However, I also don’t trust myself when I say that I think it’s a stupid amount, because I’m pretty sure that I’m chronically dehydrated, so a gallon might be a perfectly reasonable amount and it just seems extreme to me because I’ve never had that much water in a day in my life. Which is why I’m trying this in the first place. Also, I’ve heard doctors talk about it not being that much water.
For the next month or so, I’m going to give this a shot. I will force myself for a month. If it turns out that it’s not a good idea for me, I’ll stop. But I will need at least a month to be able to make that determination.
Like I mentioned, I’m pretty sure that I’m chronically dehydrated. I have been since I can remember. I think this might be the case because I couldn’t really tell the difference between being hungry (genuinely hungry) and thirsty; and if I’m always thirsty, this becomes a problem. I would always choose food. It might be why I’m still a little on the chubby side.
With the steps I’ve been taking to ensure I eat well, I’ve been able to tell the difference between hunger and thirst, finally. What I’ve found out is that I’m always thirsty. And it doesn’t really seem like it matters how much water I drink. I just get thirstier.
So what happens if I drink a lot of water? Like, a lot a lot? Will the thirst go away? Or will I get thirstier and thirstier until I give myself water poisoning trying the assuage the thirst?
I’m going to find out.
To that end, I bought myself a one gallon water bottle. They exist. It’s insane.
What I like about this particular bottle, is that it’s timed. It’s literally telling me, “You have to drink this much every two hours,” basically. I thrive under structure like this.
Also, no, I will not be carrying a gallon drum of water to work with me every day. I will be bringing the empty bottle with me to work and filling it there. This may seem like it presents a problem, as I will be in transit when I’m supposed to be drinking water, but I’ve fixed that.
I’ve measured, and the amount of water I need to get to the 7am line is the equivalent of two very large mugs, so I will drink those in the morning before I go to work.
These are the rules that I’m going by:
- Cups of herbal tea count towards the water goal. I will use the bottle to make my hot water for tea.
- Any diuretics do not count towards my water goal. Coffee and alcohol will be in addition to whatever is in this bottle.
- Technically, water in food ought to count towards the water goal, but I have no real way to measure that, so I’m also discounting water in the food I eat.
- I must do this for at least one month.
As of the posting of this blog entry, this will be the fourth day. I’m not going to go into what’s happening with me just yet, mostly because I am writing this post the day before I start this new thing I’m doing (yay for planning ahead, right?). I do expect that I will be spending my life in the loo to begin with. I’m really hoping, though, that particular effect will diminish as my body adapts to the new reality of not living in a desert of my own making.
I will be keeping notes in my pretty little planner about what’s going on with me, though, so I can make a full report in a month’s time.
I’m really interested about 1) whether or not I can actually do this. It still feels like an obscene amount of water to me, and 2) what’ll happen to me if I start hydrating so much more than I already am.
So... here goes nothing!
Ciao!