Why do I get bloated in the summer?

frezisha

I feel puffier, bloated and heavier since it's been hot outside. During the winter I have more definition in my stomach and feel slimmer. What can I do/take to help with this? I've maintained the same weight for months but my stomach is just not right. I know water retention, magnesium or potassium imbalance may be causes? Any advice or tips and appreciated! Thanks in advance!

nooboots

I swell up like a balloon in the heat. And it doesnt even need to be that hot either, anything over about 24 and I get tummy aches and swelling, particularly around my ankles

cmriverside

Yeah, perfectly normal to retain water in the heat.

Drink electrolyte balanced drinks like Gatorade.

frezisha

nooboots wrote: »

I swell up like a balloon in the heat. And it doesnt even need to be that hot either, anything over about 24 and I get tummy aches and swelling, particularly around my ankles

I thought I was crazy! I keep making sure I'm eating right, drinking a lot of water & knew there was something else going on..so it is this ridiculous heat!

tinkerbellang83

Electrolyte drinks or a supplement (I use MyProtein's tablet form as only really drink water most of the time).

LyndaBSS

Yep, it's the heat and humidity. 😩

frezisha

LyndaBSS wrote: »

Yep, it's the heat and humidity. 😩

I hate it sooo much!! 😩

nxd10

Salt balance (because of heat, humidity, and fluids). Like people say, electrolytes. Drink fluids. My mother recommends taking a hot bath or shower and drinking ice water with lemon. It works for me.

geiznekcm

Thank you so much for asking this question. I have been wondering the same thing.
I am sorry you are experiencing this discomfort, but please know that you are not alone. You never are!!

In my situation, I do still fret that it is fat gain -- and not just water weight.

If it is not inappropriate, I would like to pose another question in this discussion:
Is there a way to distinguish between fat gain and water weight gain, without using a scale or other forms of measurement (personal preference)?

One more pesky question: Any opinions on Mio water enhancers? I've been doing some research on this, but I am wondering about YOUR ideas regarding the effects "zero-calorie" (??) water flavorings have on fat loss!

Thank you so much. Stay hydrated, and be well (:

vanityy99

Heat.

My feet get bloated like no tomorrow during the summer.

AnnPT77

geiznekcm wrote: »

Thank you so much for asking this question. I have been wondering the same thing.
I am sorry you are experiencing this discomfort, but please know that you are not alone. You never are!!

In my situation, I do still fret that it is fat gain -- and not just water weight.

If it is not inappropriate, I would like to pose another question in this discussion:
Is there a way to distinguish between fat gain and water weight gain, without using a scale or other forms of measurement (personal preference)?

One more pesky question: Any opinions on Mio water enhancers? I've been doing some research on this, I am wondering about YOUR ideas regarding the effects "zero-calorie" (??) water flavorings have on fat loss!

Thank you so much. Stay hydrated, and be well (:

To the bolded: Not accurately/precisely. But if you're eating amounts of similar foods that have been leading to either weight loss or weight maintenance, and doing similar activities day-to-day, then you experience a multi-pound weight jump basically overnight, then odds are high that it's water weight.

You need to eat 3500 calories over maintenance, roughly, to gain a pound (or move 3500 calories less), cumulatively. 3500 calories is higher than many or most people's (not everyone's) daily maintenance calories, so it's somewhat difficult to eat a whole day's (plus) worth of extra calories over just a day or two without noticing. So if you gain a pound quickly, and haven't done that, it's not likely to be fat.

If you're controlling your intake (by calorie counting or otherwise), and doing a moderately decent job of it, fat gain is likely to be a creeping, slow gain, not a sudden big jump.

That's not guaranteed, but it's playing the probabilities.

And zero-calorie things have no effect on weight loss, unless they spike your appetite or make you feel as if you have license to overeat other things because of consuming them.

jrwms714

For me, I can always tell the difference between weight gain and water gain and it's simple: my rings are too tight overnight ... water gain! Weight gain, as noted above, creeps up on you slowly, but water retention not so much. If my wedding ring has suddenly become tight, I know what it is and I know it's time to watch salt intake, drink a ton of water, and wait for the scale to change. This pretty much happens after a restaurant meal. SO much salt that you can't control in restaurant food. I ask for no extra salt to be thrown on before serving, but it's still there in everything before that. And I love places that tell me: "We don't use salt." HA! But summer also does this to me.

frezisha

jrwms714 wrote: »

For me, I can always tell the difference between weight gain and water gain and it's simple: my rings are too tight overnight ... water gain! Weight gain, as noted above, creeps up on you slowly, but water retention not so much. If my wedding ring has suddenly become tight, I know what it is and I know it's time to watch salt intake, drink a ton of water, and wait for the scale to change. This pretty much happens after a restaurant meal. SO much salt that you can't control in restaurant food. I ask for no extra salt to be thrown on before serving, but it's still there in everything before that. And I love places that tell me: "We don't use salt." HA! But summer also does this to me.

Makes sense! As you mentioned it appears I have more water weight going on...Do you do high protein days to get the salt retention down?

jrwms714

@frezisha : nope. Maybe you’re supposed to but I always just drink water

AnnPT77

frezisha wrote: »

jrwms714 wrote: »

For me, I can always tell the difference between weight gain and water gain and it's simple: my rings are too tight overnight ... water gain! Weight gain, as noted above, creeps up on you slowly, but water retention not so much. If my wedding ring has suddenly become tight, I know what it is and I know it's time to watch salt intake, drink a ton of water, and wait for the scale to change. This pretty much happens after a restaurant meal. SO much salt that you can't control in restaurant food. I ask for no extra salt to be thrown on before serving, but it's still there in everything before that. And I love places that tell me: "We don't use salt." HA! But summer also does this to me.

Makes sense! As you mentioned it appears I have more water weight going on...Do you do high protein days to get the salt retention down?

AFAIK, protein doesn't affect water retention caused by salt consumption. Drinking a little extra water (not massive amounts, but within reason) may help with shedding water weight from salt consumption, but is less likely to help if the water retention is from some other cause.

Major water retention (which it doesn't sound like you have) can be a medical issue. People who think they have extreme retention that won't go away should see their doctor.

The rest of us are (IMO only) best served by learning that it's part of how a healthy body functions, and living with it.

LyndaBSS

frezisha wrote: »

jrwms714 wrote: »

For me, I can always tell the difference between weight gain and water gain and it's simple: my rings are too tight overnight ... water gain! Weight gain, as noted above, creeps up on you slowly, but water retention not so much. If my wedding ring has suddenly become tight, I know what it is and I know it's time to watch salt intake, drink a ton of water, and wait for the scale to change. This pretty much happens after a restaurant meal. SO much salt that you can't control in restaurant food. I ask for no extra salt to be thrown on before serving, but it's still there in everything before that. And I love places that tell me: "We don't use salt." HA! But summer also does this to me.

Makes sense! As you mentioned it appears I have more water weight going on...Do you do high protein days to get the salt retention down?

Water in, water out. Flush water retention out by drinking water.

apullum

In the summer, I tend to do two things that can cause water retention:

1) I'm more active...although the weather is mild here, so I'm not working out in the heat or humidity, and
2) I go out to more restaurants, parties, etc., where I eat differently than I otherwise would at home.

So in addition to the things people already mentioned, it's worth considering whether your summer routine is similar to mine