Health Promotion Goal: Drinking Three Liters of Water a Day

Module 1 

Date____________________ 

Today is my first day for drinking 3 liters of water a day for my health promotion goal. I struggle a lot when it comes to drinking water, and I am not even sure if I am going to make it for four weeks. Honestly, I do not like the flavor of water because it is so plain and it makes me so full. Water helps in the transportation of nutrients, regulation of body temperature, maintenance of brain activity and enhanced athletic ability. Despite knowing the benefits of drinking water daily, I did not believe that it would be easy to get through to 4 weeks, but I was willing to give it a try. The challenge began when I put my 3-liter Geo Sports water bottle on my desk and could not believe the entire bottle was going to end un my stomach. However, by 6 pm, I had finished it, and I felt really refreshed and upbeat.

Date____________________ 

I felt uneasy packing my 3-liter water can into my backpack, and this was just the second day. I carried it around with me to and from school. A sudden increase in water into my system left me feeling stuffed. I spent a lot of time running to and from the bathroom than working on my daily chores, and the feeling was uncomfortable. More often than not, I enjoy my evening walks with my dog Shelly, but I had to end up running to the house because I had to pee. The feeling was not that exciting but the promises of having clearer skin, sleeping better at night, and cleaning of the toxins in my body kept going. In the afternoon, I was struggling with the worst headache I have had in several months. This was due do caffeine withdrawal as I am a fan of tea. Who knew it would have such an effect?

Date____________________ 

Starting with water as the first thing in the morning became a lot easier, and I was already half a liter down by the afternoon. I take about 3-4 cups of tea in a day, and for three days, I had only had one cup of tea – I could not believe how easy it was to break my routine. It was then that I realized that when I was thirsty, I would drink tea and this made me thirstier. After several hours of forcing myself to drink water, my body did not have the urge to drink tea reason being I was adequately hydrated, and I scrapped off tea my daily routine. By the end of the day, I felt more refreshed and energized. I was not sure if it was because of the water, but I loved the feeling.

Date____________________ 

The day began like any other but just full of water. I broke my normal water routine by having a cup of tea because of the dull headache that I have been having. I started drinking my second half of the bottle at 3 pm during my workout at the gym, and it was a lot easier than I had anticipated as the session was intense. By the end of the day, I did not think about the quantity of water that I should be drinking as I was thirstier than usual. Before I knew it, I had another empty bottle of water with me, and it was only 11 pm while watching one of my favorite tv shows. Who knew it would become this easy 3 liters of water in a day when compared to the first day when I began this journey? This was my first week.

Module 2 

Date____________________ 

Something happened this morning. I woke up feeling contented, full of energy and excited about the week ahead. I have never been this happy when the week is starting. I packed my 3-liter water bottle, and I was ready for the day. Even though I was beginning to see the benefits of drinking 3 liters of water in a day, I was still skeptical if I was going to finish the bottle even though it was within reach. It became even harder to access the bathroom when I was running errands as some of the places had little or no access to the bathroom, especially when I was on public transport. Even though my stomach was full of water, I noticed that I had started making better food choices. Instead of buying junk food and sweets, I started reaching out for fresh cherries, apples, and strawberries.

Date____________________ 

I noticed an increase in my energy levels and more restful sleep. Was it the change in my liquid diet or the rest of my food choices? I started noticing that I was not getting as hungry as I used to and I started eating smaller food portions at a time. I also had some food upgrade on my plate, and this led to the conclusion that maybe drinking more might in staying healthy as well as weight loss. I was not sure about this conclusion, but it gave me the motivation that I needed to keep my routine of drinking 3 liters of water. I made changes to my daily routine, such as drinking a glass of water after waking up in the morning, 30 minutes before breakfast and dinner, an hour after lunch and breakfast and 30 minutes just before going to bed. I had to keep track of how much water I was consuming in a day as the tea, juices, and the fruits that I was taking had some water content in them.

Date____________________ 

Halfway through the second week, I felt intensely thirstier, and it was like I could not get enough water into my body. I still felt bloated, and my bathroom runs increased, but that did not stop me from drinking at least 20 ounces of water in seconds and still want more. Even though I was not getting hungry as I used to resist a stack of chocolate and biscuits offered to me by my friends. I was not as concerned as I was about the flavor of water as I used, although I did break the routine with a blackberry-sage lemonade every now and then my body did not stop craving for more water. On my morning runs and afternoon sessions at the gym, it became a lot easier to keep my body hydrated.

Date____________________ 

I was glad that the headaches I was getting because of not taking tea regularly had completely disappeared. My energy and concentration levels were up – who knew you could get this by just being persistent and getting used to drinking 3 liters of water daily. On this day, I convinced my friend Janice to join me on the water challenge. Janice and I were to help each other in being accountable in order to reach our healthy goal. By the end of this week, I noticed that I had better food digestion, and the savings in my piggy bank had increased. The financial boost was not that much, but I realized just how much I was saving by not purchasing soda, sweets, cakes, and alcoholic beverages. When I first started this, it sounded very hard, but I am glad that I have made it this far.

Module 3 

Date____________________ 

I have heard about the dangers of drinking too much water in a day. Even though I had gotten used to the routine of running to the bathroom after an hour or so, the idea of a bloated stomach did not impress me that much. I was advised to spread my water intake throughout the day but not sip a gallon of water on one sitting and that I had nothing to worry about. However, I was warned about a condition known as hyponatremia, which is a result of low sodium levels in the blood. I was told that this happens when we drink too much water but do not take in enough sodium. The side effects of hyponatremia include headaches, nausea, vomiting, respiratory arrests, seizures, and fatigue. Despite being worried, I had more energy to about mu daily chores, and for the best part, I stopped going to Starbucks with my friends every Saturday afternoon.

Date____________________ 

During the weekends, I was worried about not meeting my daily target because I was out and about, and not just sitting at my station with my water bottle right in front of me. I created a routine for myself to be drinking at least a liter of water every 4 hours. I was forced to create several reminders on my phone, it took me less than two weeks to get used to the weekend routine, and I stopped concentrating on the reminders. My water bottle has become to be my trusted companion, and I have it everywhere that I go. I am no longer concerned about getting dry spots on my face, and I had come to love the fact that my skin is more hydrated than what it used to be before I started my health promotion plan.

Date____________________ 

Spreading my water intake throughout the day helped in reducing the bloating in my stomach. It also helped reduce the number of times I kept going to the bathroom and this was an added advantage. It also became easier for me to run my errands without having to worry if there were any bathrooms in the surrounding. I used to feel fatigued when I woke up, but instead, I felt energized something that was not when I was drinking less water. Besides, I was able to keep up to my new schedule without any problems at all once I got used to the routine. After my workouts at the gym, I do not feel sore the next day. The headaches I used to have in the afternoons especially after 3 pm due to caffeine withdrawals, had greatly disappeared. When I experienced a headache in the afternoon, I had to take a cup of tea, but drinking water throughout the day made my afternoons headache-free, much more pleasant and productive.

Date____________________ 

The hardest part of my health promotion goal was dealing with colleagues and family members who tried to talk me out of taking on such a smart goal. Drinking 3 liters of water seemed to have such a bad reputation with people, and I had to reassure myself that none of their prophecies would materialize. After monitoring my progress and on seeing how much I had achieved in three weeks, I was more determined than ever to continue motivating myself and track my experience so that it could help the doubting Thomas’s and others who would consider embarking on a similar health plan.

Module 4 

Date____________________ 

Week four was surprisingly easy when I compared them to week one and two. I believe that this was due to my body adjusting to the new "normal" and the fact that I expelled almost of the toxins in my system. I noticed a change in the color of my urine change from a bright yellow color to colorless. After doing in-depth research, I found out that I was taking plenty of water for my body to stay hydrated. I also realized that every time I felt dehydrated, I experienced the bright yellow during bathroom breaks. I used to rub my eyes when I wake up in the morning, and they used to be full of sleep and dry. I have not been able to experience that for the past three weeks. It seems that the extra water that I am taking is helping to keep them moist.

Date____________________ 

The water intake that each person should be drinking is dependant on their activity levels, frequency of urination, where they live, and the level of their health. It has been tough keeping up with 3 liters of water, but I have managed to maintain my intake even though at times I go past 3 liters. Nothing out of the ordinary has happened, but I can certainly feel the difference. Initially, it was annoying to have a dry mouth and lips. Now I feel quenched and at ease. I am not sure about weight loss, but I feel like I have lost a few pounds though this is to be confirmed. Drinking 3 liters of water a day means that I am supposed to be drinking when I am not thirsty. If I am to drink water when I am thirsty, then this means that I will not be able to achieve my health promotion objective.

Date____________________ 

I have managed to drink 3 liters of water every day for the last four weeks. I never got sick, I woke up feeling rested, and I had improved focus and concentration during the day. For the past weeks, I feel better than I have ever felt before. I always ensure that I have a water bottle with me and when I am on the road, I make periodic stops at designated places to have water something that never used to happen. I am satisfied that I was able to give the glass of wine at dinner and the caffeine from tea without much effort. This is week four, and my body is getting used to the amount of water that I am taking.

Date____________________ 

Today marks the last day of my health promotion plan. Even though I did not get to enjoy all the benefits, I feel healthier, and I am eating better and drinking more water than I did before. I have increased energy boosts, and I gave up alcoholic and caffeinated drinks. If you are not committed to drinking 3 liters of water a day as your health promotion plan, I would not recommend this to anyone. Drinking 3 liters of water improved my self-belief and my self-awareness as well as my physical well-being. I plan to continue drinking 3 liters of water in the coming months as part of my daily routine for the next six months.