How much water weight can you REALLY put on in a day?

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jr1985
jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
in Motivation and Support
Happy Morning after Easter everyone! Were you all a little freaked out when you stepped on the scales this morning? because I was! While I know that I shouldn't, I weigh myself every morning. I was sooo excited when I weighed in on Friday! I had FINALLY made it into the ten pounds below where I had been stuck at for months! I had a lot of family in town for Easter so was just trying to maintain instead of loosing.

While I know this is also not ideal... for most of the weekend I've been eating very few calories all day long plus exercising like a mad woman to save my calories for dinner when we all got together to eat every night... Saturday I basically stayed the same... when I weighed in yesterday morning though I had actually gained about 3/4 pound, even though while all I ate was pizza and a few chips for the day, I only net-ed 700 calories the day before... How did that happen!?

Then yesterday we were taking my sister back to the airport (a 3hr drive one way for us) and was bad, ate out twice, and ate what I wanted since it was a holiday, and ate about 3500 calories and a LOT of sodium! Whoa! didn't mean to do that! but still... My BMR says I'm supposed to burn about 2000 calories a day even if I stay in bed all day, so that would only leave 1500 "extra" calories - which means that I shouldn't have put on more than half a pound right? Since it takes 3500 calories to equal one pound NOPE! 3.5 lbs! in one day! LAME!

So while I would love for this all (or at least the far majority) to be water weight... legitimately, how much water weight could you put on in one day? Also TMI I know, but I haven't had a bowel movement for a few days... could this all really add up to 3.5 lbs of extra weight in just ONE DAY THOUGH?

Please help! I don't want to over justify something but at the same time, don't want to be too freaked out if it isn't anything to worry about... what do you think?

Replies

  • MyNameIsNotBob
    MyNameIsNotBob Posts: 565 Member
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    So while I would love for this all (or at least the far majority) to be water weight... legitimately, how much water weight could you put on in one day? Also TMI I know, but I haven't had a bowel movement for a few days... could this all really add up to 3.5 lbs of extra weight in just ONE DAY THOUGH?

    Yes. I weighed 7 pounds more after a wedding weekend... but concentrated on lowering my sodium and drinking lots of water, and I saw it gone within two days. It was not fat, obviously, just "stuff" and water.
  • Phoenix_Rising
    Phoenix_Rising Posts: 11,417 Member
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    You'll find out your answer in a day or two when the water retention lets up. :wink:

    Based on my enormous weight gain over the weekend based on massive sodium intake, and given my previous experience with sodium based water retention, I'd say it's very possible for a good chunk of that to be true water retention.
  • kennie2
    kennie2 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    i usually go to bed weighing about 128lb and wake up to 126lb so try weighing yourself in the morning and not night
  • jaydemikaela
    jaydemikaela Posts: 15 Member
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    but I haven't had a bowel movement for a few days... could this all really add up to 3.5 lbs of extra weight in just ONE DAY THOUGH?

    I weighed myself before and after going to the toilet and there was a difference of 4 pounds!
  • proof
    proof Posts: 5 Member
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    I think it could just be water weight/ other residual food weight especially if you havent had a bowel movement in awhile
    Im a runner and ill weigh myself before and after runs to see how much fluids i should be replenishing and ive definitely sweat out three pounds on a hot day/hard workout
    So don't worry just keep up the good work
    an off day or weekend every once in a while wont stop you from reaching your goals:)
  • sunnyrunner23
    sunnyrunner23 Posts: 182 Member
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    Thank you Thank you Thank you for this post! It is something that has always bugged me!! so true!!
  • marigolds1
    marigolds1 Posts: 25
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    You can EASILY gain 7-10 lbs of water weight, especially if you've been eating low-sodium and/or low carb. Don't worry too much about it!
  • Nuts4play
    Nuts4play Posts: 92 Member
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    I have slow digestion with my IBS, so I "retain" solids for up to 3 or 4 days, which can easily add up to 3 plus or minus lbs gain on any given day.
    Drink more water, and make sure you're including lots of fiber in your diet. Try to avoid things which cause constipation.

    Under-active thyroid can cause constipation, so if this is a possibility have yours checked. Hypothyroidism can also cause one to wake up feeling exhausted, and have a persistent feeling of tiredness.

    Irritable bowel syndrome can cause all sorts of gut problems, including bloating and slow digestion (and/or diahrea).
  • Packerfan23
    Packerfan23 Posts: 225 Member
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    I was up about 4 pounds today after being on a high carb/high sodium weekend...Yikes! I stepped on the scale because I did want to see what the sodium overload did and I was expecting it, so really no surprise...I tried to log everything yesterday and I know I missed some stuff, so I chalk it up to the holiday weekend with loads of good food and no regrets! :happy: I did try to offset a little by taking a couple of bike rides that amounted to about 8-9 miles. :tongue:

    I hope to see those pounds melt away when I get all the sodium flushed out of my system and hope to even lose some more...:flowerforyou:
  • jr1985
    jr1985 Posts: 1,033 Member
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    Thanks for your help and support guys! now I don't feel QUITE as bad about that weight gain... fiber and protein for me for the rest of the week though :)
  • crankgurlx
    crankgurlx Posts: 2
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    heck yes! i can gain up to 5 lbs in one day by water weight.especially if you lift weights.then there is sodium,drinking a gallon of water and last but not least. " if you go number two every 2 days like some people.you're probably holding onto a pound of food in your stomach maybe more. so if you want positive results. i wouldnt recommend it but i took a laxative every 2 weeks a year ago to help regulate my digestion. i did it for 2 months. i no longer do it because i now know the risks of laxatives. "Just keep going though" you're losing weight.stay of the scale too. use measuring tape instead.

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