The 30-day gallon water challenge has been a buzzed-about trend for a while now and is still floating around TikTok, with people around the globe documenting their experience. The challenge is pretty straightforward: Drink a gallon of water a day for an entire month and enjoy the benefits, from better skin to improved sleep. Drinking water is vital for our overall well-being and plays a main role in several key ways, like helping our body eliminate waste, regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients to cells, and protecting organs and tissues. Plus, drinking water makes you feel hydrated and boosts energy levels. Eat This, Not That! spoke with three people who recently finished the 30-day gallon water challenge, and here’s what happened.
Just remember: Drinking a gallon of water daily may not be suitable for everyone. Consult a healthcare provider before starting this challenge, especially if you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or belong to a vulnerable age group. Results may vary, and excessive water intake without balancing electrolytes can cause health issues.
Personal Challenge
Everyone takes the challenge for different reasons, and Samuel Davis, the owner and CEO of London Gardeners, took it as a personal goal to “boost my energy and enhance concentration.” He especially wanted to feel a better version of himself during the peak of his gardening business in spring. However, he didn’t realize how often he’d need to be near the restroom.
“I forgot to drink enough-especially when I was involved with projects or meetings. I also got surprised by how many bathroom trips that could be expected,” he says.
While there were some road bumps along the month, he did the challenge; he enjoyed the outcome. “Staying hydrated is quite literally a simple game-changer when it comes to productivity and all-around well-being, but it does tend to cut both ways. This experiment reminded me of how small changes can actually have quite a big impact.”
Learning How to Consume So Much Water
One of the biggest difficulties for Daniel Vasquez, the owner of Dynamic Auto Movers, was learning how to incorporate so much water into his schedule throughout the day.
“The hardest part was deciding when to have it, not how much,” he says. “I hadn’t expected my whole day to center around water!” He explains, “I learned the hard way that you need to space things out appropriately. If I didn’t, I’d feel bloated and have to use restrooms every 20 minutes, which slowed my productivity. Pacing myself, drinking one glass per hour rather than attempting to swallow it all at once helped.”
Luke Seddon, owner and CEO of H2 Catering Equipment, agreed that finding time in his daily schedule to drink a gallon of water was a huge challenge. “Drinking a gallon water needs attention all the time, which frequently interrupted my daily activities, especially at meetings or while traveling to meet clients,” he says. “It is not just drinking the water but also making sure you can easily step away when you need to.”
To help him get through a gallon of water a day, Seddon set an alarm for every two hours, which reminded him to drink. He also carried a water bottle around him everywhere he went and refilled as needed.
Higher Energy Levels
Davis hoped the 30-day gallon of water challenge would increase his energy, and it did.
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“I realized that I had much more energy than usual, specifically in the late afternoons when I really feel like sleeping,” he explains. “Moreover, my skin appeared much more hydrated than before.”
Better Digestion
The most significant change for Davis was better digestion.
“The first thing I noticed about my water-drinking schedule was a change in digestion; I felt less bloated, and the best part was that I was more regular,” he says. “It also curbed my hunger to some extent, making me less snappy throughout the day.”
Appetite Control
For Vasquez, the most noticeable change was a major decrease in his appetite.
“One startling difference was how much it reduced my appetite,” he says, which included no more midday cravings. “I hadn’t expected water to have such an effect on my appetite, but it did.” He adds, “By keeping full, I naturally began to eat fewer quantities without trying. That’s an underappreciated advantage of the gallon problem that people must discuss more.”
Clear-Headed
What changed for Seddon was his ability to focus in a way he didn’t before. “I absolutely concentrated much better and was generally energetic throughout the day,” he says. “Hydration definitely made thoughts clearer, so decision-making was faster, but kept me alert without the use of caffeine to get me going at specific points in the day.”
How to Incorporate a Gallon of Water in Your Day
It’s not easy to drink so much water a day. Between meetings, deadlines, and other priorities, it’s tough to fit in countless bathroom breaks and remembering to drink often enough to finish a gallon. But Davis figured out a system that worked for him and shared the following tips:
Start Early: Before breakfast, begin your day with a full glass of water. That sets the tone for the day and gets you off to the right start.
Break It Down: Shooting for four 32-ounce bottles is much more attainable than going for that big old gallon. It feels like so much less.
Add Some Flavor: A lemon or cucumber slice in your water makes it come alive when it’s hot outside. And if you enjoyed this article, don’t miss these 100 Unhealthiest Foods on the Planet.
