My friends, The Grown Ass Women (be sure to check out our podcast on YouTube and all
streaming devices) and I are on a challenge. A water consumption challenge.
As you know, I am a gym rat and runner. That’s my jam. I love it, its mediative, I am inspired and relaxed during those times. And, on average, I drink about 50oz of water during each workout. However, when faced with the idea of adding 78oz more a day...I was shocked. How can I possibly add MORE water to my day? When will I be able to sit and do administrative work? When will I be able to lay on my couch and read a book? How can I drop my son off at school without planning where the closest restroom is? And what about sleep? Gosh, will I be able to sleep throughout the night without being awakened by the nightmare of having to go to the bathroom…again?
This is true y’all. Me, who loves a challenge…and community…and commitment, was stumped over…water consumption.
But, I love my friends and they always rock with me and my crazy ideas. “Hey girls, want to start a podcast?” “Hey ladies, let’s travel to _____.”, “Hey friends, who wants to sit up with me for the next 2 hours and write?” They always say yes. They always show up. They always show out. So, it was my commitment to them that led me down this DAILY DREADFUL GALLON of WATER consumption.
Every few hours, we’d check in with each other to see how we were doing with meeting our goal (we had to break it down by midday and evening because the thought of getting to 128oz a day was a lot for us so we broke the goal down to make it more manageable, for our minds. We’d check in on the water consumption, if we added anything to the water like lemon or mint, if the water was interfering with our lifestyles, parenting, and sex life…because who wants to do the do on a full stomach, and more.
Well, what we found is that the water consumption actually IMPROVED our lives. I mean, duh. We knew that it would. The research tells us that water helps with our skin (and we are in our 40s and believe in good skin care), helps with our summer glow, helps with our teeth and gums, helps with our…well…our everything. But, what we didn’t know is that the water consumption was going to help with other things too.
For 1 friend, her daily migraines disappeared. Vanished. Gone.
For the same friend, reduced appetite and emotional eating.
For another friend, she lost nearly 10lbs in a week.
For another friend, her bloat and digestion improved tremendously.
For a different friend, her sex life improved (don’t scrunch your face or disapprove. We all know Cardi B’s song.)
For me, I just had to use the restroom/bathroom more. Just kidding. Just kidding.
For me, my mental health improved. Y’all know I’m all about self-care, self- preservation, spirituality, health, and more. And while I am not currently in the midst of a mental health crisis, I noticed that my outlook on the world was much brighter. I was more excited to just…be. I didn’t need my black tea (but I missed it) and I didn’t need my energy drinks for my workouts (I still like them though). So, in other words, I had more energy to make my dreams come through…without any further assistance. As a result, I noticed that I got through my to-do list faster (check out the previous posts on to-do lists), I felt more accomplished, I was able to run further without joint or muscle pain, my muscles were more defined, I enjoyed my food more because my palette was consistently clean, I handled problems more efficiently because I had more blood flow to my brain, I slept better at night (rarely interrupted by bathroom breaks because I learned to time my water consumption, just right, and, I felt more connected to my besties. That’s probably been the best thing for me…the community building and connection part.
We recently found out that our 1 month challenge was extended to…A lifetime! What?
And while I felt duped…I also felt that it was a reward I wanted to continue.
So here we are, in September, with 1 month down and 85 million months to go. Ahahahahaha.
Below are a few articles that connect water intake and mental health…and in the meantime, think about: Who are you drinking water with today?
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