!!!Gallon of Water a Day for Two Weeks, GAINED weight !!!
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domineer4life wrote: »Hi MFP,
Two weeks ago I started the 30 day gallon of water a day challenge in an effort to drop weight and get a boost in energy. I have done a lot of cardio (13 times) over
the past two weeks. My workouts have consisted of 90 min walks in the neighborhood or 35 min elliptical machine training in the gym. I have done a few weight machines over this time as well but not as much as the cardio. As far as my water intake is concerned, I normally drank 50 to 80 oz a day before the challenge. After drinking a gallon a day, I’ve noticed immediate improvements to my energy and quality of sleep. My motivation to go to the gym, even on my rest days, have been a real boon to my confidence level. Last Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Morning before any food or drink) I actually lost 1.5 lbs from the prior week. I attributed that to the uptick in water consumption and fitness activity. I made it a point during the Thanksgiving period to workout often as to offset some of the incoming calories. The gallon of water a day commitment has contributed to a decreased consumption of food and although I might of had some “cheat” snacks during that time, I’ve been active and fasting for 16 hours a day (IF) for three days a week.
I felt discouraged this morning when I stepped on the scale and gained 6 lbs when I’ve been feeling and witnessing positive cognitive effects. Physically I feel heavier and I feel like my body still has a ton of water to dispel from my body but just hasn’t yet. Has any one of you experienced this and what have you done to get your body back to losing weight with the gallon of water a day routine? I am a male, 5’10” 246 lbs as of last week’s weigh in and I have tried on clothes and they don’t feel tighter so I know my body is holding on to serious water weight. I just feel bloated with water and my body is reluctant in releasing it.
Any guidance, advice, or encouragement right now would be much appreciated.
Hey Brother,
First, let me start by saying welcome to MFP! There are lots of great folks here, as evidenced by the response you've been getting.
Barring any potential medical conditions that might be affecting your goals here what I have to offer...
OK, on to the matter at hand: I too drink about a Gallon of water a day, Sometime a little less, sometimes a little more. I lift weights 4 days a week, (heavily) and do cardio 6 days a week. 4 days light cardio, just elliptical or bike, 2 days HIIT training. While I do ride a desk all day, I am hitting the gym hard, and man, I am a sweater... LIke dripping sweat.. So for me, I need to drink that much water..
In order to really help you out here we would need to take a look at your diet. Fasting is great, and I myself have had some great success with it, however, as a few folks have pointed out, it's all about calories in, calories out. If you're looking to lose weight, you'll need to be in a Calorie deficit. ie. Burning more calories than you are consuming. I would think that a good place for you to start is 2200 - 2000 cal a day if you're exercising regularly. Try that for two weeks, and see how it goes. I know it seems like very little food, but it's all about smart food choices. It helps if you think in terms of changing foods out, verses denying food. For example, I like to have a snack every night at around 8 pm. So instead of the "Peanut butter toast" etc, I have a "Atkins" bar or Protein shake.
Get used to reading labels and track all of your food, without exception! You'd be surprised how many of us have gone over our daily Calories goal when we are honest about what we are actually eating. Pay special attention to Sodium levels too. Nothing will have you holding onto water like a heavy salt diet. I myself, actually weigh all my food, whether i'm "cutting" or "bulking". I find the routine of it helps me stay on course.
Last thing, and I probably skipped 100 things, but, Do not weigh yourself every day! I literally fluctuate 5lbs on the regular. If I have a "cheat" weekend, I can put on 10 + pounds in 2 days. It will come back off in 3 days though of dialing back into my routine.
Hope all of this helps in some small way. Feel free to hit me up w/ a friend request. Don't be afraid to ask questions, we've all been in the same boat as you.
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domineer4life wrote: »
So you're favoring other temporary and marginally unrelated measures vs. a known-effective methodology?
Why do you find logging to be such an unsustainable habit?[/quote]
Calorie counting works but Is not the only way to lose or maintain weight. It is not sustainable for me because I don’t enjoy counting every calorie in each morsel of food I consume. I want to find enjoyment in what I eat and as long as I am aware of the portion size, that is something I can stick to during this lifestyle habit.
[/quote]
I never suggested it's the only way but it's a great way to eliminate the guesswork of limiting portion size. How does counting impact the enjoyment of your food? I grilled up some great pork chops the other night and enjoyed the heck out of all 174g.16 -
11Templars wrote: »domineer4life wrote: »Hi MFP,
Two weeks ago I started the 30 day gallon of water a day challenge in an effort to drop weight and get a boost in energy. I have done a lot of cardio (13 times) over
the past two weeks. My workouts have consisted of 90 min walks in the neighborhood or 35 min elliptical machine training in the gym. I have done a few weight machines over this time as well but not as much as the cardio. As far as my water intake is concerned, I normally drank 50 to 80 oz a day before the challenge. After drinking a gallon a day, I’ve noticed immediate improvements to my energy and quality of sleep. My motivation to go to the gym, even on my rest days, have been a real boon to my confidence level. Last Thursday morning (Thanksgiving Morning before any food or drink) I actually lost 1.5 lbs from the prior week. I attributed that to the uptick in water consumption and fitness activity. I made it a point during the Thanksgiving period to workout often as to offset some of the incoming calories. The gallon of water a day commitment has contributed to a decreased consumption of food and although I might of had some “cheat” snacks during that time, I’ve been active and fasting for 16 hours a day (IF) for three days a week.
I felt discouraged this morning when I stepped on the scale and gained 6 lbs when I’ve been feeling and witnessing positive cognitive effects. Physically I feel heavier and I feel like my body still has a ton of water to dispel from my body but just hasn’t yet. Has any one of you experienced this and what have you done to get your body back to losing weight with the gallon of water a day routine? I am a male, 5’10” 246 lbs as of last week’s weigh in and I have tried on clothes and they don’t feel tighter so I know my body is holding on to serious water weight. I just feel bloated with water and my body is reluctant in releasing it.
Any guidance, advice, or encouragement right now would be much appreciated.
Hey Brother,
First, let me start by saying welcome to MFP! There are lots of great folks here, as evidenced by the response you've been getting.
Barring any potential medical conditions that might be affecting your goals here what I have to offer...
OK, on to the matter at hand: I too drink about a Gallon of water a day, Sometime a little less, sometimes a little more. I lift weights 4 days a week, (heavily) and do cardio 6 days a week. 4 days light cardio, just elliptical or bike, 2 days HIIT training. While I do ride a desk all day, I am hitting the gym hard, and man, I am a sweater... LIke dripping sweat.. So for me, I need to drink that much water..
In order to really help you out here we would need to take a look at your diet. Fasting is great, and I myself have had some great success with it, however, as a few folks have pointed out, it's all about calories in, calories out. If you're looking to lose weight, you'll need to be in a Calorie deficit. ie. Burning more calories than you are consuming. I would think that a good place for you to start is 2200 - 2000 cal a day if you're exercising regularly. Try that for two weeks, and see how it goes. I know it seems like very little food, but it's all about smart food choices. It helps if you think in terms of changing foods out, verses denying food. For example, I like to have a snack every night at around 8 pm. So instead of the "Peanut butter toast" etc, I have a "Atkins" bar or Protein shake.
Get used to reading labels and track all of your food, without exception! You'd be surprised how many of us have gone over our daily Calories goal when we are honest about what we are actually eating. Pay special attention to Sodium levels too. Nothing will have you holding onto water like a heavy salt diet. I myself, actually weigh all my food, whether i'm "cutting" or "bulking". I find the routine of it helps me stay on course.
Last thing, and I probably skipped 100 things, but, Do not weigh yourself every day! I literally fluctuate 5lbs on the regular. If I have a "cheat" weekend, I can put on 10 + pounds in 2 days. It will come back off in 3 days though of dialing back into my routine.
Hope all of this helps in some small way. Feel free to hit me up w/ a friend request. Don't be afraid to ask questions, we've all been in the same boat as you.
This is great advice. I like your approach and you were not judgmental or condescending during your knowledge transfer. I will take this into account and make the necessary adjustments. Appreciate you bro. #TeamFit
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I disagree with your approach but only because it sounds to me as if you're literally floundering around looking for a solution, any solution, and the truth of the matter is that consistency over time is what, in my opinion, seems to work best for those who are maintaining their loss a few years down the road.
In your case and your current problem, the first suspect would be my method of determining my weight level over time. I use a weight trend app and try to keep my daily weigh-in conditions identical. And possibly due to overconsumption of water!
The more extreme your deficit and intervention and the more far off from the norm for you it is, the harder it will be to stick to it long term.
Anything you start doing to lose weight, ask yourself: do I see myself doing this during the next three to five years?
If the answer is no, then it is either too extreme, you're not ready for it, or, obviously, you're not going to stay the course.
But weight loss and maintenance is not a one month thing.
So find what works for you. For years at a time
And do remember that the size of the deficit and the increase in exercise or activity don't have to be heroic. Just like with compound interest, time multiplies consistent effort23 -
I disagree with your approach but only because it sounds to me as if you're literally floundering around looking for a solution, any solution, and the truth of the matter is that consistency over time is what, in my opinion, seems to work best for those who are maintaining their loss a few years down the road.
In your case and your current problem, the first suspect would be my method of determining my weight level over time. I use a weight trend app and try to keep my daily weigh-in conditions identical. And possibly due to overconsumption of water!
The more extreme your deficit and intervention and the more far off from the norm for you it is, the harder it will be to stick to it long term.
Anything you start doing to lose weight, ask yourself: do I see myself doing this during the next three to five years?
If the answer is no, then it is either too extreme, you're not ready for it, or, obviously, you're not going to stay the course.
But weight loss and maintenance is not a one month thing.
So find what works for you. For years at a time
And do remember that the size of the deficit and the increase in exercise or activity don't have to be heroic. Just like with compound interest, time multiplies consistent effort
I could not agree more...
OP, I know you want to lose this weight ASAP... everyone does. But quick results quickly go away, while long lasting changes bring about lost lasting results. There really is no way around it in the long run. And it's true, we have all been there, tried this or that, only to come about and realize that lifestyle change is the lasting way to change your weight for the long term. I just encourage you to take a deep breath, be kind to yourself, take the pressure off, feed your body foods you truly enjoy, and make small changes here and there. There really is no rush. When you lose the weight, you are not done, you are just at the beginning of a new state of body you now have to maintain. Whatever you do to lose weight, you really do have to be able to stick to or else it will come back. Your body is the result of your lifestyle and habits of what you are doing consistently over time. What you are doing consistently will reflect in your body's state (fat mass, muscle mass, etc).
I sincerely hope you find your way in this.16 -
My feeling about not counting calories is that if you can lose weight just fine without counting calories, have fun, go for it. Some people can. However, if you can’t be bothered to count calories you lose the right to ask why you aren’t losing weight as expected, because there is no “as expected” if you don’t know your intake.
I keep reading your replies about how you don’t need to count calories. If so, what the heck is this thread about? You aren’t losing weight the way you want and you are wondering why not. The way to get that answer is to count your calories. You don’t have to do it forever, but you should do it until you have the answer to your question.
By the way, it takes me literal seconds every day to log, and I can do it on my phone at a restaurant. It’s especially easy if the restaurant menu is in the location tab. If it really does take you a long time, just snap a photo of your food and log later. “Just want to eat without the task of logging and recording” sounds like a fancy way of saying, “I want to pretend this meal fits in my calorie limits even though I secretly sort of know it doesn’t,” to me. I’m betting that’s the reason you aren’t losing as expected.24 -
rheddmobile wrote: »My feeling about not counting calories is that if you can lose weight just fine without counting calories, have fun, go for it. Some people can. However, if you can’t be bothered to count calories you lose the right to ask why you aren’t losing weight as expected, because there is no “as expected” if you don’t know your intake.
I keep reading your replies about how you don’t need to count calories. If so, what the heck is this thread about? You aren’t losing weight the way you want and you are wondering why not. The way to get that answer is to count your calories. You don’t have to do it forever, but you should do it until you have the answer to your question.
By the way, it takes me literal seconds every day to log, and I can do it on my phone at a restaurant. It’s especially easy if the restaurant menu is in the location tab. If it really does take you a long time, just snap a photo of your food and log later. “Just want to eat without the task of logging and recording” sounds like a fancy way of saying, “I want to pretend this meal fits in my calorie limits even though I secretly sort of know it doesn’t,” to me. I’m betting that’s the reason you aren’t losing as expected.
Yes, I can lose weight just fine without counting calories under certain circumstances. But since I'm not single, don't have an active job, am not living in a yoga retreat center in Costa Rica, and don't expect any of that to change, I weigh and log my food.11 -
I realize why people think that calorie counting isn't sustainable, but this is true only if you believe that eating at maintenance is intuitive, which is an outright fallacy.
I'm not sure why the resistance to tracking, especially with the advent of smartphone and apps ala MFP. It takes minutes a day to log this.
...and I get the IF guys - at least those it works for, but overall it seems a great deal of risk and uncertainty. This would be akin to managing finances, but never tracking expenses and not spending any money over certain days/times. Further complicated by not tracking income and expecting the balance to remain stable or increase.
I also note that those successful with IF spend a greater amount of time exercising, risk mitigation to ensure a caloric deficit due to uncertainty.16 -
Reading through, I have a couple thoughts.
1) Water retention is definitely at play. If you feel uncomfortable from the amount you’re drinking, pull back a little & do some trial-and-error until you find a comfortable intake.
2) 6lbs, especially in a short amount of time, can be a sign of food still digesting or constipation. Are either of these a possibiltiy in this case?
3) High levels of sodium and over exertion result in water retention. Ease up a little on both.
4) You may just be building muscle mass. When I was swimming & jogging miltiple times a day a few years ago I developed crazy muscle mass in my legs. That’ll bump up the scale pretty quickly.
5) If you believe fat stores are at play, start measuring calorie-dense foods such as dairy & meat. It means a little extra effort, but not as much as logging every little thing. If you’re still gaining, log fully. More often than not people *think* they know how many calories they’re consuming, only to discover they’ve been eating substantially more.
TL;DR: Use common sense. If it isn’t working, adjust until it does.4 -
I stopped reading at “water challenge.” 🙄13
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I realize why people think that calorie counting isn't sustainable, but this is true only if you believe that eating at maintenance is intuitive, which is an outright fallacy.
I'm not sure why the resistance to tracking, especially with the advent of smartphone and apps ala MFP. It takes minutes a day to log this.
...and I get the IF guys - at least those it works for, but overall it seems a great deal of risk and uncertainty. This would be akin to managing finances, but never tracking expenses and not spending any money over certain days/times. Further complicated by not tracking income and expecting the balance to remain stable or increase.
I also note that those successful with IF spend a greater amount of time exercising, risk mitigation to ensure a caloric deficit due to uncertainty.
Erm...
Disagree with the sweeping statements presented. Careful with using the word "only" as it excludes any other possible solutions!!
I don't track my food and can maintain my weight or lose weight just fine - but I can't do that and eat intuitively.
My intuitive eating level is a surplus and has been just about the whole of my adult life.
But I can and do eat mindfully and keep my overall calorie balance in mind. I found food tracking during the period of my main weight loss educational and useful but at maintenance or when correcting a weight drift for me it's just not necessary. People can be calorie aware without counting.
Logging food for me is unsustainable as it provides no benefit to me. That it provides a benefit to many others is clearly obvious but irrelevant to my personal choices.
It's not as black and white as you suggest of tracking calories OR intuitive eating, there are other options which work for some people, not just mindful eating either. But I must say the OP is picking some very strange and not at all surprisingly ineffective other options! Picking options which actually influence calorie intake would be better choices.14 -
Focus less on the weight and do body measurements. They are more accurate. Still weigh sometimes but don’t rely on the scale.
You should stick to 64 to 100oz of water and don’t go any higher. You don’t need any more than that. Whether or not a gallon is good varies from person to person. From what I’ve read it might be too much for you.
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girlwithcurls2 wrote: »I stopped reading at “water challenge.” 🙄
Straight up, that's rude. Instead of offering up something you've learned on your journey to someone who is clearly new to all of this, your 1st goto response is to be sarcastic?
The responses to this post are why I rarely offer up anying in the forums. The lack of consideration for meeting people where they're at is disappointing to say the least. Folks seem more interested in "disagreeing with each other, and showing how much they know than being understanding and sensitive towards one another.
At the risk of being that guy: ----> I see more ppl disagreed with my post than any other which I find interesting. I have competed at the National level in 2 sports, was a University Champion Wrestler, Coach a Provincial team (10 years now), and have worked with nutritionists, sport Psychologists, and the best of coaches and Drs for literally 2/3 of my life. Hence, not my 1st rodeo...
If you have something to offer the OP, by all means do so, but please be considerate to one another. If you have issues, with what I posted, buy all means correct me in a DM so that I might learn from your experience, or call your concerns out publicly if you have that need.18 -
unstableunicorn wrote: »Reading through, I have a couple thoughts.
1) Water retention is definitely at play. If you feel uncomfortable from the amount you’re drinking, pull back a little & do some trial-and-error until you find a comfortable intake.
2) 6lbs, especially in a short amount of time, can be a sign of food still digesting or constipation. Are either of these a possibiltiy in this case?
3) High levels of sodium and over exertion result in water retention. Ease up a little on both.
4) You may just be building muscle mass. When I was swimming & jogging miltiple times a day a few years ago I developed crazy muscle mass in my legs. That’ll bump up the scale pretty quickly.
5) If you believe fat stores are at play, start measuring calorie-dense foods such as dairy & meat. It means a little extra effort, but not as much as logging every little thing. If you’re still gaining, log fully. More often than not people *think* they know how many calories they’re consuming, only to discover they’ve been eating substantially more.
TL;DR: Use common sense. If it isn’t working, adjust until it does.unstableunicorn wrote: »Reading through, I have a couple thoughts.
1) Water retention is definitely at play. If you feel uncomfortable from the amount you’re drinking, pull back a little & do some trial-and-error until you find a comfortable intake.
2) 6lbs, especially in a short amount of time, can be a sign of food still digesting or constipation. Are either of these a possibiltiy in this case?
3) High levels of sodium and over exertion result in water retention. Ease up a little on both.
4) You may just be building muscle mass. When I was swimming & jogging miltiple times a day a few years ago I developed crazy muscle mass in my legs. That’ll bump up the scale pretty quickly.
5) If you believe fat stores are at play, start measuring calorie-dense foods such as dairy & meat. It means a little extra effort, but not as much as logging every little thing. If you’re still gaining, log fully. More often than not people *think* they know how many calories they’re consuming, only to discover they’ve been eating substantially more.
TL;DR: Use common sense. If it isn’t working, adjust until it does.
I had to give you a hug for this one! Multiple solutions that I can see myself taking advantage of.
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11Templars wrote: »girlwithcurls2 wrote: »I stopped reading at “water challenge.” 🙄
Straight up, that's rude. Instead of offering up something you've learned on your journey to someone who is clearly new to all of this, your 1st goto response is to be sarcastic?
The responses to this post are why I rarely offer up anying in the forums. The lack of consideration for meeting people where they're at is disappointing to say the least. Folks seem more interested in "disagreeing with each other, and showing how much they know than being understanding and sensitive towards one another.
At the risk of being that guy: ----> I see more ppl disagreed with my post than any other which I find interesting. I have competed at the National level in 2 sports, was a University Champion Wrestler, Coach a Provincial team (10 years now), and have worked with nutritionists, sport Psychologists, and the best of coaches and Drs for literally 2/3 of my life. Hence, not my 1st rodeo...
If you have something to offer the OP, by all means do so, but please be considerate to one another. If you have issues, with what I posted, buy all means correct me in a DM so that I might learn from your experience, or call your concerns out publicly if you have that need.
You are awesome. I love the way you gracefully put them in their place. I simply came here for advice, not scorn, and most certainly not to be made to feel like I am the only one who is looking for different options to adopt to suit their weight management journey. If you have something of value to offer up, by all means, but have some respect because MFP is a supportive community. I am not new to weight loss or MFP. Just trying to find a way of life I can adhere to for the long term.
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Remember, the part of the body that retains water is fat. Adipose tissue is what stores water, and for those of us that have a bit extra of fat, it will store water. But, if you eat a keto based diet, continue doing the IF, and do some light resistance (dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells) with light weight and high rep, you will burn off the fat. Mostly from the diet, but also exercise. The key is to engage more muscle tissue because that will require a lot more energy (stored bodyfat) than steady state cardio. If you also do HIIT twice per week, you can eliminate the steady state cardio completely and use the other three or four days for lifting. I use the Body Beast routine with light weights and that works well for me. Every time I combine the keto based diet, HIIT 2x week, and lifting with light weights the other days with one rest day I lose a couple pounds per week. My problem is after about a month I get complacent and then I lose my discipline. Give it a try for a month or two. You might like it.2
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First and foremost this is a forum linked to a calorie counting website and app. If you want to find alternatives to calorie counting may I respectfully suggest you look elsewhere.9
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First and foremost this is a forum linked to a calorie counting website and app. If you want to find alternatives to calorie counting may I respectfully suggest you look elsewhere.
I was about to post exactly this - you came to a site based primarily around calorie counting. maybe you need to go on a water challenge site where you will find more support?
I'm as confused as others as to why you won't return to the one thing that you said has worked in the past (and works in general) - calorie counting. it may not be "fun," but sometimes as adults we do things that are not "fun." is going to work "fun" for you everyday? do you find it "fun" to brush your teeth everyday? do you do it anyway??10 -
What does "Gallon of Water a Day for Two Weeks" have to do with "GAINED weight" ... outside of the facts that:
a) Water has weight.
b) People can and will retain water at times.
Drinking more water won't help you lose weight unless you are replacing beverages that contain calories with water.15 -
unstableunicorn wrote: »Reading through, I have a couple thoughts.
1) Water retention is definitely at play. If you feel uncomfortable from the amount you’re drinking, pull back a little & do some trial-and-error until you find a comfortable intake.
2) 6lbs, especially in a short amount of time, can be a sign of food still digesting or constipation. Are either of these a possibiltiy in this case?
3) High levels of sodium and over exertion result in water retention. Ease up a little on both.
4) You may just be building muscle mass. When I was swimming & jogging miltiple times a day a few years ago I developed crazy muscle mass in my legs. That’ll bump up the scale pretty quickly.
5) If you believe fat stores are at play, start measuring calorie-dense foods such as dairy & meat. It means a little extra effort, but not as much as logging every little thing. If you’re still gaining, log fully. More often than not people *think* they know how many calories they’re consuming, only to discover they’ve been eating substantially more.
TL;DR: Use common sense. If it isn’t working, adjust until it does.
I think this is mostly really good advice, but I gotta say: It's not muscle mass.
No one suddenly adds 6 pounds of muscle in 2 weeks doing daily cardio (walks or elliptical) plus "a few weight machines". I wish that were possible, but it's not. Even a pound of muscle in 2 weeks would be astonishing under these conditions, sadly.
In the absence of significant excess calories, 6 pounds in 2 weeks is food in digestive transit, or water weight.21
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