Hiya,
I’m a 66 yr old female and I’ve been on a ‘diet’ for 2 months, the first month was lchf, I then decided to go a step further and try a ketogenic lifestyle with some fasting thrown in. Everything is going fine, i’ve lost 14 lbs (I only had about 20lbs to lose), i’m really happy, hip pain has stopped, bloating gone etc., my only problem is, I am still peeing like a demented cart horse… is this ever going to stop?
Many thanks
I still get big water dumps when fasting. Not so much when just doing IF. As your body heals and your electrolytes settle down in your day to day life, it will be less or that was my experience.
Hello!
So, I’ve been doing this for about six weeks and have experienced the same. I think it’s just how it is for us. 
I notice a big difference when zero-carbing it or fasting. I’ve read that carbohydrates often have an affinity for water in the body, and that in cases as many as 4 water molecules will be bonded to one carb molecule…? 4 or 5 pound swings, due entirely to water retention or excretion, as far as I can tell, are common for me.
lol, i have never considered myself as a racehorse…I’m a good ole country carthorse 
Thanks, so this could go on for as long as i’m low on carbs… I’m guessing that’s fine, though i’m wondering how that might affect my kidneys, if at all. (I can find nothing about this on a google search).
I don’t think so, Gill. The body seeks a new balance and retains less water when low-carb, the same as it does when not eating much salt. I wouldn’t have thought it would take a month or more, though. What I’m used to is one or two days going both ways, i.e. excreting water and retaining water. When beginning a fast, the body heads toward less water retention. When starting to eat again, I’ve had some big water-drinking sessions. I am guessing that some of it is that water is being used for digestion - saliva and stomach juices - creating a deficit, at least temporarily, for the body. Eating salty food increases the effect and so does eating carbohydrates.
Some water can be accessed by the body as it breaks down fat stores, but day-by-day surely there’s a limit, and I can’t see peeing out substantially more water than one is taking in for very long at all.
Many thanks Edward,
Think i’ll keep on going the way I have and see what happens…I don’t really want to increase my carbs (around 25 g per day at the mo) if I could help it, i’ve spent a lifetime Yo Yo dieting and it would be awful if I put weight on again. !
Not necessarily. I only get the horse-like effect now when I fast or occasionally if I over did it even on low carb veggies. Everyone is different, I do think some body healing is involved.
I always used the term racehorse, but I understand her cart horse. LOL.
Have seen both carthorses and racehorses take some impressive whizzes from time to time.
