Water weight?

nickiejohnson
nickiejohnson Posts: 58
edited September 22 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi everyone! Happy Friday! :)
I had a question about water weight. I've been told for those that have around 50+ of weight to lose, you have about 5-10lbs of water weight. I've been told also that the first few pounds that you lose is just water weight. Is this true? And if it is, would water pills help to drop the water weight and just start working on fat? Someone told me they swear by water pills to drop weight quick.
I'm asking because I don't know and this is what I have heard!
Thanks for your help!

Replies

  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
    Hey there,

    First off I'd like to ask where you got your information from? Probably 95% of the stuff out there has no factual basis to it and thanks to the internet, mis-information spreads like wildfire.

    For many people losing weight, the methods they choose result in about 5-10 lbs of lost water weight. There are a few diet programs (Atkins for example) that result in the body entering a state called Keytosis which brings about severe dehydration and a loss of water in the body. Weight loss yes...but is it Fat loss? No.

    "Weight Loss and "Fat" loss are not the same thing.

    Your body compsition is made up of two components - Your Lean Mass and your Body Fat.

    Lean mass is denser and thus weighs more than Body fat but is made of up all the healthy tissues you want and need in your body (Muscle, Bone, Blood vessels etc. Water is also a primary component of your lean mass. Body fat on the other hand is a large blob of congealed tissue, with Zero water content in it.

    So with that in mind...any water loss is connected to a reduction in your healthy Lean Mass which would also reduce your metabolism (As there is a direct correlation between Lean mass and Metabolism.)

    Given the above, it should be obvious that you would ont want to take water pills and such since they would not have any effect on your actual Body Fat Tissue.
  • PlatinumPiggy
    PlatinumPiggy Posts: 90
    This is something i found online-


    People who lose weight quickly usually experience some weight regain within a few weeks and very often this is due to some water replenishment.



    When we restrict energy intake too much too soon in order to lose weight quickly the body is forced to use up stores of carbohydrates and breakdown protein in the muscles. As both carbohydrates and protein hold water in the cells a loss of these macronutrients also results in a net loss of water. As a result rapid weight loss can often be made up of 75% water loss. After the energy systems stabilize water is regained because some of the protein and carbohydrate stores initially lost are replenished . The water is drawn back into the cells thus gaining back a little weight.



    It can be very confusing when one week you lose 4 pounds, the next week nothing. However remember that gaining protein in muscles increases lean body weight. More lean body weight increases our metabolism and help burn fat faster!


    Many people are interested in using diuretics(water pills) to treat water retention. Whether natural or synthetic, diuretics increase the amount of urine excreted, and are usually used prescribed for patients with blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and liver disease. Diuretics also have the potential for creating a vicious cycle of water retention, known as rebound edema, as they alter salt- and water-retaining hormones. When the diuretics are stopped, hormone levels are out of balance.

    In addition, prolonged use of diuretics can lead to dehydration, which can cause kidney damage and an imbalance in normal levels of electrolytes (e.g., sodium and potassium), which are vital to heart, kidney and liver function. When electrolytes are out of balance, heart failure and sudden death.

    Many people also turn to diuretics for weight loss, which only leads to temporary results and potentially other health problems. Since water retention has many causes, it is important not to begin taking water retention medication without proper medical supervision.
  • PlatinumPiggy
    PlatinumPiggy Posts: 90
    Sounds weird but best way to get rid of water retention is to drink A LOT of water, it flushes out all the excess sodium and keeps your digestive sytem flowing
  • Egger29
    Egger29 Posts: 14,741 Member
    Well said PlatinumPiggy! :-)
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