Liquid Problem
by Kayla Brown
Why Water
I chose this area to work on because a), it is a very specific line item that should be easy to tackle, and b), I really don’t want to pass out on campus while walking between classes. I care about my skin and drinking water is important for skin health. (I know I need to sort my priorities.) I also want to make sure my body has enough fluids so it can properly clean itself. I tend to get headaches when I am dehydrated which is both a disturbing and handy symptom because a), I’m a little worried about what might be happening in my brain when it is so dehydrated it starts to hurt, and b), it is nice to have an actual physical warning that lets me know I’m slacking on the water-intake. I probably shouldn’t go so long without drinking that my brain starts to hurt. This is my goal for this project: increase the regular consumption of fluids throughout each day.
Plan of Attack
“Keep it simple stupid.”I'm a student with a lot going on, and those other things can easily take priority over water drinking, so I need a SIMPLE solution that won't take up too much time or brain power. I'm not going to try to remember to drink water by tracking it in a planner. I already tried that. It didn't work. I just forgot the water and the planner. I'm not going to set a timer and make myself go to the fountain. I am too lazy or busy to follow through on that one.
This is my simple solution. Always have water in hand.
I can't think of another way to make this any easier. There are many times in the past where I've felt thirsty and didn't drink because water acquisition was inconvenient. I'm confident if I have a suitable water flask on my person, I will drink from it periodically.
Stop Procrastinating
I’ve been planning to buy a new water bottle for months. (No joke!) The problem is that I’ve had the worst luck with water bottles. There’s nothing worse than writing a paper, bringing it to class to turn in, and realizing it’s covered in water splotches. I had another water bottle that broke because I dropped it on the lid. Before I started writing this diet review I was between bottles. Not that I couldn’t have gotten one, I’ve just been putting it off. So I decided that I’d stop doing that and added “WATER BOTTLE” to my weekly grocery list.
Carefully Choose Water Bottle
- Must contain 32 ounces
- Must not be made of plastic or glass
- Must have a non-leaking lid
- Must have a free-pour spout
- Must have a handle
- Must fit in my car’s cup holder
I think it is important to like the choices you make. I believe it is key to the success of your plans. So, I'm going all out on this one. I want to succeed in my endeavor.
Routine
I can see the car crash before it happens: Woman has water bottle. Woman plans to bring water bottle to school. Women does not make a rule for filling water bottle. Morning of school arrives and water bottle is empty, so woman goes to school without water bottle.
No dinner unless the water bottle is full. (That solves that.)
Assuming I follow this plan and bring my 32 ounces of water to school, I should be getting a minimum of 50% of my RDA of water for the day. I’m a little hazy (slash lazy) on the other 50%.
I’ve heard over the years that 64 ounces is how much a person’s supposed to get in a day, but there’s got to be a difference between the intake of a 250 pound man and a 125 pound woman. Just sayin’. I did one of those online calculators that is supposed to calculate how much you need for your age, size and weight, and it said I need a liter. That’s about 33 ounces, which is roughly half of what I used to think a person needed a day. My plan is to try to fall somewhere in the middle. Maybe a little bit more in the summer. I might not need the full 64 ounces but maybe a little more than the 32 ounces would be a good number to aim for.
To help me get there, I made myself one more rule. No bedtime or breakfast before water.
Honestly, this should be the easiest part of the program. I already have a habit in place of getting myself and my husband a glass of water before bed, and if I don’t do it, he does. So we keep each other on track that way. Drinking in the morning isn’t hard either because my mouth is almost always a bit dry when I wake up, so I go for the water by default. I’ll admit there are some times when I go for the water and get distracted by the food, but that doesn’t happen too often because I’m not usually starving when I first wake up.
Implementation
Pre-breakfast drink: Fail. I got distracted by food again.
My water bottle went to school with me. I remembered because I filled it and put it directly into my backpack last night. Good thinking on that one! (Pats self on back)
I drank all the water while I was studying in between classes. I didn’t have to drink from the fountains, which is nice because I sometimes get grossed out by fountains.
I drank a glass before bed.
Day 2
Today I set an alarm to remind me to get water when I woke up. I got a glass of water first thing.
I went on a hike but forgot my water bottle on the counter at home. However my husband met me in town afterwards and I asked him to bring it to me. So I drank most of my water bottle while out shopping.
Once I got home I had a full glass of water and drank a hot chocolate. That counts right?
Day 3
This morning I had a full glass of water when I woke up and my water bottle was prepared and ready to take to school with me.
I did a good job of drinking my water at school. I kept it out beside me while I studied and drank it without even thinking about it. I got thirsty and went for it.
I also drank some water before bed.
Day 4
I forgot to drink water first thing in the morning, but I remembered to bring my water bottle to school and drank all that.
When I got home from school I had another glass of water before bed.
Day 5
Today I got up and had a glass of water first thing.
I stayed home from school today but I still drank my water bottle. It did feel a bit weird toting the bottle around the house, but I guess that's okay.
My husband brought me a glass of water before bed.
Review of the Intervention
I know from doing calculations that I need around 33 ounces of water a day for my size and activity level. My measure is the water bottle I take to school. It contains 32 ounces. So as long as I'm consistently drinking a full water bottle of water each day, I know I'm okay.
Besides that, I try to remember to drink a glass before breakfast and a glass before bed. This isn't a hard and fast rule, but it makes sense for me because I'm usually thirsty in the morning and I usually get thirsty during the night, so it makes sense to have a glass of water on the night stand.
How successful were you at your implementation?
I think I was quite successful, considering I'm trying to form new habits, and that does take time. I drink significantly larger quantities throughout the day and feel more hydrated overall. I also like how the plan of action made it easy for me to drink over time, rather than drinking a large quantity all at one time in the hopes it would carry me through the rest of the day. I also feel safer because I'm not drinking from water fountains that could be contaminated. (I know that's unlikely, but one time I saw a man give the water spout mouth-to-mouth. Gross!)
Did it impact the area you intended it to?
Yes, my intervening measures directly tackled the problem I had with not drinking enough water while at school. It made it easier for me to get the hydration I need, without overcomplicating life with extra steps to remember.
What effects, if any, did you notice as a result of your implementation?
I’ve noticed since I’ve been somewhat consistently drinking little bits of water throughout the day, I don’t deal with extreme thirst or excessive urination. For example, in the past I’d drink a lot of water at once because I was really thirsty or in a hurry, and I felt like I peed it all out and was quickly thirsty again. Drinking water slowly throughout the day, a swallow or two here and there, seems to actually make me feel more hydrated. I’ve also noticed my lips are less chapped.
If you didn’t notice any effects, why do you think that was?
I did notice effects.
Do you think you could sustain this change?
I think so. It will require a bit of discipline, but the rules are simple so it shouldn't be impossible. I feel like I've set myself up for success by making it easy to get water when I need it. I could track it in my planner if I wanted to, but I doubt I will. I never did before. It's unlikely that wishful thinking will make it so. It is good that I have a water bottle that contains almost all the water I need for my daily intake, because that way it is a no-brainer. I don't have to try to remember how many glasses I've drank or when was the last time I drank a glass.
Will you sustain the change?
I can't say for sure. I can certainly try, and have good intentions of sustaining the change. I'm human though, so it is likely I'll forget sometimes. I'll forget my water bottle at home; I'll forget to drink before bed or in the morning, but I hope I'll get used to the habit of having things a certain way. If I do forget, I'll feel highly inconvenienced and return to the proper habit pattern immediately.
Evaluate how this experience impacted you personally.
I've learned more about myself through this experience and others. I'm learning what works for me and what leads to failure. More than anything, I'm learning to accept myself. I've learned that it is useless to fight who I am. It works better to build on who I am and enhance through cooperation, rather than trying to change everything about myself. Each person is different and unique. A solution for one person is a failure for another.
How will you use this professionally? What did you learn about making diet changes?
These are some of the things I learned about making dietary changes:
- I learned that it is much easier to maintain a simple change over time, than it is to try to change everything about yourself at once.
- I learned that a person is far more likely to maintain a change if the rules are simple and hard to get out of. (i.e. It's easy to be lazy and skip the gym (no immediate consequences), but it's not so easy to be lazy and skip walking to class.)
- As a professional, I'll encourage my patients to take the easiest route possible that leads to success. I'll be proud of them and encourage them to be proud of their accomplishments, even if those successes feel insignificant.
- Consistency is important and making simple, easy and gradual changes over time is the best chance a person has to develop healthy new habits and maintain them in the long run.
- I'll encourage my patients by sharing my own success stories.
One of My Success Stories that I'd Share with a Patient
Water intake isn't the first change I've made in my lifestyle. I've made one other change over the summer.
I've always struggled with exercising consistently. I HATE working out at the gym. Obviously I've never been consistent about going because who is ever consistent about doing something that they hate? I'm almost always bored while there. It interferes with my study schedule and requires time, motivation, driving and a membership that costs money.
To combat the problem I purchased a parking pass for the commuter lot at school. It is a thirty minute walk to my first class, then I walk in between classes, and I walk another thirty minutes to get back to my car. I get over an hour of speed walking (since I'm almost always running late for class), without even having to try. Miraculously, I'm not even slightly bored during the experience. I've been walking to classes for five months now.
Sometimes the simplest solution is the best one. Some benefits I've experienced:
- Buying a commuter pass saves me a lot of money on parking and gym membership.
- I get consistent exercise.
- Unlike the gym, my exercise environment is rich in fresh air.
- I get direct exposure to the sun, which creates vitamin D and helps my body absorb calcium.
- I sleep better at night.
- I like the way my body looks, and I am noticing positive changes over time.
- I burn a bit more energy which means I can get away with eating a bit more, which is awesome!
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