“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you’ll die of a misprint.”
What if you wake up on a cheerful Sunday Morning, and realize your clothes feel a bit more snug? Who are you going to blame for this sudden little extra weight? Does this disturb your fitness and health goals? Well, we are talking about ‘Water Weight’, also called Edema, a common and usual state of our body. This is not at all a case of worry and hesitation. Water weight refers to the extra water held by our body in the form of bloating. Let’s be very careful of clearing myths and stating facts, that we are talking about Water Weight- bloating rather than chronic water retention which directs us towards the problems in Kidneys and Hormones.
We have seen a valuable and definite change in people’s lifestyles in the contemporary world. The human body is made up of 50-60% water, which means it counts up to that much percentage of human body weight. Any extra water is referred to as water weight. It is visible on the human body with some bloating or extra-puffiness. But let me tell you, bloating is sporadic. It tends to happen due to changes in lifestyle, food, and stress. Water weight is temporary and a person might see a fluctuation of 2-4 pounds in a day. At the same rate, as it climbs your body, water weight can be lost with the same hustle.
Water weight is not real weight, and anybody who is evaluating their weight should consider it. If compared with the weight given by muscles or fats, water weight isn’t real, but it exists. Instead of urinating the extra water, the body prefers to store it. That extra water basically can be stored in the entire body, between blood vessels, and tissues and tends to collect at the extremities (such as legs, toes, and fingers). Water weight is also a remedy against dehydration. Your habit of not drinking enough water gives rise to a mineral/water unbalanced ratio. And our body sticks to the extra fluids until the balance is restored. Now, that’s a lot about the Water Weight and how it functions, but what are the major Water weight causes?
There are several reasons why we can find our bodies bloated often. Let’s look at the causes that could lead to water weight.
- Menstrual Cycle
Menstruation marks the beginning of change and fluctuation of Hormones, which becomes a major point in the list of Water weight causes. Due to fluctuating hormones, women can hold some extra water for a week before their period starts. Menstruation also ignites food cravings and small changes in the lifestyle of women, water retention is normal. It can be at its peak on the first day of the menstrual cycle, and can go on decreasing as the cycle comes to an end.
- Food Choices – Salty and Carbohydrates
One of the most usual and common causes of water weight is salty food. Excessive salt intake increases the capacity for water retention. It is because sodium can bind with water molecules, which in turn keeps the water trapped within the body. Carbohydrates are not directly stored in our bodies. They are stored as Glycogen. Similarly, Carbohydrates, ie Glycogen also binds water inside our bodies. During menstruation, women crave salts and some of their choices, are primarily high in salt and carbohydrates. This is another reason, why menstruation cycles are prone to water weight gain.
- Physical Inactivity or Travel
Modern humans are hard workers. They wouldn’t mind sitting for hours in the office chair to win a promotion or a higher pay scale. Travelling on flights or trains for longer durations can also sometimes yield such results of water retention. Sitting or standing for a long time, can lead to the accumulation of fluids in certain parts of bodies. This occurs due to the lack of movement of the body, which in turn, prevented the fluids from moving.
- Pregnancy
Pregnancy in women involves a series of body changes. Hormonal levels are changed drastically, to welcome the growing fetus in the body and prepare the mother’s body for the upbringing of 9 months within the uterus. So, we might see some water retention and the extra weight of the water as the pregnancy reaches its due date. One can see swelling in the toes, legs or ankles.
“With pregnancy, you have a big belly, so the pressure causes the fluid to go out into the tissues, and it has trouble getting back into the vessels,” says Jennifer Wu, MD, an OB-GYN at Manhattan Women’s Health in New York City.
- Medications & Hormonal Birth Control
Water weight can be a side-effect of many medications. Some of those medicines can be anti-inflammatories and oral contraceptives. It is always advised to consult your doctor before the intake.
We can figure out now, and see the relationship between menstruation, pregnancy, hormones and water weight. Female hormones play an essential role in increased water weight factors. In the same way, birth control pills can also give water weight outcomes. It is temporary and doesn’t last for long, but still try consulting a doctor for Birth Control Pills.
- Heart or Kidney Disease/ Poor circulation
With the passing of age, our human system tends to weaken and exhibit minor changes. Poor circulation or a weakened heart mainly affects the normal flow of blood in the entire body. This can cause swelling, the buildup of fluids in body parts, and an increase in water weight.
Sometimes our body weights fluctuate, not due to changes in mass, but because of water. This is very normal and happens to everyone depending on their lifestyle. The lifestyle, food, and career you choose are vital for the body, as it tends to grow according to the treatment you are giving to your body and the amount of work done by it. Exercising and moving, drinking an adequate amount of water and pumping yourself with a good amount of sodium and fibers can be the best way to prevent bloating and water retention.
