I've read so much about "water weight" and how the number on the scale can go up or down drastically because of "water weight". You all must be sick of questions like this, but I'm having a hard time understanding it completely.

Why does your body hold onto the water?

Where does the water get stored?

How does it get "out" of the storage place?

Are there ways to flush it out?

If my body is using that water for something important, should I NOT try to flush it out?

SHOULD my weight fluctuate? Is that how our bodies are built?

Should my weight be consistent? Are my meal plans and exercise regimens that lead to my body storing water detrimental to my body?

For what it's worth, I drink anywhere between 64-100 ounces of water a day, depending on how much I've exercised. I don't eat a particularly low-sodium diet, but I make almost all of my food from scratch and don't add a lot of salt (maybe a teaspoon per meal to the whole family-of-five's meal). I eat whole grains, at least five servings of vegetables a day, usually about two servings of fruit a day, and I try to get about 65 grams of protein a day. I've been an ovo-lacto vegetarian for 18 years. I do about an hour's worth of exercise a day - running, elliptical, toning classes at the gym or DVDs at home, walking, yoga. I try to "be good" with my food but do have the occasional chocolate slip-ups. I've noticed my weight goes up about 3-5 pounds around when I ovulate (I chart my temperatures and cervical mucous so I know when I ovulate) and right before I get my period.

If anyone has any good, solid info I'd be really interested to understand more about this whole water weight issue. Thanks!

Kara

I'm not an expert, but you have to remember that something like 60% (or more) of your body is water. There is no flushing all of it out, or you would shrivel up and die! It is everywhere, including your fat cells and muscles! Sometimes our body retains MORE water than usual -- maybe a lot of sodium, or TOM, or even a heavy workout. Over time, this extra will regulate itself. In other words, the amount of water in you fluctuates over time for all kinds of reasons. It's normal!

Why does your body hold onto the water? The reasons are many - water is used to repair tissues and remove excess waste product - hence the water weight gain after exercise. Water retention is affected by hormone shifts - certain hormones affect the operation of the kidneys and affect how the kidneys process water - hence water weight with PMS. Sodium (and other proteins, amino acids etc) affects the transfer of water across cell walls. Water is used to store glycogen in our muscles. Every g of glycogen storage has water stored with it.

Where does the water get stored? Everywhere. Blood , Organs, kidneys, muscles, lymphatic & interstitial system (the stuff around cells, muscles, capilaries, etc). Remember...we are mostly water

How does it get "out" of the storage place? The same way it gets in. Water (and nutrients) pass through cell walls - a process called osmosis. Sodium and hormones, along with certain proteins can drive osmosis. Eventually excess water is peed out

Are there ways to flush it out? Drinking more water in general helps to flush excess water out. It seems counterintuitive but the more fluid the body has access to, the less it needs to store. Drinking more water helps flush away the excess sodium (and other stuff) that can drive the body to store rather than release. Some other substances such as vinegar, because it alters ph, can sometimes act as a diuretic.

If my body is using that water for something important, should I NOT try to flush it out? Flushing it out by drinking water and eating low sodium is ok. Drinking water to excess (gallons and gallons) can be dangerous because it dilutes blood sodium too low. Using any form of chemical diuretic is not good. But reducing inflammation such as during a sprain by using anti inflammatories can help the healing by allowing blood to flow freely.

SHOULD my weight fluctuate? Is that how our bodies are built? Yes

Should my weight be consistent? Are my meal plans and exercise regimens that lead to my body storing water detrimental to my body? No, not within reason. Excesses of course could be detrimental, but normal dietary fluctuations are to be expected

Thank you, ennay! That is exactly the type of answers I was looking for. I was weighing daily but my mood and dedication to my eating plan were definitely tied to the numbers I saw on the scale, so I think now I will weigh monthly, on the same day of my cycle. I think that will give me the most accurate measure of loss.

Thanks again!

Kara

ennay also has a Sticky on the Weight Loss Support main page about weight fluctuation:

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=115826

Jay

Wow, ennay, that's a great post! VERY informative!

Thanks, Jay. I did read that but I wanted a little more in depth info.

Kara

We have now combined the weight fluctuation Sticky with ennay's explanation of water weight! All in the same Sticky thread.

Jay

Heh, I was just thinking what a good idea that would be, Jay. We've got some smart chickies around here. :-)

blush

Kara - there are a lot of ways to deal with it mentally. I went the opposite route, weigh frequently and the lowest weight in a week is my weight. I dont have noticeable PMS weight, but I do gain weight after long runs. I mention that because I know you are training for a marathon.

My first marathon I would gain 6-8 lbs after a long run (16+)
My second marathon training (sprained my ankle, didnt get to do the race) I was gaining 3-4 lbs
My third training round, I would only gain 1-2....the fitter I got, the less a long run would impact me.

As sick as it sounds, for awhile I liked seeing the 6-8 lb gain and was kind of dissapointed that I wasnt seeing it the second time around....I had come to see it as a sign that I worked REALLY hard the day before.

I'm not in to that kind of mileage now, but I did a tough back to back this weekend and was up ~ 2 lbs this morning. Woohoo muscle repair and recovery weight!

It's all about your perspective, isn't it? Thanks for sharing.

Kara

P.S. Jay, you mods rock!

I was up 2.5 this morning. I didn't eat bad this weekend and I did 2 videos Sat and one (well, 45 minutes/3 miles of one) Sun. I think it might be about that TOM. I don't get it so I have to kinda guess. After I've been trying awhile I get it all figured out but since I'm newly into it again I'm not sure yet. Maybe my muscles are retaining I guess? Whatever it is I'm frustrated today.

Actually, I have a quick question about water intake while the thread is relatively recent -- does anybody have an opinion on how it's best to drink water? that is, in terms of timing? The question occurred to me because I'm a chug-32-ounces-in-2-minutes kind of person, rather than a spread-it-out kind of person. So I drink water two or three times a day, but I drink it in large quantities. I wonder if it's better to give the body consistent access to hydration, with your 8-10 glasses spread out throughout the day? Am I making up a problem where none exists, or has anyone seen any real research/thought about this?

Thanks

I don't think it matters much. If you find yourself feeling sick after drinking a lot of water at once, then don't do it.

Jay

this is just guessing, but it seems to me like you are more likely to absorb water if it is spread out. Most other nutrients if you take too much at once the excess is eliminated, I would think water might be the same. THere is probably only so much the body can absorb at once.