Please can somebody explain water weight?

emmajulie98765
emmajulie98765 Posts: 29 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have read on here quite a few times that at first you lose a lot of water when cutting calories. Please can someone explain why and how this happens? Thank you

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,089 Member
    - glycogen depletion. Your body needs water to store glycogen (roughly speaking, a form of sugar). When you reduce your calorie intake below your daily needs, your body taps your glycogen stores. As the glycogen stores are depleted, your body doesn't need the water.
    - possibly lower sodium could contribute. If either as a function of eating less, or a function of changing the types of things you eat, you are consuming less sodium, your body may retain less water.
  • Melicate
    Melicate Posts: 1
    When you are eating a lot of processed foods, not drinking enough water, etc., your body is functioning in a chronic state of mild dehydration. Because of this, your body tends to hold on to any moisture it can, and tucks it into various spots, usually seen on the body as puffy feet and hands, or swollen ankles at the end of the day. It also sucks moisture from your stool as it moves down the colon. This frequently causes constipation.

    In general, cutting calories also leads a person to make better food choices; more vegetables, less starchy foods, leaner cuts of meat, drinking water instead of calorie-laden beverages.

    When you begin to eat better, healthier, less-processed foods, and start drinking adequate amounts of water, your body senses that you are becoming better-balanced hydration-wise, and you start to give up that extra water that has been sticking around. (Usually by going to the toilet more often, both urinating and defecating due to the increase in fiber and fluids in the digestive tract).

    This shift happens fairly quickly, and can result in losses of a few to several pounds over just a few days, which is called water weight.

    Fat loss takes longer to show up.
  • myfatass78
    myfatass78 Posts: 411 Member
    For the first two weeks or so, you pretty much poop out lots of stuff. It will subside.
  • 4theking
    4theking Posts: 1,196 Member
    Like Lynn said, your body's carbohydrate stores...glycogen contains water. When you eat less carbs, your glycogen will get used up, and water will be released. That is why they are called Carbo-hydrates. Also why low carb diets cause people to lose weight so quickly at first.

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