What are the maximum and minimum amounts of "water weight" a body can hold?

candistyx

I am guessing the answer would be expressed best in grams per kg of body weight but maybe in other terms.
Also would be interested in the difference between "normal" water levels and "dehydrated" and "edema" levels, like my MIL has congestive heart failure, I imagine she as a matter of course has far more water weight than I do even on the worst day possible for water weight.

serindipte

There isn't a maximum. My aunt was in liver and then kidney failure and was retaining so much fluid it was seeping from her skin. I suppose that was the max, but no way to weigh it.

forma2017

I think it is impossible to give the right answer on this. I'm not a dr but also pay a lot of attention to water fluctuation as it used to concern me before I understood what the extra puffiness was that came on so quickly. I know that the example you mentioned can cause extreme water retention (50+ lbs). Women depending on hormones, carb intake 7-10 is probably high avg. I know women and men post bodybuilding shows can easily gain 20 lbs of water back once they start eating regularly+cheat meals post-show. Maybe a nurse or dr on here can give more info and address the minimum for dehydration etc.

collectingblues

I don't know that there *is* a max. Someone once told me up to 20 pounds from cortisol + hormonal screw ups alone, which I'd certainly believe.

And, I know that since having a med increase/adjustment to fix a hormonal issue, I've now lost 4 pounds in a week and 1.5 inches off my waist -- which is remarkable, considering I'm dealing with cyclical water weight, which usually works out to around three or four pounds, and a race-taper week on top of it, which usually brings a two-pound gain or so. (Not necessarily as much fun as it sounds -- I'm also spending ridiculous amounts of time in the bathroom.) And that's come without decreasing calories -- I've actually increased calories over this time.

I mean, I know for fact that I've been eating at a significant calorie deficit, and I know that the hormonal water weight I've put on is water, and not fat (my BF percentage has decreased, so there may be some muscle, but I'm betting it's water). If that's true, I'm looking at ~ 40 pounds of water weight. I don't think the reality is *quite* that high, but I would not be surprised by 20 to 30.

Purplebunnysarah

I had a lot of IVs and stuff after giving birth the first time and when I got home from the hospital I had so much water retention I thought my skin was going to split. As it started coming off I lost somewhere around 20-25 lbs in 3 days.

jjpptt2

This thread...

*side eye*

seska422

Here's an interesting water weight story: Carol Yager

She lost 521 pounds in 3 months while on a 1200 calorie controlled diet in the hospital.

nettiklive

I've always wondered whether the rapid weight gain that comes with steroids or other medications or disesases such as Cushing's is actually all water or not. People will literally blow up on these and get the dreaded 'moon face', I knew a very fit lady who gained 90 lbs in three months. Whether water or not it sounds absolutely horrific, it's always been a fear of mine, I cannot imagine the blow to one's self esteem

singingflutelady

It mostly is. Steroids are the devil. I have been on and off (currently on) and they definitely a bloe
I have actually never gained weight on steroids but I have had the moom face.

ahoy_m8

I'm not sure I understand the *sad eyes* comment. I think its a good question, OP. In for answers.
Here are fun facts a quick google came up with:

According to H.H. Mitchell, Journal of Biological Chemistry 158, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are watery: 31%.
According to Dr. Jeffrey Utz, Neuroscience, pediatrics, Allegheny University, different people have different percentages of their bodies made up of water. Babies have the most, being born at about 78%. By one year of age, that amount drops to about 65%. In adult men, about 60% of their bodies are water. However, fat tissue does not have as much water as lean tissue. In adult women, fat makes up more of the body than men, so they have about 55% of their bodies made of water.
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html <- weird ref, I acknowledge

nooshi713

I'm an ER PA. I have had heart and liver failure patients retain 20 to 30 lbs of water in 2 weeks.

Unknown

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Lyrica7

I used to be very obese and retain a lot of water. I was 173 got sick with salmonella dropped to 168 in 4 days from dehydrating, got better ate normally not above my calorie limit and blew up to 181 less than a week with excess water as my body tried to heal and balance itself. Now still watching calories I am back down to 171 but I know I my water weight can fluctuate like this especially if I'm sick.

nettiklive

I remembered this thread today. I'm in the middle of my cycle (tmi sorry haha) and the older I get the worse the bloating seems to get I'm up three lbs (was up 6 at the start) and I just feel big and fat, my regular jeans are tight all over and today even my shoes that fit perfectly fine last week felt really tight. I also tend to literally feel heavy and weighed down on these days. Its really annoying because even though I realize logically it's just water, I'm trying to get in slightly better shape for summer vacation and it just makes me feel that much further from my goal and discouraged