Drinking Nothing but Water for a Full Year

[JohnJohnson]

I drink one cup of black coffee a day in the morning and otherwise I don't drink anything except water.

 

[Loper]

Just water for months here. Alcohol and high sugar sodas taste like the poison they are if you cut them out for a while. Built my sheep rifle with the money I would have spent on coffee in a year

The money saved from not buying booze and coffee, whether it was at the grocery store or a restaurant, was an unintended byproduct. After a few months I realized I wasn’t spending money on these items and I tried to calculate the savings and think about a way to reward myself but stopped trying to do so. I probably could have bought a new rifle as well.

After filling up my water cup or bottle so easily/cheaply so many times from the faucet or fridge I now refuse to pay for bottled water. It’s crazy how water is very close to free, and yet people pay for it to be in a bottle.

 

[Maverick1]

Anybody just drink water, nothing else? In 2023 I successfully finished a challenge I gave myself to see if I could go a whole year drinking nothing but water.

I’ve never been a big soda drinker so that wasn’t difficult. A couple of years before, I made a conscious effort to drank less alcohol, and would go months at a time without an adult beverage. Before the pandemic I wanted to reduce my sugar intake so I didn’t put sugar in my coffee. 6 months later I stopped putting creamer in my coffee and would drink it black. During the pandemic I wasn’t going into the office and without my usual routine, I realized I wouldn’t always drink coffee in the morning.

A few months before I started on this H2O challenge I was doing the 75 Hard challenge and while I didn’t complete it fully, some of things stuck with me, particularly drinking a gallon of water each day.

While I wasn’t successful at 75 Hard, a little bit later, I realized since I was drinking so much water I could probably drink water exclusively. I decided to challenge myself and see if I could go a full year just drinking water.

I can honestly say that during the time I was drinking water exclusively, I was the healthiest I’ve been my entire life. Without booze, I woke up with a clear mind each morning and didn’t have an excuse to stay in bed and exercised almost every morning.

I also had much better sleep. By waking up earlier to exercise each morning I’d be worn out in the evenings and would want to go to bed as soon as possible. Without caffeine falling asleep wasn’t a struggle. I also wouldn’t be staying up having drinks with my buddies, throwing off my sleep cycle.

Sometimes my buddies or my wife would get annoyed that I wasn’t having a drink with them. I didn’t always crave an adult beverage but there were plenty of times where it was pretty difficult to resist. However, I wanted to see it through and prove to myself that I had the discipline to complete the goal that I gave myself.

When it was cold out, it could definitely be challenging to not indulge in some coffee, warm tea, or hot chocolate.

I think having a secondary goal really helped. While I didn’t drink a gallon of water every single day of the year, I probably drank a gallon 5 days out of every week. When your goal is to drink that much water, you don’t often have the capacity to intake any other liquids.

Anyone have any personal challenges that plan to take on in 2024? If so, what are they?

I try to drink a gallon a day. Usually get 3/4 of the way there, sometimes all the way, sometimes not. Only other real fluids I consume are protein drinks. Dropped soda and milk many years ago. Have electrolyte water (propel or Gatorade zero) when exercising outdoors and sweating a lot.

 

[Loper]

Good on you. I've found challenges like this are great for developing mental strength that you can then apply to other areas of your life.

Similarly (but less restrictive), I essentially cut out soda pop two years ago, going from one can per day to about three cans per year. Just a small change in itself. But without that big slug of high fructose corn syrup, my taste buds recalibrated and other high-sugar snacks began tasting too sweet. Which made "quitting" (except on occasion) candy bars and candy pretty darn easy.

One random heads-up on water containers. There are some new studies out on microplastics in water bottles. These are small enough to cross the blood brain barrier and bioaccumulate in brain tissue. No sense being chicken little about it, but worth having on your radar: https://www.healthline.com/health-n...ttle-may-contain-240000-plastic-nanoparticles

I agree that the challenge has certainly developed into better mental strength and discipline that I can and have applied to other areas of my life.

Good to know on the plastics. I first thought that I don’t drink water from plastic bottles and only drink water from a stainless steel cup. Then I realized I fill up a plastic gallon jug each night for the next day. Maybe I’ll begin looking for a stainless gallon container.

 

[Loper]

I try to drink a gallon a day. Usually get 3/4 of the way there, sometimes all the way, sometimes not. Only other real fluids I consume are protein drinks. Dropped soda and milk many years ago. Have electrolyte water (propel or Gatorade zero) when exercising outdoors and sweating a lot.

Same with me. It’s not always easy to drink a gallon of water each day. Like you, sometimes I get through the day and realize I still have 1/4 left.

 

[100percent]

All I drink is water, coffee flavored water, and milk.......which is mostly water. Been that way for years. But for this year, I'm trying to cut back on the dead carbs.......you know.......desserts, ice cream, donuts, and my favorite.......deep-fried apple fritters. We'll see how it goes, and whether I'll still be able to get back up to hunting weight by Sept. I might have to lift more.

Hot damn! Those apple fritters are good! Wyatt, You’re an oak!

 

[Mario9292]

I have mostly been drinking water for the past 5 years along with a couple cups of coffee and the rare beer and even rarer soda. Definitely saw a change, dropped a few pounds, sleep better and overall feel better. Now if I can figure out how to cut back on the coffee...

 

[Still Hunter]

Anyone have any personal challenges that plan to take on in 2024? If so, what are they?

Working to be in bed by 10;00 pm is my 2024 personal challenge. I work too many hours at the job and lose two hours a day in travel to and from work. Leaves very little personal time at night so I am generally a mId-nighter before I go down. However good sleep is so important, especially as we get older, so that's my 2024 goal.

 

[Loper]

Working to be in bed by 10;00 pm is my 2024 personal challenge. I work too many hours at the job and lose two hours a day in travel to and from work. Leaves very little personal time at night so I am generally a mId-nighter before I go down. However good sleep is so important, especially as we get older, so that's my 2024 goal.

That’s an excellent goal! I typically like to be in bed by that time but the last few nights I was up later due to work. I hated it.

 

[Yoder]

It was hard enough for me to quit drinking alcohol. I do drink mostly water. I even cut out cream and sugar in my coffee but it's tough to pass up a diet soda every once in a while. It's almost like dessert after since I stopped eating sugar. That and protein shakes are what I look forward to instead of ice cream and other crap. That is super impressive.

 

[WyoKid]

Loper - to answer your question:

Cutting out Soda was fairly easy at 13 YOA and after a while I never missed it. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have stopped drinking it if I wasn't getting nose bleeds. Within 5 minutes of drinking half a can, my nose would start gushing blood. Didn't matter the type of Soda either but I noticed Coca-Cola was the worst. The nose bleeds were pretty bad and would not stop for 20 or 30 minutes - I had tissue stuffed up my nose like tampons. Once I stopped drinking the stuff, no more nose bleeds. That was enough to convince even a 13 YOA that he didn't want to be walking around in class with tampons in his nose.

As for chicken, it is probably one of the worst commercially produced proteins. They are filled with antibiotics, growth hormones and raised in very unsanitary conditions. I had some friends that worked on poultry farms and in big processing plants in the South that told me horror stories. I then watched some Netflix documentaries (Poisoned and What the Health), which led me to do more research on commercially raised chicken. I also made friends with a guy who raises his own poultry. Long story short, his chickens looked noting like the ones in the store. They didn't have broken bones, they weren't filled with fat, and their breasts and legs weren't overly plump. He didn't give them any hormones, antibiotics or vaccinations. The difference was similar to store bought eggs and farm fresh eggs if you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, I will eat chicken if I know exactly where it came from and who raised it. I would raise my own if I had the property and lived in the county could. But, I definitely avoid commercially grown and slaughtered chicken. Since it is so hard to have a reliable source, I found it easier to avoid chicken altogether. Same with farm raised fish.

Wild birds, fish and game is our main protein source. My wife eats the same way but our kids cannot pass up Chick-fil-A or chicken nuggets. It does make eating out a challenge but I try not to be overly fanatical about it since we don't eat out often.

I might be fooling myself given the mercury levels in fish, micro plastics in the water, and who knows what else might already be in our food supply.

However, I figured if there was something I could do to be more healthy and avoid major medical problems, just so I could spend more time with my family and hunt and fish more, it was a small change with potentially big benefits.

 

[ddd-shooter]

Wife and I mostly drink water. Highly recommend stocking up on several stainless containers. Always double filtered well water. We even take it on road trips with us. We hate bottled water.
I’ll sip a coffee in the afternoon after work. I’ll have the occasional glass of milk with supper.
In the summer heat, I’ll add lmnt to the water. Occasionally an Arnold Palmer (unsweetened) with a nice meal in a restaurant. That’s about it. Been doing that for over a decade now.
Couldn’t imagine going full tilt only water.

 

[MallardSX2]

This thread reminds me of what my buddy told me when I asked him why he drank so much.

"Because drinking makes me happy, and I plan to die happy, whether its tomorrow, or when I am 80."

I see his point because I quit chewing simply because I didn't like spending money on it, not because I didn't like to do it or even because it was bad for me. If it was free, I would have a wad of it in my lip right now. lol

 

[KenLee]

This thread reminds me of what my buddy told me when I asked him why he drank so much.

"Because drinking makes me happy, and I plan to die happy, whether its tomorrow, or when I am 80."

I see his point because I quit chewing simply because I didn't like spending money on it, not because I didn't like to do it or even because it was bad for me. If it was free, I would have a wad of it in my lip right now. lol

Just yesterday, I was thinking about the $125-180 a month I spend on dip.
When I actually try, I can quit til deer season rolls around again.

 

[Mojave]

Anyone have any personal challenges that plan to take on in 2024? If so, what are they?

1. Not opening or being tricked into opening opinion pieces painted as real news on Google.

2. Not reading millennials hopes and aspirations for personal BS challenges they decided were important enough to share with personal strangers.

Hopefully this is the last one.

You should just get a t-shirt made.

 

[ddd-shooter]

2. Not reading millennials hopes and aspirations for personal BS challenges they decided were important enough to share with personal strangers.

Hopefully this is the last one.

You should just get a t-shirt made.

Pretty absurd to talk about fitness and nutrition in the forum dedicated to fitness and nutrition, huh?

 

[redchinviking]

Mojave said:
2. Not reading millennials hopes and aspirations for personal BS challenges they decided were important enough to share with personal strangers.

Hopefully this is the last one.

Do us all a favor and take your own advice. Hopefully this is the last one YOU read and respond to. For some of us these aren’t personal strangers, this is a community of like minded individuals coming together to learn and make each other stronger and better in lots of different ways. It’s not BS to quit drinking alcohol and have self control. I’m going on two weeks with water only for dry January and feel great. Great way to reset and not allow substances to control you. OP thanks for sharing.

 

[Loper]

Loper - to answer your question:

Cutting out Soda was fairly easy at 13 YOA and after a while I never missed it. Honestly, I probably wouldn't have stopped drinking it if I wasn't getting nose bleeds. Within 5 minutes of drinking half a can, my nose would start gushing blood. Didn't matter the type of Soda either but I noticed Coca-Cola was the worst. The nose bleeds were pretty bad and would not stop for 20 or 30 minutes - I had tissue stuffed up my nose like tampons. Once I stopped drinking the stuff, no more nose bleeds. That was enough to convince even a 13 YOA that he didn't want to be walking around in class with tampons in his nose.

As for chicken, it is probably one of the worst commercially produced proteins. They are filled with antibiotics, growth hormones and raised in very unsanitary conditions. I had some friends that worked on poultry farms and in big processing plants in the South that told me horror stories. I then watched some Netflix documentaries (Poisoned and What the Health), which led me to do more research on commercially raised chicken. I also made friends with a guy who raises his own poultry. Long story short, his chickens looked noting like the ones in the store. They didn't have broken bones, they weren't filled with fat, and their breasts and legs weren't overly plump. He didn't give them any hormones, antibiotics or vaccinations. The difference was similar to store bought eggs and farm fresh eggs if you know what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, I will eat chicken if I know exactly where it came from and who raised it. I would raise my own if I had the property and lived in the county could. But, I definitely avoid commercially grown and slaughtered chicken. Since it is so hard to have a reliable source, I found it easier to avoid chicken altogether. Same with farm raised fish.

Wild birds, fish and game is our main protein source. My wife eats the same way but our kids cannot pass up Chick-fil-A or chicken nuggets. It does make eating out a challenge but I try not to be overly fanatical about it since we don't eat out often.

I might be fooling myself given the mercury levels in fish, micro plastics in the water, and who knows what else might already be in our food supply.

However, I figured if there was something I could do to be more healthy and avoid major medical problems, just so I could spend more time with my family and hunt and fish more, it was a small change with potentially big benefits.

That’s crazy that you had significant nose bleeds from drinking soda? Had this always happened or all of a sudden it started at a certain age began happening? Did you ever figure out why this happened? Have you ever heard of this happening to others?

That makes sense with the chicken. Recently, I was on a trip in a different country and the guide said we were going to be having chicken for lunch. He followed it up by saying something similar to “It’s not like the chicken you have in the states. These are real chickens, naturally grown on local farms. They aren’t the big, commercially raised chickens, so don’t be surprised when you see they are smaller.” The chicken was certainly smaller and ever since he said that I’ve been comparing in my head the size of the chicken breasts I buy at the store to the chickens I had abroad. I probably need to educate myself on commercial chicken, because I eat a lot of it.

 

[4rcgoat]

The money saved from not buying booze and coffee, whether it was at the grocery store or a restaurant, was an unintended byproduct. After a few months I realized I wasn’t spending money on these items and I tried to calculate the savings and think about a way to reward myself but stopped trying to do so. I probably could have bought a new rifle as well.

After filling up my water cup or bottle so easily/cheaply so many times from the faucet or fridge I now refuse to pay for bottled water. It’s crazy how water is very close to free, and yet people pay for it to be in a bottle.

There is a great documentary called "bottled". Absolutely sickening what the bottled water companies get away with.

 

[Kimber7man]

I have taken discipline to an unhealthy level and will never be suckered into that again.

Take it as far as you want, but we cash in the chips some day. Balance is a much more difficult beast than unrelenting self-discipline.

As for me, i'm going to have a coffee, enjoy a beer, run the miles, lift the weights, do the hard stuff, eat the food, and enjoy the good times.

Props. My wife has preached "balance" to me for the 30 years we've been married. I was raised German Lutheran so it took almost 30 years for me to acknowledge she is all knowing.....
I can drink for a week, or not drink for a week. It's all a matter of being in the moment and having balance in my life...