Water Retention

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HappyDonkey75
HappyDonkey75 Posts: 87 Member
in Motivation and Support
As I have been tracking I seem to be one of those people that retains water easily which I did not realize prior . I retain every time I have a big work out day, I retain if I eat something just a bit too salty (and not what I would call excessively salty ) , I retain if I don't exercise daily . I am otherwise a pretty healthy person (no heart issues that would be the cause of this) . Anyone have any insight? Do I need to incorporate diuretics into my weekly/daily regimen? and if so, any recommendations ( is this even heathy) Looking for guidance.

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  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,333 Member
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    This is perfectly normal, no need to manipulate your water weight. Fat is what you're trying to lose, water weight fluctuations are irrelevant really.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,177 Member
    edited June 12
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    Your body will retain water if you eat salty food ... or if you don't get enough salt. It will retain water if you sit too long in a day or if you exercise more than usual. Surgeries, air travel, car travel, heat, sunburn will all cause water retention.

    It's normal.
  • HappyDonkey75
    HappyDonkey75 Posts: 87 Member
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    @Lietchi - thank you, yes some water retention is normal , it just seems like maybe I have more of a tendency to it and it does really impact my weight. (2-3 lbs) which I find discouraging. Mostly I am just curious if anyone else has found they retain water more than what seems "normal"??? and what they do to help. I am focusing on making sure i get enough water in a day and staying active which helps but there is a fine line . Too active, the water retention rears its ugly head, too little activity, same thing.. etc etc
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,333 Member
    edited June 12
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    2-3 lbs isn't a lot, I've heard way worse numbers. I'll repeat what I said: it's normal...

    Personally, I have enough on my plate already, I'd rather direct my mental energy towards things that matter more like eating an appropriate amount of calories, getting regular exercise (and improving my performance), etc. I just log my daily weigh-ins into Garmin Connect and the weight-trending app Libra and keep an eye on the longer term trend.
    I gained 1.8lbs today compared to yesterday (out of 135lbs in total): logged it and moved on. Most likely from the salt in the stir fry sauce in yesterday's dinner.
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,054 Member
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    2 to 3 pounds of water retention is super normal. i gain up to 4 pounds of water after eating salty foods, doing a heavy leg workout or once in a while just because. my last check-up was totally normal. women often retain more water than that during menstruation.

    diuretics may lead to dehydration if you don't drink enough water. my husband is on diuretics long-term for medical reasons having nothing to do with water retention, and he has to drink extra water and take prescribed potassium as most - not all - diuretics (he's on generic lasix) remove it from your system, which can lead to serious health problems.

    if you're worried, you should talk to a medical professional, not a bunch of users on a board. even a halfway decent doctor will want to test for things like kidney function before making a recommendation.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,177 Member
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    Yes, 2 or 3 lbs is normal. I did a bit more exercise yesterday and jumped up 1 kg (2.2 lbs) overnight.

    In 2 or 3 days, however, I will pee it all out.
  • HappyDonkey75
    HappyDonkey75 Posts: 87 Member
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    @zebasschick - if you're worried, you should talk to a medical professional, not a bunch of users on a board. even a halfway decent doctor will want to test for things like kidney function before making a recommendation.
    the purpose of me posting here was to gain insight and see if others were experiencing similar things, to gain perspective.

    Over all everyone seems to be experiencing similar weight fluctuations. Thanks to this "bunch of users on a board" my question is actually answered..
  • MargaretYakoda
    MargaretYakoda Posts: 2,857 Member
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    Are you using an app like Happy Scale or Libra? Many people find it useful to observe trends over time.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,177 Member
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    The reports feature in MFP will give you similar trend info.

    I've discovered that Saturday mornings are my low weight times each week. I'll bob all over the place all week but I go by what I weigh on Saturdays.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,838 Member
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    I'm glad you've learned that 2-3 pounds is normal (and that's the range true for me, too, FWIW - on rare occasions up to 6 pounds shift overnight!).

    I'd add that if considering a diuretic, the obvious best choice would be to speak with a doctor, as you doubtless realize. (I'm typing this in part because we see this kind of question somewhat often, so I know I may be saying things you already know. :flowerforyou: )

    My personal (amateur) perspective is that these normal water fluctuations are part of how a healthy body stays healthy: Balancing the sodium levels in the body by diluting the concentration, digesting carbohydrates, repairing muscles to build them back better after exercise, and that sort of thing. Personally, I think my body knows what it's doing in that realm, and I don't want to meddle with that.

    Of course, there are health conditions that can trigger unhealthy water retention, and diuretics can be a godsend in those circumstances. If my doctor said I needed them for those reasons, I'd listen, of course.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,247 Member
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    HappyDonkey75 wrote: »
    @Lietchi - thank you, yes some water retention is normal , it just seems like maybe I have more of a tendency to it and it does really impact my weight. (2-3 lbs) which I find discouraging. Mostly I am just curious if anyone else has found they retain water more than what seems "normal"??? and what they do to help. I am focusing on making sure i get enough water in a day and staying active which helps but there is a fine line . Too active, the water retention rears its ugly head, too little activity, same thing.. etc etc

    I would LOVE to only have a 2-3 pound fluctuation! It would be an absolute dream! I regularly see shifts of 4-7 pounds of water weight, and did even before I went into perimenopause. I have no health concerns - no heart or blood pressure trouble, so it's not edema, it's just what my body does. If you're seeing consistent amounts of water retention, with no/minimal swelling, puffiness, pitting, or anything like that, then it's probably just your body doing what it needs to do.

    I would STRONGLY caution you to consult with a doctor before you try a diuretic. Expelling liquid forcibly and it great quantity affects your balance of electrolytes and can significantly affect muscle function--the most critical muscle being your heart. If you don't have a diagnosed medical reason to be on them, I would prioritize overall physical function (like consciousness) when making the choice to use diuretics. They're one of those readily available "solutions" where the risks are far more significant that one would usually think of for something you can pick up at any drugstore.
  • HappyDonkey75
    HappyDonkey75 Posts: 87 Member
    edited June 15
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    @COGypsy wow, that is interesting that you gain that much, Thanks for sharing .

    @AnnPT77 My personal (amateur) perspective is that these normal water fluctuations are part of how a healthy body stays healthy: Balancing the sodium levels in the body by diluting the concentration, digesting carbohydrates, repairing muscles to build them back better after exercise, and that sort of thing. Personally, I think my body knows what it's doing in that realm, and I don't want to meddle with that. I couldn't agree more.. thank you for the insight
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,539 Member
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    It's totally normal! Seriously.

    I just came back from airtravel (whole day, two flights) last Saturday and I was 1kg up on the scale. That's surprisingly little for a change. Lost it the next night again (don't ask how often I went to the loo). Then got sick, and the waterweight came back and brought it's siblings. And then I had to take steroids and got even more waterweight and constipation on top. Slowly losing both again now. Nothing to worry. It's totally normal.
  • Corina1143
    Corina1143 Posts: 3,134 Member
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    Yes, I'm one of those who has larger weight swings for little reason. I also heal slowly--not a problem--just if the Dr. Says it should be better in 7-10 days, I know it will be 12-14 days--all my life. Someone has to have smaller changes to someone else's large ones to get the average. I'm just usually the larger, slower than average. That's life!
  • HappyDonkey75
    HappyDonkey75 Posts: 87 Member
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    Corina1143 wrote: »
    Yes, I'm one of those who has larger weight swings for little reason. I also heal slowly--not a problem--just if the Dr. Says it should be better in 7-10 days, I know it will be 12-14 days--all my life. Someone has to have smaller changes to someone else's large ones to get the average. I'm just usually the larger, slower than average. That's life!

    I sort of think at time I am also that person. One thing that happens to me is body soreness that is goes both longer and more intense for the activity than what seems like other people experience. Doctors don't really know. I have been tested for auto immune type reasons. Nothing abnormal. Just how my system works

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