Today is the start of the Crystal Light water challenge. Today and for the next week I am taking part in the challenge to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I will be writing a daily update from now until June 2 to share how I am doing and my thoughts on the challenge.
By participating in the challenge I hope to create a GOOD habit. I drink water every day, but I know I don't drink enough. I even carry a water bottle around with me everywhere (thanks to Gather I am now carrying around a COOL water bottle everywhere) but I just don't use it as much as I should. Sometimes the water is too warm, sometimes I'm too lazy to refill it. Sometimes I want more than water has to offer. For this challenge I am fortunate enough to sample 3 different flavors of Crystal Light, which I know will help.
While participating in this challenge I have decided to step it up. Since I will already be tracking my water intake to make sure I meet my goal of at least 8 glasses, I might as well make it extra worthwhile! So I'll also be tracking my weight to see if the challenge has any impact on weight loss. I am not actively trying to lose weight, but every so often I take steps and make an effort to eat better or work out a little. Today I weigh 153lbs. This was when I first woke up, and I know that weight changes throughout the day. Hopefully I picked the worst time and I am actually lighter. But to be consistent I'll weigh myself first thing every morning. This isn't a requirement of The Challenge. Another thing I did was visit the ad on Gather which sent me to this site: http://deliciouschange.glam.com . This site offers a widget to help keep track of your water intake every day, though I haven't found a place to use it yet. It didn't work on Blogger. You have to register to participate on that site but it's a simple registration. There are some articles and a quiz on the site.
So...I started this post at 8:30am and as of that time I finished my 3rd glass of Wild Strawberry Crystal Light with caffeine. At noon I started my 5th glass, but now I have switched over to Fruit Punch Crystal Light.
Crystal Light Wild Strawberry tastes pretty good. It's too sweet when used as recommended so I just use more water. I didn't think I'd like it, but since I can water it down I enjoy it. It doesn't taste like strawberries. But what strawberry drink does?
I don't like Crystal Light Fruit Punch very much. It kind of tastes like Kool Aid fruit punch, or something similar (I don't really like Kool Aid's Fruit Punch either). I don't hate it, and I wouldn't refuse it if offered, but I wouldn't choose this one regularly.
I haven't tried the Lemonade during The Challenge but I know I like it, based on previous experience. I would say that of the three, this is my favorite. Though I think mixing the Wild Strawberry and Lemonade would make a tasty summer Strawberry Lemonade!
They all taste better with ice, and like I mentioned in a previous post, I really hate the artificial colors they add. And I repeat that I am a grownup and don't need my food to look like it tastes. I am not sure what it is sweetened with. Something in it gives me headaches. But I like the drinks enough that I drink them anyway. My body doesn't seem fond of either the dye or the sweetener, because I had this same problem when I tried Ocean Spray Cranergy. But yes, it does make it easier to drink water when it tastes good!!
With my first drink I tried the water bottle with Crystal Light. Big mistake! My water bottle still tastes like Wild Strawberry and no matter how much I rinse it out it still tastes like it. Hopefully that will go away but from now on I will be drinking only water from the bottle!
What is the hardest part of this challenge? Well, nothing yet. But today we are out of soda (I get it for Jason for school and I can't help but drink some myself when it's in the house) and I don't have a problem if it isn't here. Later this week it will be a different story, I'm sure! It was hard to not drink coffee this morning too. I always have either coffee or tea. The caffeine doesn't really do much for me, but I like to have some in the morning anyway. Making a pitcher of Crystal Light in the morning really made it easier to drink it throughout the day.
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Comments: 24
And I totally forgot to add that I have reached the goal of 8 glasses and it's only 6pm!
cool!! I personally love the taste of water. Throw some fiber in your water that you can't even taste to up your fiber intake and keep you feeling more full throughout the day.
That's a good idea Stephanie. I always think that I don't need more fiber, but then I remember a week where I ate a high-fiber cereal for breakfast, but didn't change anything else about my diet and I lost at least 5lbs in that week. It does make a difference.
Ever try Lipton's Green Tea? I love it. Now they have Sparkling Green Tea so you can get that fizz that some like from soda without all the extra sugar and calories. In Strawberry Kiwi and Berries flavors. I got the Berries last nite. It's good. I don't really need the fizz.. don't miss it from soda. But its different.
I wasn't that fond of Crystal Light. I have tried Raspberry Ice and Pink Lemonade and Raspberry Green tea..
I usually buy the generic Lipton Green Tea (actually have some right now!). I don't know if I'd like sparkling tea, but I could give it a shot.
Drinking more water is so good for you.
Thanks Mary
Good luck with the challenge! I didn't like fruit punch much, either, but the kids did :)
Thanks Stacey. I'm glad you found a good use for yours!
Good Luck with that!
Thanks Rose!
Best wishes on your trial.
Thank you C.L. :)
You're off to a GREAT start!
Thanks Bridget, looks like you are too! I'm looking forward to reading everyones' challenge posts.
Good luck! I wasn't selected for the pack but I'm doing the challange as well. I have a headache and I'm wondering if it's not the sweetener that's said to give migranes. Ah well it's this or no water so I think I'm still better off. I'll just pop a tylenol :)
The colors in the drinks are real bright I thought for sure I didn't add enough water, but I did.
Jennifer, I still have a headache from yesterday. The Fruit Punch is especially bright. I stand by my claim that they don't need to add dye to grown-up drinks. The only clear drink I don't like is Vodka!
You're right though, that if it helps to drink more water it's not so bad. And it tastes good, which helps a lot.
Good luck to you on your challenge!
No, they don't need to add it. I guess they think it adds to the appeal. In my case it "tricks" me into thinking I have kool-aid not water LOL.
Thanks I'll need all the luck I can get. I did water it down a lot today and that's easier going down. :)
I've wanted to try some of those Nestea (?) drink packets you can add to water and see if they were any good. I'm trying to drink more water, cutting on how much pop, juice and coffee I drink and noticed that different bottled waters have different tastes to them.
Anyways, good luck to you Alex and looking forward to hearing about your progress.
I agree, different bottled waters do taste different. My favorite is the cheapest which I am glad for. We get the Camelot brand that they sell at Aldi's. it is 2.99 for 24 16.94fl oz bottles. I figure can't beat that. I got some Deer Park at Walmart cause my daughter wanted the little bottles and I just didn't like the taste at all. I like the iced tea water flavoring and lemonade, but the other ones i don't like. I can't do crystal light so I didn' teven apply for the challenge. I get major migraines with artificial sweetener.
Diana, I saw some green tea ones that I thought Jason would like. I was going to try to get him to replace his sodas with something else, because he just keeps gaining weight.
You're right about water tasting different! That is part of my problem. The water at my house tastes fantastic, but anywhere else I go in the area the tap water is usually disgusting- metallic, or chemical-y. How could anyone enjoy that? And I really only like Deer Park bottled water. I've never been able to get into Aquafina or Dasani, and I won't pay for the really expensive brands.
I like the idea of that widget! that seems pretty cool and really would help keep track. Sorry your water bottle is all miffed up now :-( Hopefully it will go away soon!
:( Still tastes a little fruity in my bottle. No matter how much I wash it!
btw, I hate fruit punch too! No matter who makes it!