Weight Loss, Women and Water Retention Have you started a weight loss program and it works for some weeks only to have it stall and plateau? One cause of this, is water retention, which will mask the weight loss on the scale and on your measurements. Some people retain water more than others, however there can be steps taken to rid your body of the extra water. Women especially tend to retain water due to their cycle, which can be deceiving and hide their weight loss. This is a good reason for women to judge if their program is working on a month to month basis, rather than week to week, because of water fluctuations due to their cycle. If water retention is the case and one attempts to break their plateau by cutting calories even more and doing more cardio; then you can do more damage and start on a downward spiral of hunger, cravings, more water retention and loss of LBM (lean body mass). Be PATIENT before adjusting a program that has been working for you. Another thing that can occur, is after fat cells are emptied of triglycerides(fat), they can temporarily refill with water, which then will not be released for days or weeks. This is why one might not lose weight for a few weeks and then all of the sudden they lose 4 lbs one day or week. The fat had been lost days or weeks ago, however now the water has been released and thus the weight loss now shows. Refeeds(cheat meals) also have an effect on our hormones and tell the body to release water. This is the reason why when one is in a caloric deficit and they have a refeed(cheat) meal one night, they might wake up weighing less instead of more that next morning. That is another reason to include refeed meals every week or two while in a constant caloric deficit. The hormone Aldosterone helps regulate sodium and potassium levels in the body. This helps control blood pressure and the balance of fluids and electrolytes in the blood. When Aldosterone is released from the Adrenal gland it reacts to conserve sodium and fluids in an attempt to raise blood pressure. Drinking a large amount of water everyday can slow the release of this hormone and thus you release more water and retain less. This is one reason why people say to drink a lot of water when dieting. Ways to minimize/control water retention: 1. Drink more water! The last week of my competions, I drink anywhere from 2 to 3 gallons a day in an effort to stop the release of Aldosterone, and rid my body of excess water. 2. Reduce dietary sodium. Sodium attracts and holds water in the body. Mrs Dash, are great no sodium spices one can use. 3. Reduce the stress hormone Cortisol. Get sufficient sleep and reduce overall stress. Stressing about something does nothing beneficial for solving a problem, but rather only makes you worry more. Manage your stress in life. 4. Depending on your current diet and caloric intake it can help to have a refeed(cheat) meal once a week or every other week to release water and boost metabolism back up. Hope this makes sense. If you have any questions please ask? :)
Posted on: Thu, 30 Jan 2014 12:54:53 +0000
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