weight gain, water retention, bloating...

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Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

October 8, 2011 at 6:08 am

Post count: 3048

#8952

Hi Deb

Would I be right in ascertaining that the bloating feeling came on after you increased to 5 times per week? That’s how it appears.

Can you test what happens when you go back to 3 times? I also have a hunch it has to do with salt and water balance (as you do).

May I ask you to tell me what salt you actually do take?

I would take a gamble on the Himalayan salt. Have you used that? That is harvested from salt reserves that are way above sea level (from an ancient body of water I believe). It is very much worth investigating.

Otherwise I would put you in contact with someone specific (or at least ask them myself) who knows about the purity levels of many, many different sea salts and their method of harvest.

The other salt that would not have changed its harvest methods is the Fleur de Sel from the Atlantic harvested off the cost of Bretagne (Brittany). There is the celtic salt but the fleur de sel variety is hand harvested off the surface of the water.

Let me know ho you get your salt and we can go from there. Also tell me your water habits.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

donnelly.amandak
Participant

December 28, 2011 at 12:59 pm

Post count: 1

#9126

Hey Gabrielle.
I am having similar difficulties. I practiced Bikram on and off for two years and then moved to a place without a studio for a few years. I have recently moved to a city which hs a studio and have been going almost every day ( twenty in a row, a four day illness with fever, and five times the week afterward). I have been battling Anxiety and IBS for a few years so I am trying to go in everyday as it does seem to help. However, I am also noticing a significant weight gain (about 3 kg). I am already about 4.5 kg overweight so this weight increase concerns me a bit. Sometimes I just feel a heavy “blah” feeling.
I have been taking Resorb (a Swedish electrolyte tablet) with my water every day during class to try to keep my balance in check and have been drinking 4-5 L of water per day. Will this go away? It is very disheartening to see/feel this way.

Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

January 16, 2012 at 4:06 am

Post count: 3048

#9180

Hi Amanda

I know you’re taking electrolytes – that’s good. One can take too much water, sweat too much and lose a LOT of the body’s ‘fuel’. And by fuel I mean that we are really one big battery and the electrolytes are needed to keep the right charges in the right parts of the system for optimal functioning.

So, have you had yourself checked at all.

You’re doing a lot of yoga and drinking a lot of water. Have you tried doubling your electrolyte doses or simply adding more sea salt to your food and maybe yoga water?

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂

Naomi
Participant

February 20, 2024 at 12:56 am

Post count: 1

#31748

Hi Gabrielle

Like so many others above, I was hugely relieved to find this thread after searching for answers to months. I have been doing hot yoga for about 2 years & teaching for about 9 months. I currently teach 5 classes a week & take a class a day, usually the class that follows mine. I have noticed fairly substantial swings in my weight, along with “puffy knees” frequently over the last year (since I started my first teacher training). I can easily put on 6pounds overnight & I now know it is connected to hot yoga: I recently visited family in the UK meaning no class for 9 days, eating & drinking normally I weighed 123 pounds when I got home, 4 days later I weighed 128 & could feel the fluid in my legs. Initially when I took class 2-4 times a week I was drinking coconut water for balancing electrolytes but with teacher training I realized this was not enough & started adding Liquid IV on days I was in the heat for long periods of time. At first this seemed to work but as my teaching hours increased it seemed to stop working. I switched to LMNT with the higher sodium content but if anything it got worse so I deduced maybe now too much sodium which would cause the fluid retention? In hindsight I had also stopped taking the magnesium supplement at night that I’d started to help with sleep during menopause – but does magnesium effect fluid retention?

You have mentioned getting levels tested – do I do this through my GP? Which electrolytes are most likely to cause fluctuations like this? is it possible to be imbalanced in one & not another? I really need to understand & get this sorted. Hot Yoga has been a turn around for me at a time when I had to stop most of the other forms of exercise I loved due to issues with my neck & teaching has given me a new purpose – I can’t stop!

Namaste

Naomi
Gabrielle (The Hot Yoga Doctor)
Forum Owner

February 25, 2024 at 12:01 am

Post count: 3048
#31749
Hello Naomi

Welcome to the forum! I am happy you’ve found some helpful info.

It’s a delicate balance. It’s great that you’ve been able to notice the different effects of the electrolyte supplements on your body. I’m grateful for the details.

Consider the following: It’s worth reinstating the magnesium while you also reduce the additional sodium.
- You definitely noticed that the high-sodium product had a negative effect. So, for a while, I would simply rely on dietary salt.
- Magnesium may actually help you reduce your fluid retention so try adding that back in again. It should not have adverse effects if you follow directions for a supplement. Also, look at Mg-rich foods in your diet (greens, nuts, legumes, grains).
- It should only take 1 – 2 days to reset the sodium levels. I might even consider NOT teaching or practising yoga in the hot room for those 2 days. Then return to the studio.
- Add in a little sodium via electrolyte supplementation on a controlled basis and in very small steps. Leave 2 days between each change. Take notes or make observations.
Chat with a GP to see what tests they recommend. You can have a blood test for Na and Mg. Urine tests (where it could be collected over a period) could be indicated if a more serious condition is suspected.

The observations you’ve shared probably point to the more simple solutions! 🙂

I would love to know what you discover.

Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂
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