When I first started this blog over 6 years ago, I struggled with properly hydrating myself. I just have not been a big fan of water throughout my life.
I blogged quite a bit about the benefits of water in an attempt to hype myself up about the wonders of this magical clear liquid. I researched and blogged about the best water filters (Berkey filter, btw). I reviewed and hosted giveaways for BPA free glass containers and reusable bottles to make hydration on the go exciting.
But still, over the last 6 years, my levels of hydration have been largely hit or miss. When it was good it was really really good, and when it was bad it was really really bad.
Recently, through a lot of Law of Attraction work and personal introspection, I have been getting a hell of a lot better about observing my habits – and more importantly, changing my habits.
I’ve discovered that I am AWESOME about hydration when I am at home (which I am most of the time – I work from home)… but once I leave the house, I can go ALL DAY without drinking anything other than coffee.. which ironically enough I find easier to find than water. Go figure.
And when I DO remember to gift my body with water when I am out of the house, part of me rebels to purchase or open up a bottled water, knowing as I do all the negatives about bottled water – it’s sub-par water for your body and horrible for our planet. So I shrug it off as a bum water day and dehydrate myself until I’m back home. It’s a dumb cycle with an easy cure that I’ve just been pushing off for reasons unknown. (Hello, shadow work!)
Here’s how it usually goes: I know I should bring one of my many reusable water bottles, but I always forget. So I shelve the problem as, “Oh well, I always forget. Guess there’s nothing can do. Drinking water is hard.” But that just stupid. It’s an excuse. It’s lazy. It’s my ego self just sabotaging my health and happiness and well-being. I am better than this. I am bigger than my excuses. I deserve health and wellness and this “problem” isn’t even all that difficult!
So are you ready for the reusable water bottle challenge? Here it is….
BRING A REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE FILLED WITH WATER WITH YOU EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE.
Here’s how I am going to support myself with this challenge:
- Every morning, when I am refilling my Berkey water filter (which I do every morning anyway), I will fill a reusable water bottle and place it by the door.
- Any time I leave the house – even if it’s for 5 minutes around the block! – I will grab my water bottle like I grab my keys, purse and sunglasses.
- I will hand wash my reusable bottles so I don’t have the “well, it’s in the dishwasher” excuse.
- Purchase additional reusable bottles as needed for the occasions when I forget my bottle in the car / at a friends / etc., and I don’t have time to wash and fill it.
This challenge fills two warm and fuzzies for me – 1) Being properly hydrated is a MUST for steady weight loss and skin elasticity. And 2) Less water bottles in landfills is always a good thing.
From the Mind Body Green blog:
Plastic bottles are resource-intensive to manufacture, fill, and ship around the globe, so each one comes with a hefty carbon footprint. Not to mention, considering the troubled state of the recycling industry in the U.S., it’s exceedingly difficult to tell whether your plastics are actually being properly recycled. The ones that aren’t recycled are extremely slow to biodegrade: What you drink in a few minutes can stick around for 1,000 years. The easiest way to ensure that plastic water bottles don’t end up sitting in a landfill, adding toxins into the watersheds and soil, is to avoid them in the first place.
Additionally, the label on your bottled water may depict a peaceful mountain stream, but that doesn’t mean the water inside is pure and pristine. According to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 25% of bottled water is sourced from…the tap. It’s just filtered or radiated before being sold at a substantial price markup. Moreover, traces of phthalates, mold, trihalomethanes, and arsenic have all been found in bottled water over the years. Only relatively recently did the FDA start regulating bottled water for E. coli, thanks to advocacy by the NRDC.
CURRENT STATS
Start Weight (May 15, 2020): 201 pounds
Current Weight (June 3, 2020): 190.2
Total Pounds Lost (Since May 15, 2020): 10.8
Pounds Left to Lose to Reach Goal Weight of 130 pounds: 60.2
