How To Get Rid Of Water Weight

September 17, 2023

A significant portion of the body is made up of water. Water is necessary for organs to function at optimum levels. However, sometimes the body can hold onto too much water. Excess water weight can be incredibly frustrating. It can occur for many reasons, including dehydration, an unhealthy diet, kidney disease, and certain types of cancer. Water weight can appear as swelling throughout the body, including in the fingers and feet.

Everyone wants water weight treatment. After all, feeling bloated all the time is not fun. There are many options available to individuals, including diuretics, to eliminate excess water in the body. Natural remedies for water weight are also out there. They include tips on diet and exercise. Of course, treating underlying conditions, such as kidney disease medications, is also crucial to lose water weight.

Exercise Regularly

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Individuals can lose up to two liters of water for every hour of intense and vigorous exercise. The exact amount varies based on what they are wearing and the temperature outside or in the room they have for exercise. Sweating is the body's method of lowering its internal temperature. The sweat, of course, is a mix of water and sodium. The evaporation of water in sweat is what reduces the body's internal temperature. Individuals who exercise regularly typically drink sufficient amounts of water during the day. Drinking lots of water helps keep it in balance with the sodium in the body. The balance, discussed further later, helps stop the body from retaining excess water weight.

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Drink More Water

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Individuals become dehydrated when they are losing more fluid than they are drinking. When the body is dehydrated, the body knows that it needs to conserve water. It has to prevent water levels from dropping too much. When individuals are adequately hydrated, the body no longer has to compensate. Thus, it will stop retaining excess water. Drinking enough water allows the water to sodium ratio to remain balanced.

However, drinking too much water can also cause individuals issues. Thus, individuals need to watch the color of their urine. This is the best indicator of their fluid to sodium ratio. Clear urine or very pale yellow urine indicates that individuals are drinking enough water. However, dark yellow urine means that the individual is dehydrated.

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Use Of Diuretics

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Water pills, which are also called diuretics, can help individuals get rid of water weight in the short term. Diuretics force the kidneys to expel more sodium into the urine, resulting in an imbalance of water and sodium in the blood. The body will attempt to fix this by absorbing water from the blood, which it will then expel in the urine. Water pills can help with short-term weight loss. However, the short-term use of water pills can cause dehydration. Additionally, when individuals stop taking them, they will go back to storing more water because of the dehydration.

Even if an individual is not dehydrated when they stop taking diuretics, there are still effects. The body will revert to storing the same amount of water as it did before the diuretic use. Additionally, it is best to obtain water pills for short term use from a physician rather than the local drugstore. Over-the-counter water pills are not regulated, so they could contain substances that are harmful to the body.

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Reduce Consumption Of Sodium

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Sodium is an electrolyte. It must be appropriately balanced with the fluid to sodium ratio in an individual's body. The kidneys compensate for an imbalance, though this causes more work. When there is more fluid in the body than sodium, the kidneys absorb fluid from the blood. They will then excrete this fluid through urine. When there is more sodium than fluid, the kidneys will take water from urine to return it to the blood and tissues.

The vast majority of individuals consume much more sodium than they should. Thus, this means that their bodies are retaining more water than necessary. Remember how the kidneys compensate for this. If individuals reduce how much sodium they consume in their diet, they will see results. There will be, for instance, lower levels of sodium throughout the whole body. The kidneys will then keep water moving and excrete it very well. They will not retain more than necessary.

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Reduce Carbohydrate Intake

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Carbohydrates are a critical energy source for the body. Unfortunately, the body cannot create carbohydrates, which means that individuals need to consume them. Although they are necessary, consuming too much can result in water weight. This is because when individuals consume lots of carbohydrates, their body will store the extra in their muscles and liver. It stores carbohydrates as glycogen. This compound adheres to water when it is stored. Typically, this occurs with four grams of water attached to each gram of glycogen.

When individuals consume fewer carbohydrates, their body will not store the excess as glycogen. Thus, their body will not save as much water as before. It is also worth noting that carbohydrates also increase an individual's insulin. This causes the body to retain additional sodium. Remember, excess sodium retention forces the kidneys to absorb more water. This is water that would have been excreted through urine.

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