Water. It’s such an important part of our lives. Our bodies contain lots of water yet we still need to drink plenty of water to sustain life. When we sweat we lose water and need to replenish it. With all these important functions performed by water, why on earth would we want to lose water weight?

 {When you need to lose water weight, more water may be the answer!}

Well for starters water weight makes us look and feel bloated in uncomfortable areas like feet, ankles, wrists and hands. Water retention usually occurs because of the foods in our diet like salt and caffeine, but not drinking enough water can also cause your body to hang on to it just in case it doesn’t get any more.

Keep reading to find out how to lose water weight!

Drink More Water

It probably seems counter-intuitive to drink more water when you’re trying to lose water weight, but the truth is that water is the best way to flush out your system. It’s a natural diuretic, which means it truly is the best way to lose water weight. Besides, water retention can be a sign that you’re not drinking enough water in general so you force your body to retain the water you do eat and drink.

There’s no magic amount of water that will help you learn how to lose water weight, but for many of us just drinking more water can help stop water retention quickly.

If you’re having trouble drinking enough water, buy a handy container that you can carry with you. Buy a container that you can refill so you always remember to drink more water, rather than simply buying a bottle of water when you’re thirsty. Try to get a 64-ounce bottle to make sure you’re getting all the water you need. With this gigantic water container, you’ll know you’ve had enough water when it’s empty!

Eat Less Sodium

Sodium is the leading cause of water retention for most us because our diets contain entirely too much sodium. If you constantly retain water then the best way to lose water weight is to go on a low-sodium diet.

The first step is to start looking at nutrition labels to find out how much sodium your favorite food and drink products contain. Most people need no more than 2,300mg of sodium each day but older people, black people and those with high blood pressure should have no more than 1,500mg according to the Mayo Clinic.

Look for foods that say “low sodium” or “reduced sodium” on the label. And when you’re preparing food at home keep in mind that many products have sodium that should be factored into your daily allowance.

Consider herbs and spices to flavor your food to cut down on your salt intake. Who would think that rosemary and cayenne pepper could help you lose water weight?

Add A Wedge Of Citrus

Wedges of lemon, lime and orange do a lot more than make water tasty for those water haters out there; it is yet another natural diuretic. When combined with water a wedge of citrus can help you lose water weight by flushing excess water out of your system.

Since you’re drinking water with a splash of citrus, your body gets the signal that it’s ok to release some of the water its been retaining, and does just that.

Don’t add too much of these to your water however because it can give the water a bitter taste that will make you like drinking water even less. Beside if you let the water sit too long, you’ll have lots of cloudy pulp to give your water an unappealing look.

Work Out

Working out is a great way to lose water weight as well as any other kind of weight. Exercise is another way our bodies release water, but during exercise it is to help keep our bodies cool. The point though is that rigorous exercise is the answer to the question, how to lose water weight.

If you want to reduce the bloating in specific areas, do exercises that work those particular areas. For example if you want to reduce the swelling in your hands and wrists due to water retention then go swimming or lift weights. If you’d like to get rid of water retention in your legs and ankles perform exercises like running, tennis and bicycling that make use of the legs.

{Sweat out some of that water you’re retaining, then replenish with more water!}

In fact tennis, swimming and racquetball are exercises that will make you sweat while working those areas where our bodies bloat the most.

Another bonus about a regular workout routine is that during exercise your body craves water, which has the unintended affect of forcing you to drink more water.

Well-Balanced Diet

A well balanced diet can help you lose water weight by making sure you’re giving your body all the essential vitamins and nutrients it needs. By eating a well-balanced diet you can limit your sodium intake while eating more water-based foods like fruits and vegetables.

If you’re one of those people who simply doesn’t like to drink water then a well-balanced diet can help make sure you’re not retaining water. When you factor in the water from fruits and vegetables into your diet, you’ll find that you may not have to tote around a big bottle of water—although it wouldn’t hurt if you did!

Potassium-Rich Foods

A well balanced diet serves another purpose in helping you know how to lose water weight. Potassium is one of those nutrients that can help prevent as well as treat water retention, so make sure you add a few bananas to your diet. They make a great sweet snack and they’ll help you lose water weight.

 {Potassium rich foods like these can help you lose water weight.}

If bananas aren’t your thing but you need to lose water weight, try other potassium-rich foods like raisins, apricots and avocados. Find a way to add these to your diet, while also drinking more water and you won’t have a problem losing water weight.

Having trouble avoiding high-sodium foods? Read our Eat Stop Eat review to learn how intermittent fasting may be able to help you break your salt addiction.