Want To Shed Water Weight Fast? 9 Top Tips (2024)

You may wonder how to lose water weight if you have excess fluid build-up and swelling. Cutting down on salty and sugary foods, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, and staying physically active are some ways to shed water weight.

You put on water weight when your body retains fluid that normally goes to your kidneys. It's normal to have water weight. Still, too much may make you feel uncomfortable or be a sign of a severe health condition. Read on to learn how to lose water weight and when to see a healthcare provider.

About 60% of your body weight is water. You might gain water weight if there's a build-up of water in your body. Edema is the swelling, commonly in your ankles, feet, and legs, that results from excess fluid.

Tips for Losing Water Weight

Drinking plenty of water, eating less salty and sugary foods, and staying physically active can help you lose water weight. Certain supplements might help your body retain less fluids.

Keep in mind that water weight and edema are sometimes signs of a health condition, such as congestive heart failure or deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a severe blood clot. It's essential that you talk to a healthcare provider about ways to reduce water weight. You might require blood thinners or diuretics, depending on the cause.

1. Drink More Water

You might think that putting more water into your body adds more water weight. It turns out that the opposite is true. Your body will hold on to whatever water it has if it's dehydrated. Make sure that you get plenty of water, especially if you are eating salty or sugary foods.

It might help to limit tea, coffee, and alcohol, all of which can dehydrate you. Cranberry juice, in contrast, has a slight diuretic effect and may help flush out excess water.

2. Eat Hydrating Foods

Choosing hydrating foods is a safe and healthy way to lose excess water weight and helps hydrate you. Take in more fluids, even in the form of hydrating foods, to ultimately help your body excrete water.

Hydrating foods include fruits and vegetables like:

• Cantaloupe
• Cauliflower
• Cucumber
• Grapefruit
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Watermelon
• Zucchini

Try eating more potassium-rich foods like leafy greens and potatoes. Potassium also helps you get rid of excess sodium.

3. Exercise Regularly

Physical activity is key to losing water weight. Not only will you sweat out some fluid, but you'll also need to rehydrate.

Moving around can also help reduce puffiness. Stop the car at regular intervals while driving long distances to get out and stretch your legs. Move around if possible while riding buses, planes, and trains. You can even do simple exercises with your feet and legs while sitting.

Regular exercise is important if you are pregnant, which increases swelling in the legs and ankles. Resting with your feet up also helps reduce that swelling.

4. Improve Your Sleep

Quality sleep is generally essential for your overall health. Experts advise that adults get about seven to nine hours of sleep per night.

It turns out that sleep may help decrease water weight. Research has found that your kidneys can effectively manage the amount of water and sodium they store when you get adequate rest.

5. Limit Salty and Sugary Foods

Salty and sugar foods make your body hold onto more water than usual. Try cutting down on high-sodium foods, such as bacon, cookies, donuts, and ham. Salt, a preservative in many processed and restaurant foods, makes up roughly 70% of your sodium intake. Replace sugary drinks with water flavored with pieces of fruit or cucumber slices.

Cook from scratch when you can, using fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Read the label if you need to use a packaged item. Compare the sodium and added sugar contents across similar products.

6. Reduce Carbohydrates

Your body stores excess carbs that it does not use right away in your cells as glycogen, which has three grams of water. Most people on a 2,000-calorie diet need 275 grams of carbs per day. Try swapping bread and pasta for meat, fish, or poultry to cut down on your carb intake.

7. Reduce Stress Levels

Excess cortisol, the stress hormone, may increase water weight. Cortisol levels directly correlate to antidiuretic hormone (ADH) levels. ADH communicates with your kidneys to control the amount of water in your body.

8. Take Electrolytes

Electrolytes, like magnesium and potassium, help manage the amount of water that your body stores. As a result, you might gain water weight if your electrolyte levels are out of balance.

Water does not have electrolytes, so reach for a sports drink to replenish them. You might also consider electrolyte supplements if you are significantly increasing or decreasing your water intake.

9. Try Supplements or Water Pills

Dandelion and magnesium supplements might help manage water weight. Research has found that dandelion has a diuretic effect. Magnesium is an electrolyte that helps control the amount of water inside your body.

Some evidence suggests that vitamin B6 supplements reduce bloating and decrease premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms. More research is needed to know exactly how vitamin B6 affects PMS symptoms.

There are several factors that result in excess fluid in your body. Some of the most common causes include eating too much salt, sitting for long periods, and taking certain medications.

1. Certain Medications

Some blood pressure drugs, like calcium channel blockers, increase fluid retention. Certain anti-inflammatory medications like corticosteroids also cause your body to hold onto sodium and lose potassium, resulting in added water weight.

Talk to a healthcare provider to determine if your medication is the cause of water weight. They might be able to provide an alternative medication.

2. Cortisol Levels

Cortisol is best known as a stress hormone, although it's much more than that. The hormone helps keep your blood sugar and blood pressure levels stable, supports metabolism, reduces inflammation, and helps form memories. Although rare, fluid retention might be the result of elevated cortisol levels.

Cushing syndrome, for instance, might cause your body to hold on to sodium. This disorder occurs when tumors on the adrenal and pituitary glands release too much cortisol into your blood. Some people with an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) may have swelling around their eyes.

3. Hormonal Birth Control

Estrogen and progestin, hormones in birth control pills, might increase fluid retention. This water weight is usually temporary and not significant. Still, you may want to talk to a healthcare provider about other birth control options if you are uncomfortable.

4. Menstruation

Fluctuating hormones cause many people to retain water the week before their period. You might also notice swelling in your breasts, causing tenderness, during that time. Swelling in the legs is also common.

5. Poor Circulation

Your circulatory system naturally becomes weaker as you age. The valves in the veins of your legs, which keep blood flowing upward to your heart, collapse a little. As a result, blood pools in your legs and causes fluid retention. Severe health conditions, like congestive heart failure, also cause poor circulation.

6. Pregnancy

Pregnancy may cause you to gain water weight, especially as you get closer to your due date. You may see swelling in your hands, feet, or ankles. Hormones are partly to blame, but the growing fetus also places strain on your blood vessels. Keep in mind that water weight may not all come off the minute after delivery.

You might have developed a blood clot if you suddenly have swelling that hurts, especially in one leg. Get immediate medical attention if that's the case.

7. Salty and Carbohydrate-Heavy Foods

One of the most common causes of water weight is excess salt in your diet. Sodium binds with water and traps it in your body. Carbs can also impact fluid retention, especially if you start adding them back after a period of restricting them. Glycogen pulls in water. As a result, the more glycogen your body stores, the more water you take in.

8. Travel

Sitting for long periods on cross-country flights or long road trips can cause water retention. Your muscles contract from sitting too long. Your feet and legs may swell in response as fluid pools there.

When To Contact a Healthcare Provider

Water weight is not typically a cause for concern. You can typically lose water weight using home remedies. Still, excess fluid build-up and swelling are sometimes signs of a severe health condition, such as heart, liver, or kidney disease.

See a healthcare provider if you have:

• A fever
• A history of liver disease and develop abdominal or leg swelling
• Existing heart or kidney disease and worsening swelling
• New or worsening swelling in one only limb
• Sudden swelling that occurs during pregnancy
• Swollen body parts that are red or warm to the touch

There are many possible causes of water weight, including eating a lot of salty and sugary foods, sitting for long periods, and taking certain medications. Try these tips to help you get rid of that extra fluid. Some lifestyle changes might help. Try getting enough sleep, reducing your salt intake, and staying hydrated.

Talk to a healthcare provider for additional help if water weight affects your quality of life and makes you uncomfortable. Water weight and edema are sometimes signs of severe health conditions, such as congestive heart failure and DVT. You might require medications, like blood thinners or diuretics, to manage those illnesses.