Thanksgiving was a real test for me. After years of trying to lose weight, I'd finally reached my goal weight. So naturally, I was apprehensive going into the holiday season. With endless amounts of pie and bottomless glasses of wine, I was worried I would put all the weight back on. Previous years I overdid it on fun holiday drinks, just waiting for the food to come out.

I thought about replacing the soda mixers with diet alternatives, but I read that the sweeteners in diet soda can actually increase your cravings for sugary foods, cause blood sugar levels to spike, and even dehydrate you.

Since dehydration can cause you to feel hungry when you're not, I used to find myself snacking on things when I was just thirsty. Something that really helped me during my most intense weight-loss period was increasing my water intake. The trouble is, I hate the taste of water.

I remember venting one day, when my friend Amy told me about a flavored water called Hint. I told her I wasn't interested in anything with sweeteners, but she said it has nothing bad in it - no sugar, diet sweeteners, preservatives, or calories.. "Where does it get its flavor from then?" I asked.

She told me the water is infused with delicious fruit oils that are derived from the peel. It sounded great, but I wasn't sure about how it would actually taste. She went on to say that her favorite flavors are Watermelon and Pineapple. I LOVE anything watermelon, so if I drank that all Turkey Day long, I thought I could avoid soda, no problem.

I looked them up and saw they had so many other interesting flavors, such as Mango, Cherry, and Blackberry. You can order your first bundle of 36 bottles for only $36 which is only $1 per bottle, and you get to pick which flavors come in your pack. For my first order, I decided to pick Watermelon, Cherry, and Pineapple.

They arrived in just a few days and I excitedly opened the box to try them all. Low and behold, the Watermelon tasted amazing - it had a great splash of flavor, but wasn't overwhelming or artificial-tasting. I finished 6 bottles of Watermelon in just one day (whoops) and the whole pack within the week.

Thanksgiving was fast approaching, so I ordered a full case of Watermelon water and felt a little better about it. When the day came, I started out with a bottle of Hintso I'd stay hydrated and full all day long, and even treated myself to one cocktail, with Hint as the mixer! I didn't let myself fill up on calories when my body was just thirsty. I still ate stuffing and allowed myself some pecan pie and a glass of white wine, but I made up for it by drinking Hint water all evening.

My family were all curious about what I was drinking, so I poured out a few glasses for them to try. They all loved it, some of them even wanted seconds, so now I'm running low. My niece saw me drinking it and wanted to try some, and she loved it too. My sister (her mother) was so relieved to see her daughter finally drinking water! She asked me all the info and she's going to order some too after the holidays.

After Thanksgiving was over, I felt good about myself. I felt hydrated, and I maintained my weight. I boiled this all down to the amazing taste of Hint water. So after that, I decided to subscribe, and have been getting a box of Hint water to my doorstep every month for the last year. I have managed to stick to my goal weight.

The holidays are approaching again, but unlike last year, I don't feel nervous since now I know that Hint will help me stay healthy, hydrated, and keep the weight off.

I recommend Hint, to anyone who wants to cut down on soda or unhealthy beverages. There are so many great fruit flavors, there's one for everyone. I only wish I had known about Hint sooner, it would have made staying hydrated during my weight loss journey a lot easier!

Update: Hint is extending a special offer to my readers! Follow this link to get 36 bottles for only $36