9 pounds of water weight in a day

JordanS9592 · July 2019

So a week ago, I weighed 337. Saturday, I weighed in at 332. Yesterday was my day off after 6 days of hard exercise. Last night I weighed in at 341! Now, I understand that night time makes you gain a couple, and I drank 2 gallons of water and ate all my calories. However, I drink and eat that much every day. I track my food scrupulously and stay under my original calories for the day, even though I lose 1000-2000 calories per day with exercise. Was I misled by my Saturday weigh in, and am I doing something wrong?

Sabine_Stroehm · July 2019

So probably neither the 332 weight nor the 341 weight is your "real" weight. Especially a night time weight after drinking two gallons of water and eating. You're probably somewhere south of 337. Keep eating at a deficit, but not too great of one. If you're burning 1k-2k calories a day with exercise, how many are you eating?

JordanS9592 · July 2019

I eat 3000 calories per day so I can get enough protein to maintain muscle. I eat clean though, typically something like eggs, Cheerios, almond milk, cherries, oranges, blueberries, tuna, almonds, protein powder, pure protein bar, ground beef, pasta, etc.

OGingerBeardMan · July 2019

Stop weighing so much! Weight fluctuates a good bit from day to day. I'd focus on only weighing in once a week, without clothes, first thing in the morning, and on the same day. Put the scale somewhere you can't step on it every day if you have to.

missysippy930 · July 2019

^^this, and why so much water and exercise? How sure are you about calories burned?

JordanS9592 · July 2019

missysippy930 wrote: »

^^this, and why so much water and exercise? How sure are you about calories burned?

So much water because I’m 6 3 and over 300 pounds, so much exercise because I want to lose weight and I enjoy it. To give an example, last Friday I swam 60 laps in 75 minutes, lifted weights for 30, and ran a mile in 11 minutes.

tlpina82 · July 2019

Jordan. Good Afternoon.
First and perhaps the most important thing that NO ONE tells you. Everyone sells you a fix, but no one tells you like it is.

Losing weight is simple, hard work, but it is simple.

By your description, I am assuming that your goal is to lose the extra weight and for that, you will have to tackle your body as separate things. Fat loss and Muscle maintenance have very different needs.
A few things you need to know:

1 - There's no losing weight and maintaining muscle.
NEVER.
Now, given your, most likely, sedentary life, you will see some strength growth and you can minimize the muscle loss with proper nutrition, but ultimately, if you're under your "maintenance", there's no way to maintain.
That doesn't mean you'll get weaker, as your muscle fibers will adapt, BUT, there's just not enough to sustain the muscle.

2 - As hard as it is to lose weight, gaining muscle is pleasurable.
That's because you will do the reverse.
You will work your butt off at the gym, lifting heavy, and you will eat your maintenance + more.

3 - Resistance training is a must. Not because you're going to maintain or build muscle.
Resistance training will alter the way you deal with Nutrients, specifically Sugar.

So, in my honest opinion, you should focus on losing the weight, as quickly as possible.
Lose a bunch of weight first, then, when you're at a healthy point, build it all to the point that muscles support lose skin, if any.

wilson10102018 · July 2019

^^^ This.

Lose the weight to improve overall body health at a reasonable rate with good nutrition. When you get to a non-obese number, or close enough, add exercise to build muscle for tone and fitness health. You can't do both at one time. Your body will take the extra calories and retain the fat and you just be tired and hungry all the time.

dewd2 · July 2019

wilson10102018 wrote: »

^^^ This.

Lose the weight to improve overall body health at a reasonable rate with good nutrition. When you get to a non-obese number, or close enough, add exercise to build muscle for tone and fitness health. You can't do both at one time. Your body will take the extra calories and retain the fat and you just be tired and hungry all the time.

*kitten*

Talk to the folks here who were successful long term. Ignore the bro-science.

sytchequeen · July 2019

JordanS9592 wrote: »

Yesterday was my day off after 6 days of hard exercise.

Ok. After 6 days hard exercise your muscles will be repairing any micro-tears and this involves fluid retention as part of the repair process. It will come off.

LyndaBSS · July 2019

Was it 100 degrees with high humidity in your neighborhood these past few days like it was mine? I always retain water in the heat and humidity.

And do yourself a HUGE favor. Don't weigh at night unless you don't really care what the scale says.

Rule of thumb: if a night time weight leads you to start a thread about it, don't do it. 😉

puffbrat · July 2019

Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »

So probably neither the 332 weight nor the 341 weight is your "real" weight. Especially a night time weight after drinking two gallons of water and eating. You're probably somewhere south of 337. Keep eating at a deficit, but not too great of one. If you're burning 1k-2k calories a day with exercise, how many are you eating?

This.

If you are going to weigh everyday, do it first thing in the morning after using the bathroom and either naked or wearing the same clothes every time. You will still see scale fluctuations for a variety of reasons, but this method will eliminate some of the variables.

Please be careful that you are drinking to stay hydrated and not over-hydrating because you heard it is healthy or helpful for weight loss. Yes, over hydration is a real thing. As an example, my aunt was in the ER on Friday for overhydration. It was severe enough that doctors wanted to admit her to the hospital. She was just drinking a lot of water throughout the day because she constantly hears it is good for you and good for weight loss.

JordanS9592 wrote: »

I eat clean though, typically something like eggs, Cheerios, almond milk, cherries, oranges, blueberries, tuna, almonds, protein powder, pure protein bar, ground beef, pasta, etc.

This is irrelevant to the number on the scale. What matters is your net calories. What you eat can affect your overall health, how you feel, water retention from sodium, etc.

cmriverside · July 2019

First, don't listen to wilson or tlpina82. Good job on your workouts and keep it going!

Then, I agree that one time per week is enough for weighing and that exercise and heat are both reasons why you would be retaining a lot of water. Nine pounds is well within water fluctuations for a 6'3" 300+ pound man.

Just keep your food in line, keep exercising and don't stress the fluctuations right now. It's a long game.

http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

JordanS9592 · July 2019

Thanks for all the advice and support. Much appreciated.

souschefsam · July 2019

Maybe it's time for a new scale?.... #precision #accuracy

WickedPineapple · July 2019

One gallon of water weighs a little over 8 lbs. This is why weighing in after drinking/eating is misleading, and why people suggest doing weigh-ins first thing in the morning (fasted).

MikePTY · July 2019

Weighing in at the same time every day is a must. In the morning after the bathroom, before you eat, is usually the most recommended time because it is the most stable as it is not as affected by food and water intake. 2 gallons of water weights 16 pounds. Plus your food intake. So weighing at different times can show a wide range of scale fluctuations. I am not surprised at all by 9 pounds.

Even if you are weighing at the same time in the morning daily, scale fluctuations are still to be expected, so I wouldn't be surprised if it changes a few pounds daily given the large water intake you have. The important thing to do is track the overall trend downwards, not the daily fluctuations.

wilson10102018 · July 2019

cmriverside wrote: »

First, don't listen to wilson or tlpina82. Good job on your workouts and keep it going!

Then, I agree that one time per week is enough for weighing and that exercise and heat are both reasons why you would be retaining a lot of water. Nine pounds is well within water fluctuations for a 6'3" 300+ pound man.

Just keep your food in line, keep exercising and don't stress the fluctuations right now. It's a long game.

http://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

Unlike others, I got my "science" from a nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic. And, I have lost 39 lb in 300 days.

sammidelvecchio · July 2019

It has really helped me to weigh in everyday. It can be really hard for some people, and at first its really confusing. But it might be worth a shot for you. I have been weighing in nearly every day for almost 5 months and it has really helped me understand fluctuations and how MY body loses weight. For example, I usually lose majority of my monthly weight in week 3 of each month. I have gotten to see how my weight reacts to different weather (humidity, etc) and how it reacts to different types of food and eating schedules like a normal routine, versus vacation eating, versus holding water weight from really salty foods.

It's not for everyone, but I highly suggest trying it. Some people use a trending app, I think one is called Happy Scale (?) but I just use MFP and my calendar on my fridge to track it.

apullum · July 2019

JordanS9592 wrote: »

missysippy930 wrote: »

^^this, and why so much water and exercise? How sure are you about calories burned?

So much water because I’m 6 3 and over 300 pounds, so much exercise because I want to lose weight and I enjoy it. To give an example, last Friday I swam 60 laps in 75 minutes, lifted weights for 30, and ran a mile in 11 minutes.

I'm still not clear on why you drink 2 gallons of water every day. Are you sweating a lot due to your workout and/or the weather? If you're sweating so much that you need 2 gallons of water every single day, then you probably need to be thinking about replacing electrolytes rather than drinking plain water.

If you're not sweating a lot and you're just going by things you've read or heard about water intake, try going by the color of your urine instead. If it's pale yellow, you're properly hydrated. If it's dark other than first thing in the morning, drink more water.

If you're not sweating a lot and you're so thirsty that you must drink 2 gallons of water a day, then you should check with your doctor, since excessive thirst can be a symptom of diabetes.

TrishSeren · July 2019

2 gallons of water? That's INSANE.

9 pounds of water weight in a day

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