Water Retension AAAAKKKKK!!

[pebblesus]

How on earth do you rid yourself of this terrible displeasure?

Im not overweight and I have a lot of muscle mass, however my skin is very *thick*.
I CAN'T pinch it away from my muscle (as described as a way of testing hydration levels), I HATE salt and do not even own it. I don't eat canned anything.. so where is it coming from??
I had a trainer mention to me long ago that I had water retention so I did "the test".. they're probably right.. unless I just naturally have thick skin?
If I try to rid of it how long would I have to stick to a "program" (or whatever helps it) before it starts showing results?
I actually tried increasing my water intake once to see if it would help, but I didnt know how long it should be before it starting showing results so I think I gave up after a couple days.
Any advice??

 

[nancy324]

Are you sure it's water retention? Aside from asking your doctor, you might test for it by drinking a pot of coffee or some other form of caffeine, which is a natural diuretic. I can offer that because as someone who drinks a pot of coffee every morning, I'm always at least a little dehydrated. It's not very healthy, but it hasn't killed me yet either.

 

[Massaging Mom]

Do you get maintenance massages? Instead of one hour a month, I would suggest two thirty minute monthly massages.

I've been getting once a week massages since May due to a rotator cuff injury. Now that I'm starting to heal, I'll reduce my massages to twice a month and then once a month. Who knows, I may keep getting them weekly as a trade off with another therapist once I get my license. I've noticed that over time, the massages has helped reduce inflammation and keep the fluids flowing and flushed out. I'm like you with the thick skin (fluid filled fascia) in the lower body area. Without going into details, it has also helped my menstrual cycle stay regular. Yoga inversions has also helped.

I've got to hand it to you. I don't know if I could erradicate salt from my diet. Good for you!!!

Wendy

 

[meowracer]

I have been doing lots of research on this very topic. There are several foods that should help: celery, asparagus, bananas, apples, oranges, lemons, fennel, berries (fiber foods will help) and teas (green, parsley, dandelion), cranberry juice. Good luck! You may also want to carefully review any medications you are taking.

 

[icumom]

Assuming you don't have any cardiac/renal issues (and doing Cathe, you are ultimately going to have a superwoman strong heart, but likely lose your joints,wreck your knees and shoulders, and refuse to give up!), I also retain water, always have,with hormonal fluctuations, and what works, I hate to say it....no bread, no sugar - like cookies-my favorite, and drink the Jillian Michaels drink - brew 2 bags of dandelion tea in 3 liters of water, splash it with Knudson's pure cranberry and some lemon, I have to flavor it with some lipton sugar free green tea or something polluting like that to make it bearable, and drink 2 liters or so of that a day with your workouts and all the diuretic foods (watermelon,asparagus, etc.)......

With love, from a fellow puffball,

Michelle

 

[fit44]

Starchy carbs do it for me. I try to keep my starches to one serving of oatmeal within a 2 hour window of working out.
I can't restrict salt from my diet because I have low blood pressure.

 

[meowracer]

I forgot to add cucumbers and watermelon (although watermelon makes my tummy hurt if I eat more than a few bites so I stay away from that), pineapple, and eggplant. Also anise and nettle - never tried those. Some researchers also believe that too little salt can cause fluid retention b/c your kidneys can secrete a hormone to hold on to what salt may be in your body. Be sure you are getting enough calcium, magnesium, and potassium, as well as your B vitamins. And Dandelion root comes in capsules too. Be sure you are avoiding MSG too. I hope you find relief. Last week, my body bloated up like crazy, especially around my middle. I gained 5 lbs and away went my abs. I was so depressed. I also deal with IBS and that was acting up; when that happens, I retain water.

 

[Nadja Z]

I get a bit puffed up sometimes, but I usually find that with an extra liter of water, it goes away within a day or so. There's a lot of great advice on here -but- if you try all of the tips here and still don't find relief, it might be a good idea to have your doctor check out your liver and kidneys just to make sure everything's functioning right.