I drink a lot of water.

At least, I thought I did.

Then I actually tracked it for 30 days. The results were embarrassing.

The Setup

Simple experiment:

  • Track every glass of water for 30 days
  • Target: 3 liters per day (about 100oz)
  • Log it immediately — no “I’ll remember later”

I used a prototype of WaterDrop because every other app was either too complicated or too annoying.

Week 1: Reality Check

Average daily intake: 1.4 liters

That’s less than half my target. And I genuinely believed I was “pretty good” about hydration.

The problem? I’d drink coffee in the morning, maybe one glass of water at lunch, and then nothing until dinner.

By 3pm, I was in a constant state of mild dehydration. No wonder I felt foggy every afternoon.

Week 2: Building the Habit

I set reminders every 2 hours.

Not aggressive “DRINK WATER NOW” notifications. Just gentle nudges that said “It’s been a while.”

Average daily intake: 2.1 liters

Getting better. But what surprised me: I wasn’t drinking more water, I was just drinking more consistently.

Week 3: The Shift

Something clicked.

I started actually feeling thirsty again. My body’s thirst signals, which had been broken for years, started working again.

Average daily intake: 2.7 liters

I stopped needing reminders by afternoon. I’d just… want water.

Week 4: Results

Average daily intake: 3.1 liters

But more importantly:

  • Afternoon energy crashes: Gone
  • Headaches: Way less frequent
  • Skin: Noticeably clearer
  • Sleep: Slightly better (didn’t expect this)

The Numbers

WeekAverage IntakeEnergy Level (1-10)Headache Days
11.4L54
22.1L62
32.7L71
43.1L80

What I Learned

1. You’re probably dehydrated right now. Most people are. You’ve just normalized how it feels.

2. Tracking beats intention. “I’ll drink more water” means nothing. Seeing “1.4L” when you expected 3L? That’s motivation.

3. Your thirst signals are broken. If you’re chronically underhydrated, you lose the ability to feel proper thirst. It comes back after a few weeks of consistent hydration.

4. Consistency > volume. Chugging a liter at night doesn’t undo a day of dehydration. Small amounts throughout the day is the answer.

Try It Yourself

You don’t need to do 30 days. Try 7.

Just track every glass. Don’t judge. Don’t try to hit a specific target. Just observe.

You’ll be surprised what you learn.

WaterDrop makes it one tap to log. Reminders that don’t annoy. Progress you can actually see.

— Dolce