Woosh!

So I just learned tonight about "woosh". I have experienced it in the past, but didn't understand what it was until now. Still trying to understand it. It is where you do everything correctly diet and exercise wise and go in a calorie deficit yet don't notice any changes on the scale or in measurements for a few weeks. You even notice that your fat suddenly feels extra squishy (I have always noticed the squish before a big loss). And then suddenly weeks later, overnight you drop about 3 - 4 lbs.

The way I understand it is, your fat cells are losing fat and then will fill up with water temporarily as a protection mode and then will release the water? Is this correct? So the water in the fat cells while at a deficit is temporary? Or will your body continue to hold onto water as long as you're eating at a deficit? Someone told me not to eat at too low a deficit because I will hold onto water. Can it SERIOUSLY be this complicated? No wonder everyone struggles.

Also a friend who was a former boxer told me the at-home body wraps will take this water out of the cells while you're trying to lose. He had huge success with it, but he said you have to do it consistently.

What do you all think?

I think you are a bit confused. The squishiness is basically bloating/water weight which can be from too much sodium in your diet or hormonal changes. What happens is water is pulled from your cells and muscles and concentrated directly beneath the skin taking away definition and giving you the "squishy" look as well as dehydrating you. This is a bad thing.

Generally you cannot lose body fat that drastically because it's not how the human body is designed. Fat cells are essentially stored fuel reserves. When you are eating at a deficit, your body must tap into its reserves for energy, but when you are eating at a caloric surplus it will just continue to fill up the gas tank so to speak. This is a survival mechanism and is non-negotiable. The thing about eating at a deficit is that the body will eventually adapt over time to running on a lower caloric input. This is why weight loss eventually plateaus after an extended period of progress. At this point its best to change other variables like increase energy output (exercise), or dietary changes (lower carbs).

Anyone who drops 3 - 20+ lbs in a relatively short period of time is only cutting water weight. There are many negative side effects to extreme dehydration, the most common being loss of consciousness, hypothermia, and organ damage.
Athletes often cut weight for the purpose of competition. The most important thing to them after making their "weigh in/weight class" is rehydrating. The same goes for bodybuilding and fitness athletes who dehydrate themselves for the stage. The moment they step off, hydration is first thing they are concerned about. It is very common for people to pass out back stage or in mid cut because of the physical and mental toll it takes on the body. I want you to be very clear about this concept because it can be very dangerous.

Stay hydrated and consume less salt to keep water weight/bloating to a minimum. Hope that helps!

Thanks so much for this post. I know I am confused, I was almost too confused to ask the question (lol). I learned a lot from this. So should I be sitting in a sauna daily then to avoid that junk that is trapped under the skin or am I still confused?