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1) It's cold. In the winter, I find myself having to remind my kids to drink water more than normal. I notice that they slowly stop gravitating toward their water bottles. Think about it - when it's chilly, you may find yourself reaching less and less for even room temperature water.
2) Alcohol. Every month seems to be a reason for regular drinking, but with back-to-back holidays and a potential increase in social events, even those who don't drink much tend to ramp up their alcohol intake in the winter. If you're not aware of how to properly rehydrate, you can easily find yourself lacking water and electrolytes quickly.
3) You're moving less. Ever notice how the more often you exercise or just sweat, the more water you crave? Some people need that reminder to drink water throughout the day. But, we still lose fluids through respiration, sweat, and urination, even in cold weather. Just another reason to keep your movement up as much as possible, even in the winter.
If any of these resonate with you, here's what to do:
Most people have no idea how much water they're consuming. They'll tell us, "oh, I drink a ton of water; I'm filling up my water bottle all day". But when they actually track their intake, it's much less than they thought.
We love the quote, "you can't manage what you can't measure." In other words, you can't know whether or not you are successful unless success is defined and tracked. As with anything, being aware of what is actually happening (and not the stories we make up to offload responsibility) is key.
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