How much weight would I lose if I lost water weight?
How much weight would I lose if I lost water weight?
What Is Water Weight and How Can You Get Rid of It?
After pounding a deep-crust pizza, do you feel like you've been pumped with a tire pump? The good news is that you haven't gained 10 pounds of belly fat overnight. If you wake up to an unpleasant surprise on the scale, you may credit water retention. Here's what water weight is, as well as some tips on how to reduce it.
What is the weight of water?
To operate, your body needs a lot of water: Water makes up about 50 to 70 percent of your whole body weight. Maintaining your body's temperature, cushioning your joints, and getting rid of waste through perspiration, urine, and feces are all dependent on keeping your body hydrated. The amount of water in your body is mostly determined by your age, gender, and body composition—but what you consume, in particular, might lead you to retain a few extra pounds.
Why does your body hold on to so much water?
Carbohydrates and salt have a major influence on excessive water retention. Carbs are stored as glycogen in your muscles and liver, which is your body's preferred energy source; each gram of glycogen, in turn, stores roughly 3 grams of water, according to Nick Clayton, C.S.C.S., the National Strength and Conditioning Association's personal training program manager (NSCA).
Meanwhile, according to Karen Ansel, M.S., R.D., author of Healing Superfoods for Anti-Aging: Stay Younger, Live Longer, the electrolyte sodium draws water in the gaps outside of your cells and in your plasma. That implies that when you eat a burger with fries, the high salt and carbohydrate content causes excess water weight to be stored in your tissues.
The amount of water weight your body stores varies, but Clayton estimates that the typical person carries one to five pounds; athletes (or anyone who exercises for at least 90 minutes per day) may train their bodies to carry double that (which is excellent, because they'll utilize it the next day).
According to Health, several medicines might cause you to retain water. Prescriptions for high blood pressure management, such as calcium channel blockers, corticosteroids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, are examples (NSAIDs). Water weight can also be caused by some diabetic medicines. Your doctor can tell you whether your medicines cause you to retain water.
That is not to suggest, however, that these medications induce weight gain. It's crucial to remember that losing water weight isn't the same as losing fat, thus a weight drop may not affect your body composition.
Which diets have an impact on water weight?
If you've ever attempted a low-carb diet, you've certainly seen how quickly the first few pounds disappear—and this is largely due to water weight. According to Clayton, almost 70% of weight loss in the first week of a diet is water, which reduces to approximately 20% to 30% after a few weeks and then stabilizes as your body begins to dip into fat storage. When you consume fewer calories than you burn, your body doesn't store any additional glycogen and instead uses the glycogen it already has—and the water that comes with it, Clayton adds.
“You'll be astonished at how much water weight you'll pee out if you always eat carb-heavy and salty meals and then limit carbs and salt for a few days,” adds Ansel.
What are the most effective methods for losing water weight?
According to Clayton and Ansel, the easiest method to decrease water weight is to consume fewer processed junk foods (such as chips, cookies, and pizza) and eat more healthy foods, particularly fruits and vegetables.
“Highly processed meals are high in carbohydrates and salt, making them a perfect formula for water retention,” says Ansel. Whole foods, on the other hand, include potassium, a mineral that aids in the restoration of appropriate fluid equilibrium in the body.” She claims that following a plant-based diet is “one of the absolute best methods to combat undesired bloat” since potassium is only found in foods like fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
According to Health, drinking more water can actually assist in minimizing water retention, which may seem paradoxical. That's because when you're dehydrated, your body clings to whatever water it has.
Your body size and composition, as well as how much water weight you may anticipate losing, all have a role in how much water weight you can expect to lose. Clayton says, "I know folks who were obese and dropped 10 pounds in two days" on a diet. He claims that in two days, the typical individual may expect to lose one to three pounds.
Remember that sweating eliminates water, glycogen, and salt, thus frequent exercises can lead to decreased water retention. “If you exercise frequently, you are likely to retain less water than the normal person,” Ansel adds. “This is because perspiration causes us to lose a lot of water-binding sodium. Additionally, when you exercise, you burn a lot of glycogen, which binds a lot of water.”
Is it possible to 'flush out' a salty dinner with water?
While being hydrated is crucial for your body's fundamental processes, Clayton says you can't "flush away" excess salt from your system by drinking a lot of water. When given enough time (and a better diet), your body excretes salt on its own; a sweating workout might speed up the process.
Is it true that lifting weights causes water retention?
Have you ever noticed how swollen your legs or biceps appear after a rigorous bodybuilding workout? Water weight causes the muscular pump, and it's a normal component of the healing process. “Muscles may retain water after exercises to aid in the healing of micro-tears and inflammation caused by the workout's stress,” Clayton explains. “It's little, and the extra water in there evaporates after an hour or two. The next day, you're unlikely to notice a variation in scale.”
Comments
Post a Comment