What is water weight exactly?

FayeLovecraft
FayeLovecraft Posts: 3
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi, I've had an account here for a while, but never really used it until recently, when I started trying to lose weight. I lost ten pounds, but I don't really look much different at all, except for maybe my calves. I talked to a friend who said most of it might be just water weight. But what is that, really? I thought you only lost water weight when doing a fad diet, but I have been careful to lose slowly, about one or two pounds a week, and I've been eating healthily, but not crash dieting or anything. I've hear water weight is a thing more associated with starting to lose from a heavier weight, so if it helps with answering the question, I wasn't overweight when I started dieting. Does anyone know any better than me about this? Thanks for any answers!

Replies

  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Water retention? Think of it as the percentage of your body made up by water. Sometimes is more, sometimes it's less.
  • SoViLicious
    SoViLicious Posts: 2,633 Member
    Water retention? Think of it as the percentage of your body made up by water. Sometimes is more, sometimes it's less.

    MIND = BLOWN! Like you peen later.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Water retention? Think of it as the percentage of your body made up by water. Sometimes is more, sometimes it's less.

    MIND = BLOWN! Like you peen later.

    ^
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    Your body holds extra water for several reasons, among them hormones, sodium levels, carbohydrates, and muscle soreness. People who restrict their calories and try to eat healthier often lower their sodium and carb intake (even if they aren't specifically going low-carb, just cutting back on calories almost always means cutting back on at least some carbs). That means they lose the water their bodies were holding onto along with the carbs and sodium--sometimes several pounds worth.

    If your weight loss corresponds to your calorie restriction (that is, if you cut back by 500 calories a day and have been losing 1 pound a week as you would expect), then it's probably mostly fat loss. If you lose crazy fast at first, like 3 to 5 pounds your first week when you're only set up to lose 1 pound, then it's probably mostly water.

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