Question about glycogen/ water weight

Whiskeytub
Whiskeytub Posts: 96 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Back story (feel free to skip):
I recently lost about 20 pounds using MFP calorie tracking. Once I hit my goal weight, I felt great, I looked great, /confetti, hurrah. Then I switched to maintenance and BAM! +5 pounds right back on. After a little "wtf"ing, I found that post about glycogen stores that people are always linking (yet for some reason I can never find it or I would have linked it) and switched back to a deficit to lose yet another few pounds so as to be able to bump up to my goal weight when yet again going into maintenance. I am now about 1-2 pounds away from what I consider to be the minimum amount I should weigh, and as soon as I hit that mark I am going to start slowly increasing my calories up to maintain. The thing is, I love the way my body looks right now even more than it did when I was at my goal weight.

So here's my question and try not to ridicule me if it is a stupid question. Is water/glycogen weight visible?

I like how I look right now, and though I don't mind if the scale goes up a bit, I would like to keep my body as it is. I don't mind eating at a deficit, but if water weight shows then I would have to lose another few pounds and by numbers alone I don't think that would be advisable. I am 5'2, my goal weight was 110, and I'm currently ranging from 107-109. I was thinking once the scale is consistently sitting on or around 107 I'd start moving up to maintain. I do not want to drop to 105 or below because I don't think that would be healthy for me. I do not like to see my sternum defined through my skin.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's gone through this already, is planning to, or generally has anything to say on the topic.

Replies

  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
    Glycogen is made and stored primarily in the cells of the liver and the muscles, and it's unlikely to cause any noticeable change in appearance. Water retention, depending on much, may be noticeable.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    My understanding is that glycogen is stored in the muscle as fuel and is solubilized by a considerable amount of water (which means with the glycogen comes a lot of water). The effect of this is if you are dieting heavily (especially low carb) and working out you can deplete your glycogen levels and when you resume a maintenance eating or ease up on your workouts your body has a chance to replenish.

    The physically effect of this is more glycogen more water and the location is the muscles which causes them to swell and firm. If this has a visual look it would just be that your muscles would appear fuller.
  • Whiskeytub
    Whiskeytub Posts: 96 Member
    If this has a visual look it would just be that your muscles would appear fuller.

    That I can handle.

    /flex
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    What it comes down to is what do you care about more? How you look, or what the scale says.

    If the answer is you care more about what the scale says then I suggest that you find some way to strap a scale onto your back so that everyone can see what the number says too instead of just looking at your firmer more toned body.
  • spoiledpuppies
    spoiledpuppies Posts: 675 Member
    I found it noticeable (in a good way). I lost to below goal--ended up going quite below as I transitioned to maintenance slowly. My husband commented within a couple of weeks that I looked better. Plus, I was sick all last week so I didn't eat much. When my trainer first saw me again, he commented that I looked "depleted" (I agreed), and he reassured me that we'd get my glycogen back up.

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