Fast Facts On Water Weight:
- Water normally makes up 50 to 60 percent of an adults 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 persons 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:
What Kind Of Belly Fat Do I Have
Now that you know whether you have belly fat or it is bloating, it is time to understand belly fat in detail. Since bloating is a short term effect of specific foods or gas, you can deal with it easier than belly fat. However, belly fat is a long term issue that leads to several health concerns. Hence, it is essential to pay immediate attention.
A majority of abdominal fat is the result of overall weight gain. It occurs when your body consumes more calories than it burns. Unlike stomach bloat, abdominal fat does not resolve until you make lifestyle modifications. Some people get belly fat from an existing medical condition and insufficient physical activity. However, for others, it can be from consuming too many calories.
The type of belly fat you accumulate has a varied impact on your health. However, there are two main types:
Downing Too Many Salty Foods Can Leave You Feeling Seriously Bloated
It starts out innocently enough. You sit down in front of the TV with a bag of your favorite chips. Or maybe its a big bowl of popcorn. Either way, before you know it, the whole thing is gone. The inevitable bloat that rushes over you afterwards isnt just the result of pigging out, though. Its also a sure sign youve taken in too much salt.
According to a study conducted at Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, a high-sodium diet can increase a persons risk for feeling bloated by 27 percent . The exact mechanism behind the finding is still being studied, as of this writing.
Scientists already know that salt increases fluid retention, which may be partially to blame for the bloating sensation. However, the studys author, epidemiologist Noel Mueller, also hypothesized that a large intake of salt may alter levels of microbes in the stomach, increasing production of other compounds that can leave a person feeling bloated.
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Prevent: Avoid Super Salty And Sugary Foods
It’s not so much the salt-shaker on your table you have to worry about. The salt used as a preservative in many processed and restaurant foods contributes roughly 70% of our salt intake, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
“All of your processed, packaged foods are going to have more sodium simply because want them to stay on the shelf longer,” explained DiCicco.
Replacing sugary drinks with water is an excellent way to boost hydration while also cutting back on excess carbohydrates that can cause fluid retention. The carbohydrates hold fluid because the body stores them as glycogen in the muscles and liver, according to a study published in 2018 in the journal Nutrition Reviews.
Cook from scratch when you can, using non-processed items like fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. If you need a packaged item, read the label, compare sodium content across similar products, and limit how often you choose sweets and sweet drinks.
How To Prevent Bloating
If it’s not your time of the month and you’re experiencing an uncomfortable amount of bloating, it may be time to reconsider what you’re putting on your plate.
“It might be helpful to keep a brief food diary where you write down what you ate and how you felt after to figure out the culprit of your bloating,” says Michalczyk.
Every single body reacts to foods differently, so take some time to figure out yours. Write out what you’re eating and how it makes you feel an hour or so afterward. If you’re experiencing an uncomfortable amount of bloating, you should consider decreasing that specific food in your dietespecially if it’s one of these foods that cause gut discomfort.
Another surprising way to decrease bloating is to simply stop eating and drinking at the same time. Michalczyk says this can actually cause bloating in the stomach.
“One thing that could help is not eating and drinking at the same time,” says Michalczyk. “This can get a lot of air into your system, which can contribute to bloating.”
So next time you enjoy a meal, enjoy your drink separately. Some nutritionists even say drinking a whole glass of water before enjoying your meal will not only help with feeling bloated later, but will keep you from overeating.
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But Bloating Isnt Just About Feeling Fat For Me At Least It Starts Off A Domino Effect That Impacts A Lot More Than My Straining Waistband
First, bloating is uncomfortable, it doesnt go away, and it makes me feel weak. I have no idea why bloating makes me feel weak, but it does. Although Ive been walking about three miles almost every day for months, during this past week, I could hardly get through those simple steps. At the end of one three-mile walk, I got dizzy and finally sat down when my vision started fading to black. And Id walked that exact route just three days before!
Add together discomfort, total failure at simple physical tasks, and a belly that feels like its carrying around 300 pounds of water, and I get a fun bloating bonus: hating the way I look! Its been a while since I really thought hateful things about my body, but when I feel so gross, I can hardly look at myself. Luckily, I know that this type of negativity is not helpful, so I didnt let those pissy thoughts stay around for long. But I felt them for the first time in a few months. And I blame bloating.
I cant say Im blameless for my End of December Bloat Week. During the month, I ate more sugar than I had in some time and drank more alcohol than usual.
Youre Eating Foods That Cause Gas
Certain healthy foods, like beans and cruciferous vegetables, contain complex sugars that the body cannot digest.
When those sugars reach the large intestines, the bacteria inside work to break them down and cause fermentation, gas and bloating, says Rizzo.
Some people are better able to tolerate these foods than others. If you notice that beans, legumes or some veggies, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, onions or garlic, are triggers for you, then stay away.
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Is Bloating A Side Effect Of Ovulation
Do you bloat during ovulation? Youre not alone, and its all your hormones fault.
When your body is getting ready to ovulate, your estrogen levels climb as the egg ripens in your ovary. Estrogen is then overtaken by the luteinizing hormone , which tells your body to release the egg. After ovulation, estrogen climbs again for the rest of your cycle, and its joined by a dose of progesterone too. This rollercoaster of hormones is the reason that your stomach feels like a balloon.
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Can Bloating Cause Weight Gain
Most of us feel bloated at one point or another. When that happens we also feel heavier, like weve gained a few pounds. Feeling heavier is one thing, but the actual weight gain is something else entirely. The question that probably came across your mind is whether bloating can really make you put on a few pounds. Were going to answer that question in this post. Read on to learn more about this important subject.
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Drink Peppermint And Fennel Tea
Drink peppermint and fennel tea: Peppermint tea can be very beneficial for your digestive system and help alleviate problems like bloating, stomach gas and flatulence. Peppermint has relaxant and antispasmodic properties and can help relieve cramps and spasms in the gastrointestinal tract, bile duct and gallbladder. This improves the passage of both food and swallowed air through the digestive tract, allowing them to go through smoothly and without pain or discomfort.
According to herbalists, fennel seed is an effective aid to digestion. It can help the smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal system relax and reduce gas, bloating, and stomach cramps.
Questions To Find Out If You’re Gaining Weightor Just Bloated
Weight gain doesn’t happen all at once, but it often feels that way. One day you pull on a pair of pants that you haven’t worn since last falland ah, crap.
But are you really gaining weight or just dealing with some belly bloat? While you’re probably hoping for the latter, these 8 questions will help you identify the issueand fix it.
1. Has my lifestyle changed at all?Start off with some real talk: “Assess whether or not weight gain may be a possibility in the first place,” says Alex Caspero, RD, owner of Delish Knowledge. “Have your eating patterns changed? Activity habits? Stress levels?” Even the smallest of lifestyle changesfrom getting an hour or two less sleep per night to taking a new medicationcan influence your caloric balance.
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2. How do I look in the morning?When you wake up in the morning, take a look in the mirror. Not in a judgey way, but just to get a sense of what’s going on in your body. “When we wake up in a fasted state, our food has already left our stomach and is probably well into our colon, so we don’t get that ‘bloated‘ feeling and look,” says Caspero. So if you wake up with a stomach that’s a good two sizes smaller than when you go to bed, something is definitely going on in your gut, she says.
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Cause: Your Cortisol Levels
Cortisol is best known as a “stress hormone,” although it’s much more than that. It’s involved in keeping blood sugar and blood pressure levels stable, balancing metabolism, reducing inflammation, and even forming memories, according to the Endocrine Society. While water retention as a result of elevated cortisol levels isn’t common, it can happen.
“You’d have to have a pathophysiologic release of cortisol for that,” clarified Dr. Mack. “Just being stressed won’t do that.”
In other words, there would have to be a lot of cortisol. Phew.
Cushing syndrome, for instance, might cause water retention, according to Cushing’s Support and Research Foundation. That condition occurs when tumors on the pituitary or adrenal glands release too much cortisol into the blood. Also, people with low levels of thyroid hormone can develop swelling around their eyes, added Dr. Mack.
You’re Drinking Too Much Booze
You know the feeling after having one too many the night before: FULL.
The Dietary Guidelines recommend that men have two alcoholic beverages or fewer each day, if any. If youre a big beer drinker, you may notice that the bubbles in the drink make your stomach bloat, says Rizzo.
On top of that, alcohol has unnecessary calories that may lead to weight gain and alcohol also dehydrates you, which means that you will retain water and feel bloated, Rizzo adds.
Having a drink every now and then is perfectly fine, but try and keep it to a minimum if you want to fight bloat.
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Help Is It Bloating Or Weight Gain
Do you ever wake up with a flat stomach and by the end of the day find you cant even button your pants around your protruding belly? Did you gain weight in one day? How did that happen so fast? Yes, its possible that your clothes dont fit because youve been slowly gaining weight, but the cause could also be something simpler. It could be bloating.
Prevent: Eat Hydrating Foods
“When we are on restrictive diets and at first lose weight quickly, that really is just water weight from the loss of stored glycogen from our muscles,” said DiCicco.
Choosing hydrating foods is a safe and healthy way to lose excess water weight and is almost as good as drinking water.
“Foods that have high water content help with increasing one’s overall hydration,” said DiCicco.
Taking in more fluidseven in the form of hydrating foodswill ultimately help your body excrete water. Watermelon, spinach, strawberries, and cantaloupe, among other fruits and veggies, all have a lot of water. Eating potassium-rich foods like tomatoes and sweet potatoes can also help you get rid of excess salt, added DiCicco.
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Effective Ways To Manage Bloating
Following are some steps you can take to manage bloat at home:
- First, reduce your consumption of fibrous foods like beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, oats, carbonated drinks, and gum.
- Increase your intake of gut-healthy foods, which will help to strengthen your gut bacteria and aid in food digestion. For example, you can consume fermented or probiotic-containing foods like kefir, kanji, kimchi, yoghurt, kombucha, and tempeh. It is also advisable to consume at least one fermented food or probiotic per day.
- Eating smaller portions can help reduce the amount of air you swallow, which can cause stomach bloating. Putting your fork or spoon down between bites, remaining mindful, and avoiding multitasking while eating can also help reduce bloating.
- A short walk or some light stretching after a meal can also help gas pass through your digestive system, providing immediate relief.
- Herbal teas such as peppermint, ginger, cinnamon, lemon balm, and chamomile also provide relief.
- As per one study, abdominal massage can help with malignant ascites, a fluid build-up in the abdomen that causes bloating.
Is Bloating A Sign Of Period Or Pregnancy
Bloating could be a symptom of either PMS or early pregnancy. Bloating before and during a period is triggered by changes in the levels of estrogen and progesterone. Hormonal changes in early pregnancy also cause a feeling of bloating, similar to common symptoms just before the start of your period. Bloating in early pregnancy makes some people feel more snug than usual in their clothes.
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Go For Epsom Salt Bath
Epsom salt has been scientifically proven to help in flushing out the excess water or gas from the body. It can do so due to the presence of magnesium in it. This mineral can easily pullout water and treat the problem of bloating. But, it may lead to dehydration. So, you need to take effective precautionary measures to avoid the problem.
When Your Stomach Feels Hard
The next time you overeat, do feel your stomach. If it feels hard and tight, then you’re definitely bloated. The stomach, under usual circumstances, feels soft. It remains even after gaining weight. If you are able to gasp an inch of your stomach, then it can be because of excess fat.
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You’re Drink Carbonated Beverages
The carbonation in sparking water has also been known to cause gas, bloating and reflux in some people, says Rizzo. If you notice that youre bloated after drinking seltzer, then its time to switch to plain water.
That said, zero-calorie unsweetened seltzers are a great pick for general health and good hydration. Just go easy, okay?
The Effect Of Weight Loss On Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders And Related Symptoms
The epidemiologic evidence linking obesity with FGIDs and GI symptoms is inconsistent, and there are numerous supporting hypotheses. However, any doubt regarding this relationship could be settled through proof-of-principle studies demonstrating that weight loss can abate or reverse the FGID-related symptoms after all, if the relationship between obesity and GI symptoms were a causal link and not merely an association, one would expect weight change to be positively associated with GI symptom reporting.
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Food Cravings Or Overeating
The hormonal changes during your period can also make you overeat.
In the week before your period, progesterone levels increase. Progesterone is an appetite stimulant. As progesterone rises, you might eat more than usual.
Estrogen also regulates serotonin, a neurotransmitter that controls mood and reduces appetite. When estrogen drops right before your period, so does serotonin. The result is a bigger appetite.
Low serotonin can also increase sugar cravings because high-carbohydrate foods help the body make serotonin. If serotonin is low, the brain craves more sugar. Eating high-sugar foods can increase your calorie intake and lead to weight gain.
Your metabolic rate fluctuates during your menstrual cycle, so when it rises and your body is burning more calories you might have a bigger appetite and crave high-calorie foods.
You Constantly Experience A Change In Your Stomach Size
Now this is a classic sign of being bloated too often and poor digestion. If you feel uncomfortable or big after having your meal, then it is definitely a sign if bloating. Also, many women experience bloating before their periods. In these cases, you must know that you are not fat and are bloated. Some women can feel bloated on days of heavy flow. Being constipated can also give you the stuffy feeling you get when you’re bloated. To see if you have really gained weight, see if your belly in enlarged all the time .
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