Everyone hits plateaus in their fitness journey where they stop gaining muscle and start gaining unwanted weight, but many don’t know how to reverse it and get back on track. Plateaus can last for weeks sometimes and are often caused by not exercising enough or eating too much, but it could come down to something as simple as needing to lose a little water weight. Water weight typically affects women more than men, especially during menstrual cycles, but it can affect anyone so if you’re experiencing a plateau in your progress then it’s time to attempt to lose water weight. Flushing water weight is usually most effective for someone with a low body fat percentage, but anyone can lose a few quick pounds by focusing on reducing water weight. Your body is made up of mostly water and water levels fluctuate based on response to lifestyle. It’s easy to lose water weight practically overnight, but it’s also easy to gain back those couple of pounds of water weight quickly so you might want to make some permanent lifestyle changes to prevent that from happening. Water weight depends on several factors like diet, how much water you drink throughout the day, and how high your sodium levels are. Sometimes a calorie deficit can cause water retention even though it was an intentional deficit to help you lose weight. When you decrease your calorie intake it also decreases your cortisol levels which cause fluid retention. Typically, if you’re getting enough sleep, exercising a lot, and keeping a calorie deficit but still don’t know how to lose weight, the culprit ends up being water retention. Luckily there are a few things you can do to help you lose water weight:

Decrease Sodium Intake

You can create a “whoosh” effect in the body where it flushes out excess water by decreasing your sodium levels. Avoid high sodium foods like deli meat, canned and packaged foods, and dressings, salts, and certain spice blends which are all high in sodium. The American Heart Association says the appropriate sodium intake for the average adult is less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. That might sound like a lot but you would be surprised by how many packaged foods have triple that amount. Keep an eye on food labels to track your sodium intake and quickly decrease your sodium levels to whoosh out all that excess water your body is holding onto. Supplements can also contain high levels of sodium if you don’t check the labels and they can cause dehydration so make sure you find supplements that work for you.

Drink More Water

When your body isn’t being properly hydrated it starts holding onto water, so drinking more water will help release unnecessary water that your body has been saving up. The ideal daily amount of drinking water is 1 gallon to keep fluid retention regulated and promote loss of water weight. Your kidneys also start being affected when your body isn’t getting enough water. Improperly functioning kidneys interrupt the liver which can stop it from doing one its most important jobs – burning fat. Adequate fluids in the body also get rid of waste so when your body doesn’t have enough water it can leave you feeling fat and bloated. Remember to space out your hydration with small, frequent sips instead of just chugging a large glass of water every few hours. It will help promote your metabolism to work more efficiently and prevent constipation which can result from dehydration.

Eat Fruits

Most fruits are full of water, so eating certain fruits can help keep you hydrated and flush out water weight, plus serve as a healthy snack or addition to smoothies and salads. For hydration from fruit stick to blueberries, oranges, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and grapes. Yogurt is also high in water content so eat yogurt for breakfast or a snack with a cup of fruit on top. enjoy the added benefit of probiotics found in yogurt to help good bacteria flourish in the stomach to reduce gas and bloating, while sticking to a low carb diet.

Sweat

Sweating means that your metabolism is running effectively and your body temperature is higher, both of which are conducive to . When your body is retaining water, it is also holding onto unnecessary sodium ions trapped beneath your skin. When you sweat, you also sweat out those sodium ions which is why sweat usually tastes a little salty. You can sweat out excess sodium doing cardio or sitting in the sauna if your gym has one. Just remember to keep drinking water to make up for the water you’re losing from sweat. Always stay hydrated!

Increase Fiber Intake

Most Americans don’t consume enough fiber in their . Fiber is what helps keep the colon and intestines clean and healthy to keep things moving and help the body get rid of excess liquid. Stock up on fiber with fresh vegetables, high-fiber fruits, and even some natural colon cleanser on days you feel like you need to get rid of some excess fluids. Steamed or raw veggies are best and can be combined with balsamic vinegar or a little garlic powder to help with taste and avoid boiling out the beneficial nutrients. For your best options are low-sugar berries like blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and the highest-fiber berry, raspberries. All of these fruits contain lots of fiber and antioxidants to protect against cancer and other chronic illness.

Reduce Stress – Physical and Emotional

Your body is highly affected by stress. When you are stressed your body releases a stress-induced hormone called cortisol which makes the body store more fat and water. Excessive exercise and emotional stress can both cause an increase in cortisol so if you’re trying to reduce your water retention levels, try some exercise (like walking or biking) and stress-relief activities. Try meditating, reading, journaling, or watching a movie. Whatever stress relief activity works best for you will be effective as long as it isn’t slaving away in the gym.