Water

So excited to share this year's very first 12 Months of Fitness (#12MoF) challenge with y'all! Woot! Check out the introduction to 12 Months of Fitness here. My testers have been tackling this challenge since mid-December and are really happy with their first baby steps. So, drumroll please, here's YOUR first #12MoF challenge:

12 Months of Fitness: Challenge #1 - Drink More Water

Boom. Simple. Really, it is. Here's a few suggestions to get you going:

• Substitute one daily soda, cup of coffee, fruit juice, or alcoholic beverage for a glass of water.
• Realize that (the recommended amount of) 8 ounces of water is actually HALF a normal size glass of water. That’s nothing!
• Buy a water bottle (I use these). Fill it and drink the whole thing every day.
• When eating out, opt for water instead of another beverage. Use My Fitness Pal (it's free!) to keep track of how much water you drink each day.
• Keep water by your bed, computer, couch and try to sip from it regularly.
• Use lemon or cucumbers to change the flavor of your water.
• Buy some pretty straws to make drinking water more fun.
• Challenge yourself to only drink water outside of your house.

And to help you stay motivated, here's how it's working out for our #12MoF testers (you can meet them over on our Facebook page!):

"Before this challenge, there were days when I wouldn't drink any water at all. I'd live off of coffee in the morning, flavored seltzer (or more coffee) in the afternoon, and (admittedly) wine at night. When the challenge started, I began filling up my fiancé's 40-oz. insulated Hydro Flask water bottle, and now I make sure to drink the entire bottle each day. At first it was tough to empty the entire bottle, but now it's getting easier. Sometimes I add a few drops of lemon juice to the water bottle to spice things up a bit!" {Kaleena}

"I know I don't drink nearly enough water, so this month's challenge was just what I needed to start the year off right. I bought a 1L Bobble water bottle, which has a built-in filter -- this makes clean, fresh-tasting water much more accessible throughout my day. It's still hard for me to remember to drink when I'm caught up in the daily rush, but I at least make sure to chug as much as I can when I first get up in the morning and then again as I settle into my evening." {Elizabeth}

"Fitting more water in was a great challenge because I absolutely hate drinking water. Before trying to incorporate it I was lucky if I was getting in one cup of water. I've been using an application called Waterlogged that lets me track how much water I've had and even allows me to add custom bottles and cups so I can have a super accurate picture of how much I'm drinking. I also find that for some reason having a straw helps me drink water more quickly (I only like it when it's ice cold) so I have purchased a few insulated tumblers for my water. I'm getting about 6-8 cups in now & am working towards more!" {Kayla}

"The hardest part of increasing my water intake was dealing with running to the bathroom all the time. My goal was to drink at least three refills of my 16oz water bottle. I would, at the very least get two in. I also tried to drink more water upon waking up. Despite being thirsty, I find I might go hours without drinking anything. I'm also trying to be more diligent about keeping water near my bed so I can drink something when I wake up and I'm thirsty. " {Ariella}

See? You CAN do it! Share your #12MoF struggles/triumphs with Tulle Nation on Twitter, our Facebook page, or take photos on Instagram. Be sure to use the hastag #12MoF so we can all support you!

Comments

[Stephanie Elizabeth {Fab You Bliss}]

I've been so bad about not drinking water. So for the past few weeks I've been filling up a glass and making sure its at my desk at all times so I drink plenty throughout the day. And even after only a few weeks of doing this, I can already see a difference in the appearance of my skin. Water is the #1 way to turn back the aging clock ;-)

[Ariella]

Kayla, I also find that I drink more water with a straw and when it's ice cold. I had a Camelbak water bottle which was great because it had a straw and it was spill proof. Then I discovered these Contigo insulated thermoses and now my water stays ice cold ALL DAY. It doesn't have a straw, but the coldness helps. I fill it with ice water in the morning and even after two refills and a full day of work later there's still water in it. They're expensive, but worth it. Good luck!

[Krissy + Murphy]

One of my biggest problems was that I'd bring a water bottle in to work with tasty water from home, and then refill it at work with water that tasted awful. I got a Brita water bottle that filters out the yuck, and now I can refill as many times as I want and not worry about the taste! It definitely helped me increase my water intake for the day.

[Kissmeawakeshop]

I love your tip about only drinking water outside the house -- not only is this healthy, but it saves money too!

[Kayla]

Thank you Ariella! I just picked up a Contigo as well and I LOVE that it keeps it cold all day. Fantastic!