Water retention occurs when the body retains extra water weight for many reasons. For example, people tend to hold on to water weight in their body if their diet is poor. Additionally, women experience extra water retention just before their period or due to hormonal fluctuations. Water weight can literally cause a person to gain a few pounds from one day to the next. Losing extra water weight can help a person to look her best, in anything that she wears.
Step 1
Cut back on salt intake in food, suggests Katherine Zeratsky of the Mayo Clinic. Instead of adding salt to foods, try a salt-free alternative like a potassium-based salt substitute or salt-free spices. Frozen meals and canned foods are often high in sodium, so replace them with fresh foods and home-cooked meals to lose water weight.
Step 2
Drink water at every meal and with every snack, and keep a water bottle throughout the day for thirst. Some people think that since they need to lose water weight, they should limit their water intake. In reality, the more water a person drinks, the better her body can flush out excessive water retention. Zeratsky recommends drinking at least eight glasses of water every day to lose water weight.
Step 3
Get more potassium from fruits and vegetables such as kiwis, potatoes and bananas. The more fresh vegetables and fruits that a person eats, the less water weight she will retain. Ask the Dietitian states that potassium helps to balance the amount of water in the body. Therefore, if the body is retaining too much water, eating produce with potassium will help to flush it out. These fruits and vegetables are also rich in water, which will also help to flush out water weight.
Step 4
Participate in cardiovascular exercises at least five days a week for at least 30 minutes. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends doing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercises five days per week or 20 minutes of intense cardiovascular exercise three days a week. In addition to providing benefits for a person's heart, this will cause her to sweat, which will flush out some of the extra water weight in the body.
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Salt substitute
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