Is there a way to prevent water retention from becoming a bi-monthly cycle. It seems to happen every 2 weeks , every 14 days my tummy swells and the weight # on the scale rises from say 183 to 187. Then I begin peeing like a maniak afetr a few bloated days of torture, along w/ some PMS spotting and then its all over with for another 14 days. Is there a way to beat this and continue making the scale # s go towards the left direction, smaller in # that is w/o re-gaining water. I dont use too much salt?But like tonight i didnt do the gym and feel guilty as i am aware of the weight gain and yet exhausted from work and now feeling guilty. I will try harder tomorrow and use a few good water pills too.???

The main way to fight bloat, in my experience, is to flush it away by drinking lots of water. Seems counterproductive, but I really notice the difference. I get bloated every month around TOM, and I notice a difference in how quickly it passes when I stay well hydrated and when I am not careful about drinking enough water. Sorry you are going through this - water weight gain can be discouraging and uncomfortable.

Oh, man, that does sound like a drag.
I have a Mirena spiral, so periods seem to be a thing of the past for me- although, with three teenage daughters, I get lots of sympathy cramps

Anyway, bluerose, I second what guac said. Ironically, for me, drinking lots of water seems to aleviate the problem.

HI - Drs Dieticians and diet programs all say the same as Guac - drinking water is the fastest way to get rid of water retention, also don't let any lack of weight loss during that period dishearten you as you know its a pattern your body follows - that is a good thing to be aware of !
I would say if your getting cramps then you might need to consider your salt magnesium or iodine intake could be too low at that time too

I drink water to get rid of bloated feelings too.... I find adding apples into my diet around that time also helps especially if I get stomach cramps - its weird but something that works for me something about apples helps settle the stomach