How much water weight can you gain?

Molly_234
Molly_234 Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
This past week I have been doing really bad. Last weekend was my birthday and the one night of having drinks, nice birthday meal and dessert has now turned into a week of over eating. It doesn't help that I am also having PMS and I am so bloated and just feel fat! I've gained 4 pounds and I'm really disappointed and feel like I've gained 10! Before my birthday I was doing so well and my appetite was so small but this week I've been hungry all the time and craving chocolate like crazy! I drink about a gallon of water a day to try to combat water weight but I am still SO bloated. Do you think that I gained fat or is this just water weight?

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    Unless you ate 14,000 calories over maintenance most, if not all, of the gain is water weight. Four pounds is within the range of many people's normal fluctuation. It can be from eating out (higher sodium/carb intake), and it can be from your TOM coming.
  • Arapacana1
    Arapacana1 Posts: 117 Member
    Most of it is probably water weight
  • aprice20
    aprice20 Posts: 12 Member
    I am interested to know how water can increase weight. Could you tell me a bit about this?
  • Asher_Ethan
    Asher_Ethan Posts: 2,430 Member
    Drink lots of water the next couple of days, stick to a small deficit and most of that weight should fall off.

    I personally can gain 10 pounds of water weight in a weekend. It's mostly gone in 4 days of a moderate deficit.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,966 Member
    try2again wrote: »
    aprice20 wrote: »
    I am interested to know how water can increase weight. Could you tell me a bit about this?

    Well, for a real life demo, go weigh a cup. Then fill that cup with water & weigh it again.

    Our body weight is constantly fluctuating, mostly to varying levels of water. It takes at least several days for a person to lose enough body fat to show up on the scale, but a person's water weight can easily fluctuate 4-5 lbs during the course of the day. Certain things cause a person to retain more water than usual, including excessive sodium, exercise, and a woman's cycle.

    I'd add that It's not just water sitting in your stomach, bladder, etc., - it gets drawn into other body tissues because your body needs it for something, such as muscle repair in a post-exercise scenario.

    OP, I've seen as much as a 5-pound change from one day to the next, without monthly cycle even entering into it. (I'm too old for that ;) !) Water weight is one piece (maybe/probably the largest), but if over-goal eating was involved, weight of extra food volume in your digestive system can be a factor for a day or sometimes more, too.

    Give it a week or so, or until you get through your cycle, and keep drinking adequate water. The weight will drop back soon, as long as you're back on your regular calorie deficit track.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    I don't know how much water weigh is the limit, but it seems like it must be very high. I've seen people who have been stung or injured in other ways with various body parts swollen to twice their normal size.
  • cardiacmommy
    cardiacmommy Posts: 52 Member
    I was at a new low weight laat Monday. Add pms and i gradually went up7.5 lbs! Ugh felt like i was floating. I am slowly going back down this week.

    The body can hold onto a lot of extra fluid! I used to take care of a lot of patients in congestive heart failure and it was crazy the amount they would diurese.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,750 Member
    6lb is my personal record, from a very strenuous all-day hike. I've heard people report up to 10lb. That's within normal parameters, no injury or illness - I expect water retention after serious injury, or bad oedema (during pregnancy, for example) could be even more.
  • l911jnt
    l911jnt Posts: 164 Member
    MeganAM89 wrote: »
    My gosh, I was 118 last week and then my period came on Monday and at the moment I'm 121/122. So I guess during my period I gain about 3/4 lbs of water weight but it will come off once I'm done.

    the exact same thing happens to me. If I eat anything with more than just a little sodium, I will retain water too, my body is very sensitive to sodium. I take what I have eaten into account when I see a unusual weight gain and within a few days it usually comes off.
  • VintageFeline
    VintageFeline Posts: 6,771 Member
    13lbs, 11 of them was water. That was after a long haul flight (9 hours) and two week eat all the things holiday so 2lbs was fat gain after the water whooshed off. That's my record! I'm a big old sponge sometimes.
  • kazminchu
    kazminchu Posts: 250 Member
    My record was 7lbs overnight. I lost 8.8lbs within 9 days.
  • SarahMacphail1
    SarahMacphail1 Posts: 36 Member
    I managed 5lbs between yesterday morning and this morning. Had a feeling I'd see a "gain" today as yesterday was heavy on the salt.

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