Is it possible to have 4+ lbs of water weight?

fiendiish
fiendiish Posts: 186
edited September 20 in Health and Weight Loss
Seriously...I have lost 4lbs in as many days...and it's weirding me out...A LOT! I knew I was eating a lot of sodium so I increased my water intake. I'm hoping that's what's going on. I've totally been eating 1300+ cals a day...and havent even been on my regular exercise routine this week because of the hubs schedule.

I'm certainly not going to complain...but thats some big weight loss for less than a week. It's GOT to be water weight right? How much water weight can someone carry?

Replies

  • roylawrence87
    roylawrence87 Posts: 970 Member
    I have lost as much as 10 pounds in a week, water. And yes you can attribute that to a high sodium diet. Fast food does it to me. When I dropped it, I dropped weight like crazy the first 2 weeks then it leveled off.
  • HonestOmnivore
    HonestOmnivore Posts: 1,356 Member
    YES! But that doesn't mean it was all water. Your body stores fuel dissolved in water (glucosamine) which it uses when you cut back calories, water is also held in other parts of your body for all sorts of purposes including when you're sodium is high.
  • djstargater
    djstargater Posts: 18
    I have the opposite problem. I seem to have gained 4 pounds and I am carefully following my food intake, but I don't usually eat all of my calories. I am hoping it is water weight gain. Maybe I need to up my water intake. At this point I am very confused.
  • faithstephenson
    faithstephenson Posts: 280 Member
    Have you had a time of not losing much? Or other stuff with your body? I've had a couple of times where I lost a lot faster than normal, but when I look back, it has averaged out over the month. This week I lost 6 pounds, but I hadn't lost last week (I'm on 2 lbs a week deficit), and over the last 6 weeks, I'm actually right on schedule. I also took the week off from the gym, and I have heard other people say that when they take a break, their weightloss actually speeds up a bit. I think it is because your body doesn't need all the water for rebuilding your muscles. So, yeah I think it could all be water. Look back and see if you can identify some things that can explain it. Then give it maybe a week, and if you're still losing more than you feel is right, maybe talk to a doctor or something.
  • Hazeyblue
    Hazeyblue Posts: 22
    Has it recently been your time of the month? If it has been you may of just dropped some of the excess water that accumulated during your period possibley.
  • sandara
    sandara Posts: 830 Member
    I have the opposite problem. I seem to have gained 4 pounds and I am carefully following my food intake, but I don't usually eat all of my calories. I am hoping it is water weight gain. Maybe I need to up my water intake. At this point I am very confused.

    I've had that happen too, but I just stuck to my diet and it eventually fell back off. It most likely is mainly water for it to come and go that fast. It's just your scales messing with your mind. Don't let it trick you into giving up because if your not overeating your not really gaining weight. :smile:
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Your ticker says you're aiming to lose 95 lbs so it's possible it wasn't all water weight. The more weight you have to lose, the faster it goes.
  • coronalime
    coronalime Posts: 583 Member
    I did a 1/2 iron man last Saturday. The week before I had to water and liquid up. I gained 6 pds prior to it in just Gatorade, water and sodium uppage. Today 1 week later I am down to my original weight without doing a thing
  • ThumperWabbt
    ThumperWabbt Posts: 82 Member
    I'm certainly not going to complain...but thats some big weight loss for less than a week. It's GOT to be water weight right? How much water weight can someone carry?

    The first week I started "dieting" I dropped 8 pounds...I know a lot of that had to be water weight, but not all. In the first weeks of dedicated weight loss you're going to take some water weight off, but you're also going to chew through a lot of body fat...just tell yourself 4 pounds is 4 pounds, and don't worry about it unless you feel bloated.

    I know I can carry as much as 10-15 pounds of extra water, but when it gets to that point, I feel it. My forearms feel tight and my feet feel thick. One of my docs told me I can self check for that by pushing into my skin on one of my calves, over the bone. If it indents and stays indented for a couple seconds, I'm probably carrying more water than I need to (and then I can skip my meds to pee it off...not sure how someone normal would get ride of it, but at least it's a way to gauge how much extra water is on board.) Now, if you push in and it REALLY indents and stays there, you have problems...but a second or two just means there's a little extra water in your system.

    Take that for what's it worth, though...I have diabetes insipidus and thusly have water issues. YMMV...
  • makobeach
    makobeach Posts: 4
    I had this happen to me- ive gain and lose 2-3 pounds in a day before so it must be water- however suddenly i am 4 up on what I was a week ago, hoping its just water :/
  • peckish_pomegranate
    peckish_pomegranate Posts: 242 Member
    Oh totally, especially if you drink a lot of water in addition to normal body stuff. My weight is all over the place from day to day.
  • xxcatyxx555
    xxcatyxx555 Posts: 184
    your daily weight can fluctuate anywhere from 1 to 7 pounds
  • nickyfm
    nickyfm Posts: 1,214 Member
    You're made up of 60-70% water. So yes, this is 100% possible, lol
  • ShaniWulffe
    ShaniWulffe Posts: 458 Member
    Totally possible. the last time I had a body composition analysis done, I had 3.6lbs of water retention. In my defense, though, I was on a cruise and wasn't eating the best haha
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    Seriously...I have lost 4lbs in as many days...and it's weirding me out...A LOT! I knew I was eating a lot of sodium so I increased my water intake. I'm hoping that's what's going on. I've totally been eating 1300+ cals a day...and havent even been on my regular exercise routine this week because of the hubs schedule.

    I'm certainly not going to complain...but thats some big weight loss for less than a week. It's GOT to be water weight right? How much water weight can someone carry?

    It's certainly physically possible. When hubby was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma they removed 15 lbs of fluids from his tissues and pleural cavity.
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