Water weight?

leeyuhsee

hi folks,
I've been on this site now for a little under two weeks, and I'm losing weight at a rate that's pretty fast for me (knock on wood). I keep hearing about this thing called "water weight," though, implying that the initial lose is pretty fast compared to what comes later. Why would that be? Can someone explain this to me? How long does this "water weight" phase last?
Cheers

G33K_G1RL

Not an expert, but here's what I know about water weight.
Because you changed your diet (I think) you're body is readjusting how much water it needs to function. I'm assuming you are eating less, so your body needs less water in the digestive tract to keep things rolling. Also, if you've cut back on carbs and sodium, the water weight associated with carbs and sodium will also disappear. Finally, if you are drinking more water, your body doesn't need to hold on to as much.

If we go a little more in depth, what your body really wants is homeostasis. The water in your body has a certain concentration of salt and other molecules, and that concentration needs to be kept constant. So if you eat less sodium and carbs, you need less water to have the necessary concentration. If you drink more water, some salts and molecules are excreted with urine so more water is excreted to keep the balance.

Warning : Be careful not to deplete salts, they are necessary to keep your heart beating !!

I think most people have a 2-3 week water weight phase, though it varies a lot depending on a lot of factors. Just be sure you aren't losing too much too fast for the next few weeks.

Personal example with water weight. I recently flew halfway across the world. It involved lots of carby salty food, minimal moving and planes, all which means water gains. When I got home I weighed myself (because curious), and 4 days later I was almost 6 pounds lighter. Water is heavy and a little makes a big difference on the scale.

Hope this helps and good luck on your journey!

leeyuhsee

This was very helpful. Thank you for the post!

Liftng4Lis

When you first start dieting and reduce your caloric intake, your body gets its needed energy by releasing and utilizing its stores of glycogen (a carbohydrate found in your liver and muscles). Glycogen holds onto water, so when glycogen is used and burned up for energy, it also releases the water it holds onto.

BWBTrish

Liftng4Lis wrote: »

When you first start dieting and reduce your caloric intake, your body gets its needed energy by releasing and utilizing its stores of glycogen (a carbohydrate found in your liver and muscles). Glycogen holds onto water, so when glycogen is used and burned up for energy, it also releases the water it holds onto.

This!

leeyuhsee

So, if I'm understanding correctly, weight from fat is still being lost, but does not make up all of the weight loss.
If I were to start eating more, how long would it take me to get the same levels of glycogen? Will I reach it if I'm eating only to maintain?

bpetrosky

Glycogen is replenished pretty quickly. Thats why losing a lot of water weight on a crash diet comes roaring back so fast.

Kalikel

We can guess, but nobody really knows why the body drops weight or what differences it does and doesn't take into account. Until there are better cameras and/or more sensitive tests, we won't know.

It's not all water weight. I didn't drop 20 pounds of water when I began losing, lol. I know that.

I have started to lose weight twice and both times, the weight came off really quickly when I began losing. The first time I was at the high end if Class II Obese and the second, I was on low end of overweight. So, I know it's not just being super-fat, either.

I used to be on the fence about it, but due to personal experience, I'm now 100% convinced that some bodies adjust to what/how much much we are eating.