Do men retain water?

Johnnyswife
Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm just wondering if they can and if it can affect their weight loss results. My husband does't think it can affect him. I make him the same foods I eat, but a bit more because he has more calories to eat. He LOVES spicy foods and will dump Pappy's seasoning, garlic salt, seasond salt, bullion, or just a ton of Tapatio or tabsco sauce.

Does he need to lay off the stuff higher in sodium?

Replies

  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
    Sodium affects men as well. They can retain water the same as women.

    You should be concerned with his blood pressure. Sodium intake is related to high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart disease. Some people can handle the sodium and their body flushes it out very well, not impacting their BP. (I'm not one of those people and I adore spicy food.)
  • ukhennin
    ukhennin Posts: 221 Member
    Yes we retain water. I play basketball on Saturdays for two hours and when I weigh in after playing I definitely drop a few pounds. Also, if I have high sodium a couple days in a row I can tell my weight loss slows. Finally, if on a given day I don't get my water in, and replace it with diet soda, I can almost guarantee a larger loss the next day. So, all that to say, yes.
  • Onesnap
    Onesnap Posts: 2,819 Member
    No, men are not human at all, they are a different species and don't retain water. ;)
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    Of course men can retain water. They won't get a lovely monthly dose of water retention due to female hormonal fluctuations, but their diet and activity can influence water retention!

    And yes, his sodium intake will influence his water retention. He is still human, even if he can't claim to be female.;)
  • Water retention is a problem for men as well, as Phoenix mentioned. The key is realizing the best way to combat water retention is oddly enough, drinking enough water. 8+ glasses of water a day can help a lot with the impact of a higher sodium diet. The other thing to keep in mind is that, in my experience, all of my sodium intake comes from the small amount of prepared food I eat (my 2 servings of fat free progresso soup for lunch every day puts me over 2500mg). So, if everything he eats is home cooked and he is only adding salt and high sodium sauces to taste he will likely be okay as long as he drinks lots of water through out the day.
  • kpjman
    kpjman Posts: 2 Member
    Yes we can. Decrease the sodium and increase the water. Weeks that I gain weight, I think back and realize lots of sodium was consumed. Good Luck!
  • amyoliver85
    amyoliver85 Posts: 353 Member
    Yep! I can fully guarantee you that water retention is NOT just for women. My fiance works outside and moves around a lot for work so he eats a lot and very frequently it's junk food. And all that sodium DEFINITELY affects his weight!

    If I keep him off the sodium for a week, he can drop 10 lbs. And he's not a heavy guy and I'm not restricting his calories.
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    I'll bookmark this and show him. He thinks water retention is only for women. lol Thankfuly his blood pressure is good, but dropping his salt intake should help him lose weight. Thanks for the advice.:flowerforyou:
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