How to Lose Water Weight In No Time – 15 Ways Against Bloating
Did you know abdominal bloating affects 10-30% of the population? And one of the reasons it happens is due to water weight.
What’s water weight? Any quantity of water in your body that’s above the body’s natural capacity is what we call water weight.
Mostly harmless, excessive water weight can be a sign of kidney, liver, or heart problems. It may also cause you to bloat or lose/gain some 1 to 2 kilos, thus making life a little uncomfortable.
But don’t you worry, as we are here to share 15 ways you can lose that water weight fast, fit into your favorite jeans and say goodbye to bloating.
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Tips To Lose Water Weight Fast
1) Try Diuretic Pills
If you visit a doctor, they may prescribe water pills to you. These are diuretics that help get rid of that water in the belly that makes you feel bloated. Diuretics do this by promoting urination. Note that these pills are not the long-term solution.
Urination also helps you get rid of the excess sodium in your body. Why’s that important? Read on!
2) Reduce Salt Intake
Don’t overdo it on sodium!
Salt contains sodium, which is an electrolyte. It is crucial for your body’s hydration and fluid balance.
But water retention can occur if you consume too much sodium (salt). That’s because the body must maintain a balanced sodium-to-water ratio in order to function effectively. So, if you take too much salt, it will retain water.
The newest American Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting sodium intake to no more than 2,300 mg per day.
The simplest way to do that is to avoid processed foods. These include almost anything that’s packaged – instant noodles, pasta sauce, and even canned fish.
All these contain a lot of salt that’s used to preserve them and increase their shelf life. Fresh foods like vegetables and fruits have quite a low sodium content. So you can base your diets on them.
3) Reduce Carbs
Did you know, according to studies, for every gram of glycogen (fuel you get from carbohydrates) you have stored in your body, you store 3–4 grams (0.11–0.14 ounces) of water? This is why low-carb diets lead to immediate weight loss since the sudden lack of glycogen in your body leads to a drop in body water level.
A high carbohydrate intake could also increase insulin levels. Thus, resulting in salt retention and water reabsorption in the kidneys.
If a low-carb diet plan doesn’t suit you, fasting is always an option you can choose for similar health benefits.
4) Drink More Water
No, that isn’t a typo. When you drink water, your kidneys are better able to work and flush out sodium (a water-retentive substance) and excess fluids.
It is also likely that you become dehydrated if you don’t drink enough water. When your body becomes dehydrated, it stores any remaining fluid, in the case you do not replenish your fluids quickly.
5) Add Caffeine To Your Diet
As said earlier, diuretics can help encourage excessive urination which can help you lose that water weight. But pills aren’t the only diuretics you have at your disposal.
You see, one of the features of coffee is that it can be dehydrating. If you are experiencing water retention, you can use this to your advantage.
Drink about 4-5 cups of coffee (or tea, if you aren’t a coffee person) and the caffeine – a diuretic, will help you lose water weight as fast as, in 24 hours.
Use this method only when you have no other choice but to get rid of that water weight. That’s because coffee can cause jitters and as said before, it can be dehydrating if overdosed.
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6) Try Magnesium Supplements
The doctor may advise you to take a magnesium electrolyte supplement if your water retention is due to PMS or pregnancy.
Studies have proven its benefit. In one study, the participants took 200 mg of magnesium for two menstrual cycles. They noticed reduced weight gain and abdominal bloating.
7) Exercise
How to lose water weight fast in 2-3 days? Sweat!
All you need to do is exercise for long hours-long enough that you sweat, and you will lose the retained water.
Exercising also increases blood flow in the body. This means the water doesn’t get to sit and build up in any particular place like your belly and causes bloating or swelling.
Furthermore, the exercise burns your glycogen stores. Remember, for every gram of glycogen you have about 3-4 grams of water. As soon as you burn this glycogen, you also burn the water it retains.
Don’t forget to take your pre-workout meals, post-workout meals, and some during workout drinks. They are crucial if you commit to long workout hours, as they can be exhausting.
8) Relax
According to a study, antidiuretic hormone levels elevate as a result of an increase in the stress hormone – cortisol.
Antidiuretic hormones tend to store more water in your body. But when you learn to take less stress and relax, you can have a handle on your cortisol levels, and hence diuretic hormones too.
9) Sleep Better
A night of good quality sleep helps keep your stress in check, which is essential as mentioned above.
Additionally, sleep helps to regulate your hydration. It is a factor in dehydration, which can make you overly thirsty and lead to overhydration.
Overhydration can cause your body to retain more water. It can also increase work for your kidneys which may then stop functioning properly. Thus, leading to future water retention problems.
10) Try Dandelion
Want to learn how to lose water weight in 24 hours? Take a dandelion supplement.
A powerful herb of modern times, the dandelion increases your urination frequency within 5 hrs of its consumption. The more you urinate, the better your chances of getting rid of the sodium and fluids responsible for your excess water weight.
Make sure to talk to your doctor before adding this supplement to your diet because it may not suit everyone.
11) Consume Water-Retention-Reducing Foods
While there are herbs like dandelion and supplements like magnesium to help you lose your water weight, it may take you a while to get your hands on them.
Foods that help you lose water weight are much more accessible. For instance, you can snack on dairy products, nuts, bananas, green leafy vegetables, avocados, and beans.
All these are rich in electrolytes like potassium and magnesium that have some control over the sodium and fluid balance in your body.
12) Consume Electrolyte Drinks
We told you about electrolyte foods, but guess what you can also cherish homemade electrolyte drinks.
How do electrolyte drinks help reduce water weight?
When you have excess water in your system, it means your fluids are not in balance.
One primary factor of fluid balance is the presence of electrolytes in the right proportion. But with water weight that you wish to lose, it is safe to assume that you are experiencing electrolyte imbalance.
Now if your electrolytes are low, you can get electrolyte drinks and get your system in balance.
13) Try Herbal Diuretics
Caffeine may not suit everyone and dandelion is not readily available. Yet, you are not out of options.
Parsley, alfalfa, maroon bush, and olive leaf are some of the best herbal diuretic medicines you try to free yourself from that excess water weight.
14) Don’t Sit For Long
Remember, we said exercise increases your blood flow and helps prevent water retention. Sitting for long hours does exactly the opposite. That’s why it’s necessary you keep taking water breaks and go for little walks if possible every hour or so during your workday to avoid sitting for long.
You can also try standing desks, treadmill desks, or doing jumping jacks during your breaks.
15) Check Your Medications With A Doctor
If all the above don’t work and you still haven’t visited the doctor, it’s high time. Probably, it’s your medicines that are causing your body to retain water and make you swell and bloat.
Get them checked, and if any of them is the root of the trouble, you can ask your doctor if that medicine can be replaced with something better.
Wrapping Up
Now you know how to lose water weight fast. But how much water weight you can lose now depends on you, your efforts with these 15 ways, and how your body reacts.
Remember, your water weight depends on a lot of factors. These include conditions like pregnancy, kidney issues, food choices, and physical activity.
So make sure you don’t put too much pressure on yourself to lose that pesky water weight fast. After all, it’s mostly harmless.
Until next time, get to know how much water an athlete should drink a day so you don’t overdose and gain water weight in the future.
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