How much water was I retaining? Why?

#1

I’ve dropped 16 lbs on the scale since January 1. I had to be retaining a whole bunch of water weight with the carbs, but that seems excessive. I’ve been doing OMAD and eating pretty clean. I felt pretty crappy before starting back and weighed in about 10 more pounds than I thought I would be at weigh in. Was it too much alcohol during the holidays causing some of it? I was 6’2 273 at weigh in. Just curious on why carbs was making me retain so much fluid because I know 16 lbs in 10 days is a lot of water weight.

#2

Each gram of glycogen is associated with 3-4 grams of water .

yea it could be 16 lbs of water weight. People, according to how long and hard they go off plan and face plant into chemical foods, big sugar foods, alcohol etc…can truly up that scale a lot more than one thinks real fast…but if we correct it, we can drop big weight real fast.

so yea, being a bigger person it could be these numbers for ya.

I am 5’8 and a gal and I can go up and down around 8-9 lbs easily when I went off plan for a little bit and back on plan. I did this a lot back in the old days. I was always amazed by how much I could put on so fast and how fast I could drop it once going back on plan.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

You’ve lost more than water, it would seem. You have enough fat to lose that you can expect a certain amount of it to disappear fairly quickly at first, although fat loss slows as we approach our goal weight.

Fat loss is not a linear process. If you were to weigh yourself periodically throughout the day, every day, you would get a rather jiggly graph of scale values, though if all goes well the trend is generally in a downward direction. The scale reading can be confounded by such things as gaining muscle and bone density while simultaneously losing fat, and so forth. There is also the phenomenon of the “whoosh,” in which the scale may register a twenty- or thirty-pound loss overnight. And, of course, spring scales are inherently inaccurate to begin with. (My weight varies over at least a twenty-pound range, simply depending on how I stand on my scale.)

In general, it is best to measure your weight only once a week or so, at the same time of day on the same day of the week, and to wear the same amount of clothing and to stand consistently on the scale. The reading may still be off, but at least the readings will all be consistent with one another. So scale weight should not be taken as Gospel, merely used as one indicator of progress along with the fit of your clothing, how healthy you feel, etc.

(Utility Muffin Research Kitchen) #4

Normal water fluctuation and bowel movements (or not) can be responsible for 2-3 pounds difference. A pound of carbs in glycogen stores (if you went carby for a while) will add 4-5 more pounds in total weight. There are other effects, drinking a glass of dry red wine usually adds a pound on the next morning. Bottom line, my weight is usually in a 4-pound range if I weigh myself for a few consecutive days.

I used to check my weight every day when weight loss was faster, now I do it maybe once or twice a week.

#5

I have stepped on a scale twice since returning to Keto. One time in the first few days since I was surprised that I weighed in higher than expected (lost like 1/2 the weight in a day or two) and then this morning… if I get on a scale once per week I’m lucky and prefer to go at least two weeks. Being obsessed with the scale gives me too many ups and downs psychologically.

#6

yea I hear you on that.
we all hear don’t let the scale rule us daily. we all know weight loss WILL happen on ITS’ timeline yet giving up that scale is so hard.

but you are right, that mental blow of…I did so well yesterday in eating, how in the heck can I be up 1.5 lbs.?..can drag us down so fast. When we should know our bodies don’t live or die by the scale ever…I think more of us are learning to not go by this. Learning why we fluctuate and not put all that stress and focus on a scale. Even tho it took me a few years to get it HA

#7

The fluctuations is exactly why I don’t weigh every day. If you weigh once a week or maybe even weigh twice a week, the chances of you coming in with a negative number is much greater. Wins is what it is all about and daily weigh in can make you lose at times due to different variables.

(Marianne) #8

Good for you! I detest the scale and stopped weighing myself almost from the get go (Feb. ‘19) - I am at the doctors’ probably 5-6 times a year (various things/doctors), and I only get weighed when I go there. I don’t need to know. I can tell from my clothes.

Just had a dr. appointment on Monday and got weighed. Was happy to find that I was down a little since the last time.

(Marianne) #9

Love this. :clap:

(Manda) #10

You might not really have been that weight. So many things can be skewed unless you’re weighing consistently and know for certain what weight you are because the scales have told you so for quite a while. For example I was 14st 11lb when starting this keto last Friday. The day before I had been 14st 7lb. So I knew something was messing around. I was back to the 14st 7lb the very next day. Could be water weight, could be heavier clothes or could even be a slightly uneven surface under your scale.

(Manda) #11

Twenty or thirty pounds over night? Surely that’s not possible?

#12

When I used to go to the YMCA every morning, for 3.5-hour sessions, I would sometimes drop 20 pounds during the 3.5 hours, even though I was hydrating throughout.

But the next morning, I’d be at about the same starting weight.

(Manda) #13

Does it depend on your overall weight? Or do you have lymphedema or something?

#14

So cocaine as a pre-workout then? :rofl:

#15

I had a 6-month period there where I dropped from 405 to about 300.

But mostly water weight. I would have to bring two or three shirts to my racquetball matches, wringing them out between games. If I were to take a tumble In the court, it would require at least one towel to sop up all the water on the court.