The woosh effect

rizlah01
rizlah01 Posts: 35 Member
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys. I'm sure a lot of you will have heard of the woosh effect. Recently I have been retaining a lot of water. For about 3 or 4 weeks I think it's been masking my weight loss. I've dropped from 120kg to 80kg since May 2014 and while I don't want to lose anymore and just get fit and maintain weight I think water retention has been making it difficult to understand the effect of my diet.

Anyway yesterday I suddenly started urinating very frequently, like every half hour to hour, I was drinking lots of fluids as I had ran 10k in the morning.

In the evening my mate decided he wanted to go to the gym for the first time so I accompanied him and showed him the ropes and set him up with a simple treadmill routine. While there I ran another 5k, we then went for dinner

When we came back I suddenly felt quite unwell. Flu like symptoms , aches, sweats, shivers, etc and decided to do my final work call lying in bed. While on the call I really started sweating and that lasted all night until about 11am when I eventually had the energy to get out of bed. I was up peeing every half hour or so and sweating and shivering like mad.

I then began to feel quite a bit better with only some stomach cramps. I weighed myself and had lost 2kg over night. Obviously fluids.

My question is to anyone who knows the woosh effect intimately. Is it normal to feel the way I did during the event or could it have simply been a 24hr virus causing it?

Thanks all for any input or advice

Replies

  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited January 2015
    That's not a whoosh. My whooshes fall into the common Whoosh explanation. My fat feels loose, then really loose, like it's half-melted jello in there. Then I drop a whole bunch of pounds really quickly and feel oh-so-much thinner, very quickly. That's it. Nothing more.

    Your thing sounds more like diabetes or some other medical issue. I'd get checked out, if it were me.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Sounds like a virus
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    I understand the actual 'whoosh' I get it twice a month :smile: but that's a great pic

    but what OP is talking about sounds like a bug to me
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    I understand the actual 'whoosh' I get it twice a month :smile: but that's a great pic

    but what OP is talking about sounds like a bug to me

    ah ok.
    Yes, agree it doesn't sound right ! I've had a few whooshes and have never experienced OP's "side effects"

  • obscuremusicreference
    obscuremusicreference Posts: 1,320 Member
    Me either. I don't feel anything--not the loose fat (but I am not terribly observant) and certainly not these symptoms.

    I think for most people, you don't lose for several days or a couple weeks and then you lose a pound one day and two pounds the next (YMMV).

    Drink more fluids and don't run 15k in one day if you're not used to it. Hope you're better now.
  • rizlah01
    rizlah01 Posts: 35 Member
    Thanks all. I do think it was a bug
  • Hope228
    Hope228 Posts: 340 Member
    hope you feel better
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Hope228 wrote: »
    hope you feel better

    I would hope op is feeling better, considering the original post was written well over a year ago :wink:

    :lol:
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    This helps explain it rabbit.
    90i50mgvkvme.jpeg

    Wouldn't that cause you to gain weight considering that water is considerably denser than fat?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    This helps explain it rabbit.
    90i50mgvkvme.jpeg

    Wouldn't that cause you to gain weight considering that water is considerably denser than fat?

    It's also not real, cells don't work like that, but it's a nice thing to buy into to explain some patterns ...like unicorns and leprochauns
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I thought Lyle Mcdonalds word was gospel around here??

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited September 2016
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    This helps explain it rabbit.
    90i50mgvkvme.jpeg

    Wouldn't that cause you to gain weight considering that water is considerably denser than fat?

    It's also not real, cells don't work like that, but it's a nice thing to buy into to explain some patterns ...like unicorns and leprochauns

    Is it something that people believe because its thought to explain weightloss not appearing linear and sometimes coming in spurts when you look at your scale weight regularly? Not discounting it but not believing it either unless there is actual evidence for this occurring other than that it conveniently explains something. Easy to convince people of something if you provide it as an explanation for something they were wondering why it happened even if the explanation is wrong.

    What is true isn't always common sense and what is common sense isn't always true.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    @Aaron_K123 Do a search here for "whoosh", it is brought up and explanations attempted very often.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited September 2016
    @Aaron_K123 Do a search here for "whoosh", it is brought up and explanations attempted very often.

    Brought up by who though? Anyone can make a diagram based on what they believe is happening. I mean is there any actual evidence that that is what is physiologically occurring or is it just a hypothesis that people believe because it "makes sense"? I mean did you see this in a forum somewhere and decide to believe it because it made sense or is there an actual study that reports this as their finding along with evidence?

    I'm not saying you are wrong, I'm saying I choose to remain skeptical and will not give this as an explanation to anyone else myself unless I am shown evidence that it is factually based and not just speculative. The MFP forum is not where I would search if I was trying to determine if this is true or not. The MFP forum is a bunch of people posting on the internet. Not saying they are all wrong but its hardly a reliable source.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    @Aaron_K123 Do a search here for "whoosh", it is brought up and explanations attempted very often.

    Brought up by who though? Anyone can make a diagram based on what they believe is happening. I mean is there any actual evidence that that is what is physiologically occurring or is it just a hypothesis that people believe because it "makes sense"? I mean did you see this in a forum somewhere and decide to believe it because it made sense or is there an actual study that reports this as their finding along with evidence?

    I'm not saying you are wrong, I'm saying I choose to remain skeptical and will not give this as an explanation to anyone else myself unless I am shown evidence that it is factually based and not just speculative. The MFP forum is not where I would search if I was trying to determine if this is true or not.

    I have read about it so many times on here that yes, i have come to believe it. Nobody has put forth any factual evidence, it's peoples best guess on what happens when you all of a sudden lose a large chunk of weight.

    I look at it like "the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence" or "absence of proof is not proof of absence:
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited September 2016
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    @Aaron_K123 Do a search here for "whoosh", it is brought up and explanations attempted very often.

    Brought up by who though? Anyone can make a diagram based on what they believe is happening. I mean is there any actual evidence that that is what is physiologically occurring or is it just a hypothesis that people believe because it "makes sense"? I mean did you see this in a forum somewhere and decide to believe it because it made sense or is there an actual study that reports this as their finding along with evidence?

    I'm not saying you are wrong, I'm saying I choose to remain skeptical and will not give this as an explanation to anyone else myself unless I am shown evidence that it is factually based and not just speculative. The MFP forum is not where I would search if I was trying to determine if this is true or not.

    I have read about it so many times on here that yes, i have come to believe it. Nobody has put forth any factual evidence, it's peoples best guess on what happens when you all of a sudden lose a large chunk of weight.

    I look at it like "the absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence" or "absence of proof is not proof of absence:

    Okay well I need evidence before I take something as being true so I'm going to pass. I might look into it myself. There is a free medicinal biochemistry text online and I'm reading up on adipose tissue regulation.

    http://themedicalbiochemistrypage.org/adipose-tissue.php

    One reason I don't believe this is if a cell actually displaced a large amount of fat (which is hydrophobic and therefore would not contain and dissolved polar molecules) with a polar liquid (water) the cell would likely go hypotonic causing the cell to pump out water. It wouldn't retain it let alone bring more in. Osmotic pressure would demand that the cell efflux the water out.

    Not sure how you would have a cell full of water in our body, that wouldn't happen. It has to be isotonic with its surroundings and what is shown in that diagram would not be isotonic.

    Anecdotes that "make sense" tend to get spread without people actually fact checking them. Again, not saying its 100% false but I do doubt it. People in general are made very uncomfortable with "I don't knows" and will gladly rush to replace any "i don't knows" with whatever they come along that sounds plausible. Then we end up with "common sense" which honestly tends to be wrong most of the time.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    This helps explain it rabbit.
    90i50mgvkvme.jpeg

    Wouldn't that cause you to gain weight considering that water is considerably denser than fat?

    It's also not real, cells don't work like that, but it's a nice thing to buy into to explain some patterns ...like unicorns and leprochauns

    Is it something that people believe because its thought to explain weightloss not appearing linear and sometimes coming in spurts when you look at your scale weight regularly? Not discounting it but not believing it either unless there is actual evidence for this occurring other than that it conveniently explains something. Easy to convince people of something if you provide it as an explanation for something they were wondering why it happened even if the explanation is wrong.

    What is true isn't always common sense and what is common sense isn't always true.

    It's hard to explain

    I absolutely don't believe it at all ... I have enough understanding to get that it's simply a pretty lie

    But it's like fairy tales and religion ..it gives people something to explain an experience that they have no logic for and it is reassuring

    It's allegorical

    And sometimes when people are flailing around and not quite ready for the real science it's a crutch to rely on until their head can catch up and they can make that leap, if they wish to, into the real world

    There was a point, when I was new to all this, that I actually did believe it, but I learned ...thanks to many who have now disappeared, or been disappeared

    It's a shame others won't get the same experience ...we are left with few like you *cerebral crush*
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited September 2016
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    This helps explain it rabbit.
    90i50mgvkvme.jpeg

    Wouldn't that cause you to gain weight considering that water is considerably denser than fat?

    It's also not real, cells don't work like that, but it's a nice thing to buy into to explain some patterns ...like unicorns and leprochauns

    Is it something that people believe because its thought to explain weightloss not appearing linear and sometimes coming in spurts when you look at your scale weight regularly? Not discounting it but not believing it either unless there is actual evidence for this occurring other than that it conveniently explains something. Easy to convince people of something if you provide it as an explanation for something they were wondering why it happened even if the explanation is wrong.

    What is true isn't always common sense and what is common sense isn't always true.

    It's hard to explain

    I absolutely don't believe it at all ... I have enough understanding to get that it's simply a pretty lie

    But it's like fairy tales and religion ..it gives people something to explain an experience that they have no logic for and it is reassuring

    It's allegorical

    And sometimes when people are flailing around and not quite ready for the real science it's a crutch to rely on until their head can catch up and they can make that leap, if they wish to, into the real world

    There was a point, when I was new to all this, that I actually did believe it, but I learned ...thanks to many who have now disappeared, or been disappeared

    It's a shame others won't get the same experience ...we are left with few like you *cerebral crush*

    I understand your point, might not be so critical of people in general though. I have training to remain unbiased and be highly skeptical of any sort of explanation that is "appealing" only because it explains something and not because there is any actual backing for it. Its something that has been beat into me, I don't think its just there for anyone...I think our natural tendency is to rush towards anything that replaces an "I don't know" in our brain with any explanation we find plausible. It is actually hard to resist doing that. Sometimes I'll admit I will even in my mind accept something even though I haven't seen evidence of it but I try to at least restrain myself from repeating it to others until I have a legitimate reason to believe it other than it makes me comfortable.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    edited September 2016
    Large scale weight fluctuations (which look like stalled weight loss and "whooshes" when you're losing weight) are because of varying water retention. It's that simple.

    I don't understand how that diagram adds anything, especially as I'm pretty sure it's not true - the water isn't stored in fat cells particularly, it's stored in various places depending on what is being used for (eg in muscles after exercise).
  • bmclogins
    bmclogins Posts: 29 Member
    Sounds like OP had either a virus or an electrolyte imbalance. Too much water is not a good thing. You do need sugars and salts, especially if you're training that hard.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    I'd agree that the sudden need to get rid of water quickly through urination and cold sweats suggests your body was very low on electrolytes/salts perhaps by sweating a lot and not replacing with adequate amounts of salt or other polar solutes. Eating something salty if you encounter that again might help. I don't know though, honestly if you get that often might want to check with your doctor....I obviously don't want to be giving medical advice over the internet.
  • Sloth2016
    Sloth2016 Posts: 838 Member
    I looked into this at one time. Not surprisingly, I found nothing confirming intracellular accumulation of water in adipocytes. Yet, the concept of idiopathic cyclical edema is present in the medical literature (for example, http://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386(99)70067-3/abstract and many others). Articles mention much more frequent occurrence in women but is known in men, associations with obese individuals, diabetics, etc. also dietary influences of sodium intake, insufficient B vitamin intake and varying carbohydrate intake. Fluid retention appears in the extremities and sometimes noticed in the face. Fluid likely accumulates interstitially in the tissues surrounding the capillaries and/or lymphatics. Sorry I didn't copy cites for these, but most of the articles repeat the same things - as little is actually known about the cause-effect for Idiopathic Cyclic Edema, as the name implies.
  • Elphaba1313
    Elphaba1313 Posts: 202 Member
    I dropped a kilo yesterday - everything was a normal day except I was peeing constantly the day before. I don't know about this "squishy fat" thing - all my fat is squishy ALL the time- but if that was a Whoosh, I liked it. After 2 weeks going up and down 100g every day (when my diet has been spot on), it was very welcome. Even if it was excess fluid, I'm ok with that. And it makes a pretty downwards spike on my graph.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,223 Member
    Had a few whooshes while at a larger deficit. All did involve extra pee sessions. It was noted because they were NOT associated with extra exercise which might have cut into glycogen for example.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    Idiopathic Cyclic Oedema, eh? Nice to have a name for it!

    I've given up trying to spot patterns in it, to be honest. It is what it is. Sometimes you can see a correlation with eg time of the month, exercise, carbs, but more often it just seems random.
  • loulouowens
    loulouowens Posts: 103 Member
    Sounds like a water infection to me
  • tamms_1965
    tamms_1965 Posts: 38 Member
    Bump
  • DebSozo
    DebSozo Posts: 2,578 Member
    edited September 2016
    rizlah01 wrote: »
    Hey guys. I'm sure a lot of you will have heard of the woosh effect. Recently I have been retaining a lot of water. For about 3 or 4 weeks I think it's been masking my weight loss. I've dropped from 120kg to 80kg since May 2014 and while I don't want to lose anymore and just get fit and maintain weight I think water retention has been making it difficult to understand the effect of my diet.

    Anyway yesterday I suddenly started urinating very frequently, like every half hour to hour, I was drinking lots of fluids as I had ran 10k in the morning.

    In the evening my mate decided he wanted to go to the gym for the first time so I accompanied him and showed him the ropes and set him up with a simple treadmill routine. While there I ran another 5k, we then went for dinner

    When we came back I suddenly felt quite unwell. Flu like symptoms , aches, sweats, shivers, etc and decided to do my final work call lying in bed. While on the call I really started sweating and that lasted all night until about 11am when I eventually had the energy to get out of bed. I was up peeing every half hour or so and sweating and shivering like mad.

    I then began to feel quite a bit better with only some stomach cramps. I weighed myself and had lost 2kg over night. Obviously fluids.

    My question is to anyone who knows the woosh effect intimately. Is it normal to feel the way I did during the event or could it have simply been a 24hr virus causing it?

    Thanks all for any input or advice

    OP, that happened to my youngest son when he drank too much water too quickly. The school called me and said he didn't seem right. When I looked at him he seemed sick, almost like he was spacey, was sweating, tired, and very red in the face.

    Look up "overhydration". The symptoms are similar to yours. Do you think that you could have drank too much water after the race too quickly?
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