So what then do we 40Something women do to rid water retention?
 

How do I avoid this roller coaster of weight fluctuations? I love foods like pesto and store baked chicken, and green salads mainly. I drink diluted cranberry water w/ ice daily to help w/ the water retention, and take occasionally diurex for the same reason. I exercise, I work out round the house, walk the neighborhood, and end up at my gym at least 5x per week. But, why is this so hard for me to drop 5 Lbs and continue on to drop the next 5 lbs,etc...I also take vitamins, and fiber pills. Does anyone have any suggestions for water retention?????
I suppose I shall up my exercise and fiber pills taken daily. I may double up on my diet supplement w/ hoodia too.

1Bluerose68
210/204/155

How do you know it is water retention that is causing your weight fluctuations or weight loss stall?

Weight loss is generally based on a "calories in < calories out" formula and if you are eating less than you burn, I would not worry about water retention at all. You will see a gradual non-linear loss if you plotted out a graph of your weight over a period of time (e.g. 3 months). Just be patient.

I don't know if there's really anything you can do about water fluctuations. I read somewhere that one gram of carbohydrates can hold 3 grams of water, so cutting the carbs could help. I also wonder if using sea salt with minerals is better for that than regular table salt.

I got a prescription for water retention from my doctor, which I take when it gets really bad. I just retain more in the summer, and I suspect there's not much that can be done about it besides drink water and take the pills whenever it becomes necessary.

There have been times when I've used fasting and meal replacement shakes, or no carb days to drop some extra water weight.

Fasting- I'll fast from dinner to dinner. So I have dinner, and I don't eat again until dinner. At dinner I'll eat protein, fat. I usually like to do a "steak day" which is something I learned about when I did a very low calorie diet that I'm not allowed to mention by name here due to it's risk, by Dr. Simeons. But chicken or any protein would probably do.

Another thing I might do is eat little protein snacks all day like cheese, meats, protein shakes and water. Or just shakes all day instead of meals. Or shakes all day with one meal, like a salad, or meat/veggie..... Sometimes I do this a couple of days in a row (not the fast, but the shakes or protein days).

And of course, water, water, water!

I don't do it a lot but it can really help when the retention becomes really bad, especially after a high sodium day.

I drink beer.

water, coffee and magnesium citrate.

Oh Thankz???Really?

I think fighting temporary weight fluctuations from water retention and other causes (such as the weight from water and undigested fiber in foods such as veggies) is a losing battle. There are too many unavoidable and healthy things that cause temporary weight gain.

In fact winning the battles could put you at a disadvantage in the greater war. Sadly, many people give up exercise, when they realize that exercising, especially intensely tends to cause temporary water gains (because our bodies need and use extra water to build and repair muscle).

Is more predictable weight loss, with fewer weight fluctuations really worth losing more slowly in the long run?

To some the answer is yes. They'd rather see a loss of 1/2 a pound every week than lose four or more pounds a month, so long as it means they never see so much as a 1/4 lb gain.

Laxatives , diuretics and other things that help you win the small battles often make the war only harder to win.

If you want to win a specific battle (say minimizing water retention for a specific event) eating VERY low-carb, low-salt and drinking plenty of water with a bit of caffine can help, but it isn't a permanent cure.

Trying to force a fluctuation-free lifestyle is futile, frustrating, and often failure-generating. It only reinforces the need for instant gratification at the expense of long-term progress, and makes the next weight on the scale more important than the ultimate goal.

Trying to "never gain" from water weight and the weight of undigested food, takes a lot of work and rarely succeeds very well unless you take it to unhealthy lengths (which compromises the greater war).

congrats on your weight loss so far. I wish I could get my metabolism moving. I did so well when I lost from 240 to 180. Then had re-gained the 20 that my body is just roller coastering like forever. I really am trying to drop the 20 I regained but it's taking so much effort. Not sure if having 5 lemon sized uterine fibroids in me has anything to do with this weight gain? But they are keeping an eye on them to make sure they don't get too large, or I suppose I would gain more weight.

Does anyone know if these 5 lemon sized uterine fibroid s would cause me to retain extra water or extra weight in general.

All I know is that after I lost from 240 to 180, 3 yrs later, suddenly regained 20 Lbs. I just cant seem to shake off this 20 Lb weight re-gain. I can't lose, irregardless of diet, water pills, coffee, gym 4x week or ,walk if no gym, and even extra fiber supplements daily morning and evening. Is it the fibroids or some sublime programming about, " Never losing?"( In General???)

I am so tired of this weight that I regained! I worked so hard to lose 65 lbs. Now I'm older, 7 yrs older since I lost the 65 Lbs, and have been trying to drop 10 Lbs for the last 6 months.( Ughhh).

Ultimately, I wish to lose more than that, but I am so disenfranchised by the resistance of my body's cooperation. My mind wills to lose the weight, but my body won't budge, and I have a closet full of new clothes from when I was 1 sz and 20 Lbs lighter.....Any inspirations?????

1Bluerose68

I have no special insights, other than to say I've been trying to drop to just under 140 (about another 10 pounds) for a year, unsuccessfully, but it is because I can't quite keep my average calorie intake as low as it would need to be to get there.

I think that too many calories averaged over a reasonable period of time is why the weight doesn't come off. That's just the way it is.

I either have to decide I am happy where I'm at or I have to lower my overall calories. It is one or the other.

Maybe it is the same for you?

Well it sounds like your almost at your weight goal. At the gym they say to mix your routines up when you hit a weight loss plateau. Like do things in reverse for awhile to see if that re-starts the metabolism to help drop more weight. Good Luck.


1Bluerose

The erratic eating that you seem to have, which can be read in your posts, is probably have such issues. You need to get the upper hand and control yourself. That is easiesr said than done, but your struggle is evident and you need to eat food to live, not live to eat.

my 2 cents.