What's the deal with water weight?

TeresaGoal145lbs
TeresaGoal145lbs Posts: 57 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
How can I have gained 2.5 pounds in 3 days? I don't think it's possible when I ate at my calorie goal. It has to be water weight. How does water weight work? How do you reduce it?

Replies

  • TheVirgoddess
    TheVirgoddess Posts: 4,535 Member
    Water weight is when you retain water (your body holds onto water for different reasons). You can do this for a number of reasons. My #1 culprit is salt.

    To help it along, drink lots of water!
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    edited February 2015
    It's not all water. Open up your diary so we can take a look.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You are always retaining and then releasing fluids...it's a constant cycle. Making sure you drink enough water, eat low sodium, and less carbs will help, but even then, this is just a normal bodily function...it's like asking how to stop pooping...you don't, it's a bodily function.

    Speaking of poop, you also are going to have more or less waste in your system from weigh in to weigh in...that shows up on the scale.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,589 MFP Moderator
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    this is just a normal bodily function...it's like asking how to stop pooping...you don't, it's a bodily function.

    haha love!

    also changing up your exercise can cause water retention and for us ladies those wonderful hormones.

    Don't sweat it and keep chugging along :smile:

  • TeresaGoal145lbs
    TeresaGoal145lbs Posts: 57 Member
    Not gonna sweat it. Thx:)
  • redhedumyah
    redhedumyah Posts: 1 Member
    I've noticed that I retain water around certain monthly events. My trick is to record my weight daily, and then compare weekly averages.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    redhedumyah wrote: »
    I've noticed that I retain water around certain monthly events. My trick is to record my weight daily, and then compare weekly averages.

    Yes. BOTH monthly events, ovulation and menstruation.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    It's not all water. Open up your diary so we can take a look.

    What makes you say that it's not all water? 2.5 pounds seems like a reasonable amount of water retention to me.

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    yopeeps025 wrote: »
    It's not all water. Open up your diary so we can take a look.

    What makes you say that it's not all water? 2.5 pounds seems like a reasonable amount of water retention to me.

    Factors like sodium.
  • itstimeRK
    itstimeRK Posts: 112 Member
    I have this same problem the weeks I get my period. For that reason, during that week I no longer weigh myself, and wait for a few days after when I am no longer bloated.
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