A major constituent of our body is water. There is water content in all the foods that we consume albeit in varying proportions. While fresh fruits and vegetables are water laden, processed and packaged foods contain lesser quantum of water.
Water is the best de-toxifying agent and helps in the vital function of flushing out the toxins which get accumulated in our body. Water also helps to regulate the body temperature and electrolyte balance. In fact, inadequate water which is evidenced by dehydration actually slows down your metabolism and thus affects your fat burning capacity.
Causes For Water Weight Gain
Diet
Water is a necessary component of a balanced and healthy diet. In the normal course, excess water is excreted in the form of sweat and urine. Water weight is basically water retention caused due to our lifestyle and diet patterns. A higher intake of sodium as a result of consuming too much of junk and packaged foods is a cause for water retention.
You need to avoid such foods and instead add those foods to your diet which help to absorb the excess salt and reduce the sodium levels. These include bananas, cantaloupes, apricots, figs, grapefruit, coconut water, sweet potatoes and beets.
Increase the intake of fiber foods and water. Water is needed to boost your metabolism. The intake of soluble and insoluble fiber helps to lose weight by cleansing your system. Being obese increases your susceptibility to suffer from water retention. Manage your weight and lose the same.
Inactive Lifestyle
A sedentary lifestyle is the root cause for all health problems. Get active and move around. Exercise on a daily basis. Being in the same position for long hours causes water retention.
Losing Water Weight
Water weight is the first stage of weight loss. Whichever weight loss program you choose, the weight loss that you experience in the initial days is the loss of water weight. But making changes in your diet like restricting the intake of sodium and avoiding junk foods, you can achieve water weight loss easily.
Suppose you are overweight, then it does not imply that all the weight gain is due to the water weight. In fact, even after making the changes in the diet you recheck on the weighing scales, your weight would have come down, but then if you take a test of your body fat composition, there will not be a significant change. Hence if you want to attain weight loss in its truest sense such that you remain fit and healthy, you must aim to lose the excess fats.
When you make efforts to lose the excess fats by following calorie controlled diets and a regular and effective workout schedule, you will also be able to conquer the issue of water weight. It is the excess fat stores which are the harbinger of various lifestyle diseases. Never opt for fad dieting, it is very unhealthy; eating a balanced and healthy diet is the key to keeping your metabolism moving and helps to lose both fat and water weight.