"It's just water weight"

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feelin_gr_8
feelin_gr_8 Posts: 308 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know my friend wasn't meaning to insult, but after mentioning the 7 pounds I lost in my 1st month on here, but that I don't feel it too much in my clothes, she said "yeah, those first 5-10 pounds are usually water weight". I was a smidge crushed :( From my understanding of water weight loss....it doesn't make sense...is it really? I haven't been taking or eating anything in particular to flush water from my system. Yes, I've been working out but not THAT strenuously and I've been drinking lots more water than I used to... Are the first few pounds really "water weight" or is it possible that it's actual fat?

Replies

  • born2drum
    born2drum Posts: 731 Member
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    :drinker: Depending on how big you are 5-10lbs is absolutely nothing and goes unnotceable unless, say, you're already at below 10% for a male and 16% for a female then 5-10lbs is a lot.

    ANyways, its mostly water with a tad of fat unless you're a cardio bunny then its: water, muscle, and fat. So. There you have it. One way to tell is to take measurements. Measure and weigh yourself once a week.

    Not happy? Keep it up!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    people do say that a lot, I guess if a loss happens really quick, if you had lost 7lbs in one weeks I'd say yep that's gotta be mostly water...but saying you took the 7lbs off in a month, that's not water weight :)

    Never worry about your friend, you'll find that person will be a little jealous that you are actually doing something about your weight.

    All the best with your journey - prove your friends wrong :-D
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    It could be, but you may have lost more and actually retaining more fluid too. If you took up exercise, then you are probably actually retaining more water, as muscle store water to protect them and aid in recovery.

    Now if you based it on your deficit and according to that you should have lost only 2 lbs, then most likely a large portion of the 7 lbs is water. Too many variables to actually tell what was lost.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
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    Water weight flush will typically happen in the first 1-2 weeks of changing your eating habits and/or working out, and it can be upwards of 5 lbs, depending on what you're eating.
  • LydiaShackelford
    LydiaShackelford Posts: 93 Member
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    Likely a combination of both. But you answered your own question by saying you are drinking lots more water. The more water you drink, the less water your body will hold. Sounds backwards, but it's true. Your body when dehydrated holds onto every ounce of water it can, giving you a bloated, full, puffier look. Once you start drinking enough water, and after you've had your stint of peeing every 10 minutes due to the flush, you'll notice you're less puffy.

    However, I doubt you were carrying around 7 pounds of water. Depends on the person, of course, but I'm sure somewhere in there you lost a little fat, also! Just keep it up! Drink you water, eat at a caloric deficit, and move your body. You'll lose weight. :)
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    Generally, water weight is lost in the first week when starting a calorie cut and changing your diet from surplus calories to deficient calories. On average, eating at a surplus means that you will have more sodium in your diet from day to day, and sodium has to be balanced with water in the proper ratios. Eat more salt, your body retains more water.

    Eat less, and all the sudden your sodium intake will decrease across the board, and your body will release a bunch of water. After that initial reset, most of what you lose (if you are engaging in weight/resistance training and consuming enough protein) is fat. Beware of the scale though, water weighs 8.35 pounds per gallon. Drink one 16 oz glass of water, and you'll instantly weigh 1 pound heavier. Changes in hydration levels can mask fat loss from day to day. Scales suck.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    Some of it is water, probably not all of it - usually that's why you get the first great week or two, but you really shouldn't be losing significant amounts of water after that.

    But that's ok. It's still part what you're going to lose, so yay, you've done that part! And the other thing that may either be depressing or encouraging depending on how you look at it is that a lot of times it's easy to lie to ourselves about how comfortably our clothes fit, especially they have any stretch in them. That's also why it's hardest to go down your first pants size, but the rest come more regularly after that.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Some of it's water to be sure. When you cut calories your body simply requires less water to metabolize those calories. Some of it's likely fat though. When you see people with huge losses over the course of a couple weeks...like those people that lose 10 Lbs in a couple of weeks...that's mostly water and usually a result of cutting carbs as well as calories (carbs need more water).

    In your case, 7 Lbs in a month is probably pretty good (I'll assume you have a lot to lose) and a good bit of that is probably fat...some muscle too if you're not doing resistance work.
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    She's probably mostly right about it being water weight, but the comment was kind of rude. A real friend should just say "congratualations!".

    Just keep up what you're doing and don't let it bother you though. If you have a lot to lose (and your ticker seems to indicate you do), you're probably going to hear a LOT of idiot comments and unsolicited advice along the way.... :ohwell:

    7 lbs lost is still 7 lbs lost..no matter how you define it! :drinker:
  • SkinnyMsFitness
    SkinnyMsFitness Posts: 389 Member
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    I know my friend wasn't meaning to insult, but after mentioning the 7 pounds I lost in my 1st month on here, but that I don't feel it too much in my clothes, she said "yeah, those first 5-10 pounds are usually water weight". I was a smidge crushed :( From my understanding of water weight loss....it doesn't make sense...is it really? I haven't been taking or eating anything in particular to flush water from my system. Yes, I've been working out but not THAT strenuously and I've been drinking lots more water than I used to... Are the first few pounds really "water weight" or is it possible that it's actual fat?

    I've lost my weight by merely walking/cutting grass and 'trying' to eat in moderation. Nothing strenuous here. You think my progress is water weight?! This journey can be tough, it defo is time consuming, but really, it's pretty easy. I cannot tell you if you 7 lbs was, in fact, water weight. All that matters is you're on your first steps to reach your goals!

    Keep consistent and pretty soon that 7 will turn into 70! =)) Great work, BTW!!
  • feelin_gr_8
    feelin_gr_8 Posts: 308 Member
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    Thanks for the help/clarification/support. I have over 100 lbs to lose, so no, 7 isn't a ton, but it's a start :)

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