Retaining water during a reset/diet break
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snafuing1
Posts: 16 Member
I took a two week diet break where I exercised like normal and ate my TDEE (2050 calories). That ended about a week ago. At the start of my diet break, I weighed 147-148 lbs. At the end, I was weighing 149-150 lbs. Now, after a week of eating at TDEE - 15% (1750 calories) and continuing normal exercise, I weighed 146 yesterday and 145 today. I have been careful to stay hydrated this whole time and had about the same level of sodium intake... if anything I ate more sodium the past few days than normal. I can't really explain why my weight is low! Do you retain more water when you eat more, maybe? Has anyone else had this experience?
Not that I mind weighing low... just wondering if I am doing something wrong.
Not that I mind weighing low... just wondering if I am doing something wrong.
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You might retain more water, but the weight of that extra food as it transits your GI tract is also gonna make the scale read higher as well.0
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Yes. You will retain more water as you eat your TDEE... Not indefinitely, but your body can retain up to 4 (or in cases of highly trained athletes, like 6) lbs of glycogen and water to keep you ready for anything. When you eat at a deficit you deplete these stores first (hence a quick loss on week 1 of a cut). Once you start eating at TDEE your body will begin stashing this energy.
In my experience, if you want to weigh, say, 140 lbs, you need to cut down to about 137 before eating at maintenance. Then you'll puff back up to 140 and stay there to maintain.0 -
Thank you guys, that makes a lot of sense. Kind of disappointing to learn I'll have to cut more to stay at my goal, though.
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