hey guys, i am planning on starting the atkins diet soon (like in a couple of days). i dont normally drink much water on dalily basis though, and i think thats the prob that i will face. any tips on how i can overcome this?

thanks!!

This sound strange, but the more water you drink the more you want it. Getting past those first few day will be the hardest. But after a while it will be normal.

You can try flavoring your water with lemon or lime. I personally drink the carbonated water that's sweetened with sucralose that you can buy. There are different flavors like raspberry, strawberry, white grape etc.. You don't feel like you're drinking water.

Have a bottle with you wherever you go and just try to keep track up to 2 liters and anything over that is a bonus. I just finished my 4th bottle (500ml) in 6 hours with dinner in there, too! While sitting at the computer, watching TV or driving are the best times for me. Also, when I'm doing housework or cooking I have a bottle handy to drink a few gulps between things. I usually use a 1-liter bottle so that way I just keep drinking it where the 500ml bottle will run out and I might be drinking more but I can't fill it up because I'm driving or whatever.

Sometimes I chew gum and that flavours the water, too. My favourite is Orbit Cinnamon. I also drink water to 'wash down' my food so that I'm drinking while I'm eating.

HTH,

Nicole

ps - I find water that's a little cooler than room temperature easier to drink a lot of, rather than chilled or ice water.

hi all,... thank you so much for your responses.. i make it a concious effort to drink a minimum of 2L of water everyday.. flavouring it with lime really helps , especially with meat dishes..! i tried a combination of lime, and a couple of mint leaves, and the water smells real good too!

kr

I also set time limits, especially at work. One half-liter bottle every two hours.

hey robin,
thats a great tip! thanks!!
kr

Use large, ice tea-type glasses. Make a point of drinking one full glass in them morning as soon as you get up, after each meal and at night before you go to bed. Those glasses usually contain about 13 oz, so by drinking 5 you already have over 2 quarts of water.

hi Elisa,
thank you for your tip. i think i would start adding a little tea, with lime into my liquid intake - to break the monotony. i am not a fan of carbonated water - so thats out..

kr

I use a large insulated type mug. It's 34 oz, and keeps the water cold longer (can't stand warm water). Anyway, it helps when the glass is bigger. For me, I just look at is as having to drink two glasses of water a day to meet what's recommended. It's better than using a smaller glass and thinking..."I have to drink eight of these?"

Also, I agree, once you've been doing it for a few days, it gets easier. When I started, I never drank water. Always tea or koolaid. Now, I drink nothing but water and it doesn't bother me.

Just a side note for everyone: It also isn't good to drink TOO MUCH water. Too much can mess with your electrolytes and your liver function. Also, drinking water too close to bedtime can increase water retention.