How to Lose Water Weight
If you are carrying around extra water weight, your legs, ankles, wrists, feet and hands may swell. Water retention is caused by several factors. You may not be eating a healthy diet or drinking enough water, it could be a side effect of medications or even a serious medical condition. Try the following steps to lose water weight.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Low sodium products
- Diuretic herbs
- Well balanced diet
- Exercise
- Doctor
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1
Ask your doctor to see if there are different prescriptions for what you may be taking that are causing you to gain extra water weight. Medicines such as steroids or estrogen replacement hormones can cause water retention.
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2
Drink lots of water. Water is the best diuretic you can give your body and it's all natural. If you are not drinking enough water during the course of the day, your body will go into survival mode and retain every drop it can, which will cause you to bloat.
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3
Limit your salt intake. High sodium amounts in the diet cause you to retain water. Check the nutrition label for the sodium content of your food. Purchase low sodium products.
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4
Consider the use of herbs to flush water from your body, which are gentler than prescription or over the counter chemical diuretics.
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5
Eat a well balanced diet. Not getting enough protein in your diet can cause your body to retain water and potassium in fruits and vegetables can help prevent or treat water retention.
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6
Increase your activity level. Exercises such as bike riding, tennis, walking or running can help your body get rid of excess water in your legs and ankles.
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7
Visit your doctor if you continue to retain water, especially if you are retaining water no matter what you do. There may be an underlying health issue that needs to be addressed.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You should be drinking enough water so that you rarely feel thirsty, at least eight glasses of fluid per day, and are producing one to two liters of light yellow urine a day. Dark yellow could represent dehydration.
Drinking less water will not get rid of water weight, instead it will make it worse.
If you are pregnant and start retaining an excessive amount of water, see your doctor immediately.
Don't drink caffeine as a diuretic, even though it will help you lose water weight, because it can cause you to become dehydrated. Use water as a diuretic as you will never become dehydrated drinking water.
