Everyday Systems

I asked this same question in another post, but I think it might get lost without being answered:

nfalcone wrote:the scale said I was 146, but I didn't freak out because I drink a lot less water on the weekends. I knew it was probably just a little dehydration. I go from 8 water bottles a day to only about 2 cups.. so, going by the scale is tricky.

What is the rationale behind the idea that you weigh more when dehydrated and less when well-hydrated? I'm a nurse and I've never heard of this.

As I read various posts I'm consistently amazed by how much misinformation is out there, not only about nutrition in general, but also by how the body utlizes the nutrients.

I agree!!

My kids have shown fair animals for years and with that I've learned that a gallon of water weighs 8 pounds and that taking a pig off of water can make them drop a lot of weight.

So.....dehydration = weight loss not weight gain

The rationale behind this is: If the body thinks it's not going to get enough fluid it holds onto what it has. So if you drink plenty of water then your body will freely release it. If you don't drink much, you retain it. Is it true or not? I don't know- but this is the reasoning I've always heard.

Do we really need a whole new post to make a fool out of me? I didn't respond because I didn't want to make a debate out of it. How can I argue with an RN?

The rationale I heard was the same as Nicola above.

Also, here's an article:

http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/b ... tips.tools

One thing I don't like is I can't find an author for it. But here it is anyway.

You don't look like a fool!! Sometimes it feels that you are being challenged when you post something and someone has a problem with it. But, I think this was just meant as a general question as to why do we believe the things we do. Most of the time it is because it is just misinformation passed down. I bet I could really get it going with the whole "starvation mode" discussion!!! But, I'm not.

This was just to let you know that I definately don't think you look foolish!! We all are in the same boat, or we wouldn't be here!!!!

slickchic wrote:You don't look like a fool!! Sometimes it feels that you are being challenged when you post something and someone has a problem with it. But, I think this was just meant as a general question as to why do we believe the things we do. Most of the time it is because it is just misinformation passed down. I bet I could really get it going with the whole "starvation mode" discussion!!! But, I'm not.

This was just to let you know that I definately don't think you look foolish!! We all are in the same boat, or we wouldn't be here!!!!

Well, when you put it that way! I guess you're right.

I have the same rational as you do! If you are not consuming as much water on the weekends, your body will hold on to the water, especially if you consume more sodium....right??? You don't look like a fool at all, yet i agree a new post didn't need to be started over water!!! Don't feel bad

Nfalcone, I had no intention of trying to make you look like a fool. My apologies if that's how you interpreted my question. The idea that one would weigh more when dehydrated as opposed to when well-hydrated didn't make sense to me based on what I know and I wanted to know the rationale behind it.

The body is always trying to maintain an internal equilibrium. If you are dehydrated, it will hold on to fluid until it reaches that state of equilibrium. If you are over-hydrated, it will get rid of fluid until the fluid status is back to normal. The human body wants to maintain that steady state and if one is properly hydrated, the amount of fluids that go in will just about equal what is lost through sweating, respiration, as well as normal kidney and bowel function.

In that light, the explanation given makes sense, but it still doesn't explain how one could weigh more when dehydrated than when well-hydrated. This is probably overly simplistic, but a dry sponge weighs less than than when it is fully saturated with water. If you wring it out, it weighs less than when fully saturated with water, but more than when dry. Under normal conditions, the body isn't much different.

Very interesting. Maybe that's why my weight used to fluctate up to 3 pounds per day. Just one more reason to ditch the scales and rely on clothes. Although certain times of the month can affect how my jeans fit, it is still a better option to the scale.

I'm a nurse, too and never could understand why I lost fluid weight when I drank more. My doctor told me that when you're dieting it is even more important to drink lots because as your body uses stored fat, it makes demands on your liver and kidneys that function more smoothly with good hydration. When you don't drink enough, your body hangs on to every drop, trying to maintain homeostasis.

Becky

I don't think ANYone in these discussions ever looks foolish, and if you want to be reminded about how foolish we can all be about diets read the 'whats the silliest diet you've ever been on' thread.

its hilarious, and a great reminder that the diet world is nuts and full of misinformation - even from 'professionals'

wosnes wrote:I asked this same question in another post, but I think it might get lost without being answered:

nfalcone wrote:the scale said I was 146, but I didn't freak out because I drink a lot less water on the weekends. I knew it was probably just a little dehydration. I go from 8 water bottles a day to only about 2 cups.. so, going by the scale is tricky.

What is the rationale behind the idea that you weigh more when dehydrated and less when well-hydrated? I'm a nurse and I've never heard of this.

As I read various posts I'm consistently amazed by how much misinformation is out there, not only about nutrition in general, but also by how the body utlizes the nutrients.

I pulled out the textbook I used on my very first nutrition class and I found this:

"Once the body registers a shortage of available water, it increases fluid conservation... the pituitary gland releases ADH to force kidneys to conserve water, the kidneys respond by reducing urine flow... however, despite this mechanism, fluid is constantly lost via the insensible routes-feces, skin, and lungs.
These losses must be replaced, in addition, there's a limit to how concentrated urine can become...if fluid is not consumed, the body becomes dehydrated....
By the time a person loses 1% to 2% of body weight in fluids he or she will be thristy...at 4% muscle loses strength and endurance...10% to 12% heat tolerance is decreased and weakness occurs...20% reduction, coma and death soon follows."

I think people tend to imagine that once we retain fluid, we absorb extra like a sponge and puff up, when, in reality, the fluid retained is fluid that is normally in your body already and you probably accounted for it when you weighted yourself before.
Even if you imagine that your body is retaining an extra 1-2% of your body weight in fluids (which it isn't) 1% to 2% of body weigh in fluids is not much more than 1-2 pounds at best for an average weight of 145 pounds.
My husband is a biiig, huuuge proponent of weight loss and gain via fluids, but, what he never realizes is that he got that info during highschool footbal "ooh, but you lose pounds and pounds of fluids!", yes if you are playing a football match with full gear under the afternoon sun and you are a big moose of a male teen.
For most of us?, the weight changes are almost nil.