An illustration to help understand water weight

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CattOfTheGarage
CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I know a lot of people struggle with the idea of water weight, and remain convinced that if the scale goes up, they've gained actual fat, and if the scale goes down, they've lost fat, when it just isn't that simple.

In the hope it might help, I've used my mad Powerpoint skillz to create these diagrams, which give a (horribly oversimplified) illustration of what's actually going on. As the slides say, you don't actually have a water tank in your body - the water is distributed through all your tissues - but it makes it easier to visualise.

x3wnnw0huftf.jpg

And I made up this salutary tale of what happens when someone starts losing weight for the first time, and is taken by surprise by the naughty water weight and its mischievous tricks:

ggowwivzhsbu.jpg

I hope this helps! Next time the scale does something weird and frightening, remember - it's probably just your water tank filling up.
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Replies

  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
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    As you said, very simple, but it works! It might be helpful if this were stickied. Some people just don't get it even when you explain it because they learn better with visuals than words.
  • Karen_can_do_this
    Karen_can_do_this Posts: 1,150 Member
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    Omfg thank you so much!!!!
  • amyr271
    amyr271 Posts: 343 Member
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    This has explained everything that I don't understand.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Good work, OP! Super helpful.
  • TheopolisAmbroiseIII
    TheopolisAmbroiseIII Posts: 197 Member
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    This explains why I couldn't find the water tank during the surgery I performed last week.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    I can't concentrate on what you're saying, because your avatar is a guinea pig, and guinea pigs are all that matters in the world.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    I love the bottom where it says not for surgery, humans don't have water tanks. That made me smile
  • sheermomentum
    sheermomentum Posts: 827 Member
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    skilz. u haz them.
  • kathrynjean_
    kathrynjean_ Posts: 428 Member
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    Love this!
  • janentmurray
    janentmurray Posts: 6 Member
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    Thankyou for this, my weight is fluctuating yet my body shape has changed, I'll definitely increase my water now
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    janentmurray wrote: »
    Thankyou for this, my weight is fluctuating yet my body shape has changed, I'll definitely increase my water now

    Increasing water won't stop it fluctuating, I'm afraid! It's just a fact of life. But hopefully this will stop you worrying about it.

  • ditzylittlepixie
    ditzylittlepixie Posts: 6 Member
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    So good! I put on 3lbs this week after an awful cold and then suddenly being able to eat again...but I've lost an inch off my waist in the last fee weeks...this is such a good tool to get back perspective and remind myself no real results are instant :)
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    Really glad people found this helpful
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    Nice disclaimer.
    ts7cuoe6bx39.gif
  • YamiElisa
    YamiElisa Posts: 25 Member
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    Very helpful! Good job, I like it, thank you!
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
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    Gotta keep the old backside covered, eh?

    Like the free coasters I got from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, decorated with images of marine charts, and at the bottom, in moderately large letters, "Not to be used for navigation."

    On a coaster.
  • Nanogg55
    Nanogg55 Posts: 275 Member
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    CattOfTheGarage wrote: »
    Gotta keep the old backside covered, eh?

    Like the free coasters I got from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, decorated with images of marine charts, and at the bottom, in moderately large letters, "Not to be used for navigation."

    On a coaster.
    Jeez. Liability has become crazy. My fav is the warning I saw on one of those cardboard sunscreens you can put up in your car's windshield to keep the temp down when it's parked. It said: Not to be used while operating car.
  • gemdiver00
    gemdiver00 Posts: 77 Member
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    Ok Mr now we need a graphic for people who eat 500 calories a day and exercise 12 hours a day, 8 days a week and they still can't lose the pounds!
  • jtate0212
    jtate0212 Posts: 53 Member
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    +2727372718 for mad power point skillz
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    gemdiver00 wrote: »
    Ok Mr now we need a graphic for people who eat 500 calories a day and exercise 12 hours a day, 8 days a week and they still can't lose the pounds!

    Why should we make a graphic for something that doesn't exist?

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