OK guys, its Monday morning. I need to get my butt back into high gear.

No weight loss, feeling slow and sleepy from all the holiday carbs, eating too much and too often.... I need help! So Im getting back to the basic's - Water intake!

I (honestly speaking here) am only drinking about 20 oz's a day - ouch! And I feel it.

So TODAY is the day!!!!

Ive got my two - 20oz AquaFina water bottles full and Im determined to drink each one - 2 times! So thats 80oz's of water, a little more then 1/2 a gallon. This should be enough to get me started in the right direction.

ANYONE else interested in this challenge???

Ive never done a challenge before, so I have no idea on the rules.

I just know that I need help.... YOUR help!!!!!!!

Paula, I found the cutest bottle at the drug store. It looks like the huge 5 gallon bottles on Water coolers (Sparkletts or Arrowhead) but it fits exactly 8 glasses of water. Was only a few bucks. It has a handle so I fill it up each morning, and when it's empty, I know I got all my water in. Anything I drink in addition is just a bonus.

Penni, what rock have you been hiding under? Water has always been the Number 1 weight loss promoter! Get out your legwarmer's and Jane Fonda aerobic tapes and you'll see they were pushing the H20 even back then. Now drink up!

Anyone counting coffee and tea as Water - think again. You need EXTRA water for each cup of tea & coffee you consume. Read on:

Your body cannot function properly when it's deprived of water. Did you know that a body loses at least 2 ½ to 3 quarts of water every day? An average person should be drinking up to 2 quarts of water every day to replenish their system. However, the amount of water your body requires increases if you are overweight, or are very active. Most people don’t know that hydrating your body actually helps you to lose weight. Here are some more great benefits to drinking water: Maintains muscle tone, Relieves constipation, Treats Fluid retention, Rids the body of waste, Helps endocrine function. Cold water is best as it absorbs into your body faster than warm water. When you drink water, you help each organ function properly. Just breathing takes up to 1 ½ glasses of water each day. Your lungs, skin, intestines and kidneys together require at least 10 glasses of water everyday! The water from your body is basically lost through urination, perspiration and breathing. This means that if you are very active or drink coffee or tea, you should remember to increase the amount of water you drink each day. You will know that your body is dehydrated if you have dry skin and lips, if you feel tired or if your bladder is aching.

Got my water in yesterday and I'm halfway there today. Much better.

I never had any problem getting my water in till I jumped on this thread. I think it's hard to drink water when it's pouring rain outside.

Isint that the truth..I'm freezing cold,& raining it is hard to drink all of my water..so far I have drank 40 oz.

One of my employees is also a personal trainer, she told me today if you are trying to flush out your system and lose weight you need to drink 1/2 of your body weight in ounces of Water. so so approx 95 ounces for me a day!!

I remember reading somewhere for every 10lbs you are overwieght you need to drink an extra 8 oz glass of water..so that is about the same as half of my body weight in ounces of water.

I got in six cups so far today. Been quite a day. Yesterday right after I answered this thread, Patty fell and hit her head HARD on the entertainment center. Couldn't move her, she was in far too much pain. Ambulance came and I think they pulled out her epidural catheter by standing on it when they lifted her onto the stretcher. Stayed up all night at the ER and then at home trying to get her comfortable again. So I kinda let the water slip my mind. But I have drank at least ten cups of coffee, not counting that though as it is a diuretic.

Later.

Oh my goodness, Ryan, thats horrible! Is she ok?

Lisa, Thanks for the information about Water and tea. I agree 100%.

I never thought about the cold weather contributing to not drinking much water, but it makes sense to me!

I need about 10 more oz's to finish the day!

Well just arrived at work with my Water bottles and rubber bands...

Michelle even though a trainer told you that she should let your know that drinking to much water isn't good for you either. The amount 64oz of water most of our Dr's want us to drink is plenty for the flushing of our systems. Drinking water can be over done and I have done it twice since being banded. Its called over hydrating yourself and it makes you feel like your drunk.

Also our water drinking needs to be stopped long enough before bedtime to prevent your sleep from being disturbed due to the manytrips to bathroom.

Since I used to work swing shifts I have read alot about sleep and what is good and what is bad. Also since having sleep apnea I know about disturbed sleep(not to be confused with being a disturbed individual). If you do not get at least 2 hrs of undisturbed sleep your body will treat it as wake time..Although you may feel awake after 90 mins of sleep you will quickly tire. A 20 minute nap is healthy as it will help you rejuvinate a bit but its only a short term fix. So if your drinking too much water or drinking to close to heading to bed and you have to get up ever so many hours to unload then your body may not be getting the sleep benifits it needs and this will only cause more health problems.

The water just like all other aspects of this lapband life has to be adjust to work for each of us as individuals.

Good luck finding what works for you.

Egads, that would mean I'd have to more than double my huge water intake. Can't we just stand in the rain so the water transdermally absorbs? I've heard you can die from drinking too much water - not sure if that's true. You'd probably have to drink a lot more if you are a personal trainer or a professional athlete since they lose so much through perspiration.

If you drink a LOT of Water, like compulsively, you can create an imbalance in your electrolytes and possibly die. I don't think any of us come anywhere near the huge amount you have to drink to do that. Except maybe Greg, when he gets drunk on water!

P.S. Ryan, I hope you are your wife are back to normal now. That sounds like a horribly stressful ordeal.

I did pretty good yesterday. I'm not gonna lie. I got in 60 oz. That better than before , because I had really gotten bad over the holidays. Doing better today I've gotten in 70 so far and the day isn't over. I think 10 more oz shouldn't be a problem!!! Thanks for helping get me back on my water.

I'm in, I have slacked up on doing everything to lose weight. I usually dcrink half of my body weight a day but slacking. I am going to do 140 oz a day. It is not hard for me to do but I just forget somedays and that is going to be the challenge for me.

Selecia

I've been a slacker... but enough is enough. I'm heading to the kitchen with my 64 ounce jug right this second. Thanks for the encouragement!

I was so busy today I forgot to drink much. I will get started right now making up the second half.