Weighing In After Alcohol

lemongingertea
lemongingertea Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Forgive me if this has been asked before/is common sense! I couldn't find an answer and am intrigued...

I usually weigh myself once a week but have noticed the weight creeping up recently so am trying daily weigh ins for a while to see if that helps me identify and prevent the cause. Today, I was up 1Ib from the last few days. I know that's not a big deal and fluctuations are normal so am not too worried about it, but if I can understand what caused it I still think I'd find that reassuring. I was out for a work meal last night and had two drinks (one margarita and a small glass of red wine). They fitted into my calories but I think in the past I've heard that alcohol can make you retain extra water weight or something like that.

Just wondered if anyone has anymore info on this and could explain it to me? Never quite sure what water weight etc means and whether you'd still expect alcohol to affect it if it's within your recommended calorie intake.

Thank you!

Replies

  • BarbaraHelen2013
    BarbaraHelen2013 Posts: 1,940 Member
    Definitely has that effect on me! If I have more than a small (125ml) glass of red, within my goal I know it’s going to mean a 2lb gain in the morning- I weigh daily and am pretty good at knowing exactly when the next pound is going to drop.

    The small glass seems not to make enough difference in retaining water but more than that certainly does.
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    Hmm, I weigh less after drinking alcohol, due to the dehydrating effects I assume.
  • its_cleo
    its_cleo Posts: 544 Member
    My weight will increase. If I'm on plan it will drop back down in a couple days.
  • Bedazzled35
    Bedazzled35 Posts: 50 Member
    I save calories during the week for my Friday night out. I weigh lighter the next morning due to dehydration but gain a couple of pounds the following day which disappears after a couple of days.
  • SnifterPug
    SnifterPug Posts: 746 Member
    Alcohol has no immediate effect on my weight regardless of the quantity drunk. I weigh daily.
  • lgfrie
    lgfrie Posts: 1,449 Member
    Despite the fact that alcohol "should" cause me to weigh less due to the dehydrating effects of it, I've always found that it makes me retain a couple pounds, usually for 3-ish days, all other things being held equal.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    I think that it is common sense that because alcohol can cause dehydration we naturally select foods that are higher in sodium to offset it. For me the offset is always more than I need so I end up on the plus side of the scale the next morning.

    I think it is normal to try and figure out what causes upticks on the scale but keep in mind there will probably always be times when it won't be easy or possible to pinpoint.
  • lemongingertea
    lemongingertea Posts: 6 Member
    Seems like it affects us all differently! I guess it'll just remain a bit of a mystery to me. Thanks anyway for all your thoughts - it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one! :smile:
  • Womona
    Womona Posts: 1,783 Member
    I always look a little more bloated the day after drinking alcohol, and my scale is up too vs. days I don’t drink. I think it causes a mild inflammation, which explains the weight gain, even though it dehydrated you.

    Oh and the salty snacks and over indulging when drinking surely play a part!
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,213 Member
    Bedazzled35 wrote: »
    I save calories during the week for my Friday night out. I weigh lighter the next morning due to dehydration but gain a couple of pounds the following day which disappears after a couple of days.

    I stated above that I am always lower on the scales after drinking alcohol but yes, like you, I’m up in the days afterwards. Maybe inflammation, maybe the comfort foods I sought the next day.

    I had a hard time understanding how others could gain weight when alcohol is dehydrating, but a reminder that I’m ALWAYS up in weight on the subsequent days plus the idea that our timelines can differ is the explanation I needed.
  • Bedazzled35
    Bedazzled35 Posts: 50 Member
    goldthistime wrote: »
    Bedazzled35 wrote: »
    I save calories during the week for my Friday night out. I weigh lighter the next morning due to dehydration but gain a couple of pounds the following day which disappears after a couple of days.

    I stated above that I am always lower on the scales after drinking alcohol but yes, like you, I’m up in the days afterwards. Maybe inflammation, maybe the comfort foods I sought the next day.

    I had a hard time understanding how others could gain weight when alcohol is dehydrating, but a reminder that I’m ALWAYS up in weight on the subsequent days plus the idea that our timelines can differ is the explanation I needed.

    I've let small upward trends derail me in the past so I'm trying hard not to stress about daily fluctuations as long as the general trend is going down.

    I've also been guilty of putting my life on hold while I deal with the excess weight, this time I'm trying to keep living my life hence refusing to give up my night out but budgeting calories for it to keep within my weekly goal.

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