The Best Way to Cut Water Weight

Water weight can make you feel bloated. It can make your pants fit tighter and contribute to weight gain. Beware of over the counter medications that promise to shed water weight. Simple lifestyle choices are the best way to cut water weight and prevent it from coming back.

Instructions

• 1

  Drink more water. It may sound counterintuitive, but drinking more water can help your body shed water weight. Water helps the kidneys and liver function more efficiently and flushes toxins that could be causing cells to hang on to extra fluids. Try to drink eight eight-ounce glasses a day, but not all at once. Drinking two or three glasses of water before meals has an added benefit of making you feel full quicker so that you will eat less.

• 2

  Cut out the salt. Too much sodium causes the body to absorb and hold onto excess fluids. Salt is found in more than the salt shaker on the table. Convenience and packaged foods often have added sodium. Restaurant meals are often very high in sodium. For instance, a premium grilled chicken club sandwich from McDonalds has more than 1,400 mg of sodium, as of May of 2011. That is more than half the daily sodium recommended for most adults. The Mayo Clinic recommends no more than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, and as little as 1,500 for adults over age 51 or those suffering high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease.

• 3

  Cut out alcohol. You may notice your rings feel tighter after a night out. Alcohol can cause your body to retain water. Limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per occasion, and follow each alcoholic drink with an additional eight-ounce glass of water to combat the dehydrating effects of alcohol.

• 4

  Eat more of the good stuff. A diet with healthy grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and adequate protein will work more efficiently. These foods are metabolized easily by the body and keep the kidneys from holding too much water. Berries, citrus fruits, onions and broccoli have additional diuretic effects.

• 5

  Sweat it out. Excess water may be weighing you down, but one of the best ways to rid yourself of it is to get moving. Work up a sweat to lose water weight. Not only will fluids be excreted in sweat, but the work will increase your metabolism, which will help your body flush excess fluids.