Can I shake my water weight with a better diet?

[Tiff]

Hi everyone. I'm really tired of feeling bogged down all the time. I always feel really bloated and I know I've got to be carrying around a lot of water weight. What are foods that I can eat to help me naturally decrease my stomach size? I know that not all the weight on me is caused by water, but I know I should look slimmer than I do, even with my excess fat!

[tobetinytina]

I would recommend staying away from all carbonated beverages, chewing gum, and high-salt foods. All of these can easily contribute to bloating. That said, it may be that your bloating is being caused by a specific kind of food. Like if you have a food intolerance to something, your body may have a hard time digesting it and this could also lead to bloat. Just something to think about.

[freddyboy]

Cut down on the salt and drink a bit more water. That should help you as a jumping off point. From there, pay attention to other foods you eat. Like tobetinytina said, it could be that you have an intolerance to a certain food like milk, lactose intolerance is common, or you may be sensitive to beans. If your body has an issues digesting these things, bloat is a common symptom. Maybe start keeping a food diary.

[bigbobby]

I think that it sounds like you may have an intolerance. I also think that keeping a food diary would be a good idea for you. You also might find it easier on your system to adopt a routine eating schedule and eat around the same times every day and eat more meals but small portions.

[Penny]

Aside from all the other suggestions, you may also want to try getting a good night sleep. Believe it or not but how much sleep you get is really important to your body. Without the right amount of sleep you can really throw your body and system off balance.

[Tiff]

Thanks for all the tips guys. I've cut out chewing gum, carbonated beverages, have upped my water consumption and have been paying more attention to the amount of salt I eat, and I've been noticing a difference.