I hear these type of situations so often….

You have a great couple weeks with your eating and exercise. You’re starting to really see progress i.e. your clothes are fitting looser, your face looks leaner, your stomach’s tightening up, your energy’s increasing… You’re fired up to weigh yourself because you feel like you have dropped a few lbs! You step on the scale and… what the heck… Your weight is actually up…??? You don’t get it! You see it in the mirror and feel great in your clothes but why is the number on th scale up!? You feel discouraged and frustrated. Sometimes that number does mean something… and sometimes it doesn’t.

There are many factors that determine your weight. The biggest one is water retention. Your body’s made up of between 55%-75% of water. This means that your weight will be directly affected by your body’s retention of water. What causes your body to hold water and what causes it to shed water? This will help you with knowing the difference between water and body fat! Hopefully this will help you avoid those little freakouts! Every cell in your body controls its water balance through a sodium/potassium pump. Potassium resides inside the cell and sodium stays outside the cell. Both of these are electrolytes. An equal balance of sodium to potassium must remain in each cell so that proper cell integrity and water/electrolyte balance can be maintained.

As with every other system in the body, the goal is to maintain homeostasis (balance). Water retention is a side effect of the disruption of this balance. Why does the body retain water? Once the balance is lost, the body will need to make an internal adjustment in order to regain cell balance. Many times, the body adjusts by retaining water. The main reason for this is blood flow. Our circulatory system is the method in which our body is supplied with oxygen. Without water, our blood cannot flow. When there’s a cell imbalance with possible dehydration (lack of water), the body triggers the release of hormones to retain and protect its remaining water and ensure the proper hydration of the body’s blood supply.

What causes water retention? This cell imbalance can be affected by many things; the most frequent are: high sodium and/or carbohydrate foods, a lack of water intake, the ingestion of diuretics (substances that force your body to release water), women’s menstrual cycle and stress. Every gram of sodium and carbohydrates attract 3-4 water molecules. This means when you eat too much sodium or carbohydrates, you’ll will force the body to retain excessive water. Many people also think that drinking water causes water retention… Not true.

In fact, the exact opposite is true. Please remember that the body is a “feed as it goes” machine…

If the body is being fed consistently, it will release consistently. This means by drinking more water, your body will release more water and in turn flush out excess sodium. Taking diuretics or “water pills” are also a big cause of water retention. These substances force the body to release its water and directly affects the sodium/potassium pump of each cell. By taking diuretics, your body begins to rely on them, and temporarily loses its ability to self regulate this internal water balance. This means that when the substances aren’t taken, the body doesn’t know how to release water, causing heavy water retention. Diuretics taken for long periods of time can cause permanent damage to the body’s water regulating system as well as the kidneys.

Another cause of water retention is a women’s menstrual cycle. This is caused by the increased levels of hormones present. Typically, a woman on her menstrual cycle can gain 5-6 lbs. The last thing that frequently causes water retention is stress. Stress is defined as the body’s reaction to change, producing a physical, mental, or emotional response. Stress naturally occurs in life, so in moderation it’s a non-factor. When stress levels reach a high point, they cause a hormonal response that triggers the accumulation and retention of water and toxins in the body.

What are the effects of water retention? When the sodium/potassium pump goes out of balance, the main effect of water retention is weight gain. I’ve seen clients gain 10 lbs of water by eating a heavy sodium/carbohydrate meal alongside a stressful few days. That same 10 lbs will then dissappear a couple days later by eating correctly and managing stress. In this circumstance, the increase of weight is just a sign of water retention and nothing else. It is important to understand and accept that there will be times when your body will retain water and get bloated.

The goal is to know how to avoid this and minimize its happenings…

1. Drink Water You should drink at least 64 oz (2 liters) of water per day, and ideally 96-128 oz (3-4 liters) per day. The best way to tell if you’re drinking enough water is by the color of your urine. If it’s clear you are doing well, if it’s yellow, you’re dehydrated and should increase your daily water intake.

2. Exercise on a regular basis! Movement equals optimal circulation. The more efficient you are with your exercise, the better your body can remove excess water.

3. Eat High Quality Foods The ideal sodium/potassium ratio in mg is 1:3. The great news is that if you eat high quality foods, you’ll automatically hit that ratio. If it has 3 or less ingredients, it is of great quality. More ingredients means more processing, and that typically means higher sodium. A good rule is to center your meals on higher quality foods. This will ensure minimal water retention and bloating.

4. Manage Stress Levels Stress causes the over release of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is a water retaining, fat storing hormone. Managing your stress levels will help reduce water retention and bloating. Remember this the next time you step on the scale. If you know you have been following your program and have done nothing that could have possibly caused weight gain, it is most likely just water!

So the next time you step on that scale, if your socks leave an imprint in your legs (I hate that!), or your face looks fuller than normal, or your rings don’t fit your fingers… I invite you to remember your new found understanding about water retention and bloating. If the cause of those things is an occasional “off plan” meal or a stressful day, it’s just excess water. If you get back on track by implementing these 4 strategies that water retention will be gone in a day or two… there is never a need to panic once you understand the process.

Water Retention and Bloating- Joanne Lee