Can IV fluids really make me gain that much?!

PAV8888 · November 2017

A 15lb scale loss in a month given your current size and activity and available fat was obviously not healthy and did not come from only losing fat. It also appears to be based on scale weight; not trending weight.

There was a hint up-tread that you might have a history that could get triggered by persistent and/or large deficits as well as the general weight loss culture.

You've already ended up in emergency. You are already worried about a single holiday meal that presumably you do not repeat every single day.

I would seriously consider taking a step back and also enlisting my current GP and/or trusted family.

You may want to formulate a more comprehensive and vetted by a third party plan and go at this at a much much much slower pace and smaller deficit than what you're going for.

Purplebunnysarah · November 2017

I came out of the hospital after delivering my oldest child weighing the same as I did when I went in. I had loads of complications and got bags and bags of various types of fluids (saline... pitocin... antibiotics... blood transfusions...). Once my body started to shed the excess water I lost about 20 or 25 lbs in 3 days.

Alatariel75 · November 2017

You were dehydrated. That gave you a false reading on the scale because you weighed less than you ought to have if you were properly hydrated. You've now been rehydrated and are clinging to some water weight. That gave you a false reading on the scale because you weighed more than you ought to have due to excess fluid. Your 'true' weight is somewhere between those 2 points, and is a range, not a weight.

emmylootwo · November 2017

I don't know why but something got majorly lost in translation! I regret not checking this thread sooner to clear things up... Sorry about that

1.) I had a little virus or something this week and ate an average of 800 calories a day for three days because I was feeling ill. I do not normally eat 800 calories a day! I weigh about 330 lbs, and I eat 1700-1750 calories a day with no exercise (yet! working on it). I, ahem, had bathroom issues and probably didn't drink enough to replenish... so I suspect that's why I became so dehydrated. Also, I'm losing the recommended ~1% body weight each week for those worried about the 15lb loss.

2.) I did struggle with bulimia in the past when I was in high school. I'm 23 now and have not purged or had any bulimic behaviors in five years. When I said "excess weight," I really meant excess weight - 200 lbs of it from a long and hard recovery and lots of stress. Otherwise, I'm as healthy as can be in regards to the eating disorder.

3.) And, no, I didn't purposely eat 800 calories a day so that I could enjoy Thanksgiving. Speaking of which, my family has decided to push back to Saturday until I am feeling 100% again. I don't know.. I was feeling frustrated with the scale, a bit worried that salty Thanksgiving food was a bad idea to pack on top of it, and still battling those bad thoughts of "ruining everything."

It was a pretty silly question in hindsight -- one that I wish I could go back and talk myself through before posting. I still struggle with that old eating disorder mentality at times but I'm trying my best. I was just really thrown off seeing that large of a weight gain. I didn't think 2 bags of IV fluid could do that. I didn't quite realize what it meant to be rehydrated. I've never been to the ER for dehydration.

Thanks everyone who replied with kind and encouraging advice. I needed it.

jsiricos · November 2017

From a medical point of view - the dizziness etc you described, is also due to low potassium and magnesium (both in the IV fluids) take those supplements and drink a good amount of water, and you should even out. No, Im not a medical professional, I've just had a whole year of bags of fluids, low potassium/magnesium etc (think daily bags..)

Don't let it get to you, stay healthy, add vitamins and pot/mag.

Can IV fluids really make me gain that much?!

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