Water Before Coffee

For years, I would wake up each morning looking forward to my extra-large cup of coffee to start my day.  I have always had the mindset that I “could not” start my morning without coffee.  Mornings have always been a struggle for me and in recent years they have become even more difficult because of my health issues.  I always just used the excuse “I’m not a morning person.”  Then one day I was reading an article about the effects of water on our bodies and how important water is for our daily functions.  Being a food and nutrition teacher, I knew we needed water to function and I thought I was getting enough, but wasn’t tracking my water consumption.

My 26 oz. water bottle that I carry everyday.
Having the added straw lid makes consuming water easier. 

I decided to try one of the tips in the article, which was to drink water each morning before drinking anything else.  I choose to fill my 26 oz. Yeti water bottle each night and have it sitting at the ready on my dresser for the next morning and that I would not allow myself to drink my coffee until I had finished the bottle of water.  This couldn’t be too hard, I like water and our bodies need water, so how hard could it be to drink water before my coffee.  I started drinking the water when I first rolled out of bed, and was still working on drinking the same bottle when I pulled into the parking lot at work after my 40-minute drive to work.  Needless to say, it was harder than I thought and it was a lot of water to drink when you’re not used to it, yet coffee seems to take less time to drink in the mornings.

Right away I noticed a difference in how I felt, I was more awake even before drinking my coffee.  I was focused and didn’t feel weak or worn out like I do most mornings.  I did still drink my coffee once I got to work, but it was more out of habit than out of need that morning.  Each morning after that I have continued the routine and feel that it helps me to wake up better and feel better throughout my day.  It also starts me off with 26 oz. less water I must drink thought out the rest of the day.  Which leads to the question most people have about water, how much water does someone need to drink each day? 

My Daily Log                          My Weekly Log 

Fitbit has a great water tracking component of their app and it helps the user to set their daily water consumption goals.  Also from different research I have done the consensus is that a person should take their body weight and divide it by two and that is how many ounces of water they should consumer per day.  For example, I weigh 190 lbs, so each day I set my water goal for 95 oz.  If I  exercise, work outside or in a warm environment I add more water to my daily goal as needed.  I then track how much water I drink on my Fitbit app and strive to meet my goal each day.  Water helps the body do many things but the main thing is to help filter toxins through the liver.  Without drinking enough water more toxins stay in our bodies and make us feel worse.    

Water Consumption Tips:

1. Body weight divided by two equals ounces of water per day.
2. Increase goal for warm temperatures, or exercise.
3. Use tracking system to achieve water goals.