Water Retention - FU!

[CookiesNCream]

Looking for advice and knowlege please.

I retain insane amounts of water for usually 10 out of the 30 days of the month, which has improved significantly since I started taking a birth control pill to regulate hormones. ,10 days is Waaaaaay to long to retain water, and when I say that, I mean up to 8 pounds of water. Not cool. It starts a few short hours after I wake up, and continues throughout the day. By mid afternoon, I look pregnant because of how much water I am carrying, at the worst part is that it's ALL in my midsection. The worst and most noticeable place to carry it.

This is where I am confused;

- I drink 3L of water a day so I am not dehydrated
- I consume the least amount of sodium possible (I get my salt from food, I don't add salt or use spices or sauces with sodium)
- I exercise & sweat a lot while doing so. One would think that would help, but it doesn't seem to.

I never had this problem a few years ago. Whatever weight I did gain from that wonderful womanly gift would be very minimal and I would barely notice it in my clothes. Now, it's come to the point where it's more irritating than anything. I am seeking suggestions on what I can do different to help this, or even better, prevent it althought I don't forsee that happening. Also, I want to be educated on this. I understand WHY I retain water during that week, but I do not understand why I retain so much of it.

It was so bad at one point where I did take Lasix and I lost 8 pounds of water overnight, however that is not something I would like to take for 10 days straight for obvious health reasons. I also tried to take Dandelion Root, which did help, but after taking it for around the 10 day mark, I got terrible pains in my kidneys. I immediatly stopped.

Are there certain foods that I am eating that are triggering excess water? My diet consists of;
Oats, Eggs + Egg Whites, Rice, Yams, Fish, Broccoli, Almonds/Natty PB/Avocado, Cottage Cheese ... very basic. I drink around 3-5 glasses of green tea, maybe 1 cup of black coffee, and usually 2 or 3 times per week I will have a mini can of diet pepsi.


Any feedback or advice would be greatly appreciated!

[m_donnelly]

Your electrolyte balance could be off if you're dieting and cutting sodium. Your potassium/sodium ratio could be all over the place which can cause water retention.

[CookiesNCream]

Your electrolyte balance could be off if you're dieting and cutting sodium. Your potassium/sodium ratio could be all over the place which can cause water retention.

So would it be safe to say that adding a potassium supplement could be in my favour?

[m_donnelly]

It could help, yes. Also, training and dieting can elevate adrenal hormone levels (cortisol) which can throw your water balance all over the place. This might sound counter productive, but dialing back on the intensity of your cardio when you start retaining water might help too.

[CookiesNCream]

Stem, GGR, Alex, MA, Mock, GBrice - opinions please. The above feedback makes sense but I'd like to hear what you guys have to say, especially GGR. Below is a photo taken only a week apart to show how bad I bloat. Now can you see why I get so discouraged?

[cj111]

Now can you see why I get so discouraged?

Keep your head up

[951thompson]

Green tea is a natural diuretic, could help.

What is your carb ratio? Protein/carb/fat?

Do you eat any gluten? If so maybe intolerant. Or intolerant to something else.

[TheClinch]

Have a read over this

http://m.wikihow.com/Treat-Fluid-Retention

[CookiesNCream]

Green tea is a natural diuretic, could help.

What is your carb ratio? Protein/carb/fat?

Do you eat any gluten? If so maybe intolerant. Or intolerant to something else.

I already drink at least 3 cups per day along w/ taking a green tea supp.

50pro/30carb/20 fat
Carbs are oats, yams, brown rice, and whatever trace carbs in my cottage cheese & veggies. No bread, pasta, etc.

[CookiesNCream]

Have a read over this

http://m.wikihow.com/Treat-Fluid-Retention

Great read, thank you!

[TheClinch]

Great read, thank you!

No problem Blondee, good luck.

Excellent transformation by the way! You look great

[CookiesNCream]

No problem Blondee, good luck.

Excellent transformation by the way! You look great

Thanks! It's a work in progress but regardless, it's still progress!

[Papa Smurf]

I guess this is alittle obvious, but any chance of coming off the birth control bills and find another way to correct your hormone balance. We are not a big fan of Birth Control around my house. My wife has breast cancer, and it was determind the mass was estrogen feed by the birth control pill she had been taken.

She lost her right breast, but thankfully has been cancer free for 3 years now

Just a thought

[CookiesNCream]

I guess this is alittle obvious, but any chance of coming off the birth control bills and find another way to correct your hormone balance. We are not a big fan of Birth Control around my house. My wife has breast cancer, and it was determind the mass was estrogen feed by the birth control pill she had been taken.

She lost her right breast, but thankfully has been cancer free for 3 years now

Just a thought

My condolences to you & your family, but great news that your wife is okay

I actually did stop the pill last March for 3 months and I hated every second of it. My hormones were off the charts. One minute happy as can be and the next I was a beeotch from hell. It was awful, and the water weight from that was disgusting. I went from 162 pounds to 175 pounds in 3 weeks. It took me so long to regulate hormones even after going back on the pill. I only feel normal when I'm taking it. I've seen my family doctor about this issue but he's a moron. We butt heads completely & the issue will not get resolved with him, and finding another family doctor is difficult where I live. The pill that I am taking is a low dose of estrogen (lower than most pills anyways). I have no clue what else I could take that would regulate my hormones.