Did you know that most of your body weight is made up of water? Any extra water held by your body is referred to as water weight or oedema. While not serious, water weight can cause bloating and puffiness especially in the areas around your legs, abdomen, and arms. Too much water weight can also cause complications in your heart and kidneys. Within this guide, you will find some simple tips to help you lose water weight.
8 easy ways to lose water weight at home
Tip #1. Get enough sleep
If you want to lose water weight, get a healthy amount of sleep every night. A good night’s sleep can help your body manage its sodium and fluid levels more effectively. Aim for around 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Tip #2. Keep your electrolytes balanced
What are electrolytes? These are minerals that contain an electric charge. Common examples of electrolytes are potassium and magnesium. Electrolytes play a crucial role in your body - especially in regulating water balance.
Too many or too few electrolytes can lead to increased water weight. So, balance is key. The best way to ensure a good balance of electrolytes is to tailor it with your water intake. You may need to take more electrolytes if you:
- Drink a lot of water
- Live in hot or humid regions
Too many electrolytes from food and supplements and low water intake can lead to water retention and increased water weight.
Tip #3. Manage your sodium
Sodium is the most common electrolyte in the body. And your primary source of sodium is salt. Like in the previous tip, an imbalance in your body’s sodium levels (too high or too low) can cause fluid shifts which may lead to increased water weight. Avoid high salt diets if you want to stop your body from retaining too much water.
If you are looking for low sodium alternatives, try natural foods like seeds, nuts, and vegetables. Certain foods like avocados, bananas, and leafy vegetables are also known to help reduce sodium levels in the body.
Tip #4. Avoid too many carbs
Did you know that unused carbohydrates are stored in the body as glycogen? And each gram of glycogen contains 3 grams of water! If you want to lose water weight, cutting your carb intake can help. Eating fewer carbohydrates causes your body to use up its glycogen reserves which in turn reduces water weight.
A common source of carbohydrates in our diet include pasta, rice, and bread. Try replacing these with high-protein alternatives like lean meat, soy products, and egg. On average, a normal adult only needs about 130g of carbohydrates to function normally.
Tip #5. Exercise regularly
We cannot emphasize enough the importance of regular exercise when it comes to keeping your body healthy. A good exercise session helps to promote increased blood flow which prevents the buildup of fluids all over your body, particularly in the arms and legs. Exercising also helps reduce water weight by burning your body glycogen reserves.
Tip #6. Drink more water
This may sound counterintuitive but drinking more water can help you lose water weight. Why? Well, let’s just say that your body is wired to survive. If it senses dehydration, it’s immediate action is to hold on to extra water as much as it can. Thus, increasing your water weight.
Proper hydration also improves kidney function which enables your body to flush out excess sodium and water. The best way to lose water weight is to replace sugary drinks with plain water. An average adult needs approximately 2 litres of water every day.
Tip #7. Drink tea and coffee
The caffeine found in coffee and tea is diuretic. This means it makes you pee more often. Studies show that increased urination can help decrease water weight. You can combine caffeine with more water intake to significantly increase the volume of your urine.
Tip #8. Take water pills and weight loss pills
Water pills are designed to treat mild fluid retention. Like caffeine, these pills function as a diuretic that makes you urinate more often. Though not recommended for long-term use, your doctor may prescribe water pills on a case to case basis.
Another great way to lose weight is by taking weight loss pills. Weight loss pills are designed to make it hard for your body to absorb fat. They also make you feel full sooner which decreases the amount of food (especially carbs) that you eat.
Being overweight poses a lot of health risks. And increased water weight is just one of the many causes of weight gain. Losing your water weight is a good first step towards a healthier you!