Chocolate and Water Weight

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starryphoenix
starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
edited March 2019 in Health and Weight Loss
Will chocolate make me gain water weight? I feel like I’ve heard that before. I’m going to start drinking more water again and this question came to mind because Easter is soon and I have chocolate around the house. I’m not really all that worried, just curious.

Replies

  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,754 Member
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    I get water weight from too much sodium or my RA is giving me grief. I have never heard of chocolate doing this. hmmm.
  • MoiAussi93
    MoiAussi93 Posts: 1,948 Member
    edited March 2019
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    I doubt it, unless you eat really sugary chocolate. If you eat dark chocolate with 70% or 80% cacao there is very little sugar. I regularly eat that and eat low carb.

    But even if you eat milk chocolate with all kinds of sugary fillings, I think you would need to eat a lot to gain water weight. Just don't stuff yourself full of chocolate.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
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    How much chocolate are you planning on eating? My guess is that additional water needed to process the carbohydrates is not going to amount to much unless you have your eye on that 1 lb chocolate rabbit.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited March 2019
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    I've never experienced that. Spaghetti? Yes. Alcohol? Yes. Chocolate? No.
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
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    Eat chocolate every day and the question becomes irrelevant. This is not a concern I have heard about before or experienced myself. I guess it might occur if you are eating low carb and then have a day or going wild with chocolate.
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    Not in general. I suppose if you had a mild allergy to one of the ingredients in the chocolate you were eating, it could cause bloating.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    If you are glycogen depleted and are on an otherwise low carb diet, the carbs/sugar from the chocolate may increase your glycogen stores and glycogen retains water, so in short, it could, but depends.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    ha i don't even care if that's true i am still eating my required 2x a day dose of chocolate :)
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    Panini911 wrote: »
    ha i don't even care if that's true i am still eating my required 2x a day dose of chocolate :)

    IMO, if the above is true it'll keep your water weight levels more consistent so keep it up. xD
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    Panini911 wrote: »
    ha i don't even care if that's true i am still eating my required 2x a day dose of chocolate :)

    I'm stress-eating caramel M&Ms right now. (Stupid new work software. :grumble:)
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    Panini911 wrote: »
    ha i don't even care if that's true i am still eating my required 2x a day dose of chocolate :)

    IMO, if the above is true it'll keep your water weight levels more consistent so keep it up. xD

    there you go, all the more reason to keep eating chocolate ;)
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    Panini911 wrote: »
    ha i don't even care if that's true i am still eating my required 2x a day dose of chocolate :)

    I'm stress-eating caramel M&Ms right now. (Stupid new work software. :grumble:)

    I also recommend the new Thai coconut M&Ms if you like curry at all. I think they have a mild yellow curry flavor with hints of coconut and lime. It doesn’t sound like it would work for chocolate, but I think it really does. They’re surprisingly complex for M&Ms.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
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    apullum wrote: »
    Panini911 wrote: »
    ha i don't even care if that's true i am still eating my required 2x a day dose of chocolate :)

    I'm stress-eating caramel M&Ms right now. (Stupid new work software. :grumble:)

    I also recommend the new Thai coconut M&Ms if you like curry at all. I think they have a mild yellow curry flavor with hints of coconut and lime. It doesn’t sound like it would work for chocolate, but I think it really does. They’re surprisingly complex for M&Ms.

    wow - will have to keep my eyes out for those!
  • poisonesse
    poisonesse Posts: 528 Member
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    I googled it...
    Does chocolate cause water retention?
    Making better choices in your diet can often help alleviate your excess fluid retention. Sugar itself doesn't cause water retention, but an overindulgence can make your body overproduce the hormone insulin, which can cause the water retention.Oct 22, 2012

    Now, personally, I have never heard of chocolate causing water weight. I'm a confirmed chocoholic, I have chocolate every night (and if I don't, you do NOT want to be in the same area as I am, 'cause something is going to go ballistic!) and I don't have a problem with water weight. Well, I do if I eat Chinese takeout, or too much of anything that's high in sodium... but DEFINITELY not from chocolate!

    Oh, and one that that will cause you to retain water... not drinking enough water. ;-)
  • RelCanonical
    RelCanonical Posts: 3,882 Member
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    poisonesse wrote: »
    I googled it...
    Does chocolate cause water retention?
    Making better choices in your diet can often help alleviate your excess fluid retention. Sugar itself doesn't cause water retention, but an overindulgence can make your body overproduce the hormone insulin, which can cause the water retention.Oct 22, 2012

    Now, personally, I have never heard of chocolate causing water weight. I'm a confirmed chocoholic, I have chocolate every night (and if I don't, you do NOT want to be in the same area as I am, 'cause something is going to go ballistic!) and I don't have a problem with water weight. Well, I do if I eat Chinese takeout, or too much of anything that's high in sodium... but DEFINITELY not from chocolate!

    Oh, and one that that will cause you to retain water... not drinking enough water. ;-)

    Yasssss, drink that water and flush that retention away! I can always tell when I'm going to retain water from salt intake because I'm hot at night, i.e. dehydrated.
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
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    apullum wrote: »
    Panini911 wrote: »
    ha i don't even care if that's true i am still eating my required 2x a day dose of chocolate :)

    I'm stress-eating caramel M&Ms right now. (Stupid new work software. :grumble:)

    I also recommend the new Thai coconut M&Ms if you like curry at all. I think they have a mild yellow curry flavor with hints of coconut and lime. It doesn’t sound like it would work for chocolate, but I think it really does. They’re surprisingly complex for M&Ms.

    Well, you know your chocolate! I haven't seen them, but I'd try them for sure!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,055 Member
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    Eating significantly more carbs than normal - even if it's an entirely sensible amount of carbs, within calorie goal - can increase water retention. IMU, every gram of carbs requires a few grams of water while it's being metabolized (2 grams of water? 4 grams? I always forget. Something like that: Small).

    So, when we have a more-or-less consistent level of carb intake, we have a more-or-less consistent amount of water tied up in our system to process it. Eat a bunch more carbs than usual, hold some extra water weight that may be enough to show on the scale. (But it's temporary, and not fat gain, so why worry?)

    If those carbs arrive in the form of sugar in chocolate, that could do it. However, the amount of fat in that much chocolate is more likely to be a problem for one's calorie goal, than the carbs are to be a problem for one's water weight. :drinker:
  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
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    Thanks for all the answers! I’m not really worried about it, but I wanted to know. Around this time of year we tend to keep chocolate around the house.