Water Retention

Hallo!

Busy days are good days! And today was one hack of a busy day! You see, the busier I am, the less time I have to think about how I feel (i.e. hungry). What I am trying to say is… I felt really awesome today.

Whatever was causing my water retention in the last couple of days is now gone and I can definitely see the changes in my body. Gosh, I look nice! I can’t wait to see what I will look like by the end of March! ;)

You have no idea how motivating it is to go to the gym floor, look in the mirror and like what you see! So, I kicked butt today! It was upper body weight training day and I really outdid myself – I am sooooo proud!

The only thing that bothers me is… what would happen if my measurement session on Saturday shows no difference to my body weight and body fat… I think I will be so devastated that I will probably drown my sorrow in bootleg moonshine…

Mel

Jeni:
Hey guys,

How are your weight loss efforts coming along?
Mel brought up a nice subject today – water retention. An unpleasant condition that happens to everyone from time to time and sometimes can really feel uncomfortable or downright sore. It also turns out to be something that most of you have no information on…

So here it goes…

There are several major causes of water retention in the body:
- regular excessive consumption of salt, sugar and/or alcohol
- not eating enough fruit and vegetables
- high levels of toxins in the body
- some prescription medication (e.g. birth control pills)
- long term use of extremely low calorie diets (1000 calories or less)
- food intolerances and allergies
- hormonal fluctuations (e.g. during menstrual cycle)
- lack of exercise

I am sure you already know most of this stuff… You know that your body holds water the day (or two) before your period. You surely know that salt makes you hold water.

But do you know that drinking water or eating high-water foods (like watermelon and cucumber) helps relieve water retention?

Diuretics, on the other side, are not as effective.
You see, there are two types of water retention – actually. Edema (this is when there is too much water in your blood) can be treated with diuretics. However, note that edema is quite a serious condition, so if you ever notice really swollen ankles or legs – consult a doctor.
The type of water retention we are talking about, doctors call it “tissue water retention”, (cause the fluid is sitting in your bodily tissues) will NOT benefit from diuretics. In fact, they can be rather harmful, as they will squeeze water out of your blood (not tissues) and cause a deficiency.

Bottom line: water retention is part of life, particularly for girls. In most cases it will go away on its own (e.g. as soon as your period comes, the symptoms will decrease) or can be treated with simple dietary changes. Drink some more water, head for Fruit & Veg city and stock up on watermelon and cucumber. Cut down the salt and sugar. Go for a walk.

And don’t take it so seriously. It’s just water, after all!

Ciao!

Jeni