Humidity...can this mess with my weight loss?

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Can humidity mess up your weight...I am seriously getting really discouraged! I drink so much water (8-10 cups a day) and stay within my calories (1300) and still I am gaining weight! I walk 2.5 miles every night and burn around 300 calories. By the end of the day I am still above 1200 calories. I am eating healthy food, no fast food, and I usually finish eating supper by 6pm. In Minnesota there is a heat advisory and the humidity is high. I have heard that humidity can make you retain water weight but within this past week, I have gained 5 pounds but last week I have lost around 3 pounds. I am starting to get discouraged and thinking that there is no point. Help please!!!!
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  • babyshme
    babyshme Posts: 310 Member
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    Check your sodium in take. I can gain and lose 5lbs a week in water weight bc of my sodium in take. I drink my 8 - 12 cups of water a day and I keep with in my calories. Some days it just doesn't matter what I do all bc of the dreaded sodium. As for humidity, I live in Michigan. So I have no clue if it messes with some one or not.
  • estyler87
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    Check your sodium in take. I can gain and lose 5lbs a week in water weight bc of my sodium in take. I drink my 8 - 12 cups of water a day and I keep with in my calories. Some days it just doesn't matter what I do all bc of the dreaded sodium. As for humidity, I live in Michigan. So I have no clue if it messes with some one or not.

    I checked my sodium intake for the past week and I have never got over (2500g) and most days I am usually under 1000
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    I live in Bahrain... high heat and 100% humidity in the summer. I find that the heat and humidity is really draining, i feel lethargic and moving around makes me get too hot easily, then i can't cool down easily............ the result is that I'm a lot less active than when it's cooler and less humid. If you have found that your weight loss has stalled and this coincides with higher heat and humidity, then this is probably the reason why. So yes it can mess with weight loss... because it makes you move less.
  • cassondraragan
    cassondraragan Posts: 233 Member
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    Humidity won't affect your fat loss.
  • mariposa224
    mariposa224 Posts: 1,269 Member
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    I don't know that there is a true physiological correlation, but I have found that I, personally, tend to retain more water when it's very humid. My sodium intake is fairly steady, regardless of the humidity, but when it's very humid, my watch is tight, as are my rings.

    Don't let it discourage you. Drink even MORE water, to help offset it. And know that it will pass.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    btw - are you eating back your exercise calories and netting around 1300 cals/day.... or are you eating only 1300 cals/day total? You're doing a lot of exercise, i.e. walking several miles a day - there's no way 1300 cals/day is enough. If you're netting 1300 cals/day then that's more reasonable, depending on how big you are (i.e. it's enough for some people but not others)
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    It was really humid here for a couple weeks this summer, and I definitely retained water like nobody's business! And yes, that was reflected on the scale. I just kept to my usual routine but with LOTS more water. The weather improved and everything went back to normal shortly thereafter.
  • NoeHead
    NoeHead Posts: 516 Member
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    I live in Bahrain... high heat and 100% humidity in the summer. I find that the heat and humidity is really draining, i feel lethargic and moving around makes me get too hot easily, then i can't cool down easily............ the result is that I'm a lot less active than when it's cooler and less humid. If you have found that your weight loss has stalled and this coincides with higher heat and humidity, then this is probably the reason why. So yes it can mess with weight loss... because it makes you move less.

    i used to live in Bahrain! Walking from from the parking lot to wear I worked was exhausting and I was usually sweating by then. It feels like it would have an effect but it's most likely factors other mfpers wrote. good luck!
  • whierd
    whierd Posts: 14,026 Member
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    Uh...no. You sweat more when it is humid due your body's inability to cool itself adequately because your sweat does not evaporate properly.
  • scottaworley
    scottaworley Posts: 871 Member
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    Can humidity mess up your weight...I am seriously getting really discouraged! I drink so much water (8-10 cups a day) and stay within my calories (1300) and still I am gaining weight! I walk 2.5 miles every night and burn around 300 calories. By the end of the day I am still above 1200 calories. I am eating healthy food, no fast food, and I usually finish eating supper by 6pm. In Minnesota there is a heat advisory and the humidity is high. I have heard that humidity can make you retain water weight but within this past week, I have gained 5 pounds but last week I have lost around 3 pounds. I am starting to get discouraged and thinking that there is no point. Help please!!!!

    A heat advisory in Minnesota is a chill advisory in Texas. time.. time.. time..
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Can humidity mess up your weight...I am seriously getting really discouraged! I drink so much water (8-10 cups a day) and stay within my calories (1300) and still I am gaining weight! I walk 2.5 miles every night and burn around 300 calories. By the end of the day I am still above 1200 calories. I am eating healthy food, no fast food, and I usually finish eating supper by 6pm. In Minnesota there is a heat advisory and the humidity is high. I have heard that humidity can make you retain water weight but within this past week, I have gained 5 pounds but last week I have lost around 3 pounds. I am starting to get discouraged and thinking that there is no point. Help please!!!!

    You can gain weight on healthy foods too...
  • MoWithaSmile
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    Try not to let one week discourage you. Our bodies fluctuate especially woman keep on track and chin up. Humidity can be a small factor in regards to water weight. Just keep up the good work it will pay off!
  • estyler87
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    btw - are you eating back your exercise calories and netting around 1300 cals/day.... or are you eating only 1300 cals/day total? You're doing a lot of exercise, i.e. walking several miles a day - there's no way 1300 cals/day is enough. If you're netting 1300 cals/day then that's more reasonable, depending on how big you are (i.e. it's enough for some people but not others)

    I eat around 1600 calories a day but stay within my net calories (calculated by MFP) of 1300 calories. I may be a little bit over or under but I have never gone below 1200 calories after working out
  • missigus
    missigus Posts: 207 Member
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    My experience living in Nebraska where we get very hot and humid as well, and are in the same heat warning as you today...is that for whatever reason I also retain more water when it's hot and humid. It's a weird phenomenon. I have a theory but I may have to do some research on this, cuz now ya got me thinking. I notice that my hands and feet swell mostly. My face can even be puffy. I don't have an answer as to why. Makes me wonder if maybe the body retains more more sodium so it will retain more water in order keep more cooling sweat in store to combat the heat in times like this. The excess fluid retention reaction is to get puffy if we are not sweating it out? Our bodies do learn to adapt to the climate we live in. I don't know. I do know it happens though. So don't get discouraged. Hang in there and forge on! The heat is supposed to get back to the normal range in the Midwest after Labor day. Until then get in a great workout and work up a major sweat and see if it helps!
  • rachempoo
    rachempoo Posts: 134 Member
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    I hear ya! I'm in Minnesota as well and the heat and humidity have not been kind. I have had a hard time myself this last week.
  • BattleTaxi
    BattleTaxi Posts: 752 Member
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    Humidity won't affect your fat loss.

    This. I live in South Florida. The only season here is 24/7 swamp butt. Check your sodium. Maybe 8-10 cups isn't enough water.
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
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    I was beginning to wonder if this was a serious post :noway:
  • estyler87
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    I was beginning to wonder if this was a serious post :noway:


    And why would you wonder that?? I have a question and I would like answers. This is the motivation and support forum and that is what I need. Therefore with that said, if you can not be supportive with my help, please dont comment and for those of you that have helped answer my question, thank you! I will take all of your helpful tips and apply them immediately!
  • crisbabe81
    crisbabe81 Posts: 170
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    Are you weighing and measuring your food? Are you using MFP calculations on calories burned or a HRM?
  • hauer01
    hauer01 Posts: 523 Member
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    Hello Fellow Katoian!

    Everyone's body is different. For me, I retain a lot of water in this excessive heat and humidity. Just stick with your plan, this is break in the next week or so (I wish it was NOW) and our bodies will go back to normal.