7 Tips for Getting Rid of Water Weight

Maybe in your efforts to lose weight, you have reached a plateau, where nothing seems to happen. There could be many reasons why you might have reached such a stalemate. One reason you might not have considered is you could be holding water; you are bloated, and you have gained extra weight. This happens when fluid collects in the tissues, causing swelling. When the body retains fluid, it normally goes to the kidneys and instead of it getting flushed out, the body stores it between the bodily organs and the skin, making you feel uncomfortable. 

 

Carbs and salt: If you eat a lot of salt and carbs, you can expect to gain water weight. It’s because sodium binds with water; the higher your salt intake, the bigger the chance of trapping water in the body. The same with carbs. Health experts say because our bodies don’t use the carbs straight away, they get stored as glycogen, and the glycogen attracts water. The more glycogen is stored, the more you stand the chance of gaining water weight.

 

Some medications: Ingesting certain medications can lead to your body retaining fluid. Some such medications are for high blood pressure, or anti-inflammatory medications; even some diabetic medications. Let your doctor know about these if they are leading to you gaining water weight.

 

Your blood circulation isn’t good: The valves of your leg veins help blood to flow to the heart. Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI) occurs when the valves in the leg veins don’t work effectively anymore. This makes it difficult for blood to return to the heart from the legs. Poor circulation causes blood to pool in the veins, causing water retention.

 

Protein deficiency: Severe protein deficiency can lead to fluid accumulation. Protein plays a huge role in maintaining your fluid balance, keeping salt and water inside your blood vessels, preventing them from leaking into the other tissues. 

 

Hormonal changes: In men and women, too much estrogen can cause fat gain, bloating, and water retention.

 

Heart failure: Fluid buildup is a serious symptom of heart failure because the heart isn’t pumping blood effectively.

 

Kidney disease: When the kidneys don’t work effectively because of kidney disease, water starts building up, causing swelling and weight gain. 

 

 

Exercise on a regular basis and get plenty of sleep

You need to exercise regularly because it helps you maintain a natural balance of your body fluids. When you sweat with exercise, you are releasing excess stored water. Getting a good night’s sleep helps your body to manage the sodium and fluid balance, leading to reduced water weight over time.

Stress–less = less stress

When you are stressed, you increase the cortisol levels as well as your antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels. These directly affect your body’s water balance.

 

Electrolytes should be taken

Electrolytes control your cell hydration and your water balance in your body.

 

Magnificent Magnesium 

Taking a magnesium supplement is vital because magnesium plays such a major role in your hydration levels.

 

Take a Dandelion supplement

Dandelion is a herb used to treat water retention. Often bodybuilders drink Dandelion when they need to lose water weight.

 

Wonderful water

It might sound strange, but by putting in water, you help to reduce water! Your body wants to achieve a healthybalance and if you are always dehydrated, your body makes a way to retain it. Water is essential for kidney and liver health which reduces water retention. 

 

Focus on healthy foods

There are quite a few foods that you will want to include in your diet to prevent water retention. Combine these with digestible foods that don’t cause bloating.

The bottom line

 

There are ways that carrying water weight can be reduced and it really amounts to making lifestyle changes. If your water retention problems still persist, see how a doctor can help. In some cases, excess water retention can be behind a serious medical condition. Holding on to excess water can amount to as much as an extra 5-10 pounds of extra weight at any time. Life will be so much fun with less baggage to carry and with determination and focus, you can lose all you want, but gain much more!