Nothing is as annoying as waking up and feeling bloated and puffy. Water retention can happen for a number of reasons. Some that we have control of, such as diet, and some we don't, such as hormones. No matter what the reason for your puffy state, follow these 5 steps and banish the bloat!
1. Don't Panic
No, that one meal out didn't make you gain 4 pounds! Water retention usually comes and goes quickly, but seeing the number on the scale shoot up after one meal out is enough to drive anyone crazy! How can you differentiate between bloat and real weight gain? Here are some signs you are probably just a little bloated:
- You gained 2-5 pounds from one day to the next
- Rings won't come off or won't go on easily
- The line from your hair tie or socks is imbedded into your skin
- You have bags under your eyes
- Your waist band is tighter today then it was yesterday
2. Know Thy Enemy
Part of banishing the bloat means knowing what causes it. Water retention can be caused by many things, but these are the biggest culprits:
- Salt- If you went out to dinner last night, or ate a salty meal, your body will act like a sponge
- Hormones- women typically can gain 2-5 lbs of water right before their period. Estrogen has the wonderful ability to make your body retain water- especially if its right before something important like a vacation or a wedding!
- Not drinking enough water- If your body is in a state of dehydration, it will be more likely to try and store the fluids it has
- Alcohol- is a diuretic, meaning it can dehydrate you. This sends a signal to your body telling it to keep those fluids inside
3. Drink Up
It might sound totally counter intuitive, but drinking more water will help push the bloat out. When your body is retaining fluid, it acts like a sponge. A sponge can only hang onto so much fluid before it becomes saturated and leaves the body. Typically people should get about 64oz of water a day. Aim slightly higher on a day you are retaining water and you should be back to your normal self within a day or so.
4. Use Your Secret Weapon bloat
We created a Bloat Banisher Secret Weapon that you can use when you are a little puffier then you would like. It has all natural ingredients designed to draw the excess water out of you so you can quickly return to your normal size! You can learn more about it, or order it at our online store by clicking here.
While we all agree feeling bloated is annoying, if you know what causes it and how to fix it you can banish bloat in a jiffy!