Water Weight Gain

(Donna) #1

Has anyone gained a bunch of water weight from a few days in a row of eating excessive carbs? How much water weight did you gain and how long did it take to get back to the exact weight you were, before your carb binge? I gained exactly 10 lbs after 3 days of way too many carbs. It was so fast. I have been working for the past two days to get that 10lbs off (hopefully most is water). So far, I dropped 2 lbs in the last day doing strict low carb Keto again. Thanks for any feedback.

#2

If your body is storing glycogen again, there would be water binding to that glycogen. How fast it accumulates and how fast it goes away would depend entirely on the individual.

It takes time to lose (or gain) a pound of fat (or muscle). Most short-term weight fluctuation is a simple change in water retention and digestive tract contents.

(Ron) #3

Think of it this way -

Someone hands you a pile of money and you snatch it up as fast as possible. Then someone else comes along and wants to take that money away from you. Your not so quick to give that money up.
Glycogen is you and water is the money. The body takes it as quick as possible but isn’t in a real big hurry to give it up.

(Donna) #4

Thanks! I weighed myself tonight and since yesterday mornings normal weigh in, I have lost a little over 4 lbs, so I’m assuming it is water weight, since it is coming off pretty quick.

(Donna) #5

Totally get what you are saying. My water weight seems to be going down pretty quick. I am a little over two lbs less tonight then I was this morning.

#6

Of course, it happens. I have some experience as I go on/off keto all the time. I almost always gain 4lbs water weight (low-carb is enough for that. I rarely have a high-carb day but it’s definitely not more than 6lbs even then) and lose it in 2 days. It’s a bit hard to measure sometimes as if I eat much carbs, I inevitably eat more fat and protein as usual too so I simply eat a huge amount of food compared to my usual ways, way more calories, more waste still inside… So I can do 6lbs but it’s not all water, I am sure. Fat gain is negligible. Sometimes it takes a longer time. I am patiently waiting to lose my 6lbs now. It’s 0,-4,+2 this far. I had a small carnivore meal yesterday and my weight went up, it’s super rare for me but I am a human too, my bodyweight fluctuates. I don’t mind the bigger weight as I know I lost fat and that matters.
Other people can gain and lose much more water (muscles, bigger bodies help. I am a not muscular short woman) and the speed is different too, I often saw big numbers like yours.

I can’t imagine that most of that 10 lbs wouldn’t be water. What else? Surely not fat. Maybe some waste too but mostly water.

#7

Yes, everybody alive. When we have an excess of carbs once our livers load back up our muscles start storing glycogen. We’re designed to do exactly that and there’s no way around it. Unless you were eating high carb AND high fat at the same time than it’s probably just your glycogen load showing on the scale and not a big deal. Scale weight and your bodyfat % aren’t the same thing and shouldn’t be treated as such. It’s not going to come off as fast as it went on. You’ll burn the liver off just by eating keto in 2-3 days. The muscles don’t give it back up, you need to burn that off by using them. As long as you’re exercising / doing resistance training that’ll go too in a couple days.

(Bunny) #8

How do you know it’s water weight?

Not just carbs but excessive protein will make you gain weight because the excess protein is stored as fat (endogenous glucose -to- storage in adipose cells as fat by insulin) and a high protein diet makes you drink more water and excrete excess water?

It looks like a fine balancing act, water weight from carbs or excess protein being stored as fat and excess water evacuation?

References:

[1] *…High - protein diets may tout weight loss, but this type of weight loss may only be short-term. Excess protein consumed is usually stored as fat, while the surplus of amino acids is excreted. This can lead to weight gain over time, especially if you consume too many calories while trying to increase your protein intake. …” …More

[2] “…A low-protein, high-carb diet may cause your body to retain water, while a high-protein diet helps you get rid of it. …” …More

(Donna) #9

I appreciate all your helpful feedback. In 48 hours (today), I have lost 6 of my 10 lbs of water weight gain from all the excess carbs. I am feeling much better mentally, since the water weight is going down pretty quick. I hate it when I go and eat a bunch of carbs. I always put on a high amount of water weight and so quickly, then it takes me a week to see it go down. Not to mention, I feel so aweful inside for the first couple days after the carb binge.

(Donna) #10

To be honest, I have read about the excess protein possibly storing fat. I do have a problem sometimes with eating too much protein (chicken alot). I have thought about that in the past after researching protein/Keto. I have done the excess carb thing several times and when the water weight comes on so sudden and then I gradually see it completely gone in a week, I assume it’s water weight. I have just never gained 10lbs in just a couple days. It’s usually 5-6, after a carb binge. I get what you are saying though about the protein. I will have to watch my protein amounts.

(Donna) #11

Well, when I did my carb binge, I did eat alot of everything, with fat, protein. t Just a few examples were, trail mix, chips, snacks, bread, pastas. It was a bad several day carb binge. I have never gone crazy like that bad before. I usually will treat myself once and then it’s back on track right away. I had one bad food and I lost control for a few days after. I have been back the past 2 days, with strict Keto and I am doing so much better. I need to stop torturing myself when I do this occassionally for whatever reason. I don’t think being stuck at home during this virus, helps. I go for walks and maybe to the grocery store once every week or other week, but it’s just not enough. Hopefully America will get back to living. We need to be more busier in life.

(Pete A) #12

How are you determining it’s water? Dexa scan? Scale that breaks it out?

(Donna) #13

I guess I just assumed it’s water weight. Everytime I mess up with too many carb foods in a day or too span, the lbs just come on sudden (couple days later) and then if I go strict Keto, it is all off in no more then 5-7 days span and I’m back to my original weight. I’ve just noticed this trend, but I really am not 100% sure about the water gain.

#14

WHAT ELSE would it be than water weight, mostly? Surely not fat, possibly some waste but it can’t be near 10lbs so it’s water.

I wouldn’t worry about protein as long as it feels good and not insanely high. But we all should decide about these things for ourselves (if our body doesn’t do it first).
If something gets stored as fat (it doesn’t matter what, I think), it’s simply little if it was 3 days and the one is question isn’t even skilled enough to eat a really huge amount of food. I can eat only twice as much as I need (and I probably need to want that nowadays), that might be significant but less than 2 pounds of fat even if my daily energy need (the excess) would get stored and it’s not the case. Our unneeded protein intake is too tiny to make a difference…

(Donna) #15

Everything you said makes sense. I know I sound paranoid. I have learned to chill, when I put on some weight after a high carb binge, as it usually comes off gradually. I guess the 10 lbs total gain, just threw me off. Feeling much better now. Thank you!

(Elaine) #16

I weighed myself every day for a week at the same time and can fluctuate by 6 lbs in a day! Could only be water surely?

(Rebecca 🌸 Frankenfluffy) #17

When I used to eat huge volumes of carby food as a result of behaviour triggered by a now-resolved hormone issue, the next day I would be in such pain all over my body - washing in the shower was painful, hugs were agony - and for a day or two afterwards.

It was as if my skin was bursting at the seams.

That was many years ago now, but knowing what I do now about carbohydrate and the storage of glycogen alongside water, it makes sense.

Glad you’re feeling better, @Blessings :+1:

(Donna) #18

I know what you mean. The majority of the time I am either the same weight or only a pound more at my night weigh in. I think it’s because I only do OMAD and I eat that one meal around 2:00 and nothing after for the night. It gives me time for the food to digest, so when it’s time for bed I am not full from just eating a late meal and the sodium from that meal I’m assuming, had time to be flushed out by my water consumption.

(Donna) #19

Thank you! I appreciate the kind words. When I did my regrettable carb binge several days ago, I felt like I was run over by a semi a couple days later. My stomach hurt so bad, every muscle in my body ached and my head was killing me. I felt 50 lbs heavier. Probably just the Keto flu all over again. Three days later and I felt back to normal. I am beginning to learn a very good lesson. Don’t down a bunch of carb foods for a couple days in a row, after doing strict under 20 carbs a day for months, or you pay the price for the next so many days later.

(Kayli C) #20

I had a carb blow out on Easter last Sunday and went up about 6 pounds (per my weigh-in on Monday). I’ve been weighing in every day this week and I’m only about a pound away from back to my normal weight. I’m hoping that staying on track this weekend will be enough to get me back to normal by Monday.

I’m happy to hear that you’re feeling better! I certainly felt better as the water weight came off. I’m not sure why it comes of easily for some and no so easily for others, but I’ve actually had the experience of ending up at a lower weight post carb-binge in the past. I don’t recommend that since it generally involves compulsive eating and feeling awful for a couple days, but it must do something to my metabolism or physiology that sometimes breaks a stall.