The human adult body is approximately 60 percent water, which kind of means we're just walking cucumbers with anxiety. I, however, feel like I'm probably 5 percent water, 30 percent diet soda, and 25 percent coffee, which is obviously not what I want. I don't know when this started, but I recently noticed how little water I drink in a day. When I'm thirsty, I subconsciously just grab a Diet Coke and move on with my day (even after workouts). But since Diet Coke has negative health benefits and water has so, so many, I really wanted to put myself to the test.

I thought, if I up the amount of water I drink in a day for a whole week eight 8 fl oz glasses of water a day (what the FDA recommends), would I feel better? Would I find that I didn't feel so great to begin with and didn't even realize it?

The Health Benefits of Water

Incase you haven't heard or need a refresher, water is hella good for you. It's benefits include:

1. Increases Energy and Relieves Fatigue 

2. Promotes Weight Loss 

3. Flushes Out Toxins 

4. Improves Skin Complexion (Bless up 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼)

5. Boosts Immune System 

All very exciting, so I decided — let's do this.

Day 1

Drinking water is exhausting. I felt so full — I honestly don't believe people drink this much in a day. Eight glasses of water (each 8 fl oz) is equivalent to about four regular-sized bottles of water. I literally finished the first and never wanted to see water again, and I had to run to the bathroom every couple of minutes.

It was hard for me to keep drinking — I felt full, even though I'd still be thirsty. I wondered if I really was this dehydrated. Unfortunately, the goal of consuming 64 fl oz of water was not met, but knew I'd be back at it tomorrow.

Day 2 & 3

Day 2 was off to a fantastic start. I went to a cycling class early in the morning, so I got started drinking water really early. I easily drank a full 24 fl oz of water on the bike, but I guess it's necessary to think about the water I lost from sweat. After the second bottle, I couldn't stop running to the bathroom (sorry for the TMI). It was crazy. I was shocked, like is this normal?

Day 3 was the same routine; running back and forth from the bathroom was getting obnoxious. I also really disliked drinking this much water. I was over it. My skin hadn't gotten any better, but maybe I was hoping for way too much.

Day 4 & 5

Day 4 was the same old, same old. By Day 5, I felt really bloated and heavy, and it wasn't particularly helping any bodily systems out it seemed. I know how important water is, but I was feeling like drinking this much water left me feeling more dehydrated in the mornings and just uncomfortable. I'd go for runs and sweat a whole lot more, as even in the Miami heat, I'd barely sweat after running before this week. But before, I'd also end workouts sweating out like coffee or alcohol or whatever I splurged on the night before. OK, so I guess it definitely made me feel a little bit healthier, but not by much.

Day 7

Skip to the last day, and I made it. My appetite didn't particularly change, but that could've been because of extraneous variables. However, I did notice that my body started reacting differently to workouts. I felt less achey and sore the day after working out because I'd really push myself to drink water after gym sessions or regular cardio. I worked to change my immediate urge to just grab a Diet Coke after a sweaty day out. Now, I was grabbing a water and feeling refreshed a lot faster. 

Throughout this whole week, I hadn't stopped drinking my sodas and coffees/teas, so maybe I was getting an inappropriate amount of liquid in my day (it was quite a lot). But now, I am more aware of the amount of water I drink, so when I'm thirsty after finishing a soda, I don't go directly back for another soda, I balance myself out and reach for a water. And I feel good!

Obviously, changes don't happen as instantaneously as I would like them to, but drinking water is clearly good for you. It's important to keep your body clean and ready to protect itself.