How To Lose Water Weight Fast: 6 Expert-Approved Tips That Work in as Little as 24 Hours
Your body may be holding onto up to 5 lbs. of extra fluids
In order to figure out how to lose water weight, it’s first helpful to understand what water weight really is. “Our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water. ‘Water weight’ refers to excess fluid in the body above and beyond this amount,” says Stephanie Wells, RD, a registered dietitian based in Dallas, Texas and the founder of Thyme To Go Vegan Nutrition Services.
Extra water weight isn’t necessarily the sign of an underlying health condition, and it may come and go on its own. “In the absence of medical problems, water weight can fluctuate by up to five pounds a day,” Wells says.
That said, fluid retention can sometimes cause uncomfortable swelling in your legs, ankles and feet. Water weight can also sometimes signal heart or kidney disease, both of which can cause edema, the medical term for abnormal and excessive water retention, Wells says.
Woman's World Answers
How to lose water weight quickly and naturally
Here we reveal how to get rid of water weight fast, according to the latest research. The best part? Since water weight is so dependent on physical activity and diet, the following changes can help reduce water weight in just a day or two, Wells says.
Watch out for sneaky sources of salt
“A high-sodium diet can lead to water retention since sodium attracts water. This is why eating too much salt can also raise your blood pressure,” Wells explains. She suggests trying to keep your salt intake under 2,300 mg a day, which works out to about 770 mg of salt per meal (if you eat three daily meals) or 600 mg per meal and 250 mg per snack (if you eat three meals and two or three snacks a day). For reference, one saltine cracker has about 100 mg of sodium; a slice of white bread has about 150 mg and one ounce of cheddar cheese has about 190 mg.
A teaspoon of salt has 2,325 mg of sodium, but most people use well under that amount to season a single meal. Wells recommends paying more attention to hidden sources of sodium. “Keep in mind that most people get over 70 percent of their sodium intake from processed foods, takeout and restaurants—not from using a salt shaker,” Wells notes. “Canned soups, frozen meals, processed meats, chicken, pizza and salty snacks are some of the sneakiest sources.”
Snack on potassium-rich foods
“Potassium is an electrolyte that offsets some of the effects of sodium, helping reduce water retention. Unfortunately, many women aren’t meeting the recommended amount of potassium,” Wells says. It’s recommended that all women over age 19 get 2,600 mg of potassium daily, but only about a quarter of us meet or exceed that threshold.
According to Wells, the best sources of potassium include:
- Beans (250 mg in 0.5 cups of canned black beans)
- Lentils ( 950 mg per 0.75 cups of dry lentils)
- Dried apricots (1,500 mg in a cup)
- Prunes (1,275 mg in a cup)
- Raisins (210 mg in an ounce)
- Acorn squash (640 mg in a cup of boiled, mashed squash)
- Potatoes (900 mg in a medium potato)
- Bananas (420 mg in a medium banana)
- Avocado (490 mg in a medium avocado)
Give your magnesium levels a boost
Wells adds that there’s some evidence that the electrolyte magnesium may also help flush excess sodium from the body, though she notes that research on how effective it may be is limited. She suggests trying to meet the recommended intake of 320 mg of magnesium a day through foods. Good sources include peanuts (245 mg per cup), sunflower seeds (455 mg per cup), quinoa (64 mg per cup), canned black beans (92 mg per cup) and green leafy vegetables (25 mg per cup of raw spinach).
Take a walk around the block
“Exercising regularly is a great way to keep water weight from sticking around. Blood flow improves during exercise as fluids are used to deliver oxygen throughout the body and support muscle function,” Wells says. “You’ll also lose some fluid through sweat.”
The research into what type of exercise may best reduce water retention is limited. But a large meta-analysis in the journal Biomedicines on people with heart failure (which can cause severe edema) found that aerobic exercises in particular helped ease water retention. Movement stimulates lymph fluid drainage by changing the pressure in the fluid that exists between our cells, flushing out water weight.
Another small study of women with premenstrual disorder symptoms found that yoga and deep squatting helped ease water retention, and a third study showed that both dancing and jogging had similar effects.
Tip: Avoid pushing yourself too hard—excessive exercise can actually cause the body to hold onto fluid. Case in point: One study in the journal Kidney International Reports found that cycling long distances over several days can cause the kidneys to hold onto sodium, increasing water retention.
Drink more water—not less
When your body is puffy and holding onto water, it can be tempting to scale back on your fluid intake to avoid worsening the problem. But consuming less water will not help you lose water weight. In fact, a study in the Journal of Sports Science indicates that dehydration actually increases water retention, causing you to carry more water weight.
The average woman should aim to consume about 11.5 cups of fluid per day. About 20 percent of that will come from water-rich foods like fruits, and the rest from beverages (ideally mostly water). You may need to sip a little more on very hot days or when you’re being extremely active in order to stay hydrated.
Balance your carb intake
When you eat carbs, they’re broken down into a sugar called glucose. What’s not used immediately is converted into what’s known as glycogen and stored in the muscles and liver. And when glycogen is pulled into these organs, it takes water along with it, per the Journal of Applied Physiology. That’s why limiting carbs often ends up helping you get rid of water weight.
But Wells warns against cutting carbs completely. “The body runs best when getting 45-65 percent of your calories from complex carbs in the form of fruit, whole grains, starchy vegetables and beans,” she says. “Cutting carbs too low can lead to fatigue, especially for physically active people. While it’s important not to go overboard with carbohydrates, there’s also no reason to completely avoid them.”
After menopause, women may want to aim for the lower end of the carb intake spectrum. Research in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that postmenopausal women following a low-carb diet, wherein they got about 39 percent of their total calories from carbs per day, reduced menopause weight gain.
When to visit a doctor about excess water weight
While water weight is often normal, if you notice swelling in your feet, legs or ankles that comes on suddenly, persists for days, seems severe or is painful, red, warm or tender, contact your doctor ASAP. You should also reach out to a healthcare provider if you’re dealing with stubborn water weight plus symptoms like shortness of breath or chest pain.
Edema can be a sign of serious heart or kidney disease, so it’s important to get checked out. A solid rule of thumb: If any symptom interferes with your daily activities, it’s a good reason to see your physician.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
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