If you don't need the sweet and don't mind starting ahead of time, a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge is nice. I do mean tea from tea bags and not that powdered stuff. If you want to avoid caffeine, you can experiment with the herbals. For really mild flavoring/caffeination, I like a jasmine green tea.

(Not that there is anything wrong with coffee all day!)

Anything, honey, fruit juice, thst will help you meet water quota is ok. Once you are used to ingesting all that fluid, perhaps you could challenge yourself by reducing flavoring til no flavoring used. It worked for me

Thanks for the ideas! Right now I've got a glass with about half a tsp of honey and it's made all the difference. Plus drinking through a straw. No idea why that helps.

Bossy, I agree that water with a little something is better than none at all. Then cutting back till it's gone. Reminds me of when I started drinking coffee I needed a couple of spoonfuls of sugar, then slowly cut back. The last 1/4 tsp. was the hardest to give up. Now I can't bear sweet coffee, although I must have 1/2 & 1/2. :)

I really have to be intentional about this. I'm not in denial. I want to do this.

Nothing at all wrong with infusing your water with whatever floats your boat! I've tied orange and lemon slices in a bag with mint leaves and left them in a pitcher overnight and then take them out. The flavor lasts without becoming bitter. You can try other things as well.

My DDs like the infusers. I think they can be a pain to clean (gee, wonder why that does not see trouble them terribly).

It is just as easy to put a soupcon of whatever fruit in your drink. Cucumber water is good, too.

Two other ideas.

Have you tried Hint? It is basically spring water with a tiny bit of fruit juice or extract. A tiny tiny bit, and like 5 calories (no sweetener IIRC).

What about homemade decaf iced tea or tisanes? We buy a jug of clear Poland spring, pop in a few bags then put it in the fridge. Voila, in a few hours you have it. We find that with good quality leaves and spring water, you really don't need sugar. I see this as largely equivalent to water.

I add flavored vinegars to my water often. My favorites are pomegranate and raspberry and pear. The vinegar is good for me and it gives my water a special kick. Doesn't take much just a splash to my Bubba water bottle.

I normally drink a lot of water, but haven't been able to recently. I've been using these True Citrus products. I know you said you don't want lemon but they have other stuff. true citrus

They have packets with no sugar or sweeteners (stevia) and they also have these. Actually the last time I was at the store I couldn't find the plain ones so I decided to try the Black Cherry Limeade and Lemonade. They're both good. I normally don't care for lemon in my water, but I like these. Something different it help it go down!

black cherry limeade

Seriously, you guys are the best. Gonna make a flavor run and report back.

This might be easier than barfing cats.

ETA- sorry different thread about trials and tribulations of cat food.

Would adding bubbles to plain water help? It did for me.

Oh, BTW not everybody agrees that you need to drink a lot of water. Personally, I like to, but, just sayin'.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/25/upshot/no-you-do-not-have-to-drink-8-glasses-of-water-a-day.html

I was just going to cite that New York Times article that MtnRd linked, but she beat me to it. It really helped me feel less bad about my general "meh" feeling about water.

For the water I do drink, though, drinking seltzer instead helps quite a bit. I don't know why, but I find seltzer much more palatable than plain water.

I have a somewhat similar situation. I can't drink "flat" water before lunch or I'll be nauseous. I have a SodaStream and make my own sparkling water -- not flavored.

With lunch and after, I can drink tap water just fine.

Which leads me to ask you -- is it the taste of your tap water? Do you purify it?

I have the same issues with drinking lots of water.. it's easy for me when I am working in the yard and have a ready supply of water bottles but otherwise? nah.

I also like Hint water-- some flavors are better than others but they are a nice break from plain water and have NO sugar (I really dislike sweet water). I also really like cucumber water and water infused with orange, strawberry, lemon, whatev.

In the summer, I keep iced tea on hand. I don't worry about the caffeine so I use a variety of teas-- I always have Republic of Tea on hand. Ginger Peach is a fav as is Blackberry Sage. I also have a loose tea called Midsummers Night Dream that is very good with some fruit rind in it. I think there's passionfruit and not sure what else.

I know it is crazy easy to make iced tea but i use one of these Tayeka Flash Chill Iced Tea makers. It's not really a "maker" just a nice sized pitcher (fits in the door) with a strainer.. the idea is that you let the tea steep in hot water, then remove the basket and add ice.

At work, they used to flavor water by floating fruit in it...sliced melon was esp delish.

In our area we have flavored seltzers...I like the black cherry or the mixed berry.

But you want to be careful about drinking water all day long that has been mixed with acids like citrus fruits as the acids will damage the enamel on your teeth.

Flavor is not relevant if you don't breathe while you're drinking, so just chug some of it and you won't even taste it.

Also try it at different temperatures...you may find too cold or too warm unpleasant.

I like to float cucumber in a pitcher of water in the fridge to flavor it. It doesn't need much time to work. As Annie said, melon is good, too. When I have fresh herbs all the time in the summer, I make all sorts of fruit and herb combinations. If you're worried about acid on your teeth, use a straw. But I think I read a while back that if you drink from a straw all the time, you get more wrinkles around your mouth. It's always something.....

I'm comforted to hear I'm not the only one who isn't drinking their weight in water every day. Slight exaggeration, but I know so many people who wouldn't be without their water bottle wherever they go, and I think, something's wrong with me.

Mtn, I am very relieved to hear that maybe we don't need to drink all that water anyway. I do think I should drink more than I do. Why? I've bought into the hype.

As far as finding water in food. Lately I've had an insatiable craving for cole slaw. I buy the bags of shredded green/red cabbage with carrots from TJ and add a wee bit of mayo and vinegar. Huge bowl of it. I love cabbage, raw or cooked. Today I was purposely chewing each mouthful well to make it last longer. I was amazed how much water it produced. It was remarkable.

For some reason I don't like iced tea at all. I loved it as a teenager and that was the end of it.

I don't like fizzy water at all either. In fact, the only carbonated thing I like is beer. Loathe champagne.

I went to Target and brought home a bottle of Hint, some V8 juice to dribble in water, and some Dasani flavor drops. Don't judge me!!! It's all for the sake of research.

I prefer room temperature water, not refrigerated, not iced. My municipal water isn't the best tasting, but I find it tastes better the thirstier I am. Any port in a storm. I do keep a pitcher of Brita filtered water in the fridge.

One more reason I want to drink more water and therefore more hydrated. I have a tendency to get leg cramps. They're bad enough during waking hours, but in the middle of the night is just the pits. Last night I kept getting one in my foot/ankle and it was hard to walk it off.

I loathe champagne also! I thought I was the only one. I hate turning it down-- but it literally CUTS right through my stomach.

Yay Funkyart, champagne hater sister!!!

It's not just the fizz, it's the extreme dryness. Usually it's served to celebrate something or other and I always feel guilty about turning it down under those circumstances. I'll just take a few sips and play along. If there's an alcoholic alternative, I'll make a subtle switch.

I don't like water at all. I really have to force myself to drink it. I like coffee, tea, and San Pellegrino pomegranate orange but that is almost a soft drink. I bought a soda stream to encourage myself to drink water but I think it's a pain to replace the canisters and the last canister I had was wonky. I've wondered if a touch of vanilla would taste good or yucky? I do drink one glass of water a day. I take a glass with ice water to bed with me and sip on it while I relax playing games, reading, and checking email. This si not at all enjoyable but it is the only water I drink.

Ditto! I do exactly the same.. it's a challenge because champagne is a favorite of my mom, sisters and bff!

Try adding sunflower seeds and raisins to your Slaw, too. Yum yum

Mtn, I'll have to try that. I forgot to mention that I mix in a dab of BBQ sauce with the mayo and vinegar. I would have never thought of that but it was a suggestion on the bag of cabbage. I confess, I have a weakness for BBQ sauce and all I needed was permission to spike my slaw with it.

Linelle, try tonic with quinine...it's supposed to help leg cramps in addition to water.

Annie, thanks for that. My dad worked long hours on his feet and he really suffered from leg cramps. It is a distinctly nasty type of pain.

Water, plain and simple, is my favorite drink by far. I have no problem at all drinking at least 8 glasses a day, but if I didn't, I'd try adding a bit of fresh mint, cucumber or watermelon.

I absolutely dislike flavored water. I don't know what it is, but it doesn't work for me. I've found that water that is mineralized slightly tastes so much better than flat, tap water. I really love the taste of Costco's Kirkland water, but I'm trying to not buy bottled water so much. I bought a cute water bottle that fit my quirks (no straw, no flip top) and the new fountain at my office has good tasting water, so I've been drinking A LOT more.

I keep soda water on hand to mix with cranberry juice first thing in the morning, because I also can't tolerate flat water (even Costco's) until after I've had coffee. But I read that if you drink 6 oz of water before you have your coffee you'll wake better. So I mix up a 3:1 carbonated water:juice and drink it up. I also sometimes mix the carbonated water with drinking vinegar for a tart, sweet treat.

Another who has no problem drinking water all day long. I run a lot though and must stay hydrated so I pay attention to my intake. Also room temperature water is more easily absorbed by the body, so I try to drink it just barely cool or at least warmer than I used to drink it. We have filtered water at home and it is good.

I do love good coffee in the morning, and an occasional plain iced tea. Absolutely no carbonated or fizzy drinks for me except a beer now and then. Gave them up in the 80's and don't miss them.

One thing to keep in mind about sweetening your water with honey is that if you really do drink a lot of it all day every day you are almost constantly bathing your teeth in sugar. Not particularly good for your dental health. Honey is not better in that respect than regular white sugar. Former dental hygienist here.

I am trying to throw my Diet Coke addiction. I love the stuff. Mmmm, water and chemical stew! I found that part of what I crave is the carbonation. I've been drinking Poland Spring carbonated lemon water and it seems to satisfy my DC craving. TJs has something similar and that's good, too.

I agree that, when drinking water without a meal, room temp is best. I never liked carbonation .. the fizz is ouchy. Only one of my kids likes soda, and once in a while I Iet him have it when we are out. We all seemed to get the memo about water, and everyone's nightstand will pretty much have a bottle of water on it, plus the kids take them for sports, etc. I only like PS and TJ/s. I find Evian and Fiji kind of ... slippery? I do love Panna, but generally only see it in big bottles. I always use it to entertain; i love the bottle.

i like plain water and water with lemon or lime, but no way do i drink the quantities that 'they' used to suggest! i tinkle plenty during the day! :)

but i love bubbles and do like diet coke, but try not to drink too much- i like the deer park flavored water quite a bit and like that there's no coloring or sugar/sweetener in them.

Linelle, I have been working on increasing my water consumption as at work I often forget to drink nearly all day. My goal is to consistently achieve very light, um, #1, which I suspect is a better indicator of meeting my body's needs than a recommended so many ounces, as people have vastly different body sizes, physical exertion levels, climates, sodium intake, etc..

Regarding muscle cramps at night - I was astounded at how well this tip from a very elderly woman works, especially as I have had screaming-out-loud cramping which was knocked in seconds with a heaping spoonful or two of straight mustard; has absolutely worked every time for me.

Lynn: Don't you pee copiously all day long?

Dedtired (and others who love carbonation): Don't you burp all day long?

3katz: Very good reminder. I had two glasses of water slightly sweetened with honey yesterday. About 3/4 tsp. The second one was too sweet and the taste of honey too pronounced. This isn't a viable option for the long term.

chispa: I'm relieved and heartened to hear someone else drinks as little as I do. I was afraid to even admit it here. I have two large cups of coffee upon rising, 12-16 oz. cups. I know that coffee is a diuretic and is often discounted as a source of water, but there it is. I have a large latte every afternoon, another 12-16 oz. which is mostly 2% milk. Mostly that's all. Sometimes I can feel that my body wants/needs more, but it first has to pass through my mouth and I often have to force myself to drink water.

gramarows: What kind of mustard? Yellow? Dijon? German? I've got a fridge door full of them. Last night, on the heels of a large glass of water, I had a raging cramp in my lower shin that tossed me out of bed twice. Fortunately it was before I fell asleep so I still had my wits about me. Why do those suckers hurt so much? [I think it was triggered by lying on my back and the weight of the covers causing my feet to point down. Only when I rolled on my side and my feet were unfettered could I find a spot that didn't cause a cramp.]

Linelle, isn't it awful? My mc can now also go all the way up my inner thighs, and it is really hard to get to the refrigerator, I get doubled over with such intense pain. But then in a few seconds it's all over. I only have had to go back and repeat once, I believe. Any mustard will likely work, I imagine. I use grainy mustard, horseradish mustard, it hasn't seemed to matter. I don't use plain yellow mustard, so I can't be certain. I had used quinine by drinking tonic water every evening, and it seemed to help, but I did still get cramps. Every commercial tonic that I found in my area was made with high fructose corn sirup which I won't buy. I finally found a mom and pop type soda company which uses plain cane sugar, and I took that for a year or so. I only drank a little each night as I worried about the impact on kidneys....but I finally had to stop as I just didn't want any sugar.

http://www.emaxhealth.com/1275/mustard-leg-cramps-and-burns-myth-or-fact

Mtn, thanks! So, there's a (mustard) grain of truth to it. And if it's the placebo effect, well, no cramp is no cramp. Mostly they happen in bed, although I was getting a minor foreshadowing before I went to bed last night. As long as I'm already up, it's not so dreadful. Taking a slug of yellow mustard out of a squeeze bottle is probably most do-able. Then I'd have to get up afterwards anyway and brush my teeth.

Not to be gross, but one of the worst things is having a middle-of the-night-multiple-dashes-to-the-toilet episode and then get a leg cramp because the former has dehydrated you and the last thing you want is to drink anything. It would be funny if it weren't so awful.

Linelle, YRMV, but for me, screaming in pain at the fridge, mustard bottle in hand, with pain subsiding in seconds, while the tablespoon is still in my hand, well, I don't care what mechanism is behind the efficacy. (Mnt's article) Frankly I was very skeptical the first time I tried it, and was shocked when it worked! As far as placebo effect, the power of my mind is not that powerful to stop the intensity of the attacks I've experienced! And if the placebo effect were at work, then the tonic water I took every night should have eliminated my MC. BTW, don't know if there really is a connection, but I have notice greater incidence of MC or even vulnerability - you know when you know pointing your toe or moving in a certain way may not end well- when I've had saltier foods that day/evening. I'm hoping my recent attempts at more water will help.

I like pure cranberry juice to flavor my water. The 100% kind is so strong you just need a tiny bit to get good flavor. Sometimes I add a lime, but if I'm just trying to get lots of ounces down, l add about 1 oz per 16 oz of water and chug.

gramarows: you know when you know pointing your toe or moving in a certain way may not end well

I know exactly what you mean. Often I wear slip-on shoes open at the back. Sundays in church I'll be kneeling at the communion rail awaiting the Eucharist. My feet are hanging in space. In order to keep my shoes from falling off, I curl my toes or flex my feet. Right then, I can start feeling a cramp in my foot coming on. It would probably be better to let my shoe just slide off than jump up in pain and stomp around, at that particular moment at least.

Apple Cider vinegar is all the rage--healthy even.

Once again, Funky has cost me money, now that I have just ordered the Tayeka iced tea maker. I love fruity/herbal iced tea -- it is sweet enough without adding sugar but far more interesting than plain water! I do drink lots of water during the day -- I have my two cups of coffee, then switch to plain old water and usually have a glass (actually a plastic Tervis cup) near me for most of the way, refilling as needed. (I stop after dinner, though, so I'm not up all night!)

I don't like ice in my water. DH does, so when he's filling water glasses at dinner time, he will put ice in mine...it's an ongoing (silly) beef between us. How hard is it to remember that I don't want ice? My kids are all in the habit of drinking mostly water too, which I am happy about. I don't buy soda but I do buy juice... I haven't thought of adding a splash in my water but might just try that! I never drink juice myself, it's just too sweet for me. Um, unless it's in a cocktail. Then it's fine.

I also love Diet Coke but almost never have it in the house, because I know I'd have at least one can a day (only cans...don't like it as much in a bottle). So I only get it as a "treat" when I'm out somewhere. Oddly enough, I love the fizz of soda but I am not a fan of seltzer.

I'm a member of the anti-champagne club, too. I do love Prosecco, though. Isn't that weird? Champagne sometimes gives me a headache but Prosecco doesn't.

Lots of good ideas here!

When I initially committed to drinking more water, I would go to the bathroom 30 min after drinking but as time went by, the peeing normalized and it seems to be less frequent. I've always been a heavy sweater and much more now but I also seem to be a bit more tolerant of heat. It's like a good vicious circle: The more I drink, the more I sweat. The more I sweat, The cooler I stay,. The cooler I stay, the easier it is to increase physical activity, and on and on. Also I seem to be more aware of my thirstiness now that I drink more, as compared to when I didn't drink as much

And in re; to article suggesting x Amt of water might be hype. If you are a gardener and have purchased a Xeric plant for water conservation, with very few exceptions, those same plants will look and perform better with more moisture. They will survive with little water but will thrive with more. I truly believe human body is the same. I truly do.

I don't sweat that much, a little, but less than most. I'm also pretty tolerant of heat, which is a good thing since it gets hot where I live in the summer and I don't have AC. But I really like the heat. I'm fine when it's 85+ with low humidity while others just hate it.

Add me to the list of those who don't drink the recommended amount of water. I do pretty well in the summer, when I'm really sweating. But especially in the cooler months, some days I only have a beverage with a meal. Water, tea, occasionally a soda for lunch. Coffee only in the morning. Does wine count? If so, that drives my average up. :P

I think part of the issue is, when we hear "8 glasses per day", we think water tumbler. Those are 8-oz glasses. That little measuring cup, not the one that holds a 12-oz can plus ice. I experimented once, I filled up a one-cup measure and drank it down. It took me 10 swallows. So now if I'm trying to drink more, I drink 10 swallows when I think of it. I have no problem slugging down water, I just don't think about it. I think I should go drink some now.

SueB,

There are new diet coke cans out that are so pretty! Makes me want to buy them.

Problem with making tea using hot water is the ice. If you like delicate herbal teas and dont want to use sugar, then you need to use really good water. So I would want my ice cubes to be spring water, which is a PITA.

I love this fruity tea, perhaps partly due to the name and packaging.

85 with low humidity is almost heaven, ha but 85 with high humidity is the perfect formula for crappy hair and makeup, esp, long hair like I wear

I'm not Lynn but as far as peeing all day..... I normally drink between 60-80 oz. of plain water a day. I have a water bottle I drag around with me. The amount may be different for everyone, but I believe your body gets used to it. When I started to force myself to drink more water I found I eventually actually became thirsty. I did spend a more than normal amount of time running to the bathroom at first, but my body adjusted. If I start mixing soda or something else in there I'll have to take more breaks.

I believe water and sleep are two of the most important things we can do for our bodies.

I didn't read everyones replies...I have a hard time drinking water daily like we should. I ONLY like Kirkland brand drinking water, 2nd choice would be Desani. I have discovered that drinking water out of bottle is easier for me than drinking out of a glass, even with a straw...weird, I know. I used to drink the regular sized individual sized Kirkland water bottles, but we were racking up a lot recyclables...Now I buy the 1 gallon Kirkland water packs and I refill a VOSS water bottle, they have glass and plastic VOSS water bottles. I have one a work for refilling and one at home. As for additives, I like lime.