Water retention - what to expect!

Dehanna

What does "BUMP" mean? I've seen a bunch of people mention it here on EM2WL and I'm confused. Sorry, but I just started my Metabolism Reset today for the first time.

Gapwedge01

What does "BUMP" mean? I've seen a bunch of people mention it here on EM2WL and I'm confused. Sorry, but I just started my Metabolism Reset today for the first time.

Welcome! BUMP just means sending this original post back to the top of page 1. Either the person wants to read it later or is wanting the original poster (OP) to stay one page 1 so it gets more views. You may see BTT meaning back to top also.

Gapwedge01

To me you are describing maybe cross fit type exercises? Rather than compound lifting? If so, your present method made be more cardio oriented which is not as effective for fat loss. What TDEE/BMR formula did you use? Could your numbers be off? Are you logging your food accurately? Are you over estimating your calorie burn? Lots of variables to think about. Just trying to see where you are in this journey.

I'm pretty clueless at what these exercises are called! I just know that it really hurts the next day. I used the TDEE from this site: http://www.iifym.com/tdee-calculator. I rather add back my exercise calories ( just enjoy adding the numbers in each time), and a 20% cut leaves me at 1370. It's possible I'm over estimating the calories burnt, but the HRM should be pretty accurate ... I reconfigure it as soon as there is a 2 pound difference. When I was doing straight up cardio and at an average of 1260 or so netted, the numbers made sense ... it started becoming stranger when I upped the net calories and added in those don't-know-what-it's-called exercises.

HRM's are designed for steady state activities such as walking, running, or cycling. For other activities they tend to overestimate. So you say your HRM should be pretty accurate. How do you know? I am just being devil's advocate and helping you find your answer.

geekyjock76

The most important thing to realize is that water weight always fluctuates. When we eat enough to truly maintain, we typically indulge in a certain amount of carbs, which translates to x glycogen and water storage. When we assume a deficit, particularly from eating less carbs, we are holding less than our typical amount of water weight. This is why the first few lbs are lost so rapidly. Thus, when we reintroduce more carbs, we return to holding a regular amount of water. If someone exercises during this refeed, they will gain additional weight from water and glycogen. However, it should only be seen as a false gain since it isn't a gain in fat mass.

squashyhelen

The most important thing to realize is that water weight always fluctuates. When we eat enough to truly maintain, we typically indulge in a certain amount of carbs, which translates to x glycogen and water storage. When we assume a deficit, particularly from eating less carbs, we are holding less than our typical amount of water weight. This is why the first few lbs are lost so rapidly. Thus, when we reintroduce more carbs, we return to holding a regular amount of water. If someone exercises during this refeed, they will gain additional weight from water and glycogen. However, it should only be seen as a false gain since it isn't a gain in fat mass.

Does that mean that one should not exercise during refeed days? And why would the body hold onto water and glycogen during exercising ... shouldn't the body use it all up instead?

amanda_gent

@squashyhelen -

You're not gonna gain eating below TDEE, no way, no how (unless you've seriously messed up your metabolism) -- and it sounds like you're doing circuit training (I did TRX today and logged it as that, anyway. It burns tons of calories that's why it's so dang tiring!). If you're not used to that activity you're going to swell in reaction to it for a while (micro-tears again/water retention to repair muscles again). Settle into it, and don't take score so soon! It also sounds like you need to eat more than you are, especially as you are closing in on your goal weight. Lastly, you ARE losing weight now, right? You are just frustrated it isn't going faster?

@ geekyjock - thank you! That's never really mentioned here - that eating way below your maintenance will take off fast weight, sure, but then if you go back and eat at maintenance it goes back on fast. That's why you need a goal weight range, not a carved in stone number. Weight is not a static thing! Also another good reason to make a very small cut when losing weight - so that when you resume maintenance eating it's not such a big change for your body and therefore not a huge jump in pounds to maintain equilibrium.

heybales

The most important thing to realize is that water weight always fluctuates. When we eat enough to truly maintain, we typically indulge in a certain amount of carbs, which translates to x glycogen and water storage. When we assume a deficit, particularly from eating less carbs, we are holding less than our typical amount of water weight. This is why the first few lbs are lost so rapidly. Thus, when we reintroduce more carbs, we return to holding a regular amount of water. If someone exercises during this refeed, they will gain additional weight from water and glycogen. However, it should only be seen as a false gain since it isn't a gain in fat mass.

Does that mean that one should not exercise during refeed days? And why would the body hold onto water and glycogen during exercising ... shouldn't the body use it all up instead?

The big problem here is you are mainly freaking yourself out because of a very normal effect, but unless you exercised before would never have noticed.

Your muscles can store 1000-1500 calories of carbs, liver another 400 about.

You hardly use them all up in a workout, unless you are doing marathons.

But 500 cal worth stores with water for total weight of 1 lb. Can't get around that fact. Blood volume too has water in it. As do sore muscles retaining water to aid repair.

Yes you should exercise during refeed days.

The problem here is you are expecting too much from the exercise, without realizing that exercise is asking your body to make improvements, that mainly have nothing to do with weight loss.

Diet is for weight loss, hopefully just fat loss if done correctly.

Exercise is for heart health and body improvement, and hopefully helps just fat loss. But if done wrong can help muscle loss, while being done right can create non-fat gains. And no, you didn't gain muscle with the little you are doing.

It hurts, expect it, means you had a good workout - congrats. Keep it up.

Now eat enough to truly benefit the workouts since by doing them you must want some body improvements. But don't expect weight loss from just that.

Certainly not in a week's worth of time.

squashyhelen

@ heybales, amanda, geekyjock, gapwedge - thank you guys so very much for the tips and advice. You are absolutely right and I was expecting it to go faster, especially as it has been slow but steady progress until now. Part of the other reason was that I was relying too much (I think) on the body fat %, muscle % and water % numbers on my scale to be accurate. It really looked as if I was not only going up in weight (returning to my beginning of January weight), but also increasing both body fat and muscle while the water weight stayed constant. That the entire body needs to swell in reaction to exercise is a bit new for me (and that it cannot be detected by my fancy new scale).

I hold most of my weight in my lower half, and the thought of it getting bigger scares me (childhood scars from people's nasty "helpful" comments). That I was gaining weight and definitely not losing any inches was starting to get to me. The reason I wanted to calculate the 20% cut based on a sedentary lifestyle is because at any moment, my job could get very very busy (staying in the office until 2am) and I'd almost rather add in the exercise on a daily basis as opposed to assuming there is time for my regular exercise throughout the rest of the week. In any case, I'm taking your advice to heart and now trying to focus on other metrics for progress for the next week. Since starting to exercise (mid November), I have managed to shave off a full minute 20 seconds from a 55 flight stair climb and did this with a much lower maximum heart rate and a much faster return to a normal heart rate after. Maybe the next step is to try actually lifting in conjunction with circuit training (omg circuit training is so hard).

heybales

The reason I wanted to calculate the 20% cut based on a sedentary lifestyle is because at any moment, my job could get very very busy (staying in the office until 2am) and I'd almost rather add in the exercise on a daily basis as opposed to assuming there is time for my regular exercise throughout the rest of the week. In any case, I'm taking your advice to heart and now trying to focus on other metrics for progress for the next week. Since starting to exercise (mid November), I have managed to shave off a full minute 20 seconds from a 55 flight stair climb and did this with a much lower maximum heart rate and a much faster return to a normal heart rate after. Maybe the next step is to try actually lifting in conjunction with circuit training (omg circuit training is so hard).

Very valid reason and method of doing it, and better than MFP's method using block of calories, rather than %.

Use this spreadsheet, after you fill in Simple Setup tab (and only include in activity calc what will indeed be done, or work related more than desk job activity) go to the MFP tweak tab and use that for your eat back.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/813720-spreadsheet-bmr-tdee-deficit-macro-calcs-hrm-zones

HKSteph

Thank you fom me too for this Mike. I'm only on day 2 but I'm feeling huge, like tight at the seams huge and am really tempted to go back to lower cals. And I haven't even got anywhere near my TDEE yet! I'm supposed to be on 2,350 but moving off 2 years of 1,200 means its so hard.

But just wanted to say thanks again - I really needed to read this today!

heybales

Thank you fom me too for this Mike. I'm only on day 2 but I'm feeling huge, like tight at the seams huge and am really tempted to go back to lower cals. And I haven't even got anywhere near my TDEE yet! I'm supposed to be on 2,350 but moving off 2 years of 1,200 means its so hard.

But just wanted to say thanks again - I really needed to read this today!

Are you popping up about 200 a day for a week or two at a time?

Might be easier.

HKSteph

Thank you fom me too for this Mike. I'm only on day 2 but I'm feeling huge, like tight at the seams huge and am really tempted to go back to lower cals. And I haven't even got anywhere near my TDEE yet! I'm supposed to be on 2,350 but moving off 2 years of 1,200 means its so hard.

But just wanted to say thanks again - I really needed to read this today!

Are you popping up about 200 a day for a week or two at a time?

Might be easier.

I'm trying to be semi gradual(!) - going up to 1,800 on none training days and trying for 2,000+ on training days. I really want to get this reset going straight off if possible. Do you think it's better to be gradual? I figured with Christmas not long behind me I've probably not been on 1,200 the last month or so so it might be safe!

squashyhelen

@heybale - thanks! I'm definitely going to have to take a look at it. Strangely, I really upped the intake over the last two days and the scale seems to be moving in the right direction again. Well, maybe drinking tons of water and giving my muscles a break also helped. Thanks to you guys for keeping me less mentally insane for that self-doubt-filled week!

godslilgerl

I started eating more and doing nrolfw at the same time and for 4 whole weeks the scale didn't change and my clothes were feeling tighter. Even though i knew i wasn't getting fatter since the scale wasn't going up it was still so frustrating...well this week (week 5) i finally lost almost 3 pounds so my i'm guessing by body is finally letting go of some water...my clothes still feel tighter which is weird to me since i lost a couple pounds but oh well i'm sure that will change over time too. Don't get discouraged...some of our bodies are more stubborn than others but this way of eating is way easier to stick to than when i was trying to starve myself on 1200cal so i will definitely be sticking with it :drinker:

heybales

I'm trying to be semi gradual(!) - going up to 1,800 on none training days and trying for 2,000+ on training days. I really want to get this reset going straight off if possible. Do you think it's better to be gradual? I figured with Christmas not long behind me I've probably not been on 1,200 the last month or so so it might be safe!

That is an excellent gradual method I'd forgotten about but need to mention more.

Because if the majority of the big eat is after the workout, and it is indeed seen as excess because the metabolism has not moved up yet, at least it's excess to be used for body improvement first, great time for it.