Staying Hydrated: 30 Day Gallon Challenge Completed!

Welcome, December!
Goodness gracious, is it seriously December already?! I have no idea where the year went, but it went there fast and flew right by me like I was standing still. Now it's the most wonderful time of the year; complete with Christmas trees, hot cocoa, ice skating, and everyone's favorite Buddy the Elf! What's your favorite color?? :)


You may recall a mere 30 days ago we embarked on a hydration journey together; a journey that I also turned into a challenge. Let's be honest, we all love a little challenge. I challenged myself to drink a gallon of water a day for 30 days straight to see what benefits I would go through even in that short amount of time. Well I am glad to say... we made it, friends!

I wish I could say that I completed this challenge with 100% success; but there were about 3 or 4 days where I didn't quite reach the full 128 ounces, which unmistakably fell on the weekends where I didn't have my set schedule to propel me in the water direction. Shame... but I am satisfied with being pretty darn close. Here's what I have from this challenge:

• The quality of my skin elasticity definitely improved. While not drastically a change so far, I no longer have my 2pm oil production in my t-zone (which may also be helped by my new skincare regime). I think that with a continued longevity of the water intake I would notice a great deal of a difference.

• I have a noticeable amount of increased energy to push me through the day! Prior to the challenge I would get home in the evening and immediately lay down for a nap - no joke. This was every single day people. Since the beginning of the challenge I haven't taken a single afternoon snooze. Pretty remarkable

• I now have a thirst sensation! I used to be horrible at drinking water, not because I didn't "like the flavor or boringness" as most people say, but because I was literally never thirsty. I used to find it to be a good day if I finished a single 20oz bottle of water. Now that I have increased my water intake, my body has grown accustom to having more water. I now am actually thirsty if I don't drink anything! Imagine that!

• On nights where I struggled to finish that last hydro flask of water, I heated the water on the stove and drank it hot from a mug. The hot water made it easier to digest and easier to consume, especially when I was freezing on my sofa watching a Christmas movie. Try it.

• Personal note: I have had kidney/bladder issues for about 8 years. It got really bad last year to where I was experiencing discomfort almost every day and the only way I could get the sensation to subside was to pound a few glasses of water and wait for it to flush through my system. These past 30 days, I haven't had any issues except with the exception of the days where I didn't meet my quota. That there is enough to push me to make this an every day challenge. It is obviously doing great things for my body from the inside out.

Long testimonial short, I am going to continue down this journey and path to remain hydrated, energized, skin-happy, and optimal body function for hopefully every day from here on out. They say it takes 28 days to form a habit, and drinking water has definitely become a breeze!