Water Weight

Who Me? · Post by **Who Me?** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:03 pm

As someone who has never owned a scale, and who drinks a *lot* of water, I'm baffled by the concept of "water weight."

I keep reading things like "I didn't gain weight, that's just water weight."

What does this mean? How does one *know* the source of weight gain?

Or is this just a form of denial?

Bella75 · Post by **Bella75** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:35 pm

I think water weight is weight that comes from the amount of water that muscles and cells hold store not necessarily weight from the amount of water you drink...????

I have been weighing in at 183.4 lbs for five days in a row, yesterday I weighed 185 lbs, this morning I weighed 183.4 lbs again. I don't think this fluctuation was a gaining or reduction in actual fat.

Who Me? · Post by **Who Me?** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:39 pm

So, how do people *know* that the five pound (or whatever) gain they're seeing on the scale is water and not fat? What do you all know about weight gain that I never learned?

Bella75 · Post by **Bella75** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:54 pm

I think we guess that it is water weight. I don't think we actually have any scientific tools at home that can accurately measure fat vs. water.

I guess if I gained 5 pounds overnight I would know that it can't possibly be 5 pounds of fat. Is it physiologically possible to gain 5 pounds of fat in one day?

I don't know?

Now if I gained a pound per week and those pounds never disappeared then I would know...well I would think or guess... that I had gained fat.

DaveMc · Post by **DaveMc** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 2:43 pm

Bella75 wrote:I guess if I gained 5 pounds overnight I would know that it can't possibly be 5 pounds of fat. Is it physiologically possible to gain 5 pounds of fat in one day? I don't know?

I don't know, either, but it's at least unlikely!

This is my understanding, too: that is, that it's a question of time scales. Adding or removing fat or muscle mass is a relatively slow process, whereas water can be detained in your body or removed quite quickly. So sudden changes in your weight are more likely to be related to flows of water in or out of the body than to sudden changes in your actual tissues. (One reason to be suspicious of diets that claim tens of pounds of weight loss in a week! There's no way in hell they can do that so quickly without the weight being mostly water. I seem to recall that some diet pills were, or perhaps still are, basically diuretics to make you urinate out water and thus lose weight.)

(On the other hand, there's an easy way to suddenly "gain" a few pounds: eat a few pounds of food, then immediately step on a scale. If that food's still sitting in your stomach, then bingo, you're going to weigh a few pounds more than you did a few minutes ago. This whole discussion assumes that you've left enough time for food to, er, clear out.)

NoSnacker · Post by **NoSnacker** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 9:05 pm

Mmmm, I think quick over night fluctuations would be water weight..for me if I eat a lot of salt that happens to me, I can tell cause my ring get's tight.

But I'm sure some people can be in denial as well. It all depends on one's body I'm thinking. My friend gave up salt and lost 13lbs over a couple months..mmm water or fat..can't tell, don't know.

I recall reading in the No S book that Reinhard experienced such a weight fluctuation.