Hit plateau and sudden water retention- what does this mean?

kjo1713

Hi all

I’ve been stuck at the same weight for a few months now and have noticed I’m suddenly very sensitive to water retention. I’m 5’3 and 120 and only a few more lbs to go. I’ve gotten my body fat percentage down now to 16% so maybe that’s a sign that’s as low as I Should be aiming? Or is there something I could do nutritionally? Eat more of a certain macro maybe? Protein or carb ratio tends to impact water retention...any tips would be appreciated! I just swell up really badly after weight lifting sessions and even my runs now and not sure what’s causing that.
Thanks!

AnnPT77

How fast were you losing, for how long? It's not uncommon after a long or deep calorie deficit to see more extreme water weight issues (stress related). If that's going on, this thread could have info that would be helpful:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10604863/of-refeeds-and-diet-breaks/p1

Also, it's important to realize that there are health problems that can increase water retention. For that reason, it might be a good idea to check in with your doctor, maybe get some blood tests.

If you're female (as your profile says you are), and that's a valid body fat percent (things like BIA scales aren't accurate), that body fat percentage is getting close to the very bottom of the healthy zone, suitable for certain athletes or bodybuilders close to competition time moreso than everyday people, but it could present some very specialized issues when it comes to maintaining there. (5'3" and 120 at 16% would be quite a bit of muscle mass. It's certainly possible, but it would not be common.)

In that sense, you might get better advice by doing a focused post in the "Gaining Weight & Bodybuilding" part of the forum, looking for feedback from female bodybuilders/strength enthusiasts who've been in that body fat range.

kjo1713

THank you so much! This is extremely helpful actually. I am not sure how to get past that milestone, and putting my all into becoming the best athlete I can (let's face it, not much else to focus on besides work right now!) so I will look into both of those avenues. I sincerely appreciate it. You may be on to something with the long-term calorie deficit being stressful to my body over time.
Thanks again!