Lose weight fast by drinking more water – and 5 other tips to shed water weight

FOR many new dieters, it's likely you'll achieve some dramatic initial weight loss in the first week.

While the results can be exciting and encouraging they quickly slow to one or two pounds a week after that.

This early weight loss tends to be water weight, rather than fat.

Our bodies are made up of around 50 to 60 per cent water, which is vital for our survival.

But water weight refers to any extra water being held in the body.

In fact, water levels can make someone's weight fluctuate by as much as two to four pounds in a single day.

Some women find they retain more water in the week before their period and during pregnancy.

But there are ways to reduce the amount of water weight you cling onto, safely and naturally.

1. Drink more water

It may seem a bit contradictory, but one of the best ways to lose water weight is to actually drink more water.

That's because if you're constantly dehydrated, your body tends to retain more water in an attempt to prevent its water levels getting too low.

Water also boosts your metabolism, cleanses your body of waste and acts as an appetite suppressant, experts say.

It's almost important for your liver and kidney health too.

But it is possible to drink too much, which can have the opposite desired effect, so it's key to strike a balance.

Guidelines suggest about two litres per day, but it can vary from person to person, so simply drink when you're thirsty and stop when you feel well hydrated.

You can usually use your urine colour as an indicator of hydration - if it's light yellow or fairly clear then you're well hydrated.

When it's dark yellow or amber then you need to be drinking more water.

2. Sleep more

Getting enough shut eye can be as important for your health as diet and exercise.

Research has shown that sleep may affect the sympathetic renal nerves in the kidneys, which regulate sodium and water balance.

So, aiming for around seven to eight hours each night may also help your body control hydration levels and reduce water retention.

3. Reduce stress

Feeling stressed over a long period of time can increase the hormone cortisol, which directly influences fluid retention and water weight.

Scientists say it also increase a hormone, known as the antidiuretic or ADH, which sends signals to your kidneys telling them how much water to pump back into your body.

Managing your stress levels will help you maintain a normal level of both ADH and cortisol - vital for long-term health and disease risk.

4. Eat less salt

Reducing the amount of salt you eat is another easy way to beat water weight.

Too much sodium, which you obtain from salt, causes water retention because the body needs to keep its sodium-to-water ratio balanced in order to function properly.

So if you eat too much then it will also hold onto water too.

Regular table salt is high in sodium, but 75 per cent of the amount we consume is hidden in processed foods like cheese, bread, ready meals and savoury snacks.

It's best to switch to natural foods, such as vegetables, nuts and seeds, which are low in sodium.

There are some foods that can even reduce sodium levels, including bananas, avocados and leafy vegetables.

5. Cut carbs

When we eat carbohydrates, the energy that isn't used right away is stored as glycogen molecules.

For every gram of glycogen you store, 3g or 4g of water can also be stored with it.

This is usually why people experience immediate weight loss when they switch to a low-carb diet  - as it reduces glycogen stores.

Carbs can also cause a spike in the hormone insulin, which can increase sodium retention and reabsorption of water in the kidneys, studies show.

Low-carb diets, like the keto diet, can lead to a drop in insulin levels - which then leads to a loss of sodium and water from the kidneys.

Try replacing some common carbs with high-protein foods, such as lean meat, eggs, and soy products, to reduce water weight.

6. Exercise more

Of course if losing weight was as easy as just drinking more water then we'd all happily do it.

But it does require some hard work too, so grab those trainers and find a way of exercising that works for you.

Any form of exercise that increases the amount you sweat will naturally mean you lose more water in the short term.

The average fluid lost during one of hour of training can range from 0.5 to 2 litres.

However, you must remember to drink plenty of water while working out to stay hydrated.

Increasing your exercise will also have more health benefits over the long-term.

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