People do not just lose or gain muscle or fat overnight. If your weighing scale seems to show a loss or gain of some sort compared to the previous day, chances are that your body is retaining excess amounts of water.
Majority of weight in a human being comes from water in the body. Water is fundamental for most, if not all, living things. It also plays a major role in the chemical reactions taking place in the human body. Body water percentage depends on age, body structure and gender of the person. Accordingly, percentage of basal water doesn't vary unless a person has serious health related problems. Cholera, for instance, can diminish about 6% of water in the body and as a result, there will be urination cessation and at times death if there is no water restoration.
Body Water Percentage
Since water is the main components of our body, how much percentage of our weight that body water takes up. Actually, this percentage varies among babies, men and women.
Body Water Percentage
According to Doctor Jeffrey Utz pediatrics, Neuroscience, Allegheny University, people do not have the same percentage of water in their bodies. Babies have the largest percentage at 78% at birth. Once they have reached a year old the amount reduces to 65%. In male adults, the water percentage is about 60% although lean tissues have more water compared to fat tissues. Adult women have more fat making up their body than men. Therefore, they have bodies made of about 55% water.
Consequently:
- Kids and babies have a larger body water percentage than adults.
- Men have more water percentage than women.
Body Water Percentage and Fat
People whose bodies constitute of more fatty tissues normally have less percentage of water compared to people with less fatty tissues.
|
Body Fat-Water Chart for Women | |
|---|---|
|
Body Fat |
Body Water |
|
4-20% |
58-70% |
|
21-29% |
52-58% |
|
30-32% |
49-52% |
|
33%+ |
37-49% |
|
Body Far-Water Chart for Men | |
|---|---|
|
Body Fat |
Body Water |
|
4-14% |
63-70% |
|
15-21% |
57-63% |
|
22-24% |
55-57% |
|
25%+ |
37-55% |
More Facts about Body Water
When a person is feeling thirsty, she has already lost a percentage of water that makes up most of the body. Loss of this water results in dehydration, dark urine, joint or muscle sores, crankiness, constipation, fatigue and dry lips.
Patients suffering from low or mild dehydration should be given ORS (oral dehydrations solutions). ORS contains 6 tsp of sugar and ½ tsp salt dissolved in a liter of water and given to patients to avoid severe complications.
How to Loose Extra Body Water Weight?
Sometimes your body water percentage may be too high. The extra water retained by your body is what is known as water weight. Lack of adequate exercise and poor diet are normally what result in excessive retention. However, medication can also cause this condition. Dehydration is yet another cause of water retention since the body is also trying to hold on to any extra water. Regardless of the cause, when you have water weight you may feel swollen and bloated and also makes clothes that are usually comfortable feel too tight. Luckily, there are ways to lose the excess body water weight percentage.
1. Limit Salt and Sugar Intake
Cut down on your intake of salt. Salt is known to dehydrate your body making it desperate for water. As a result the body grabs kind of moisture available. By having a diet that constitutes low-sodium, you will be making a healthy food decision and also help avoid water retention. Reducing your sugar intake will also lead to a drop in high levels of insulin which will ultimately assists your body to get rid of any excess sodium.
2. Practice Regular Exercises
Transpiration and respiration are also important factors that are helpful in loss of water weight. Regular exercise will help you respire and transpire. When doing regular exercises, you will lose some water each time you breathe out. During transpiration, water and sodium are removed from the body via sweating. When you maintain healthy exercise routines, you will increase both transpiration and respiration thus help stop retention of water.
There are experts who have suggested swimming as an easy way to reduce water weight. On top of providing you with exercise, water pressure brought about when swimming can force some water out via your body tissues and also push your body to get rid of the water through urination. Nevertheless, ensure that you have taken water after a swimming session since salty or chlorinated water can lead to dehydration.
3. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Despite the fact that you experience impermanent weight gain every time you drink water, you should continue drinking water if water retention is to be eliminated. Water is very important as it hydrates your organs and aids in removing toxins and waste from your body's system. When you do not give your body water, it will switch to a crisis mode which will result to additional retention.
4. Have Certain Foods
Having insufficient nutrition has been linked to water retention. Eat foods that are high in potassium, amino acids and protein. Scientific studies have shown that these nutrients have a connection to body water levels. Good nutrition will aid in losing the water weight.
5. Try Herbs
There are herbs that are known to help in natural water retention. Herbs like dandelion root among others have also been known to stop retention of water. One simple way you can increase elimination is adding pure unsweetened cranberry or lemon juice to your drinking water.
When compared to fat, you have a bigger chance of losing water weight as it only takes some hours. If you have been with on a diet and then suddenly the scale jumps a couple of pounds, chances are that the weight is caused by excess water in your body. If you follow the tips provided above, you will effectively and safely lose the water weight. You will also get relief from the swelling and bloating feeling thus fit back perfectly to your clothing.