I like to say that I am an intense water drinker. I drink it with every morning, and with every meal. I work out every day so I know how important it is to drink water before, during, and after my workout. But sometimes I don’t have the time to refill my water bottle, or buy another one for $1.49. So I might only end up having one water throughout the entire day, which is just not healthy.
The FDA recommends water consumption based on your age, sex, and health status. For me, a 20-year-old woman, I need roughly 2.7 liters a day—about 11 cups. That doesn’t sound too hard now does it?
But as you know, the lives of college student are very hectic. Our schedules change daily and we forget things all the time—like eating drinking and sleeping enough.
So for a week, I took on the challenge of drinking 2.7 liters of water a day. Here’s how it all went down.
Day 1
I started the day with a run. I drank one bottle before, during, and after. So that’s 6 cups in the span of 2 1/2 hours. I had two classes back to back, but of course forgot my water bottle. After class I ran home to drink another water bottle.
I was not used to drinking this much water so I found I was going to the bathroom much more than usual. At dinner I finished the challenge with three cups of water. The waitress probably thought I was nuts that she had to keep filling up my glass.
Day 2
This was a rough day. I started the morning by chugging two water bottles before heading to The Hunt in Far Hills NJ. I think I may have cheated because I had other beverages throughout the day. But there was absolutely no water to be found at this place. I had two mini water bottles so what does that equal, one water bottle? I also kept having to pee and I was not about to wander off into a port-o-potty by myself.
By the time the event ended and we got on our bus to return home, I had a massive headache. I was so dehydrated I was begging people for water at one point. On the bus for two hours without water, and a massive headache is not a good combination. As soon as I got home I once again chugged three water bottles.
But my luck only got worse as I threw up all the water I had just drank. I completed the daily intake of water for today but it sure wasn’t a great feeling.
Day 3
Ahh yes, Sunday. My favorite day of the week to relax. I woke up and drank my water bottle and headed to the gym with a new water bottle in hand. After my workout I came back to my apartment and showered I met up with a friend for lunch at Panera.
I tried to be healthy and ordered a salad and water cup. If you’ve ever been to Panera you know how small those water cups are so I refilled that two times.
By this time I was keeping track of how much water I was drinking. So when I got home to do my homework I filled a glass with tap water and added lemon—there’s just something about adding sliced lemons that makes water so much more enjoyable. And I finally made sure to get in my last six cups of the day. Yay.
Day 4
Today I woke thinking this is going to be the busiest day of my life. I had to go to class and the gym, babysit, finish a paper, and plan Fairfield University’s first Spoon meeting of the year. Exhausting.
I drank my water bottle and headed to photo journalism. Throughout the class I never drink my water bottle but I ended up refilling it and having to pee two times. I worked out after and drank two water bottles throughout the process. (I know I’m boring and do the same thing everyday.)
Then it came time to babysit. I had to pick the kids up from school and watch their soccer practice as I sipped on my water bottle. I really needed to pee but there was no bathroom in sight. By the time I finished I was rushing back to school to get ready for Spoon and use the bathroom. I had no water and was starving. As soon as the meeting was over I drank my final glass of water for the day and headed to bed, thankful the day was over.
Day 5
By this time I was getting used to the amount of water I was supposed to be drinking. I even noticed that my skin was looking much better—it was clear and moisturized.
It was now a habit I start my day with two bottles of water. With two classes back to back, I had a bottle in each and had to pee in both of them (eight cups total). Despite getting in the habit of drinking more water, my body still wasn’t used to it by having to pee every five minutes.
I got to go out to dinner with my boyfriend at an Italian restaurant in town and ordered an amazing pasta dish. We both ordered water and kept having to refill our glasses. As soon as I finished eating I was extremely bloated and uncomfortable.
I know one of the home remedies is to drink a warm cup of water with lemon, so I had two of those before bed. But still had to pee constantly. I went to bed a nervous wreck knowing I had an interview tomorrow but happy I completed my daily intake of water without even realizing it.
Day 6
Nearing the end of the challenge. I woke up and could barely drink my water this time knowing I had an interview to prepare for. I was so nervous. Luckily the interview went well and I went back on track drinking a water as soon I got home.
By the time the interview ended I had a massive headache from not drinking my usual amount of water. But I continued on with my day and drank four more water bottles without even realizing.
By now my body was used to the amount of water I was drinking and I didn’t have to pee every five minutes. I spent the rest of the night watching Netflix and working on this article while sipping on my water.
Day 7
The last day! My skin fully cleared and I felt so much more energetic. I started my day with my usual two water bottles and felt so much more refreshed than when I first started. I ended up drinking more than 11 cups of water without even realizing it since my body had become so accustomed to the amount of water it was taking in.
Overall the challenge was a huge success. Although I couldn’t control my bladder the first few days, it was worth it in the end. My skin looked and felt better, and I overall felt more energetic by only drinking water throughout the day. 11 cups may seem intimidating at first, but it’s totally worth it in the end.