The whoosh theory: true or false?

13

Replies

  • onward1
    onward1 Posts: 386 Member
    I thought it was just me, this is all very interesting to read. I wouldn't call my fat "squishy", it's more lumpy, almost like cellulite, which I've never had. I've learned from experience that's what happens, to me, before it goes away. I have not had any "whoosh's" though. But to be honest, I've learned to stay off the scale on a daily basis and that weight loss is not linear. I only weigh about once a month. I can just tell by looks, and it looks bad, worse than when I was really overweight. Now I know when I see it, like right now, to just keep going. Those lumps mean I'm doing something right. I have no science to back this, it is what it is and what I see in the mirror.
  • medic2038
    medic2038 Posts: 434 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    medic2038 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Where is this squishy fat that you all are discussing?

    Did you read the article linked earlier?

    I've read that article a dozen times over the years. As far as I can tell nobody here on MFP, the group I asked the question of, wrote it. I'm asking for personal experiences.

    Thanks to all who have answered my question.

    I asked because I find he gives a reasonable description of squishy fat. I, have never had squishy fat as it is described in the article, and have never had whooshes as described in the article. There may be various reasons for that since it is clearly related to water retention of some sort and for my blood pressure I am on a diuretic which may influence it. I am thinking if you have not had it at this point, you probably are not one of those people who get squishy fat.

    Lyle is not a MFP member heh. Most of his stuff is backed heavily by research, the whole stall/whoosh thing came from him observing clients.

    Sigh.

    I know he's not an MFP member. I was pointing out that I was asking for the personal experiences of MFP members, not Lyle McDonald's observations.

    Moving on... I have a ton of squishiness in my abdominal area but it's not squishy fat as described by others. It's just subcutaneous fat lining stretched out skin. None of the rest of me is squishy like that.

    Must have read it the wrong way!
    When I first started years ago I DID have it happen (and that was prior to reading the article). Not that I noticed any of the squishy fat thing, but I certainly did have a big "whoosh".

    For about 2 months I was having pretty underpar results, then over the next couple of weeks I had HUGE number drops. At the time it was super demotivating because I knew I was doing what I was supposed to... But it really did help me to learn to forget about the damn scale, because of how really susceptible it is to fluid fluctuations.
  • annetrout
    annetrout Posts: 20 Member
    Just experienced this myself! For two weeks I didn't gain or lose. Not a single ounce!!!! Tracked everything! Last night I helped myself to some disgustingly huge, filled doughnuts and a nice slice of pizza. Was way over (850 calories over, to be exact!) and this morning lost 2 pounds. I'm thrilled! Had the whole squishy fat and whoosh!
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,331 Member
    jemhh wrote: »
    medic2038 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    Where is this squishy fat that you all are discussing?

    Did you read the article linked earlier?

    I've read that article a dozen times over the years. As far as I can tell nobody here on MFP, the group I asked the question of, wrote it. I'm asking for personal experiences.

    Thanks to all who have answered my question.

    I asked because I find he gives a reasonable description of squishy fat. I, have never had squishy fat as it is described in the article, and have never had whooshes as described in the article. There may be various reasons for that since it is clearly related to water retention of some sort and for my blood pressure I am on a diuretic which may influence it. I am thinking if you have not had it at this point, you probably are not one of those people who get squishy fat.

    Lyle is not a MFP member heh. Most of his stuff is backed heavily by research, the whole stall/whoosh thing came from him observing clients.

    Sigh.

    I know he's not an MFP member. I was pointing out that I was asking for the personal experiences of MFP members, not Lyle McDonald's observations.

    Moving on... I have a ton of squishiness in my abdominal area but it's not squishy fat as described by others. It's just subcutaneous fat lining stretched out skin. None of the rest of me is squishy like that.

    Right now all of me is squishy as I have a lot to lose, but it isn't squishy fat, it is just fat. I just have to get the motivation to get back on the wagon.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    annetrout wrote: »
    Just experienced this myself! For two weeks I didn't gain or lose. Not a single ounce!!!! Tracked everything! Last night I helped myself to some disgustingly huge, filled doughnuts and a nice slice of pizza. Was way over (850 calories over, to be exact!) and this morning lost 2 pounds. I'm thrilled! Had the whole squishy fat and whoosh!

    It's those doughnut induced whooshes that convince me more than ever that it isn't what is happening in the fat cells that causes them.
  • donjtomasco
    donjtomasco Posts: 790 Member
    Thank you Annetrout! I am going out for donuts and pizza tonight! :)
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    edited February 2017
    Has anyone tried to up their potassium to get unstuck, and maybe force a Whoosh?

    On the premise that you are calorie deficient but retaining water, I thought this might work.
    More potassium reduces your sodium levels, as I understand it.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited February 2017
    Theo166 wrote: »
    Has anyone tried to up their potassium to get unstuck, and maybe force a Whoosh?

    On the premise that you are calorie deficient but retaining water, I thought this might work.
    More potassium reduces your sodium levels, as I understand it.

    I have, and it works, but only for a short period of time. The body is pretty good at autoregulating your electrolytes, except in cases of severe acute overshooting.

    You also have to be careful to not accidentally dehydrate yourself, or your body will start holding water to tge point where you're worse off than before.
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.

    Contest dates for figure competitors I understand, but for the rest of us, personally I've never been to a party where they had a weigh-in on the door...
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.

    Contest dates for figure competitors I understand, but for the rest of us, personally I've never been to a party where they had a weigh-in on the door...

    True, but a few pounds of water can do terrible things to ones waist or thighs, if perhaps they have a specific outfit/suit/whatever that they are planning on wearing.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.

    Contest dates for figure competitors I understand, but for the rest of us, personally I've never been to a party where they had a weigh-in on the door...

    True, but a few pounds of water can do terrible things to ones waist or thighs, if perhaps they have a specific outfit/suit/whatever that they are planning on wearing.

    I remain entirely unconvinced that the difference would be visible.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.

    Contest dates for figure competitors I understand, but for the rest of us, personally I've never been to a party where they had a weigh-in on the door...

    True, but a few pounds of water can do terrible things to ones waist or thighs, if perhaps they have a specific outfit/suit/whatever that they are planning on wearing.

    I remain entirely unconvinced that the difference would be visible.

    12338764_1032628366789501_1941806949_n.jpg
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.

    Contest dates for figure competitors I understand, but for the rest of us, personally I've never been to a party where they had a weigh-in on the door...

    True, but a few pounds of water can do terrible things to ones waist or thighs, if perhaps they have a specific outfit/suit/whatever that they are planning on wearing.

    I remain entirely unconvinced that the difference would be visible.

    I am one who often tries to control water retention. Often my ankles have swollen over the top of my socks leaving an indention an indention that lasts until I drop the water weight. My bra will get tight and be uncomfortable. I feel bloated and lethargic at times.

    So yes...it can be visible and there are things that can be done to manipulate the loss of that water(at least temporarily)...safely and doesn't involve donuts nor at least in my case does it have anything to do with vanity. Also for me it has nothing really to do with the number on the scale...I am just literally uncomfortable when I am retaining too much water...which happens often.

    I am all over the place with my weight loss. I understand that it is due to water retention. I once stayed at the exact same weight for three weeks. No matter what I did the weight didn't budge. Once I got rid of the water...I dropped 7lbs of water overnight. The swollen ankles went down...the bra fit again...and the puffiness left my body.

    Your right...no one weighed me at the door but the water retention was noticeable not only to me but to others around me.
  • sheldonz42
    sheldonz42 Posts: 233 Member
    z4oslo wrote: »
    Its false.
    the cell does not collapse. The number of fat cells in our body is constant after we reach a certain age (around 25 ish) Cells are either repaired or replaced when the cell gets old. So even if the cell does not contain any fat, it will still be there.

    Also, keep in mind that the cell is just a storage palce for energy. As with any storage space, it can hold 100% fat (max capacity) or it could be 1% Not sure if it can be zero (as in not active) but it will still be there until replaced by a new cell.

    So, I have heard this before about basically not losing or gaining fat cells. It just doesn't make sense to me. I have known people who continued to gain weight throughout their lifetime and a few who have lost weight and kept it off. Someone please help me understand how one can gain or lose a VERY significant amount of weight, but not lose (or gain) a single cell of fat. (I am totally serious in my request and not trying to be snarky or sarcastic in any way - I just don't understand the constant fat cell count when so much change can occur.)
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    sheldonz42 wrote: »
    z4oslo wrote: »
    Its false.
    the cell does not collapse. The number of fat cells in our body is constant after we reach a certain age (around 25 ish) Cells are either repaired or replaced when the cell gets old. So even if the cell does not contain any fat, it will still be there.

    Also, keep in mind that the cell is just a storage palce for energy. As with any storage space, it can hold 100% fat (max capacity) or it could be 1% Not sure if it can be zero (as in not active) but it will still be there until replaced by a new cell.

    So, I have heard this before about basically not losing or gaining fat cells. It just doesn't make sense to me. I have known people who continued to gain weight throughout their lifetime and a few who have lost weight and kept it off. Someone please help me understand how one can gain or lose a VERY significant amount of weight, but not lose (or gain) a single cell of fat. (I am totally serious in my request and not trying to be snarky or sarcastic in any way - I just don't understand the constant fat cell count when so much change can occur.)

    Simply the size of the cells change.

    Couple of google results.

    http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080505/full/news.2008.800.html
    http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2008/05/04/fat-cell-number-is-set-in-childhood-and-stays-constant-in-adulthood/#.WKcSH_K-E7w

    Yeah, all the soy sauce with my sushi yesterday and I'm up 1.3 lbs :(
  • Stockholm_Andy
    Stockholm_Andy Posts: 803 Member
    sheldonz42 wrote: »
    So, I have heard this before about basically not losing or gaining fat cells. It just doesn't make sense to me. I have known people who continued to gain weight throughout their lifetime and a few who have lost weight and kept it off. Someone please help me understand how one can gain or lose a VERY significant amount of weight, but not lose (or gain) a single cell of fat. (I am totally serious in my request and not trying to be snarky or sarcastic in any way - I just don't understand the constant fat cell count when so much change can occur.)

    Just imagine 100 beach balls flat and packed in a box for shipping and how much volume they'd take up. Now imagine all 100 blow up and how much volume they'd take up.

    There are still 100 balls but the space they take up is very different. Fat cells fill up and empty but the numbers stay the same.


  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    When you've plateaued for a bit but are doing the right stuff, it can give a psychological boost to knock yourself below a set point.

    When I wrestled in Middle School, I wish I had known a few of these tricks before big matches.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Newer research has shown that we can increase the number of fat cells, even into adulthood.

    http://www.nature.com/ncb/journal/v17/n4/full/ncb3133.html

    http://www.nature.com/ncb/journal/v17/n4/full/ncb3122.html
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    sheldonz42 wrote: »
    z4oslo wrote: »
    Its false.
    the cell does not collapse. The number of fat cells in our body is constant after we reach a certain age (around 25 ish) Cells are either repaired or replaced when the cell gets old. So even if the cell does not contain any fat, it will still be there.

    Also, keep in mind that the cell is just a storage palce for energy. As with any storage space, it can hold 100% fat (max capacity) or it could be 1% Not sure if it can be zero (as in not active) but it will still be there until replaced by a new cell.

    So, I have heard this before about basically not losing or gaining fat cells. It just doesn't make sense to me. I have known people who continued to gain weight throughout their lifetime and a few who have lost weight and kept it off. Someone please help me understand how one can gain or lose a VERY significant amount of weight, but not lose (or gain) a single cell of fat. (I am totally serious in my request and not trying to be snarky or sarcastic in any way - I just don't understand the constant fat cell count when so much change can occur.)

    The number of cells isn't exactly constant. My understanding is that there is a limit to how much fat a cell can hold, at which point the body will produce more cells to hold the fat. But when people lose weight, there is no mechanism that would trigger a loss in cells.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.

    Contest dates for figure competitors I understand, but for the rest of us, personally I've never been to a party where they had a weigh-in on the door...

    True, but a few pounds of water can do terrible things to ones waist or thighs, if perhaps they have a specific outfit/suit/whatever that they are planning on wearing.

    I remain entirely unconvinced that the difference would be visible.

    12338764_1032628366789501_1941806949_n.jpg

    Yeah but you can tell she's doing that on purpose. She's standing different, leaning back and pushing her belly out.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    So, where is the water held? I know some is retained in muscles if they are in need of repair, but otherwise where is it held and how does sodium change that?

    Just curious. I've had wooshes and I know sodium adds weight.

    The fluid that is retained in muscles after exercise is due to capillaries leaking. The strain of exercise creates tiny breaks in them, allowing fluids to leak into the surrounding tissue. This fluid serves as a quick temporary fix for the damage while the normal tissue cells go about the process of replicating themselves to make the permanent fix.

    Sodium is the electrolyte that is responsible for pulling water into cells. When you eat a lot of sodium the cells that absorb the sodium will tend to retain water until potassium releases it. This is why people with high blood pressure are encouraged to limit their sodium intake. Sodium in the blood cells causes them to hold more water and it makes blood thicker. But this is something that happens throughout the body, it isn't a special characteristic of fat cells and it isn't a result of the fat cell releasing fat.

    That's not exactly how it works. Capillary leakage (pulmonary hemorrhage or edema) is a problem which, so far as we know, only occurs in some individuals during/after extreme exercise and is not normal, healthy function. The capillaries are designed to be extremely thin-walled, yet extremely strong so that this doesn't happen.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16737343

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969033/
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    edited February 2017
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    Sorry if a similar question was posted not long ago but I keep seeing this theory around the internet that tries to explain weight loss plateaus, called the whoosh effect. It basically says that often when you lose weight, the fat in the fat cells is first replaced by water (hence no weight loss on the scale) until there's no fat in the cell left and it 'collapses' followed by a whoosh effect where you suddenly lose a lot of weight at once.

    So I know that the fat cells don't collapse but is the rest of the science incorrect as well? I mean, I know water retention is a thing and a lot of people do experience sometimes sudden weight loss of several pounds after weeks or months of not losing but the idea that the fat is remplaced with water within the cells sounds too far-fetched.

    So does anyone have any scientific data to back or disprove this theory?

    Pretty much everything we know about how fat cells work tells us that this idea that fat cells become sacks of water is false. You might consider this: if it is a lack of energy that causes a fat cell to release fat, where does the energy come from to allow the fat cell to take on water? And if that energy is available, then why doesn't the fat cell just take on fat since it is an abundance of energy that causes the cell to take on fat?

    I could be wrong, but i'm like 99% sure that osmosis and defusion don't require energy.

    That 1% is a killer. While the energy required to move something from one side of the cell wall to the other is insignificant, for osmosis to occur there must be an abundance of water outside the cell. Getting water to the cell requires energy. Also, there has to be something in the cell that attracts water. Fat molecules and water molecules aren't interchangeable, so changing the concentration in the cell so that it attracts water would require energy.

    I just want to point out the obvious that an emptying fat cell does not indicate that the body is devoid of energy.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    So, where is the water held? I know some is retained in muscles if they are in need of repair, but otherwise where is it held and how does sodium change that?

    Just curious. I've had wooshes and I know sodium adds weight.

    The fluid that is retained in muscles after exercise is due to capillaries leaking. The strain of exercise creates tiny breaks in them, allowing fluids to leak into the surrounding tissue. This fluid serves as a quick temporary fix for the damage while the normal tissue cells go about the process of replicating themselves to make the permanent fix.

    Sodium is the electrolyte that is responsible for pulling water into cells. When you eat a lot of sodium the cells that absorb the sodium will tend to retain water until potassium releases it. This is why people with high blood pressure are encouraged to limit their sodium intake. Sodium in the blood cells causes them to hold more water and it makes blood thicker. But this is something that happens throughout the body, it isn't a special characteristic of fat cells and it isn't a result of the fat cell releasing fat.

    That's not exactly how it works. Capillary leakage (pulmonary hemorrhage or edema) is a problem which, so far as we know, only occurs in some individuals during/after extreme exercise and is not normal, healthy function. The capillaries are designed to be extremely thin-walled, yet extremely strong so that this doesn't happen.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16737343

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969033/

    As far as I can tell, you are the only one who has even suggested that the fluid we are talking about is water in the lungs.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    So, where is the water held? I know some is retained in muscles if they are in need of repair, but otherwise where is it held and how does sodium change that?

    Just curious. I've had wooshes and I know sodium adds weight.

    The fluid that is retained in muscles after exercise is due to capillaries leaking. The strain of exercise creates tiny breaks in them, allowing fluids to leak into the surrounding tissue. This fluid serves as a quick temporary fix for the damage while the normal tissue cells go about the process of replicating themselves to make the permanent fix.

    Sodium is the electrolyte that is responsible for pulling water into cells. When you eat a lot of sodium the cells that absorb the sodium will tend to retain water until potassium releases it. This is why people with high blood pressure are encouraged to limit their sodium intake. Sodium in the blood cells causes them to hold more water and it makes blood thicker. But this is something that happens throughout the body, it isn't a special characteristic of fat cells and it isn't a result of the fat cell releasing fat.

    That's not exactly how it works. Capillary leakage (pulmonary hemorrhage or edema) is a problem which, so far as we know, only occurs in some individuals during/after extreme exercise and is not normal, healthy function. The capillaries are designed to be extremely thin-walled, yet extremely strong so that this doesn't happen.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16737343

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969033/

    As far as I can tell, you are the only one who has even suggested that the fluid we are talking about is water in the lungs.

    I'm not suggesting that at all. We're talking about the "whoosh effect" which is the theory that emptying fat cells retain water for some time before releasing it later, resulting in a "whoosh" of weight loss.

    The link refers to fluid in the lungs because that's an effect of capillary leakage which you wrongly claimed is a normal part of exercise.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    So, where is the water held? I know some is retained in muscles if they are in need of repair, but otherwise where is it held and how does sodium change that?

    Just curious. I've had wooshes and I know sodium adds weight.

    The fluid that is retained in muscles after exercise is due to capillaries leaking. The strain of exercise creates tiny breaks in them, allowing fluids to leak into the surrounding tissue. This fluid serves as a quick temporary fix for the damage while the normal tissue cells go about the process of replicating themselves to make the permanent fix.

    Sodium is the electrolyte that is responsible for pulling water into cells. When you eat a lot of sodium the cells that absorb the sodium will tend to retain water until potassium releases it. This is why people with high blood pressure are encouraged to limit their sodium intake. Sodium in the blood cells causes them to hold more water and it makes blood thicker. But this is something that happens throughout the body, it isn't a special characteristic of fat cells and it isn't a result of the fat cell releasing fat.

    That's not exactly how it works. Capillary leakage (pulmonary hemorrhage or edema) is a problem which, so far as we know, only occurs in some individuals during/after extreme exercise and is not normal, healthy function. The capillaries are designed to be extremely thin-walled, yet extremely strong so that this doesn't happen.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16737343

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4969033/

    As far as I can tell, you are the only one who has even suggested that the fluid we are talking about is water in the lungs.

    I'm not suggesting that at all. We're talking about the "whoosh effect" which is the theory that emptying fat cells retain water for some time before releasing it later, resulting in a "whoosh" of weight loss.

    The link refers to fluid in the lungs because that's an effect of capillary leakage which you wrongly claimed is a normal part of exercise.

    No, you are misunderstanding the articles that you linked to. Capillary leakage is the cause of pulmonary edema, but the article is making the claim that this doesn't happen during exercise except in extreme cases. In other words, it takes some very heavy breathing for pulmonary edema to occur during exercise. But you want to make the claim that because the leakage of the capillaries in the lungs is rare during exercise that it is rare in other parts of the body as well. You seem to be saying that capillary leakage in general is rare. Not so fast. When a an insect bites you and it swells up, that is an example of capillary leakage. When you slam your hand in a door and it swells, that is an example of capillary leakage. When we exercise, we are using our lungs more frequently but we aren't increasing the pressure on them that much. With our muscles we are putting increased strain on them, so we damage them more than what we do our lungs.
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    Annie_01 wrote: »
    All you people trying to control the whooshes or making imaginary connections between them and eating doughnuts or whatever. The water comes, the water goes. Trying to control it is a waste of your time. Just keep being consistent with your calories and the weight will come off in the end. Does it really matter exactly when?

    If someone has an event that's important to them for whatever reason (contest date, vacation, whatever) then it can be helpful to understand how to manipulate the body's tendency to hold water. However, for the most part, yeah, I'd agree with you.

    Contest dates for figure competitors I understand, but for the rest of us, personally I've never been to a party where they had a weigh-in on the door...

    True, but a few pounds of water can do terrible things to ones waist or thighs, if perhaps they have a specific outfit/suit/whatever that they are planning on wearing.

    I remain entirely unconvinced that the difference would be visible.

    I am one who often tries to control water retention. Often my ankles have swollen over the top of my socks leaving an indention an indention that lasts until I drop the water weight. My bra will get tight and be uncomfortable. I feel bloated and lethargic at times.

    So yes...it can be visible and there are things that can be done to manipulate the loss of that water(at least temporarily)...safely and doesn't involve donuts nor at least in my case does it have anything to do with vanity. Also for me it has nothing really to do with the number on the scale...I am just literally uncomfortable when I am retaining too much water...which happens often.

    I am all over the place with my weight loss. I understand that it is due to water retention. I once stayed at the exact same weight for three weeks. No matter what I did the weight didn't budge. Once I got rid of the water...I dropped 7lbs of water overnight. The swollen ankles went down...the bra fit again...and the puffiness left my body.

    Your right...no one weighed me at the door but the water retention was noticeable not only to me but to others around me.

    Ok, I'll make an exception for actual oedema like you're describing. I had that in pregnancy, it sucks. But what I'm questioning is people who are experiencing water fluctuation within normal bounds - no oedema - who are getting all worked up about it and trying to control it. You might as well dance for the rain.

    Water weight fluctuation (within normal bounds) is just part of life. I know plateaus are frustrating, and it can help to understand some of the reasons behind water retention, but actually trying to control it is a bit like King Canute. The water will do what it will do.
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