How does your body drop 4 lbs overnight?

90poundsoflard · April 2011

OK, first let me say I am absolutely thrilled! But, VERY confused about how this all works. In the last two months I've lost 9 lbs, but the way I've lost them leaves me scratching my head and wishing I understood how this ol' body works! Here's what's been happening - I used to lose 1-2 lbs a week, and I was happy. That's the best way to lose, right? Well, a couple months ago I stopped losing - no matter what I did to shake it up, the pounds were just being stubborn. I was losing inches, but the scales would not budge. Then one morning I stepped on the scale - down 4 lbs! This can't be right!?! Next morning, down another pound! And then, the scale got stuck again! For the last month it has stayed in the same place, but my clothes are staring to look really baggy, I've lost several more inches, and yesterday when I stepped on the scale - down 3 lbs! Today I'm down another pound! It's like it's a battle of the wills, and finally I win! LOL The first time it happened I thought it wouldn't stay off, because there is no way to lose 4 lbs a day, it's just not possible (I mean REAL weight - not just water weight from starting a new diet) So now that it's happened twice, I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them? Do you know why I've started losing weight this way?

christy_frank · April 2011

Sodium. Make sure you are tracking & staying under.

starboardzor · April 2011

I've tried to figure it out too... but depending on how much I sweat, i can lose 2lbs just after a long run outside. When I wake up in the morning I can be 3-4lbs lighter and have gained it back by the end of the day (i weigh myself a lot out of curiousity). I can drop a couple pounds just taking a #2. So.... I wouldn't obsess about it too much!!

liftingbro · April 2011

Water weight.

If you carb up from a lower carb diet, you'll gain water weight. If you switch back to a lower carb diet you'll dump 2-3 pounds of water weight in a day no problem. Sodium intake can be an issue as well. You just tend to be more dehydrated in the morning.

geri25 · April 2011

not sure hw its happens but sometimes your weight will stay th same then boom a big drop it happened to me also but great job keep it up

bzmom · April 2011

Sodium I agree drink lots of water and track your sodium in take!

bmontgomery87 · April 2011

Porbably just water retention.

liz_bolin · April 2011

I experienced the same thing. I lost 3 pounds in a day. I dont even lose that in a week. It is just weird because I really havent been working out. I had to get off my exercise routine for 2 weeks.

schobert101 · April 2011

SImilar happens to me. I can go weeks without a change then a couple of pounds fall off. I have given up trying to figure it out but now I don't stress as much when the scale gets stuck. I think its pretty normal but agree it doesn't make sense. Too many people get frustrated and give up when they hit a plateau and the key is to just keep going!

90poundsoflard · April 2011

SImilar happens to me. I can go weeks without a change then a couple of pounds fall off. I have given up trying to figure it out but now I don't stress as much when the scale gets stuck. I think its pretty normal but agree it doesn't make sense. Too many people get frustrated and give up when they hit a plateau and the key is to just keep going!

I know - I was getting really frustrated since I was doing everything "right" and the scale never went up or down. It eventually moves tho' - I just know I can't join a challenge to lose a certain amount in a given time, 'cause the way my body's working now - I'd probably not lose anything until two days after the challenge was up, then I'd lose 5 lbs! LOL

It could be water retention - but it seems that would fluctuate a little from one week to the next. Also, I only weigh myself in the morning, with no clothes on, after I've used the bathroom, and before I've put anything in my mouth. (It's my little OCD) I know I said overnight, but I didn't literally mean from 10 pm until 7 am LOL (In that case I'd be losing the same 4-5 lbs every day, then one day I'd lose 8)

SolidGoaled · April 2011

This just happened to me today. I was at 222 yesterday morning - this morning, 218. Its isn't always "just water weight" or "sodium". I believe it is all the factors (all of them including sodium) adding up and finally balancing like a checkbook that has been up and down all week with your good eating, your bad eating, your sodium, your exercise... I've actually experienced plateaus that last 3 weeks, then suddenly I lose 7 lbs in one week - and it STAYS off.

♥MyCrazyBeautifulLife · April 2011

water weight

JDMPWR · April 2011

This just happened to me today. I was at 222 yesterday morning - this morning, 218. Its isn't always "just water weight" or "sodium". I believe it is all the factors (all of them including sodium) adding up and finally balancing like a checkbook that has been up and down all week with your good eating, your bad eating, your sodium, your exercise... I've actually experienced plateaus that last 3 weeks, then suddenly I lose 7 lbs in one week - and it STAYS off.

This is water weight. Your body cannot process 3lbs of fat loss overnight. Your body works on consistency and when it sees that your sodium intake has not been nothing but peaks and valleys it realizes that it can shed water weight and as for measurements seeming smaller but the weight not dropping that also has to do with 1 or two possible scenarios, your muscles are shedding water that is binded to glycogen as well as shedding some glycogen itself and the second scenario is muscle growth that replaces body fat weight. I have stayed dam near the same weight for 2 months and still have dropped a pant size BUT my body composition has changed and my bf% went from 24 to 20% at the same weight.

90poundsoflard · April 2011

This is water weight. Your body cannot process 3lbs of fat loss overnight. Your body works on consistency and when it sees that your sodium intake has not been nothing but peaks and valleys it realizes that it can shed water weight and as for measurements seeming smaller but the weight not dropping that also has to do with 1 or two possible scenarios, your muscles are shedding water that is binded to glycogen as well as shedding some glycogen itself and the second scenario is muscle growth that replaces body fat weight. I have stayed dam near the same weight for 2 months and still have dropped a pant size BUT my body composition has changed and my bf% went from 24 to 20% at the same weight.

Thanks for the explanation. I knew it wasn't fat that I lost overnight - but it wasn't making any sense why the scale would stay EXACTLY the same, then suddenly drop. This makes it a little easier to understand.

BunnybeeJG · April 2011

hm i usually lose a pound or so when i take a duece .

fancy.

SolidGoaled · April 2011

This just happened to me today. I was at 222 yesterday morning - this morning, 218. Its isn't always "just water weight" or "sodium". I believe it is all the factors (all of them including sodium) adding up and finally balancing like a checkbook that has been up and down all week with your good eating, your bad eating, your sodium, your exercise... I've actually experienced plateaus that last 3 weeks, then suddenly I lose 7 lbs in one week - and it STAYS off.

This is water weight. Your body cannot process 3lbs of fat loss overnight. Your body works on consistency and when it sees that your sodium intake has not been nothing but peaks and valleys it realizes that it can shed water weight and as for measurements seeming smaller but the weight not dropping that also has to do with 1 or two possible scenarios, your muscles are shedding water that is binded to glycogen as well as shedding some glycogen itself and the second scenario is muscle growth that replaces body fat weight. I have stayed dam near the same weight for 2 months and still have dropped a pant size BUT my body composition has changed and my bf% went from 24 to 20% at the same weight.

No - not in my case, my friend. I have lost 31 lbs this way - days and days with no loss, then suddenly, it all drops off in one day (on the scale) 31 lbs gone in 3 months is not water weight. Sorry.

Kim4Kim · March 2013

I found this explanation helpful:

"Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of "proper dieting", each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size! Result - you weigh the same, look the same, maybe even gained some scale weight, even though you have actually lost some serious fat."

This is what we have been telling folks. You lose inches but not pounds because your body plumps the fat cells. I tell them it is a complicated biochemical process that your body replaces the fat molecules with water and fluids until you exceed your bodies predetermined fluid level. Then your body will release a chemical that releases all this stored water and you get a sudden overnight loss of several pounds. Then the cycle starts over again with inches gone and the scales lag behind."

Source: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard....read.php?t=6737 (http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6737)

highervibes · March 2013

That my friend, means you got a visit from what I call the "whoosh fairy". I lose weight this way sometimes as well. I'm stalled for a couple of weeks and then WHOOSH... it's gone, and it's not fluctuating back up and down in the next week and I might continue to lose 1lb/week from there on out. I say if your food is clean and you're happy with your exercise regime - don't look a gift horse in the mouth

servilia · March 2013

Google whoosh and Lyle McDonald. I'm on my phone so can't post the article directly.

ladyraven68 · March 2013

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html

Mishinmite · July 2013

I lost 3lbs overnight after two weeks of dieting. I believe my body was so used to storing fat that it didn't want to let it go. I've been steadily piling on the pounds for the last few years and now that I'm eating healthy, I guess it took my body a little while to figure out it was okay to let it go. Whatever the reason...Yay!

LibertyChamp · September 2013

Last night I dropped 5.4 Lbs. I still can't believe it. I guess I am a big fat woosher. I am on the 5:2 and yesterday, Thursday, was my second (low-cal day) fast day. I weighed at night...went to bed late. I let the digital scale reset and I moved it and weighed again to confirm. I was 189.4 Lbs. I did the same procedure this morning twice and now I am 184.0 Lbs. A full 5.4 Lbs. In the past I had ejected 4 pounds under the same conditions. I think it is kind of neat, but my only concern is: are there any negative effects that can come as a result of this type of weight loss?
I believe that sleep and sleep deprivation has a lot to do with it. Earlier in the week I was not getting much sleep but last night I took a good nights rest. Here is an article that sites a Columbia University study that found that if you only get by on 4 hrs sleep a night you are 73 percent more likely to be obese and by contrast if you average 10 hours of shut eye you are 11 percent less likely to be obese.
http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/11/18/will-sleep-help-me-lose-weight/

jnam7619 · November 2013

I am so glad I read this. This is how I lose weight too. I thought it was so odd. I was the same weight for three weeks and then bam, I was five pounds lighter. lol I will lose a few pounds over the course of a few days and then nothing and then repeat.

minniesb69 · March 2016

Kim4Kim wrote: »

I found this explanation helpful:

"Fat cells are resilient, stubborn little creatures that do not want to give up their actual cell volume. Over a period of weeks, maybe months of "proper dieting", each of your fat cells may have actually lost a good percentage of the actual fat contained in those cells. But the fat cells themselves, stubborn little guys, replace that lost fat with water to retain their size. That is, instead of shrinking to match the reduced amount of fat in the cell, they stay the same size! Result - you weigh the same, look the same, maybe even gained some scale weight, even though you have actually lost some serious fat."

This is what we have been telling folks. You lose inches but not pounds because your body plumps the fat cells. I tell them it is a complicated biochemical process that your body replaces the fat molecules with water and fluids until you exceed your bodies predetermined fluid level. Then your body will release a chemical that releases all this stored water and you get a sudden overnight loss of several pounds. Then the cycle starts over again with inches gone and the scales lag behind."

Source: http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard....read.php?t=6737 (http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6737)

This helps me a LOT. Makes absolute sense and also explains the whoosh effect another poster told me about. Thanks

rileysowner · March 2016

90poundsoflard wrote: »

OK, first let me say I am absolutely thrilled! But, VERY confused about how this all works. In the last two months I've lost 9 lbs, but the way I've lost them leaves me scratching my head and wishing I understood how this ol' body works! Here's what's been happening - I used to lose 1-2 lbs a week, and I was happy. That's the best way to lose, right? Well, a couple months ago I stopped losing - no matter what I did to shake it up, the pounds were just being stubborn. I was losing inches, but the scales would not budge. Then one morning I stepped on the scale - down 4 lbs! This can't be right!?! Next morning, down another pound! And then, the scale got stuck again! For the last month it has stayed in the same place, but my clothes are staring to look really baggy, I've lost several more inches, and yesterday when I stepped on the scale - down 3 lbs! Today I'm down another pound! It's like it's a battle of the wills, and finally I win! LOL The first time it happened I thought it wouldn't stay off, because there is no way to lose 4 lbs a day, it's just not possible (I mean REAL weight - not just water weight from starting a new diet) So now that it's happened twice, I'm wondering if anyone else has had this happen to them? Do you know why I've started losing weight this way?

You didn't lose 4 pounds of fat in a day, you lost it over the time where your weight was not going down, but water weight was masking it. Then the water weight was released, and you went down 4 pounds. It is called a whoosh. http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/of-whooshes-and-squishy-fat.html/

size102b · March 2016

I lost 2.5lbs tues then 1.5lbs weds Thursday I gained 1.5lb so in my case I think it's water as I'm strict on 1300 cals

trjjoy · March 2016

Um. 5 pounds is like 10kg give or take. I find it very hard to believe someone will lose 10kg "overnight", even due to water weight. 1kg? Sure. But not 10kg.