We’re used to the analogy that excess food intake or more of carbohydrate intake can increase the body mass. But, only a few people are aware that water too can cause weight gain. It’s ironic because water has been fingered to be one of the ways to get rid of excess pounds of flesh. How then does it become a catalyst for weight gain? It is a concept called “water weight.” So, read on to discover all there is to it, including how to lose water weight.
What Is Water Weight?
Water weight, which can also be called “water retention,” is the accumulation of fluid in the cavities and the body tissues. It also means retaining or holding back of extra water or liquid in the body. Worthy of mention is that the retention isn’t necessarily by any direct fault of the patients. Instead, specific practices, such as standing or sitting for prolonged periods, and eating copious amounts of salt can cause it.
Moreover, water weight involves the gradual and continuous building up of water in the body. Once that is the case, then the human body has no other choice than to be puffing and bloating. The puffiness and bloating are usually obtainable in the arms, legs, and the abdomen.
How Do I Know It’s Water Weight?
If you suspect you have water weight, the first thing to do is to confirm the symptoms. Some of the symptoms include unexplained weight gain and swollen ankles/abdomen. You may take the evaluation of finding out if your body retains water by gently pressing the ankle or foot with the thumb, using slow and steady pressure.
How to Lose Water Weight?
If you’re now sure you’re suffering from water weight, the next step would be discovering how to lose water weight. You need to get rid of water weight (also called “edema”) fast because it can be a side effect of other medical conditions like kidney diseases. Below are some clues on how to lose water weight without breaking a sweat.
-
Reduce Salt Intake
There’s no denying that salt is one ingredient needed for our meals. However, you should note that sodium is one of the most common electrolytes in the human body. It is obtained from salt. The rule is that if the sodium level is high, then the chances of fluid retention in the body would also be high.
In light of that, you must reduce the amount of salt you consume per day. Aside from the reduction of salt intake, you should also aim to engage in more exercises.
-
Eat Hydrating Foods
image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/agriculture-basket-beets-bokeh-533360/
It might interest you to know that the massive intake of water could also cause water weight. Yet, there is a way to go about it. That is by eating more of the hydrating foods. Those foods do not only nourish the body but also serves it with the necessary amount of water/liquid to keep it going.
Some of the hydrating foods you can try are spinach, watermelons, and vegetables. Others are water-filled fruits, cabbage, strawberries, and lettuce.
-
Reduce the Intake of Carbohydrates
Excessive intake of carbohydrates is associated with obesity and weight gain. However, they can also factor in when looking at the potential cause of water weight. Worthy of note is that the unregulated intake of carbohydrates causes the body to store more water. Besides that, carbohydrates save excessive energy in the form of glycogen molecules. These molecules have been touted to comprise about 3 grams of water for every gram of glycogen molecules.
In the light of that, it would do you a world of good to cut down on the (excessive) intake of carbohydrates. Doing that also means the number of glycogen molecules stored up in the body would be reduced. Likewise, the water weight would be on the decrease, too.
-
Water Pills
If after trying your hands on other methods of reducing water weight and they don’t work, then you may turn to water pills. Although they might have a short-time lifespan, water pills can handle the problem of water retention without hassles.
The water pills work as diuretics. It means that they trigger frequent urination. As you may know, urination helps to get rid of fluid from the body. So, when you’re using water pills, you can be sure that the excess sodium and water would go away with the urine.
Lose Water Weight
You have now seen that there isn’t much to lose water weight. All you need do is making conscious efforts to be successful at it. Take a cue from the ideas as highlighted above and lose water weight at the speed of light.
