Water weight is something you’ve probably heard about once or twice, but some people may not understand what it is, why it happens, and how to get rid of it. Water weight is water that didn’t drain from your body, and the following will help you understand it all better.
Salt and Carbs Issue
The truth about what is water weight and how to lose it is a little more complex than you might imagine. For one, any water retention you’re experiencing could be linked to what you consume, like if you eat too much salt or too many carbs. The sodium in salt binds with water, which is the reason your body can’t drain it easily. Carbs produce glycogen, which is another compound that pulls in water. A good way to reduce this problem is to simply reduce your consumption of salt and carbs.
Menstruation
Women sometimes deal with water retention a few days before their menstrual cycle starts. The reason this happens to some women is that their hormones are out of balance. Most of the time, that feeling you get when your body is retaining too much water is at its worst on the first day of your cycle. This feeling usually goes away as the days keep going. You’re probably going to feel a little bloated or like you ate too much. Some women even develop tenderness, but all of these symptoms should go away with enough time.
Pregnancy
Yes, another reason some folks gain water weight deals with pregnancy. For one, the body’s hormones are going nuts when you are pregnant, and that can make things in your body act a little funny. On top of your hormones causing some retention, there is also the pressure your blood vessels are put under. Your belly keeps growing and adding pressure, which causes some fluid to be released into your external tissues. The water weight problem normally starts to happen towards the end of the second trimester through the rest of the pregnancy. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing this to get some help.
Medication
Water retention can also happen due to medications. Now, not all medications cause water retention, but there are a few that can do this. Those who are taking medication to help address high blood pressure are more likely to experience water retention. Several medications can deal with this problem, such as calcium channel blockers and corticosteroids to name a few but there are others. What you want to do is talk to your healthcare provider so that he or she can tell you if you are taking meds that may cause retention. If you are taking something like this, ask if there’s an alternative that doesn’t have this side effect.
Sedentary
You may gain water weight if you lead a sedentary life or if you simply sit too long. This issue could become chronic if you are sitting for long periods every day. The problem is there are many people out there who work sitting down all day or come home and spend all day just watching TV. You want to exercise more often throughout the day or make sure you get up to stretch every so often to reduce the chances of gaining this weight.
Now, you know everything there is to know about water weight and how to stop it. Pass on the information because you’re probably not the only one dealing with this issue.
