What is water weight?

What is water weight? How much water weight are you expected to gain from exercise etc?

Replies

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Our bodies are ~55-60% water weight. In diet terms "water weight" is largely referred to the additional 2-10 lbs one takes on following high salt meals, increased stress, hormonal change, increased physical activity, etc.

    Uptake of water correlates to cellular stress and is very necessary to prevent harm. This will go away in 5-7 days with proper rest and hydration.
  • mummy_h
    mummy_h Posts: 103 Member
    Well there's a few aspects to this ...

    Our body is fueled on carbon. We are "carbon based life" ... we break carbon off of chains in molecules and doing so produces heat. That's the heat that keeps our insides at 98.6 degrees.

    Fats are long chains of H-c-H ...hydrogen is light so the "energy" in a gram of fat is high.

    Carbohydrates are chains of H-c-OH ... so when the carbons break off ... they produce ... dun dun dun. H2O. Oxygen is heavy, so a gram of carbs has half the energy stored in it as a gram of fats.


    2 other notes:

    Dip a chicken breast in water. Dip a slice of bread in water.

    Carbohydrates suck up water like a sponge, so in your guts etc they "hold water" with them.

    And then everyone's favorite word.. glycogen. Glycogen is the sugar water your body uses for muscle energy. When you do a hard workout the muscles swell with glycogen (this is inflammation) ... that's to give your muscles more food to heal.

    Hope this helps...

    Very helpful thanks, im swimming every day so im hoping thats why im not losing weight at the moment. I have lost inches. Im have cp so using lots of muscles i dont ordinally use when swimming x
  • mummy_h
    mummy_h Posts: 103 Member
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Our bodies are ~55-60% water weight. In diet terms "water weight" is largely referred to the additional 2-10 lbs one takes on following high salt meals, increased stress, hormonal change, increased physical activity, etc.

    Uptake of water correlates to cellular stress and is very necessary to prevent harm. This will go away in 5-7 days with proper rest and hydration.

    Ok thank you, i may not be drinking enough water! Ill change that today xx
  • mummy_h
    mummy_h Posts: 103 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Dilvish wrote: »
    mummy_h wrote: »

    Very helpful thanks, im swimming every day so im hoping thats why im not losing weight at the moment. I have lost inches. Im have cp so using lots of muscles i dont ordinally use when swimming x

    Swimming actually isn't the best exercise for weight loss. True it can be a good workout overall like cardio, but the best exercise for weight loss is weights/resistance training. Try combining the two...one day swim, the next day weights. here is a great article on exercise for weight loss...note swimming didn't make the list...

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with swimming if OP enjoys it.

    Thats nonsense, i lost 3 stone in 8 months 10 years ago swimming 5 times a week I cant weight safely actually, swimming is the only pain free exercise i can do
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    mummy_h wrote: »
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Dilvish wrote: »
    mummy_h wrote: »

    Very helpful thanks, im swimming every day so im hoping thats why im not losing weight at the moment. I have lost inches. Im have cp so using lots of muscles i dont ordinally use when swimming x

    Swimming actually isn't the best exercise for weight loss. True it can be a good workout overall like cardio, but the best exercise for weight loss is weights/resistance training. Try combining the two...one day swim, the next day weights. here is a great article on exercise for weight loss...note swimming didn't make the list...

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with swimming if OP enjoys it.

    Thats nonsense, i lost 3 stone in 8 months 10 years ago swimming 5 times a week I cant weight safely actually, swimming is the only pain free exercise i can do

    Awesome. Keep doing what you are doing!
  • mummy_h
    mummy_h Posts: 103 Member
    sardelsa wrote: »
    Dilvish wrote: »
    mummy_h wrote: »

    Very helpful thanks, im swimming every day so im hoping thats why im not losing weight at the moment. I have lost inches. Im have cp so using lots of muscles i dont ordinally use when swimming x

    Swimming actually isn't the best exercise for weight loss. True it can be a good workout overall like cardio, but the best exercise for weight loss is weights/resistance training. Try combining the two...one day swim, the next day weights. here is a great article on exercise for weight loss...note swimming didn't make the list...

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with swimming if OP enjoys it.

    Thank you, swimming is great for weight loss! Tried and tested in the past
  • jamesbrooks322
    jamesbrooks322 Posts: 2 Member
    Water weight also comes from the body holding on to excess water in the body due to high sodium intake and levels. Try decreasing sodium and lowering carbohydrate consumption
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
    Dilvish wrote: »
    mummy_h wrote: »

    Very helpful thanks, im swimming every day so im hoping thats why im not losing weight at the moment. I have lost inches. Im have cp so using lots of muscles i dont ordinally use when swimming x

    Swimming actually isn't the best exercise for weight loss. True it can be a good workout overall like cardio, but the best exercise for weight loss is weights/resistance training. Try combining the two...one day swim, the next day weights. here is a great article on exercise for weight loss...note swimming didn't make the list...
    Swimming is a good workout like cardio, eh?

    One of these days I must find out what "cardio" is.




  • Silkysausage
    Silkysausage Posts: 502 Member
    I weigh in once a week on a Saturday at home same time place, same time of day. Before any food and before getting dressed.

    The scale will be different on the Sunday because I know water retention has crept in. The difference in numbers is astounding sometimes!

    I log down what the Sunday numbers are.
  • mummy_h
    mummy_h Posts: 103 Member
    I weigh in once a week on a Saturday at home same time place, same time of day. Before any food and before getting dressed.

    The scale will be different on the Sunday because I know water retention has crept in. The difference in numbers is astounding sometimes!

    I log down what the Sunday numbers are.

    Ohh thats interesting, i dont weigh in on the same day but i do weigh in at the same time, ill try that xx