Where does the bloat ”go”?

hipari

Sooo.... today, my weekly weigh-in showed a gain of about 1lb. After being upset for a full two minutes, I shook some sense into myself. My loss has matched my deficit (daily logging, Fitbit with all-day HR for burn numbers) pretty accurately for the past 8 weeks, I’m still a bit sore from Friday’s strength training, I had a lot of carbs and sodium yesterday and today I woke up so early I had to weigh in and get breakfast before any bowel movements (I’m pretty regular with a specific time of day mid-morning and usually wake up late enough to go first thing in the morning before a weigh-in). I probably did not gain fat given these indicators. Then I busted out the measuring tape. All measurements indicated a loss (waist, hips, butt and thighs), and I didn’t get buff shoulders overnight either. Here’s the question: Where is this bloat physically, if my circumference is smaller? Did I somehow become more dense? I’ve been wondering the same before; since bloat increases my weight, it has to have some volume and exist in space as well. When my body is getting smaller, where is the bloat located? I know it’s silly, but it’s still bothering me.

Fflpnari

ECF

VUA21

Most likely just water retention. It's not going to show on your body as it's probably pretty spread out throughout your body.

amusedmonkey

Depending on why you're bloated. It's mostly in muscles if you're new to exercising (this is why some people think they are gaining muscle when a week or two into their exercise routine their muscles look or feel plump).

Generally, most of that bloat regardless of exercise is distributed between all kinds of muscles (not just the ones you measure), the liver, and the intestines. You were right that you are "denser" because water is denser than fat (nearly an entire 100mg per mL in addition to muscle structure not being as expandable as skin). Since the difference in muscle size is not very perceptible with and without water retention unless you're extremely lean, you will not notice it much. The decrease in measurement due to fat loss isn't completely nullified by a few millimeters increase.

As for abdominal bloat, you don't really notice it if you carry a lot of fat there because fat loss (which is less dense) creates a decrease in measurements that outpaces any small increase, but lean people can feel and see their abdomen get bigger when they feel bloated there.

hipari

Thanks!

paperpudding

It is air spread throughout your digestive tract and you fart/burp it out??

jgnatca

Oh. I read the title differently. When the bloat leaves, it leaves through sweat and pee. Fat by the way, is breathed out as water vapour and carbon dioxide.