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Water Retention

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I seem to suffer with this quite bad.

Any tips for controlling/calming it down?

I try not to have a load of carbs until tea.

A usual work day i would eat + drink (in this order):

2 cups of tea
Nutrigrain
1 coffee
1 portion mango or pineapple
water
1 tin of soup (baxters healthy choice - which say they are nutritionally balanced)
water
tea is things like pasta bake, chicken fahjitas, chilli con carne, homemade curry, pork chop with mash + veg.
fruit juice

Your advice is appreciated :)

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I always get some degree of water retention if I've had quite a big workout, or if I've had sugary carbs or just before/during my period. If I feel more bloated than usual, I try to have more water than usual, along with extra vegetables.

    Looking at your diet in general, it appears to me like you're not eating enough. Breakfast and lunch need to be a bit more balanced in terms of protein, carbohydrates and fat. What kind of carbs are you having for tea? Is the pasta/rice etc white or brown. I swapped everything to brown and it made quite a difference in how bloated I felt.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dinted wrote: »
    I seem to suffer with this quite bad.

    Any tips for controlling/calming it down?

    I try not to have a load of carbs until tea.

    A usual work day i would eat + drink (in this order):

    2 cups of tea
    Nutrigrain
    1 coffee
    1 portion mango or pineapple
    water
    1 tin of soup (baxters healthy choice - which say they are nutritionally balanced)
    water
    tea is things like pasta bake, chicken fahjitas, chilli con carne, homemade curry, pork chop with mash + veg.
    fruit juice

    Your advice is appreciated :)

    I'd say you're definitely not eating enough through the day.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    really?!

    I'm not losing weight though. Carbs for tea are usually white. I'll try swap them to brown.

    I find carbs at lunch make me wanna fall asleep on my desk.

    how could i improve that then??
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not losing weight though

    If you don't eat enough (or enough of the right things) the body tends to cling onto the fat reserve it has. If it gets to the stage of starvation, it'll cut into the muscle, ironically increasing the body fat % - not that I'm suggesting this is where you are or where you are headed.
    Carbs for tea are usually white. I'll try swap them to brown.

    Try it and see. I get really bloated when I have white carbs, including things like sugar etc, then a couple of days later I get a lot of water retention.
    I find carbs at lunch make me wanna fall asleep on my desk.

    If they're white, I'm not surprised, as your blood sugar starts fluctuating quite a bit, probably making you sleepy.

    I'd have a read of this, this and this :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Dinted wrote: »
    really?!

    I'm not losing weight though. Carbs for tea are usually white. I'll try swap them to brown.

    I find carbs at lunch make me wanna fall asleep on my desk.

    how could i improve that then??

    Just read the links go_away posted. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    thanks guys, will have a proper gander when on lunch tomorrow.

    I'm lazy, hence me having nutrigrains and soup at work. Must try harder cos i'm weak enough without losing muscle! I will force myself to eat better, and then start going to the gym. i do want to lose weight, so i can get rid of the small spare tyre around my waist and become a size 10. Plus according to the BMI stuff i am at the top end of ok.

    And i am going to start a food diary so i can see what i am actually eating better.

    There is a spare room at mine if you two wanna move in :P
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Don't see it as forcing yourself, you don't have to force yourself to do anything, gradual changes have more of a chance of success than overnight u-turns. Might be worth having a plan over a couple of months of what you want to do, i.e. week 1, plan to have more fruit and veg in your meals, week 2, plan on balancing meals etc.

    I used to have an absolutely shocking diet, it took me a good few months to make changes, but in the long run it worked out.

    In terms of losing body fat, your diet will be 80% of the problem/solution, so it might be an idea to start working on that first, because when you're working out, what you eat is even more important. When you've got time, have a look at all of that site, as the woman who wrote it used to be 40lbs overweight.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i used the word force because i tend to give up before i have even tried, i have to force myself to make little changes in my life, but once i have found the determination i will be able to just go with it because it becomes routine. hence what i have to eat/drink everyday.

    Will definately be looking at the whole of that site, i like the recipe ideas on there.

    I won't be going to the gym for at least a month so plenty of time to be working on my diet, the only bit of exercise i may get is from 1hr horseriding per week which isn't for another 2 weeks yet.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ah ok, I had Orweilian-type visions of what I see as force coming into my head, but if whatever works for you works, then it can't do any harm to give it a go.

    Have a read of Sally's site too, I find it nice to read, pretty much everything is in laymen's terms, she's also very friendly http://gubernatrix.co.uk/
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thanks.

    Hopefully in 6 - 8 months i'll be all good, no more hang over flab over my trousers and less water retention. Better days are ahead!
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