How much is just water weight?

Squishybearpr
Squishybearpr Posts: 2 Member
edited November 20 in Health and Weight Loss
How can you tell how much of your weight is just water weight? I easily lose 5lbs in a week and a half if I stop eating junk, not even exercising, but then after a certain point the weight doesn't come off so easily. I tend to think these pounds I lost are water weight, but it might be that my body is used to the restrictions I have set for it? Has anyone had this issue?

Replies

  • Arliah
    Arliah Posts: 266 Member
    It's most likely water weight. I "gained" 9 lbs last week during a vacation. I ate tons of carbs and probably high-sodium, too. As of today, that weight is gone again because I returned to my routine. Sustainable weight loss is 1) slow (1 - 2 lbs per week, depending on how much you have to lose) and 2) a long-term commitment. Good luck, and welcome here!
  • futuremanda
    futuremanda Posts: 816 Member
    Initial losses are often a bit more water than ongoing losses. All losses are partly water, partly fat, and partly other tissue.

    Your body doesn't "get used to things" in the way that gets tossed around though. It can't, say, not burn fat for fuel when you're not giving it the fuel it needs just because you're doing this in the way that it's now used to. And it can't choose to do all of its usual processes on less fuel just because you've given it less.

    When you stop eating junk, you probably lower your calories some. But as we lose weight, we also burn fewer calories (there's less of you to move around, keep warm, etc). So we have to eat less or burn more.

    There's also the possibility that you replace the junk with healthy food. This can mean that you aren't cutting calories much, or at all. (Though you are maybe getting better nutrition.)

    Try logging consistently and as accurately as you can (preferably with a food scale) and following the calorie target set by MFP. As you lose, that will lower. That should keep your losses steadier.
  • lulucitron
    lulucitron Posts: 366 Member
    Generally 5lbs is water weight.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Yeah ...not sure this is right

    All weight you lose is a mixture of water, fat and LBM ..throughout dieting ..at the start there is higher rate of loss due to reducing the amount of waste products in your system from your lower intake and a big surge of water weight loss..but some of what you lose will still be fat,

    The human body holds approx 10-15lb water weight that can be lost in initial weeks as the glycogen stores in your liver are removed with carb / sodium reduction (1g glycogen binds to 3g water)
  • lulucitron
    lulucitron Posts: 366 Member
    True, there's other elements involved. I don't hold much water now but when I came off my winter bulk, the first five pounds or so came off easily and then it was a slower process. I don't know the ins and outs of it but that 5 initial pounds sure is easy to lose.
  • Squishybearpr
    Squishybearpr Posts: 2 Member
    Thank you all for your wonderful replies.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    @ 5 Lbs in a week, most of that is water as well as less inherent waste in your system due to eating less.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    It's great having that initial boost but don't let it make you feel a failure when it drops to 1-2lbs a week as that's perfectly natural.
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