© iStock

Water in the body - Over 50% of the human body is composed of water, with muscle tissue alone being made up of over 75% water.

© Shutterstock

Your body is like a sponge - Think of your body as a sponge. A few drops of water will be absorbed and your body will hold on to it. But the opposite is also true. Soak it with enough fluids and it will get rid of excess water.

© Shutterstock

Athletes - Fighters and other athletes that compete in sports with weight classes use strategies to lose weight fast so they can be light enough for the weight category they’re competing in.

© Shutterstock

Jockeys - Even jockeys are known to cut weight before big races.

© Shutterstock

How do they do it? - Athletes use a water loading protocol to cut weight. This technique is essentially a way to manipulate your body to flush as much water as possible, without leading to full dehydration.

© iStock

How does it work? - It essentially works by manipulating sodium, carbohydrates, and water intake. Aldosterone, the hormone responsible for regulating electrolytes and water retention, will play a key role in this protocol.

© Shutterstock

Isn’t drinking too much water dangerous? - The amount of water required to die by water intoxication and hyponatremia (electrolyte imbalance) is a lot higher than you might think.

© Shutterstock

Water intoxication and hyponatremia - Death from water intoxication is usually a result of health complications and other factors, including exercising in extreme heat.

© Shutterstock

Dangers of drinking too much water -

In this protocol, you will be drinking lots of water throughout the day, not in a short amount of time. So providing you eat a balanced diet, your sodium levels will not get dangerously low. If done well, it's a safe protocol.

© Shutterstock

Dehydration - While you will lose water weight by dehydrating yourself, this is extremely dangerous, so it must be avoided as a fast weight-loss strategy.

© Shutterstock

What to look for - Thirst, darker urine than usual, fatigue, headaches, dry mouth, dizziness, and loss of appetite are some of the symptoms you can experience when you’re mildly dehydrated. This is dangerous and not the best way to lose weight fast.

© Shutterstock

Can't I just diet for five days? - What you eat plays a vital role in this protocol, but crash diets where you drastically reduce your caloric intake can have a detrimental effect on your metabolism, hormones, and health in general.

© Shutterstock

A quick fix - A balanced diet and exercising are essential for long-term weight loss. Water loading is a quick fix, where you simply manipulate the water in your body without any long-term effects.

© Shutterstock

Set a date -

Say you have an important event on a Saturday and you want to feel and look lighter for it. You can start water loading on the previous Monday.

© iStock

Before you start - Weigh yourself every morning in a fasted state after going to the bathroom. You can do it for just a few days, but the longer you do it, the better idea you’ll have of how much weight you lose overnight.

© Shutterstock

Daily water intake -

For illustration purposes, let’s assume you drink approximately two liters of water per day. Remember: coffee, other beverages, and many foods contain water.

© iStock

Monday - On Monday, increase your water intake by one to two liters. So, if you drink two liters per day, make it three to four liters per day. You will urinate more, and you'll start seeing a difference in the amount of weight you lose overnight.

© Shutterstock

Monday diet - Avoid sugars, bread, pasta, rice, white potatoes, and any products that contain flour. You should also cut all types of dairy. All these foods retain water. But you can still eat carbs. Opt for sweet potatoes, oats, and fibrous vegetables.

© Shutterstock

Monday to Wednesday - There is no need to restrict any other particular food group. In fact, if you're going to eat salty foods, do it up until Wednesday.

© Shutterstock

Wednesday - It's time to up your water loading game. Drink an extra one liter of water throughout the day, and make sure you have a toilet nearby: you'll need it!

© Shutterstock

Thursday to Friday - Eliminate all carbs from your diet. Eat protein and fats only. Do not add any extra salt to food. Naturally-occurring sodium in foods should be enough to keep your levels stable.

© Shutterstock

Thursday to Friday - Eliminating carbs will deplete your muscles’ glycogen storage. This will make you look and feel "lighter." If you carry some muscle mass, you will likely feel "deflated."

© Shutterstock

Thursday to Friday - Increase your water intake gradually by 500 ml to one liter a day. Again, the toilet will be your best friend!

© Shutterstock

Friday - Reduce your water intake drastically to about one to two liters. Athletes would cease all water intake earlier, but you can do so three to four hours before going to bed.

© Shutterstock

Friday to Saturday - You will notice that you will continue to pee even after you've stopped drinking. In fact, it's not unusual to get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom.

© Shutterstock

Saturday - Weigh yourself as per usual. You should have dropped a fair amount of water weight.

© Shutterstock

What’s next? - You will be mildly dehydrated by now, so it's important that you replenish your glycogen levels and electrolytes.

© Shutterstock

Next steps - Start eating and drinking normally again, but don’t binge. A sports drink might come in handy, but don't overdo it. You will regain the weight and feel fuller again in a short period of time.

© Shutterstock

Rebounding and staying healthy -

Again, this is not a sustainable long-term weight loss protocol. Water loading should only be used in specific circumstances and, if possible, under medical supervision.

See also: Bizarre (and dangerous) dieting fads throughout history.

© Shutterstock