Hydration · hydration habit tracker · terracotta clay water bottle ·Jun 09, 2022

How to measure how much water you drink?

I think we are used to the statement – drink eight glasses of water every day. Personally, I find it hard to keep track of it. Maybe one, two, three, but beyond that, every day? Definitely not my cup of water!

However, needless to say, it is important to be aware of our water intake, every day.

Therefore, my approach to doing this is:

First, understand how much water is required to drink every day.

I hate to break this, but there is no one-size-fit-for-all, standardised number to this. Although The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that, an adequate daily fluid intake is:

About 15.5 cups (3.7 litres) of fluids a day for men
About 11.5 cups (2.7 litres) of fluids a day for women

These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20% of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.

Being a 28-year-old female myself, I make it a goal to drink minimum 2.5 Litres of water a day.

Carry your bottle – The ultimate measuring tool.

I am very particular about carrying my own (metal) bottle when I travel outside the home and I have my own terracotta clay water bottle stationed on my work desk at my house. Both can carry a water capacity of 750 ml.

Therefore, whether you choose glass, metal or terracotta clay water bottles – the standard size that is available mostly in the Indian market is 500 ml, 600ml, 750ml and 1 Litre. Choose the capacity of the bottle, based on your preferences.

I choose a 750 ml water bottle because I find it easier to carry around and it is not heavy for me.

Refill and Measure – Make it a conscious, consistent routine.

If I am using a 750 ml (25 oz) water bottle and I need to drink 2.5 Litres (84.5 oz) of water every day - I need to make sure I drink 3.5 bottles – i.e. refill 3.5 times.

If you are using a 1 Litre (34 oz) water bottle, it's plain simple – 2.5 times of refill.

Sounds easy, definitely than keeping track of eight glasses of water, but the key to doing this, is to have a consistent routine.

Set your goal for hydration each morning – I need to drink 3.5 bottles of water.
Make sure you refill the bottle first thing in the morning. Keep track of your refill.
Before you hit the bed, make a mental note or use a Hydration Tracker (Click on the link for a free printable version) of your water intake for the day.

I have put together images of the amount of refill required using our (Wallistry) – Bhumi Terracotta Clay water bottles, which comes in three variations – 500ml, 750ml, 1000ml.