Water Retention: Why Hormones and Hot Weather Make You Gain Weight - Total Women's Cycling (2024)

FAQs

How to get rid of water retention in hot weather? ›

Self-care options for mild fluid retention include a low-salt diet, supplements and drinking plenty of water. A well-hydrated body is less likely to retain fluid.

In the summer, body weight can go up by several pounds due to increased body water. This is accomplished through fluid-conserving hormones such as aldosterone, which allows the kidney to retain more fluid and reduces the amount of salt in sweat, a measure that also aids in water retention.

Our bodies have not had time to acclimate to the high temperatures and may suffer. The tiny blood vessels known as the capillaries expand due to heat. This causes fluid buildup in nearby tissues leading to swelling in the body, especially the legs and ankles, which is the most common heat edema symptom.

Water retention is more common in summer season as the body finds it difficult to remove fluid from the tissues in hot weather.

Try to boost your circulation with movement. Great choices include swimming or walking, especially if you can do so in an air-conditioned environment. Flush out the fluid with your diet by adding diuretics such as lemons, leafy greens, onions and green beans. Try massaging the swollen limbs to help fluid circulate.

It's ironic that the time of year when you may want to show more skin — summer — is also the season in which you are most likely to experience belly bloating. During the hot summer days, you may become dehydrated, triggering your body to keep hold of what it has left and causing water retention.

During the warm days of the season, people tend to have more social gatherings that include unhealthy food and snacks. While it's okay to treat yourself to a hot dog here and there, if you have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to fattening meals, this could lead to weight gain.

It's possible to experience up to 10% of your body weight before detecting pitting edema. This means that water weight can be 10 pounds or higher.

Zumpano says black and green teas are best if you're looking for diuretic drinks, not least because you know how much you're ingesting. “Teas are a little easier to regulate,” Zumpano says. “You have a teabag. You're not taking a pill or a vitamin or concentrated form of it.

What are the worst foods for water retention? ›

What foods to avoid for fluid retention? Avoid high-sodium foods, processed foods, unhealthy fats, and high-sugar beverages to avoid fluid retention.

Potassium-rich fruit, especially bananas, watermelons and peaches, can help lower sodium levels, decreasing water retention. Drink more water. Drinking more water to stop retaining water might sound like counterintuitive advice, but it is easier for the body to flush out excess salt and waste when hydrated. Get moving.

It is not a disease, but can be a silent enemy, as its symptoms, which primarily affect women, mostly in the summer, can make these dog days intolerable. In addition to the aforementioned symptoms, water retention can cause us to accumulate two to four extra kilos (between 4.4 and 8.8 pounds).

During the hot summer days, you may become dehydrated, triggering your body to keep hold of what it has left and causing water retention. There are also plenty of foods and drinks that can cause gas to build up in your intestines.