Water retention

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gracehalsted
gracehalsted Posts: 15 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I've gained about 12 pounds since last week. I had about 4 days not tracking macros or calories during the 4th of July weekend. I follow a ketogenic diet and peanut butter was the worst thing I ate. I consumed more calories than usual though. Why has this water weight not gone away?

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  • GrumpyHeadmistress
    GrumpyHeadmistress Posts: 666 Member
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    Could be numerous things - TOM, high sodium, not drinking enough. All could contribute. Have patience.
  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    Probably a combination of things. 1. Salt intake, a lot of 4th of July foods are salty and it'll take a few days for your body to rid itself of the extra salt & water. 2. There's about one week a month where I gain about 4 pounds, I drop it the following week. It's every month. 3. You might be blocked up a bit from all the different foods, give it a few days to a week for your body to rid itself of the excess in your gut.

    Most importantly, don't fret too much or give up. Giving up because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because the forth is flat. Just keep moving forward and you will reach your goals.
  • beamin41
    beamin41 Posts: 38 Member
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    Could have an intolerance to something. Food sensitivy. Cortisol levels? Alcohol consumption. Tons of things
  • kgigi36
    kgigi36 Posts: 32 Member
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    BabyBear76 wrote: »
    Probably a combination of things. 1. Salt intake, a lot of 4th of July foods are salty and it'll take

    Most importantly, don't fret too much or give up. Giving up because of one setback is like slashing your other three tires because the forth is flat. Just keep moving forward and you will reach your goals.

  • Iheartrunning36
    Iheartrunning36 Posts: 73 Member
    edited July 2017
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    Restricting your carbs so low can never last to begin with ( just my opinion) Carbs bind with water, so if it was restricted you were likely just losing water to begin with depending on how many total calories you were getting. When you go on to eat normal you gain all the water weight back. That is why I always tell people, diet exercise moderation and keep a reasonable calorie deficit. That is why people love this type of diet, they see the scale drop massivively and weight just seems to shed off easily, but what you really lose is just water weight. Research carbs and water retention. 3200 calories burned is 1 pound of fat
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Iheartrunning36 wrote: »
    Restricting your carbs so low can never last to begin with ( just my opinion) Carbs bind with water, so if it was restricted you were likely just losing water to begin with depending on how many total calories you were getting. When you go on to eat normal you gain all the water weight back. That is why I always tell people, diet exercise moderation and keep a reasonable calorie deficit. That is why people love this type of diet, they see the scale drop massivively and weight just seems to shed off easily, but what you really lose is just water weight. Research carbs and water retention. 3200 calories burned is 1 pound of fat

    @Iheartrunning36 What about the people who lose 50-100+ lbs on low carb, are you saying all they lost was water weight and not fat?

    I gained around 2lbs when i went from keto/low carb back to moderate carbs, which eventually dropped off not long thereafter.
  • Iheartrunning36
    Iheartrunning36 Posts: 73 Member
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    Yes, if you burn 3200 calories you will lose a pound and so and and so on. Cutting carbs means nothing, you will not lose pounds any faster...our bodies need the right amount of carbs, protein, and lipids for energy....making your body go into a type of starvation mode, robbing it of an energy source is not my cup of tea. I've never known anyone to not gain it all back and more at the end when you bring back more carbs but really it's just more water unless you stop being in calorie deficit. it will make you gain when you stop. It's not a reasonable diet. Carbs bind to water so when you cut that you lose water weight if you don't have calorie deficit. Smart marketing is what that is, people were probably hooked losing up to 9 pounds the first week and only having cut carbs.....but really it was water.
  • Purplebunnysarah
    Purplebunnysarah Posts: 3,252 Member
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    Iheartrunning36 wrote: »
    Yes, if you burn 3200 calories you will lose a pound and so and and so on. Cutting carbs means nothing, you will not lose pounds any faster...our bodies need the right amount of carbs, protein, and lipids for energy....making your body go into a type of starvation mode, robbing it of an energy source is not my cup of tea. I've never known anyone to not gain it all back and more at the end when you bring back more carbs but really it's just more water unless you stop being in calorie deficit. it will make you gain when you stop. It's not a reasonable diet. Carbs bind to water so when you cut that you lose water weight if you don't have calorie deficit. Smart marketing is what that is, people were probably hooked losing up to 9 pounds the first week and only having cut carbs.....but really it was water.

    Those of us who do or have done low carb are generally aware of that. Low carb worked spectacularly in aiding me with a caloric deficit for a considerable length of time and I lost ~65 lbs that way. The only reason I'm not bothering with it anymore is because I need carbs to fuel the types of workouts I'm doing. I lost that 65 lbs sans exercise.

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