How to lose water weight fast and naturally

Water weight, also called edema, is very common and rarely a cause for concern. However, it may feel uncomfortable and can cause unwanted bloating or puffiness in the body.

This article outlines simple, healthy lifestyle tips for tackling water weight.

Fast facts on water weight:

• Water normally makes up 50 to 60 percent of an adult’s total body weight. Any extra water being held in the body is referred to as “water weight.”
• When water builds up in the body, it can cause bloating and puffiness, especially in the abdomen, legs, and arms.
• Water levels can make a person’s weight fluctuate by as much as 2 to 4 pounds in a single day.
• Severe water retention can be a symptom of heart or kidney disease. More often, it is temporary and goes away on its own or with some simple lifestyle changes.

There are a variety of ways a person can lose water weight quickly and naturally. We look at the most effective techniques:

1. Reduce sodium (salt) intake

Share on Pinterest Water weight may feel uncomfortable and cause bloating or puffiness in the body.

An easy first step for beating water weight is to replace sodium-rich foods with low-sodium equivalents.

Too much sodium, or salt, can cause immediate water retention. This is because the body needs to keep its sodium-to-water ratio balanced to function properly, so will hold on to water if too much salt is consumed.

The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day. An average American will eat over 3,400 mg every day.

Table salt is very high in sodium, but 75 percent of the sodium people consume is hidden in processed foods. These include cheese, cold meats, bread, frozen meals, soup mixes, and savory snacks.

Natural foods, such as vegetables, nuts, and seeds, are very low in sodium. Some foods can even reduce sodium levels, including bananas, avocados, and leafy vegetables.

2. Drink more water

While counterintuitive, drinking water can actually reduce water weight. Dehydration can make the body hold on to extra water to make up for lack of incoming water.

Water also improves kidney function, allowing excess water and sodium to be flushed out of the system.

Adults should drink around 2 liters of water a day. Replacing sugary drinks with pure water is a great way to keep up with the body’s daily water needs.

3. Reduce carbohydrate intake

Carbohydrates, or carbs, also cause the body to store extra water. When we eat carbs, the energy that we do not use right away is stored as glycogen molecules. Each gram (g) of glycogen comes with 3 g of water attached.

Cutting down on carbs is a quick way to use up the glycogen stores, which means that the water weight will also be reduced.

According to the Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board, adults need at least 130 g of carbohydrates to function each day, but the average American diet includes much more than this.

Common carbs include bread, rice, and pasta. Replacing some daily sources of carbs with high-protein foods, such as lean meats, eggs, and soy products, can reduce the buildup of water weight.

4. Supplements

Vitamin B-6 and magnesium oxide can be effective natural remedies for fluid retention.

These supplements work with the kidneys to help the body flush extra water and sodium from the system.

Studies show that these two supplements are very effective at relieving the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome or PMS, including water retention. They can also reduce abdominal bloating, swelling in the legs, and breast tenderness.

It is best for someone to talk to a doctor before taking new supplements, as they can have side effects or interactions with other medications.

5. Exercise

Exercise lets the body sweat out extra water. This causes water weight to drop immediately after exercise .

A workout also stimulates blood flow and improves circulation, which can reduce fluid buildup throughout the body, especially in the legs and feet.

Exercise reduces water weight even more by burning through glycogen energy stores. However, replacing lost fluids is vital after any physical activity to avoid dehydration.

6. Water pills

Water pills can treat mild fluid retention, as prescribed by a doctor. These pills work as diuretics, meaning they make a person urinate more often. Urination lets the body get rid of excess water and sodium.

Water pills are not recommended for long-term use. They should always be used as instructed by a doctor to avoid dehydration or mineral deficits.

Anyone can experience fluid retention, but some risk factors increase the chances of it occurring. These include:

• pregnancy
• malnutrition
• a sedentary lifestyle
• corticosteroids
• contraceptive pills
• heart, liver, or kidney conditions

Many women wonder how to lose water weight that can cause bloating and swelling in your legs, ankles, feet, wrists and hands. There are several possible causes of water retention, and some that dieting can’t help. Water retention can be a result of an unhealthy diet, not drinking enough water or medication. Some serious illnesses also cause water retention.

If you are experiencing water retention, check with your health care provider to make sure it isn’t caused by a serious illness. If your water retention is not caused by an illness, you can lose water weight–and keep it off–with changes in your diet.

Include Natural Diuretics in Your Diet

There are many natural diuretics that are much healthier for weight loss than water pills. Eating a nutritious, balanced diet that includes low-fat dairy products, lean meats, whole grains, fruits and vegetables can help with water retention. There are also a few specific foods that are known to help lose water weight and keep it off. Following are some foods that will help:

• Bananas, apricots, avocados and raisins are rich in potassium, which helps regulate your body’s fluid levels and relieves water retention.
• Green vegetables, seeds and nuts are high in magnesium, which also helps relieve water retention.
• Foods which are high in fiber such as whole grain cereal, whole grain rice and cabbage help with digestion, and relieve water retention and bloating.
• Yogurt also helps with digestion, and helps to reduce water retention.
• Ginger tea is a natural diuretic that can help with several health issues, including water retention.

Beware of Water Retention Culprits
There are also some specific foods that can cause unwanted water retention. Avoid excess sodium in processed meats, frozen foods, chips and even certain crackers. Check the sodium content on food labels before buying and eating new foods that could be higher in sodium than you would expect. Even some canned vegetables contain surprisingly high amounts of sodium.

Eating too much sugar can decrease your body’s ability to excrete sodium by increasing your insulin levels. Avoid or minimize your intake of desserts with high sugar content including cakes, pastries, ice cream and candy. Also limit the amount of soda pop and sports drinks that are high in sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

Exercise Water Weight Away
Sweating is a good thing. Exercise helps you lose water weight by draining excess fluids and salt through perspiration. Moderate exercise three to four times a week for 30 to 60 minutes can help you lose water weight and maintain a healthy body weight.

Drink Water
It may seem counterintuitive, but water flushes excess fluids and excess salt right out of your body. Drink plenty!
Once you lose excess water weight, be sure to continue your good eating and exercising habits for long-lasting weight maintenance.

First: step away from the salt.

It’s a familiar scenario: You’re trying to keep tabs on your weight, so you check in and step on the scale. Shockingly, the number is up. Not by a ton, but it’s definitely a few pounds higher than it was yesterday (or the day before). You’ve been exercising regularly and eating well — so what’s up?

Your water weight. When you gain a pound or two in just a few days, water is almost always the culprit. Fat takes more time to accumulate, so it isn’t really possible for you to gain weight from fat in a matter of a day or two, says Sylvia Tara, Ph.D., author of The Secret Life of Fat.

Plus, glycogen, which is the stored form of glucose that our bodies turn to for energy, holds much more water than fat does because of its biochemical makeup, Dr. Tara says. Stored in the liver and muscle cells, glycogen is hydrated with three to four parts of water. So when you lose weight quickly, you’re depleting those glycogen stores, which tells the liver and muscles to hold onto any bit of glucose — and its accompanying water — that you take in when you eat. If you step on the scale at some point during this process, then it’s likely that the number will be higher.

If you’re looking to skip out on the water weight, there are a few tricks you can try. These are the ones Dr. Tara says work best for seeing less fluctuation on the scale.

Intense exercise can actually cause water retention due to swelling during the muscle repair process, Dr. Tara says. But in the long-term, exercise stimulates blood flow and helps remove lymphatic fluid buildup in the extremities. So while you may notice a bit of bloat in the day after a hardcore HIIT workout, it should simmer down after that. Or, as an alternative, you could practice yoga for a more restorative routine.

It sounds counterintuitive, but yes, you should drink more water to get rid of water weight. It’s especially good if you’re using H2O to replace sugary sodas, juices, and alcoholic beverages, seeing as none of the above help you lose water weight, Dr. Tara says. Plus, researchers have found that drinking two liters of water can impact your estimated daily energy expenditure by 95 calories, meaning it helps boost your metabolism and aids in weight loss.

Sodium can cause the body to retain water, so really this is the first no-brainer step you can take to lose water weight. But don’t just think of the obvious: sodium is often lurking in your favorite foods, including spaghetti sauce, cereals, and even bottled salad dressings.

Nixing simple processed carbs (like white bread and pasta), which usually include excess salt, in favor of fiber-rich vegetables and berries is another way to lose water weight fast, Dr. Tara says. Start by cutting 100 grams of simple carbohydrates per day from your diet and slowly subtract until you start seeing results, she recommends.

Women often crave fats and carbohydrates during the second half of the menstrual cycle, when estrogen levels decrease and progesterone peaks, Dr. Tara says. To curb the water weight that typically goes along with that, she recommends taking a daily supplement of magnesium oxide (200mg), which research has shown can help alleviate fluid retention. Dandelion root, black coffee, and tea are also natural diuretics that can be used while drinking plenty of water. Regardless of what you try, remember to consult your physician before adding any supplements to your existing medication regimen, as you never know what ingredients may interact with one another.

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The fastest way to look slimmer and trim down weight within a shorter span of time is to lose water weight from the body. Almost 60% of your weight is because of water and this makes a few people look puffy. For brides who are looking forward to get slimmer in a short while, reducing water weight is the best option. Not only women, but men and kids can also shed water weight from their body speedily. One can lose up to 3 pounds overnight by consuming a strict diet on a specific day. One of the drawbacks is that you regain water weight rapidly. The only way to manage it is to follow a healthy lifestyle.

For athletes, reducing water weight is a primary task, as it will keep their body look fresh and slim. The following are some really effective ways that will help you shun water weight of your body, very quickly.

1. Drink More Water

To reduce water weight fast, it is essential to drink adequate amount of water and keep your body hydrated. Reducing recommended amount of H2O from your body will not affect you so much and it is really simple to gain it back in a matter of 10 days.

2. Cardiac Exercises and Sit-ups

• Any exercise that increase your heartbeat and warm up your body will help you trim down water weight faster. When you do cardiac exercises like walking, treadmill, etc., you can trim down more water weight overnight. Hence, it is always recommended to do cardiac exercises in the morning and also at night, before sleeping, as it speeds up your water weight reduction process.
• While working out to decrease water weight from the body, watch out your standing and sitting posture. Stand straight and keep your spine erect all the time, as it streamlines water flow to all parts of your body. Doing squats and sit-ups whenever you get free time not only cuts down water weight from the body, but also tones up your muscles.

3. Simple Acupressure

There are total four acupressure areas in your body. These areas are located two finger width under your belly button, under the large bulge of the knee bone, inside the anklebone and at the back inner border of shinbone. Apply pressure in these areas that not only reduces water from your body but also regulates water flow to all the body organs.

4. Sleep for extra 30 minutes

Few people sleep for 8 hours in a day whereas others sleep only for 5 to 6 hours. For any person who wishes to cut down on water weight, sleeping 30 minutes extra gives them more energy to perform workout which helps them decrease their water weight. Many doctors suggest that sleeping 9 hours a day shall enable them to get rid of water weight fast, because the body gets enough energy to stay active all-day long.

5. Parsley Tea

Staying away from coffee may not keep you refreshed all day long; hence, try out some really good alternative to caffeine that works as a catalyst to reduce water weight. Parsley is a good source of antioxidants that can cut down water weight soon. Have parsley tea at least 3 times every day. Parsley tea can keep your system active and also prevents you from the danger of dehydration.

6. Consume more Herbs

Herbs like ginger, garlic, fennel and even parsley are a great source of antioxidants. Eating these herbs evaporates excess water from your body and at the same time, they do not cause dehydration.

7. Water Loss Supplements

There are a lot of water loss supplements available in the market. Most of these supplements are in the form of pills and they are not so expensive. Under your fitness trainer’s supervision, use these water loss supplements that speed up water weight loss in your body.

8. Anti-gas Pills

Similar to water loss supplements, anti-gas pills also diminish water weight sooner. The anti-gas supplements can increase digestion by breaking up the gas bubbles in your digestive track. They release gas from your body which often gives you a bloated appearance, and as a result, you also attain a flat tummy.

9. Consume Salmon

When water weight is reduced, wrinkles and freckles peep out sooner. Eat ample salmon to counter balance the water weight reduction process from your body. Salmon is very good for your skin and it will also keep your body hydrated.

10. Rose Petal Water

Put some rose petals in a pan. Cover them with distilled water. Put the pan on the stove. Simmer it for 15-20 minutes until the petals lose their color. Strain the solution. Drink at least ½ cup on an empty stomach every morning. This remedy lessens the quantity of water in your circulatory system by drawing out water from your blood.

11. Apples

Eat 1-2 apples on daily basis with its skin on, in order to minimize the risk of water weight.

12. Herbal tea

Why stick to milk when you can get a refreshing taste from herbal tea? Since milk slows down the process of water weight reduction, switching to herbal tea like chamomile, green tea, lemon tea, herbal grass tea and more will not only detoxify your body, but also help you decrease water weight.

13. Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a natural diuretic and it maintains the potassium level in your body. Potassium loss during water weight reduction may have a harmful effect on your kidney sooner, but with two spoons of apple cider vinegar every day you can get enough potassium to keep yourself fresh and healthy without water weight.

14. Munch Carrots

Carrots increase your metabolism and aid in trimming your weight. This gives you energy to work out without getting tired sooner, while you are attempting to lose water weight.

15. Cabbage Juice

You may not find cabbage juice to be really tasty, but add a little bit of yogurt to it and drink in the morning with little pepper to diminish water weight really sooner. Cabbage contains properties and minerals that can prevent your body from gaining water weight. It decreases and maintains the speed of water absorption. It also heals organ inflammation and bloating.

16. Tomato

Tomato contains abundant iron, calcium and vitamin C. Having tomato on daily basis is a simple yet effective remedy to lose water weight.

17. Cucumber-Lemon-Mint

Mix 2 teaspoons of mint juice, ½ cup of lemon juice and 3 cups of lemon juice. Along with contributing to water weight loss, this drink also helps maintain the pH level of the body and strengthen the digestive system.

18. Watermelon

Eat watermelon or consume its juice, both works wonders in eliminating water weight quickly. Besides, watermelon is also an excellent source of magnesium, vitamin A, B and C, which gives your skin a radiant look.

First: step away from the salt.

It’s a familiar scenario: You’re trying to keep tabs on your weight, so you check in and step on the scale. Shockingly, the number is up. Not by a ton, but it’s definitely a few pounds higher than it was yesterday (or the day before). You’ve been exercising regularly and eating well — so what’s up?

Your water weight. When you gain a pound or two in just a few days, water is almost always the culprit. Fat takes more time to accumulate, so it isn’t really possible for you to gain weight from fat in a matter of a day or two, says Sylvia Tara, Ph.D., author of The Secret Life of Fat.

Plus, glycogen, which is the stored form of glucose that our bodies turn to for energy, holds much more water than fat does because of its biochemical makeup, Dr. Tara says. Stored in the liver and muscle cells, glycogen is hydrated with three to four parts of water. So when you lose weight quickly, you’re depleting those glycogen stores, which tells the liver and muscles to hold onto any bit of glucose — and its accompanying water — that you take in when you eat. If you step on the scale at some point during this process, then it’s likely that the number will be higher.

If you’re looking to skip out on the water weight, there are a few tricks you can try. These are the ones Dr. Tara says work best for seeing less fluctuation on the scale.

Intense exercise can actually cause water retention due to swelling during the muscle repair process, Dr. Tara says. But in the long-term, exercise stimulates blood flow and helps remove lymphatic fluid buildup in the extremities. So while you may notice a bit of bloat in the day after a hardcore HIIT workout, it should simmer down after that. Or, as an alternative, you could practice yoga for a more restorative routine.

It sounds counterintuitive, but yes, you should drink more water to get rid of water weight. It’s especially good if you’re using H2O to replace sugary sodas, juices, and alcoholic beverages, seeing as none of the above help you lose water weight, Dr. Tara says. Plus, researchers have found that drinking two liters of water can impact your estimated daily energy expenditure by 95 calories, meaning it helps boost your metabolism and aids in weight loss.

Sodium can cause the body to retain water, so really this is the first no-brainer step you can take to lose water weight. But don’t just think of the obvious: sodium is often lurking in your favorite foods, including spaghetti sauce, cereals, and even bottled salad dressings.

Nixing simple processed carbs (like white bread and pasta), which usually include excess salt, in favor of fiber-rich vegetables and berries is another way to lose water weight fast, Dr. Tara says. Start by cutting 100 grams of simple carbohydrates per day from your diet and slowly subtract until you start seeing results, she recommends.

Women often crave fats and carbohydrates during the second half of the menstrual cycle, when estrogen levels decrease and progesterone peaks, Dr. Tara says. To curb the water weight that typically goes along with that, she recommends taking a daily supplement of magnesium oxide (200mg), which research has shown can help alleviate fluid retention. Dandelion root, black coffee, and tea are also natural diuretics that can be used while drinking plenty of water. Regardless of what you try, remember to consult your physician before adding any supplements to your existing medication regimen, as you never know what ingredients may interact with one another.

Thank your diet for how bloated you’re feeling.

Feeling like you’ve been inflated with a tire pump the morning after pounding a deep-crust pizza? The good news is you haven’t put on 10 pounds in mid-section fat overnight. But you can thank water retention if you awake to a nasty surprise on the scale. Here’s what water weight is, along with some advice to minimize it.

What is water weight?

Your body needs water—and lots of it—to function: In fact, 50 to 70 percent of your entire body weight is water. Keeping your body hydrated is essential for lots of body functions, including maintaining your body temperature, cushioning your joints, and getting rid of waste through sweat, pee, and poop. Exactly how much water is in your body depends mostly on your age, sex, and body composition—but what you eat, in particular, can cause you to retain a few extra pounds of water weight.

Why does your body retain extra water?

Carbs and sodium play the outsized role in excess water retention. Carbs are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen, your body’s preferred energy source; each gram of glycogen, in turn, packs away about 3 grams of water with it, explains Nick Clayton, C.S.C.S., the personal training program manager for the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Meanwhile, the electrolyte sodium attracts water in the spaces outside of your cells and in your plasma, says Karen Ansel, M.S., R.D., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging: Stay Younger, Live Longer. That means when you knock back a burger with fries, the heavy load of sodium and carbs store extra water weight in your tissues.

The amount of water weight your body stores can vary a lot, but the average person carries one to five pounds, Clayton says; athletes (or anyone training at least 90 minutes a day) can train their bodies to stash away double that (a good thing, he notes, because they’ll use it the next day).

Certain medications can also cause you to retain water, Health reported. Generally, these include prescriptions that manage high blood pressure such as calcium channel blockers, corticosteroids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Certain diabetes medications can also cause water weight. Your doctor can discuss whether your specific prescriptions cause water retention.

However, that’s not to say that these drugs cause weight gain. It’s important to realize that water weight is not the same as fat loss, meaning that decrease on the scale may not change your body composition.

Which diets affect water weight?

If you’ve ever tried a low-carb diet, you’ve probably noticed the first few pounds practically fall off—and that’s due in large part to water weight. The first week you’re on a diet, almost 70 percent of weight loss is water, Clayton says, a rate which drops to about 20 to 30 percent over a couple of weeks and then stabilizes as your body starts tapping into fat stores. When you eat fewer calories than you’re using, your body doesn’t store more glycogen, and you’re using your existing glycogen stores—and water goes with it, Clayton explains.

“If you always eat carb-heavy and salty meals and then cut down on carbs and salt for a few days, you’ll be amazed at how much you’ll pee out in water weight,” says Ansel.

What are the best ways to lose water weight?

The best way to lose the water weight, hands-down, is to eat less processed junk foods (like chips, cookies, and pizza) and to load up on whole foods—especially fruits and veggies, say Clayton and Ansel.

“Highly processed foods tend to be packed with carbs and salt, so they’re a natural recipe for water retention,” explains Ansel. “On the flip side, whole foods contain potassium, a mineral that helps restore proper fluid balance in the body.” Since potassium is only found in foods like fruits, vegetables, and beans, eating a plant-based diet “is one of the very best ways to beat unwanted bloat,” she says.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, drinking more water can actually help reduce water retention, according to Health. That’s because your body holds onto whatever water it has when dehydrated.

Exactly how much water weight you can expect to shed depends on a lot of factors, including your body size and composition. “I know people who were obese and lost 10 pounds in two days” on a diet, Clayton says. He notes that the average person can expect to lose one to three pounds in about two days.

Also keep in mind that regular workouts can result in less water retention, since sweating sheds water, glycogen, and sodium. “If you’re a heavy exerciser, it’s likely that you retain less water than the average person,” Ansel says. “That’s because we lose a fair amount of water-binding sodium through sweat. What’s more, when you exercise you’re also burning lots of glycogen, which also binds lots of water.”

Can you ‘flush out’ a salty meal with water?

While it’s important to stay hydrated to support your body’s core functions, you can’t “flush out” excess sodium from your system by drinking tons of water, Clayton says. Your body excretes sodium out all on its own given time (and a healthier diet); a sweaty workout can help the process along.

Does weight lifting cause water retention?

Noticed your legs or biceps look extra swoll after a hardcore bodybuilding workout? That muscle pump is actually water weight, and it’s a natural part of the healing process. “Muscles may retain water after workouts to help repair micro-tears and inflammation that occur from the stress of the workout,” Clayton says. “It’s negligible, and the additional water in there goes away in an hour or two. You probably won’t see any difference in scale next day.”

If you are retaining fluid, your clothes may feel tighter, you may feel bloated or weighed down, and you may even look swollen or puffy. There are many reasons why you might be retaining fluid, but what is the quickest and most natural way to get rid of it?

What causes water weight?

Water weight happens when your body retains fluid. It happens when there is a buildup of fluid in the circulatory system or body tissues. There are many ways that it can be caused including:

– When there is a change in pressure inside the capillaries or the capillary walls are too leaky, the water will remain in the tissues, and cause swelling.

– If there is too much fluid in the lymphatic system, the excess fluid will remain in the tissues, which causes swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, or any other parts of the body.

– When the heart fails, in congestive heart failure, the heart has to work harder. This changes the pressure and causes water retention in the legs, feet, ankles and lungs.

– Severe protein deficiency.

– During kidney failure

– During pregnancy or menstruation

– Lack of exercise

– Certain medications such as hormone replacement therapy, birth control pills, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and beta blockers.

– Eating a lot of high sodium foods

– Eating excess sugar.

How do you naturally get rid of water weight?

As you can see, there are many causes of water retention, but depending on what is causing your body retain water, will determine how you should get rid of it. Obviously, if you have a medical condition, such as heart disease or kidney disease, you should see your doctor and they will likely prescribe diuretics for you and may even put you on a fluid restriction.

There are many foods or diuretic aids that may act as natural diuretics and will help produce urine, which helps to remove the fluids from your body.

– Apple cider vinegar – helps maintain potassium levels and is a natural diuretic

– Asparagus – contains asparagines, which helps flush the kidneys

– Beets – helps get rid of fatty deposits

– Cabbage – help break up fatty deposits

– Carrots – speed up the metabolism and help remove fat and waste from the body

– Horseradish – also speeds up the metabolism

– Lettuce – helps flush toxins

– Dandelion and Dandelion Leaf

Before trying any of these to help with your water retention, you may want to talk to your doctor to find out what is actually causing your body to retain water. It is also important to treat what is causing you to retain the water, and not to rely on the natural diuretics.

If you are consuming too much sodium or sugar, you should cut back (See also: simple ways to reduce sodium intake). If you aren’t eating enough protein or B-vitamins, you should find out how much you need and include adequate amounts in your diet (see also: How to eat more protein). You should also make sure that you are getting plenty of exercise and following a healthy diet.

The Waterfall Diet

While most diet books are aimed to help people lose excess fat, The Waterfall Diet focuses on getting rid of fluid retention and removing water weight. It is written by Linda Lazarides, a nutritional therapist.

The book states that it might be fluid that is making you overweight, and not fat. The diet is divided into 3 phases. The first phase lasts 2 months, and is meant to help you lose any extra fluid from your body as quickly as possible. This phase focuses on cleaning your body of anything that may be causing you to retain fluid, and may also indicate a possible food allergy. There are very few foods that you can eat, and a long list of foods that you can’t eat.

The second phase allows you to reintroduce foods one at a time to see if any of them were causing you to retain fluid.

The third phase should be followed long term, and allows more foods to be eaten, but still recommends that 90% of your diet should consist of the foods that you ate during the first phase.

The diet claims that you can lose up to 14 pounds in 7 days, but states that if your fluid retention is not caused by an allergy, that you may lose weight more slowly.

What’s my recommendation

So, if you are retaining fluid, the first step would, of course, be to see your doctor to see what is causing you to retain fluid to make sure that you don’t have an underlying condition.

If you don’t have a medical condition that requires diuretics, you can choose to try adding some natural diuretics to your diet and make sure that you are following a healthy diet and doing some type of activity every day. You can also read: Does water make you lose weight. Or, you may want to try The Waterfall Diet to find out if there is an allergy causing you to retain fluid, which should help you lose water weight quickly.

While there’s no one easy way to get in shape, it’s crucial to follow a good diet and make neccessary lifestyle modifications to lose weight. Fasting, as a way of restricting your food intake, is another commonly adopted dietary tactic to lose weight. Not only is it an extremely popular plan, but it also has a lot of traditionally-backed benefits.

Amongst this, water fasting is another popular plan which has come into focus in recent years as a weight-loss strategy. Simply as the name suggests, this type of fasting regime involves fasting, restricting everything and anything except water itself.

The regime has also been backed by many celebs and influencers, which has added to its popularity on social media.

According to many, water fasting is said to speed up weight loss considerably and may even help a person drop kilos surprisingly quick.

But, even if fasting for long hours, only surviving on water does actually promote weight loss, it is completely safe to follow this diet? Are there any long-term benefits to it or is it just a fad diet? Here’s an explainer on the same.

What does water fasting for weight loss mean?

Researchers have said that trying water fasting sometimes can be a good way to scale up fat loss. This type of fasting basically involves a prolonged period where a person foregoes any food and instead, only has water.

While there technically is no set time limit as to how long a person is supposed to fast this way, experts suggest that a time duration of 24 hours to 3 days is the maximum a person could really go without food. A lot of popular detox diets, such as the lemon cleanse one are also fashioned on the same.

Apart from weight loss, there could be a number of reasons why an individual may want to give water fasting a try- be it spiritual, religious or seek mental clarity. Water fasting also finds a space along with meditation in many wellness and therapeutic institutes nowadays.

A scheduled medical procedure may also require many to stay without food and follow water fast instead.

Over the years, water fasting has also been subjected to many studies and researches. While the evidence on the same is still not foolproof, investigations have found that water fasting can have surprising health benefits as well such as:

-Lowering the risk of diabetes

-Preventing certain types of cancers

However, for those who do support it, the maximum benefits lie for those looking to lose weight. We tell you how

How does it promote weight loss?

One of the prime reasons why people follow water fasting is to see an improvement in their health and vitals. Weight loss, as a benefit happens speedily in this regime because, in a state of fasting, the body does not have any form of carbohydrate to rely for in terms of energy. In the absence of it, the body uses up stored up fat for generating fuel and as a result, the fats are eliminated.

Another way water fasting may help you lose weight is by making you reach autophagy faster. Autophagy is a bodily process when old, often toxic cells are broken down or repaired.

Additionally, since this would also be a period when you won’t be eating anything processed, high-carbs or calorie-laden, you are ultimately, helping your body eat (or drink) clean. Water, essentially, is a zero-calorie drink.

What to expect and how to do it

People who do practise water fasting often do so without prior consultations. If you are a beginner, it may be helpful to “prep” your body prior to the actual fast, by cutting down or eating minimal food for 2-3 days. Fasting for a part of a day, or having small portions may help you do so.

According to studies, water fasting done the right way can help you lose upto 0.9 kilos each day spent fasting.

If you are following a 24-72 hour water fast, you can only have water and nothing else. Drinking 2-3 litres of water is sufficient.

Try and eat well before your fast begins, so you do not feel extremely hungry. Fill up on energy-rich, protein-packed foods.

Since it makes a drastic difference from your usual diet plan, it’s important to restrict your activities as you can feel weak or dizzy.

Post breaking your fast, it’s also crucial to follow some rules. Since your body may now not be used to having something nutrient-dense or heavy, try to have something smaller, easier to digest and slowly then introduce regular, larger meals. This will also allow you to make the best out of your fasting.

Is it safe to follow water fast?

A water fast works by majorly restricting your calorie intake and thereby helping you shed weight.

However, the thing to remember is that even if you do drop kilos considerably, a lot of it may be water weight or muscle mass. Therefore, water fasting, unlike other forms of fasting may not be beneficial if tried long-run or show the same results.

There are also some other safety concerns worth knowing. In fact, what may shock many is that complete water fast may actually make you dehydrated since a lot of our water intakes comes through the foods we eat. One may feel dizzy, fatigued, irritable and be at the risk of fainting too.

People who follow water fasting are also in danger of experiencing orthostatic hypotension, where blood pressure drops quite low suddenly. It can also worsen health conditions for those who have underlying problems, even if followed for a shorter duration.

Who shouldn’t do it?

Fasting, even with all of its weight loss-aiding and other health benefits isn’t entirely without drawbacks. This being said, an extreme form of fasting such as surviving only on water shouldn’t be tried if:

While there’s no one easy way to get in shape, it’s crucial to follow a good diet and make neccessary lifestyle modifications to lose weight. Fasting, as a way of restricting your food intake, is another commonly adopted dietary tactic to lose weight. Not only is it an extremely popular plan, but it also has a lot of traditionally-backed benefits.

Amongst this, water fasting is another popular plan which has come into focus in recent years as a weight-loss strategy. Simply as the name suggests, this type of fasting regime involves fasting, restricting everything and anything except water itself.

The regime has also been backed by many celebs and influencers, which has added to its popularity on social media.

According to many, water fasting is said to speed up weight loss considerably and may even help a person drop kilos surprisingly quick.

But, even if fasting for long hours, only surviving on water does actually promote weight loss, it is completely safe to follow this diet? Are there any long-term benefits to it or is it just a fad diet? Here’s an explainer on the same.

What does water fasting for weight loss mean?

Researchers have said that trying water fasting sometimes can be a good way to scale up fat loss. This type of fasting basically involves a prolonged period where a person foregoes any food and instead, only has water.

While there technically is no set time limit as to how long a person is supposed to fast this way, experts suggest that a time duration of 24 hours to 3 days is the maximum a person could really go without food. A lot of popular detox diets, such as the lemon cleanse one are also fashioned on the same.

Apart from weight loss, there could be a number of reasons why an individual may want to give water fasting a try- be it spiritual, religious or seek mental clarity. Water fasting also finds a space along with meditation in many wellness and therapeutic institutes nowadays.

A scheduled medical procedure may also require many to stay without food and follow water fast instead.

Over the years, water fasting has also been subjected to many studies and researches. While the evidence on the same is still not foolproof, investigations have found that water fasting can have surprising health benefits as well such as:

-Lowering the risk of diabetes

-Preventing certain types of cancers

However, for those who do support it, the maximum benefits lie for those looking to lose weight. We tell you how

How does it promote weight loss?

One of the prime reasons why people follow water fasting is to see an improvement in their health and vitals. Weight loss, as a benefit happens speedily in this regime because, in a state of fasting, the body does not have any form of carbohydrate to rely for in terms of energy. In the absence of it, the body uses up stored up fat for generating fuel and as a result, the fats are eliminated.

Another way water fasting may help you lose weight is by making you reach autophagy faster. Autophagy is a bodily process when old, often toxic cells are broken down or repaired.

Additionally, since this would also be a period when you won’t be eating anything processed, high-carbs or calorie-laden, you are ultimately, helping your body eat (or drink) clean. Water, essentially, is a zero-calorie drink.

What to expect and how to do it

People who do practise water fasting often do so without prior consultations. If you are a beginner, it may be helpful to “prep” your body prior to the actual fast, by cutting down or eating minimal food for 2-3 days. Fasting for a part of a day, or having small portions may help you do so.

According to studies, water fasting done the right way can help you lose upto 0.9 kilos each day spent fasting.

If you are following a 24-72 hour water fast, you can only have water and nothing else. Drinking 2-3 litres of water is sufficient.

Try and eat well before your fast begins, so you do not feel extremely hungry. Fill up on energy-rich, protein-packed foods.

Since it makes a drastic difference from your usual diet plan, it’s important to restrict your activities as you can feel weak or dizzy.

Post breaking your fast, it’s also crucial to follow some rules. Since your body may now not be used to having something nutrient-dense or heavy, try to have something smaller, easier to digest and slowly then introduce regular, larger meals. This will also allow you to make the best out of your fasting.

Is it safe to follow water fast?

A water fast works by majorly restricting your calorie intake and thereby helping you shed weight.

However, the thing to remember is that even if you do drop kilos considerably, a lot of it may be water weight or muscle mass. Therefore, water fasting, unlike other forms of fasting may not be beneficial if tried long-run or show the same results.

There are also some other safety concerns worth knowing. In fact, what may shock many is that complete water fast may actually make you dehydrated since a lot of our water intakes comes through the foods we eat. One may feel dizzy, fatigued, irritable and be at the risk of fainting too.

People who follow water fasting are also in danger of experiencing orthostatic hypotension, where blood pressure drops quite low suddenly. It can also worsen health conditions for those who have underlying problems, even if followed for a shorter duration.

Who shouldn’t do it?

Fasting, even with all of its weight loss-aiding and other health benefits isn’t entirely without drawbacks. This being said, an extreme form of fasting such as surviving only on water shouldn’t be tried if: