Often excessive fluid is accumulated throughout the body, a condition known as fluid retention or edema. Water weight is a common sign of chronic medical conditions, but a lack of sleep or even a poor diet can also lead to fluid retention. Women are known to suffer from water weight during pregnancy and every month during menstrual periods. In general, excessive fluid accumulation in small amounts is not a serious situation but can make a person feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, if this fluid retention is significant or if this fluid retention is caused by a serious medical condition, proper medical treatment is needed. Are there any ways to get rid of water weight?

How to Get Rid of Water Weight

1. Stay Hydrated

Drinking plenty of water every day will help you lose water weight. In cases when the body is dehydrated, water retention will be higher. By drinking water regularly, these fluid balances within the body will be restored and if necessary excessive fluid will be eliminated from the body.

Do you want to know if you are drinking enough water? A good sign to tell if your body is hydrated enough is the color of your urine. If the urine is yellow and light, this means that the body is hydrated, while in cases when the urine is dark or brown in color, the body is dehydrated.

2. Watch Out How Much Salt You Take

The human body needs certain amounts of salt for its normal functioning. However, in cases when salt is consumed more than normal, this could lead to water retention. This is especially important in cases when the body is already dehydrated.

It is just not enough to control the salt intake. Remember that certain types of food such as processed foods, canned foods, processed meats, snacks, etc. are rich in sodium. For this reason, you should try to eliminate as much as possible these types of food.

3. Eat Fiber-Rich Foods

Fibers are healthy as they help eliminate any waste, water or excessive nutrients from the body. The more fiber-rich foods you eat, the healthier you will be. On the other hand, if your daily diet is low in fiber-rich foods then more water will be accumulated in your body, often leading to water retention and water weight.

How to get rid of water weight? Consume at least 25 g of fiber a day if you are a woman or at least 38 g of fiber a day if you are a man. Good sources of fibers are legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, cereals, nuts, seeds, etc.

4. Exercise Regularly

Regular physical activity is very important for overall health. If you are looking how to get rid of extra water weight, then physical activity and regular exercise are the best things to do. Exercise will make you sweat more, reducing the fluid amount in the body. Exercise also reduces the amount of water located in the skin, which will reduce the bloating and puffiness.

Make sure to include cardio exercises or aerobics as this will make your heart work more, making your body sweat even more. If you are looking how to eliminate excess water weight through sweating, saunas or steam rooms are a great option too.

5. Sleep Well

Sleep is very important for overall health. Sleep is important for maintaining a proper hydration of the body, helping this way eliminate excess water weight. For this purpose, it is recommended for adults to sleep about 7 to 9 hours a day. If you have a good night sleep, normally you will be more healthy, relaxed and energetic the next morning. 

6. Eat Potassium Against Water Retention

Certain types of food are rich in potassium, such as bananas, carrots, dates, papaya, tomatoes, apricots, artichokes, kiwi, mango, oranges, green leafy vegetables, lentils, dried beans, peas, yogurt, etc. As we know that potassium helps regulate the water retention and water balance in the body, the above-mentioned foods should be part of your daily diet if you are wondering how to get rid of water weight. These foods rich in potassium are natural diuretics which will help eliminate any excess water from the body.

7. Avoid Carbohydrates

The more carbohydrates you eat, the more water will be accumulated in your body. For this reason, try to avoid or minimize the number of carbohydrates you consume daily. Foods that are rich in carbohydrates are rice, pasta, bread, desserts, muffins, bagels, sweetened beverages, etc. A diet low in carbohydrates will help you maintain a good fluid balance in your body.

8. Consume Coffee, Tea or Cranberry Juice

Coffee, tea and cranberry juice are known as natural diuretics. However, consume them moderately and always accompanied by water in order to prevent dehydration.

9. Avoid Alcohol

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to dehydration. The more alcohol you consume, the more dehydrated your body will be. For this purpose, your body will need to accumulate excessive water to deal with this body dehydration, eventually leading to water retention.

10. Avoid Stress

If you are constantly under stress, the body will produce more so-known stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol is directly linked to fluid retention and weight gain, including water weight. Cortisol and stress both increase the amount of ADH produced from the body, which is known to control the body’s water balance.

11. Take Dandelion Supplement

How to get rid of water weight? Dandelion is an herb commonly used in alternative medicine for water retention. Dandelion supplements in recent years have become popular among those who need to reduce some water weight, especially among athletes and body builders. By taking dandelion supplements, your kidneys will eliminate more water from the body, together with sodium and salt by producing more urine.