Eat a pickle, gain a pound?

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BroiledNotFried
BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Yesterday, I ate a "brine pickle" (with 250 mg sodium). Today, I am a pound heavier!

The only thing I can contribute this gain to is the pickle. I ate everything else within limits. The pickle didn't add much calories . . . but why on earth did I retain so much water? I also did not exercise hard yesterday, so I know it's not muscle/water weight.

I have to say that the pickle was good.....
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Replies

  • carrieliz81
    carrieliz81 Posts: 489 Member
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    That just seems totally implausible.... :) I'm sure your pickle did not put you over. I wouldn't worry too much about a one lb fluctuation either way, unless of course it's in the direction of the LOSING of a pound, and then it totally counts. :):):) Think towards the long term, and see what you weigh in two weeks of being good. I bet you will have lost by then!
  • lilchino4af
    lilchino4af Posts: 1,292 Member
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    I've heard that what you weigh today is more influenced by what you ate a couple days ago, not yesterday. Can't remember the article I read, I think the link to it was posted on a forum, but I can't find it now :frown: However, the pickle could have had a more immediate effect in that pickles have water and the sodium causes water retention (if you didn't drink enough water to flush it out). Also, if you didn't drink enough water to begin with, even with your light workout, your body could be retaining water because it didn't get enough.
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    My wedding bands aren't coming off that easily today, so it's water.

    2 days ago, I was super good and exercised (ran) on the treadmill. I drank 12 glasses of water in my big "****'s sporting good" water bottle that I filled up 3 times.

    I am going to drink more water, and hopefully this goes away.
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    How about normal daily fluctuation? I'm guessing you would've gained the pound with or without the pickle.
  • sonjavon
    sonjavon Posts: 1,019 Member
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    Anytime that I eat something high in sodium now - I retain water like crazy. I wouldn't worry too much about it - but drink some extra water today and really watch your sodium intake - it'll come back off.
  • djstrings
    djstrings Posts: 2
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    My scales bounce up and down like a pendulum. There are several factors that can make a flux in the daily weight. Here are a few I have noted: excess salt - water retention; eating later in the day; intestinal retention; getting up on the wrong side of the bed; the day of the week; humidity; etc. :laugh: I just keep plugging and eventually I have a new low on the scales - that's the one I count.

    Don't stress the pickle - enjoy it and remember - it's a journey not a quick trip!
  • Tamishumate
    Tamishumate Posts: 1,171 Member
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    YES!!! eating ONE pickle can make you retain a pound of water the next day! it has so much sodium in it. I read that in one of Jillian's books and I never forgot that, or ate another pickle again!!:bigsmile:
  • drvvork
    drvvork Posts: 1,162
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    I've heard that what you weigh today is more influenced by what you ate a couple days ago, not yesterday. Can't remember the article I read, I think the link to it was posted on a forum, but I can't find it now :frown: However, the pickle could have had a more immediate effect in that pickles have water and the sodium causes water retention (if you didn't drink enough water to flush it out). Also, if you didn't drink enough water to begin with, even with your light workout, your body could be retaining water because it didn't get enough.

    I understand it takes 36 hours for food to digest completely through the system...but you might want to check your sodium intake for the last few days to see if maybe you are pushing the limits. I know I have to watch mine as it effects my joints horribly.:flowerforyou:
  • jbuffan218
    jbuffan218 Posts: 275 Member
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    Let me tell ya....it was that dang pickle!
    This is just an opinion I really know nothing more than most of us laymen dieters BUT for me personally I can almost bet my life that it is the sodium in that juicy pickle.

    Personal story :
    My 3rd week on MFP I thought I was doing so good, I was losing weight every week and I weigh in on Saturday mornings.
    So on friday night I had tilapia for dinner I am new to fish that isn't deep fried so I had no idea how to cook it.
    I sprinkled it heavily with LEMON PEPPER and when done used lemon jiuce. Damn that was good. Loved it.
    had steamed broccoli, carrots and skim milk. Thats it. 10 waters that day.

    The next morning I was UP 2 pounds !!!!
    I knew I retained fuid badly , but I had no added salt ( 3 months now) and no processed food that day.
    I started looking at the sodium on everything I ate that day and yup you guessed it.......the LEMON PEPPER .
    The first ingredient in the list is SALT get this..... 1/4 tsp yes thats teaspoon has 270mg of sodium !!! I was pissed! :explode:
    Now for one thing who in the world would only use 1/4 teaspoon?? So the labeling ticked me off and no where in my wildest dreams did I think this was LEMON SALT !

    The good news is that on monday I re-weighed myself and I was actually down 1/2lb.
    So for ME it wasn't really a weight gain as much as my camel hump filled with saltwater.:sad:

    Since that day I pay very strict attention to my sodium beginning on wednesday, if I want something salty I eat it Sun-Tuesday. I eat nothing in a can , bag or box on friday. Watch those frozen entrees, low cals but high sodium.
    Side note: I allow myself one free meal on saturday and 9 times outta 10 I am craving salt!
    No chocolate cravings just give me salt !

    I would re-weigh in a couple days and I bet you will see that pickle juice is gone, drink lots of water until then.
    You might want to change your settings to track sodium , if your not doing so already. You might be surprised, it's a real eye opener.
    I could go on forever about how "sodium is not our friend" We all know sugar is not our friend but sodium? he's like the sneaky little cousin who never gets in trouble but is always there when someone gets their eye poked out !
    Good Luck I hope this helped in some small way.
  • cbnorris
    cbnorris Posts: 204 Member
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    YES!!! eating ONE pickle can make you retain a pound of water the next day! it has so much sodium in it. I read that in one of Jillian's books and I never forgot that, or ate another pickle again!!:bigsmile:

    please, PLEASE, tell me you're joking. I love pickles. :(
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
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    YES!!! eating ONE pickle can make you retain a pound of water the next day! it has so much sodium in it. I read that in one of Jillian's books and I never forgot that, or ate another pickle again!!:bigsmile:

    But she said the pickle only contained 250mg of sodium. That's not excessive. It's actually unbelievably low for a pickle!
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    I just double checked the container and it's 250 mg of sodium. It's "Ba-Tempte Half Sour Pickles". The ingrediants list cucumbers, garlic, water, and salt. There is no vinegar in it.
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    I think I'm going to do this each week, a weekly experiment. See if it holds true. Stay tuned.
  • odditblue
    odditblue Posts: 34 Member
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    There's a saying I've heard about pickles and weight, "a pound a pickle" which means for every pickle you eat, the salt will cause you to retain one pound of fluids. Not sure how true this is, but I know every time I eat a pickle it does cause my sodium levels to soar. Not that I'm going to give up pickles altogether. I like them. But they do make me thirsty and cause my fingers and feet to swell pretty good after eating so much salt. Best to give yourself a day or two of low sodium and lots of water to get rid of the remains of the salty food and then weigh. Pickles are great, but just like everything, they should be enjoyed in moderation.
    :smile:
  • porcelana86
    porcelana86 Posts: 1
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    this is completely true. I came looking for an answer because I gorged on 4 kosher dill pickles yesterday on my shake diet thinking I would be ok and gained nearly 3 lbs today. I could hardly pull my ring off this morning. almost in tears I came online searching for an answer.
  • vsangelwings95
    vsangelwings95 Posts: 24 Member
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    pickes are evil. i ate a pickle once and gained 83 pounds overnight!
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
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    250 mg of sodium isn't that much, considering most women average about 3000 mg day and most men average closer to 3500 mg a day. It's recommended you keep sodium under 2400 mg. And yes... most people have way too much of it.

    But I just don't think the 250mg in one pickle explains a pound of weight gain. Maybe if you ate 20 pickles, it would happen... but one?
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,243 Member
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    Oh no... you retained water.

    So the heck what? It's not fat. It's not a huge issue. You will see daily fluctuation all the time. You shouldn't freak out about a little water weight.
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    YES!!! eating ONE pickle can make you retain a pound of water the next day! it has so much sodium in it. I read that in one of Jillian's books and I never forgot that, or ate another pickle again!!:bigsmile:

    please, PLEASE, tell me you're joking. I love pickles. :(

    Yes you retain water. If you drink a lot of plain water, you will flush out the sodium from the pickle. I actually mix pickle brine and chopped pickles with Fage yogurt to eat as a low calorie salty snack and I can see my weight skyrocketing the next day.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    My scales bounce up and down like a pendulum. There are several factors that can make a flux in the daily weight. Here are a few I have noted: excess salt - water retention; eating later in the day; intestinal retention; getting up on the wrong side of the bed; the day of the week; humidity; etc. :laugh: I just keep plugging and eventually I have a new low on the scales - that's the one I count.

    Don't stress the pickle - enjoy it and remember - it's a journey not a quick trip!
    intestinal retention??? LOL

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