Dear Pamela,
Am I living in a House of Mirrors? One day, I get out of bed and feel good in my body. The next day, I look like a Stay-Puffed Marshmallow woman, bursting at the seams and squishy all over.
It shows on the scale too.
Over Thanksgiving I put on 5 lbs overnight! Did I really gain 5 lbs of fat in one meal? I felt normal by Monday, but by Wednesday I was all puffy again even though I didn’t eat any crap.
WHYYYYYY!????
I always hate how I look in vacation and holiday photos, but then on some random Friday, I look and feel like myself again.
I am 52 and had my last period at 49, so I can’t blame my cycle.
Help me crack the code on my body before I lose it.
Sincerely,
Puff Mommy
Dear Puff Mommy,
Repeat after me, “I did not gain fat. It is water.”
Looks like your body loves to retain water given any excuse.
You’ve probably always been a prodigy at water retention, but with age, everything slows down. This means water accumulates faster, has more triggers, and takes longer to clear.
What Causes Water Retention?
If there was a “wheel of misery” to spin for water retention in menopause, these slices would be included:
The Phantom Cycle (aka, your hormones aren’t done messing with you yet) – After menopause, there can be little hills and valleys of estrogen that will make you bloat into a “marshmallow phase” after an ovulation-fake out and cause you to deflate after a pretend period. Good times.
Too Much Sitting…or Too Much Standing – Picky, picky body. Although at first glance it seems lying on the couch is the only solution here, the answer is actually breaking up the sitting and standing with movement. Muscle contractions send liquids squirting up and around the body, making things easier for your heart.
A Tough Workout – A hard push means your body needs to make repairs, and some swelling is part of the job.
Salt – Maybe you had food that had too much salt? Or you did a sweat-o-thon workout and your body needs some electrolyte salt to rehydrate. Sigh.
High Carbs or Food Triggers – If your meal was heavy on the carbs and light on the protein, veggies, and fiber, you might see it on the scale. Additionally, there might be some foods that trigger inflammation in you. Even healthy things like oats or salmon might flip the switch on swelling in your body if you have a food sensitivity. Figure it out with some detective work. Track your pre-swelling meals, or try an elimination diet.
Sleep – Spent the night tossing and turning? You get to feel like a Squishmallow in addition to putting your car keys in the freezer and forgetting your firstborn’s name. Lucky day.
Alcohol – You’ll find me to be pretty unforgiving about alcohol. Marketers have done a great job making us think it’s needed to enjoy a full life, but it is actually poison and your body knows this, so it’s mad.
Medications – Starting a new scrip? There might be an adjustment phase or it might be a side effect.
How to Get Rid of Water Retention Fast
- Limit processed foods. Go all in on real foods, loading up on veggies, fruits, and lean proteins.
- Keep moving. Permission to go hard on your workout if you are feeling great, or dial it down to a light day of walking or a fun dance class if your muscles are begging for recovery.
- Hydrate like it is your job. When your body is assured lots of water is coming, your busy cells chillax about the water hoarding.
When to Worry
If you swelling sticks around, especially if your ankles can’t kick it and look like big scrunchy socks from the 90’s (which are coming back in style to my delight), see a doc.
Your heart and kidneys are in charge of your water balance. You don’t want to mess around when it comes to those guys.
Sending you grace and excellent water balance,
Coach Pamela
