Extra water weight when sick?

dewsmom78

Ok I gained 4lbs this week. I also have a bad cold that I am finally getting over. I weighed myself because I thought I would have lost a couple due to being sick and not eating much, but that's not the case at all. Do you retain that much extra water when sick?

segacs

It's fluctuation, that's all. The body does all sorts of weird things when you're sick.

Don't worry about it. It'll go away on its own. Eat at or close to maintenance until you feel better, if you have the appetite, because your body needs food to fight your cold.

Khukhullatus

I tend to lose weight when I'm sick and dehydrated, but if you are smarter than me and keeping up on your fluids, you could very well pick up a pound or two. I wouldn't worry about it, especially if your sick.

segacs

Also have you been eating canned chicken soup? That stuff's got a lot of sodium, which can definitely make you retain some water.

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves

segacs wrote: »

Also have you been eating canned chicken soup? That stuff's got a lot of sodium, which can definitely make you retain some water.

This.

Make your own soup, and your cold will be gone in no time.

tinascar2015

I had a terrible cold that started the day after I began MFP a month ago. I was drinking as many fluids as I could, but I was sleeping most of the time. The terrible congestion is fluid, and I had a lot of it in my chest, and the scale indicated that, but once I recovered from the crud, I dropped the weight.

gabrielleelliott90

Well, if you haven't gone way over your calories for several days, it would be waterweight. Even if there was starvation mode from not eating much, and you gained from that, it would still not be permanent weight gain. For now you should just give your body what it needs.

Khukhullatus

sunglasses_and_ocean_waves wrote: »

segacs wrote: »

Also have you been eating canned chicken soup? That stuff's got a lot of sodium, which can definitely make you retain some water.

This.

Make your own soup, and your cold will be gone in no time.

Yup. Your cold is probably going to last a week right now, but if you cook yourself some chicken soup, you can get it over with in just seven days or so.

segacs

FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »

Yup. Your cold is probably going to last a week right now, but if you cook yourself some chicken soup, you can get it over with in just seven days or so.

Heh heh heh. So true.

(Then again, if you eat my mom's chicken soup, it'll be gone in six days. 'Cause Jewish mothers have magic powers. Scientific fact.)

Amanda4change

dewsmom78 wrote: »

Ok I gained 4lbs this week. I also have a bad cold that I am finally getting over. I weighed myself because I thought I would have lost a couple due to being sick and not eating much, but that's not the case at all. Do you retain that much extra water when sick?

For me personally if I have a fever while I'm sick I tend to lose a pound or two. If i don't have a fever but vomit a lot, I tend to lose 2-3 pounds. If I'm sick with no fever and no vomiting I can gain about 4 pounds while being sick (since it drops right back off it's got to be water).

blankiefinder

segacs wrote: »

FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »

Yup. Your cold is probably going to last a week right now, but if you cook yourself some chicken soup, you can get it over with in just seven days or so.

Heh heh heh. So true.

(Then again, if you eat my mom's chicken soup, it'll be gone in six days. 'Cause Jewish mothers have magic powers. Scientific fact.)

I wish I could go visit your mother right now!!

dewsmom78

Thanks, no I have not been eating any canned soups. I watch my sodium, and I drank a ton of water yesterday, along with tracking calories. And this morning, I've only lost a pound of the water weight. Hopefully it will be back down this weekend.