Just knowing that we needed to drink more water hadn't moved my husband or me to actually drink more of it...ever...for years. Dessert, however, is something we can't stay away from...ever...for years. So we used our vices against each other and now ONLY get dessert once a week IF we have consumed enough water in the previous six days. It is like the Olympic trials of good habits.

Sometimes self-discipline is just working around your undisciplined self. We are finally harnessing the true potential of chocolate!

How Much Water = Lots.

Our doctor suggested a good place to start as a water goal was to drink in ounces half of the number of pounds one weighs. At first, that amount seemed like we were drowning in both water and in bathroom visits. But both our bodies have adjusted, and now I earnestly get thirsty and headachy if I haven't done it. I fill up five bottles of water at night and cycle through drinking them all day long. I can't say much about the bathroom visits except that one just accepts them as a new way to walk more steps in a day.

For extra motivation we track our water, stretching, and exercise on a big family whiteboard. I cropped out our names above so you wouldn't know it was me on the right who isn't getting dessert this week.