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Science Explains Why You Lose Water Weight
How Water Weight Loss Works
New dieters, especially if they're eating a low carb diet, see a
dramatic initial weight loss in the first week.
The initial loss is exciting, but it quickly slows to one or two
pounds per week.
You've probably heard this early weight loss
is water weight, rather than fat.
Where does water weight come from and why does it drop before fat?
Here's the scientific explanation.
Key Takeaways: Water Weight Loss
· On a low carbohydrate diet, the body turns to glycogen as an energy
source after it expends glucose. Quick water weight loss occurs when
metabolizing glycogen because the process requires water.
· Eating or drinking excess electrolytes can lead to water retention
because the body keeps the water to maintain a set electrolyte balance as part
of homeostasis.
· Dehydration can also lead to water retention. In this situation, the
body acts to conserve water when it's not being replenished.
The Source of Water Weight
The early weight loss from a diet can be partly fat, especially if
you're exercising and reducing calories, but if you're using more
energy than you're replacing as food and drink, the first weight you'll
lose will be water.
Why? It's because the energy source your body turns to once it runs
out of its relatively small store of carbohydrates (sugars)
is glycogen.
Glycogen is a large molecule made up of a protein core
surrounded by glucose subunits. It's stored in the liver and
muscles for use during energy-intensive activities, like running away from
danger and supporting the brain when food is scarce.
Glycogen can be quickly metabolized to meet the body's need for
glucose, but each gram of glycogen is bound to three to four grams of water.
So, if you use up your body's glycogen stores (as when dieting or with
prolonged exercising), a lot of water is released over a short amount of time.
It only takes a few days of dieting for glycogen to be expended, so
the initial weight loss is dramatic.
Loss of water can lead to loss of inches. However, as soon as you eat
enough carbohydrates (sugars or starches), your body readily replaces its
glycogen stores.
This is one reason people often see an initial weight gain immediately
after going off a diet, particularly if it was one that restricted
carbohydrates.
It's not the fat coming back, but you can expect all the water you
lost the first couple of days of a diet to return.
Other Causes of Water Weight Changes
There are many biochemical reactions in the body that affect how much
water is stored or released. Natural hormonal fluctuations can have a big
impact on water storage.
Since the body maintains stable electrolyte levels, losing
too much of an electrolyte can leave you dehydrated, while too high of intake
can cause you to retain water.
Diuretics are chemicals that prompt the release of water. Natural
diuretics include any stimulant, such as coffee or tea.
These chemicals temporarily alter the natural set point for water
retention, causing slight dehydration.
Alcohol also acts as a diuretic, potentially causing much greater
dehydration because additional water is used to metabolize ethanol.
Eating too much sodium (as from salt) leads to water
retention because water is needed to dilute the high level of the electrolyte.
Low potassium, another electrolyte, can also cause fluid retention
because potassium is used in the mechanism that releases water.
Many medications also affect water homeostasis, potentially leading to
water weight gain or loss.
So do some supplements. For example, dandelion and stinging nettle are
natural diuretic herbs.
Because water is used for thermoregulation, heavy perspiration,
whether it be from exertion or sweating in a sauna, can produce temporary
weight loss from dehydration.
This weight is immediately replaced after drinking water or other
beverages or eating foods that contain water.
A surprising cause of water retention is mild dehydration.
Because water is critical to so many processes, when it's not being
replenished at a fast enough rate, conservation mechanisms kick in.
Water weight won't be lost until adequate water is being consumed and
normal hydration is achieved.
After that point, research indicates drinking more water doesn't aid
weight loss.
Nutrition expert Beth Kitchen (the University of Alabama at
Birmingham) conducted research that concluding drinking more water does burn a
few more calories, but it wasn't a significant number.
Her research also indicated drinking ice-cold water as opposed to room
temperature water resulting in an insignificant difference in calories burned
and weight lost.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
Education
Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of
Tennessee at Knoxville
B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings
College
Introduction
Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University
of Tennessee at Knoxville - Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Science educator with experience
teaching chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high school,
college, and graduate levels.
ThoughtCo and About Education chemistry
expert since 2001.
Widely-published graphic artist, responsible
for printable periodic tables and other illustrations used in science.
Experience
Anne Helmenstine, Ph.D. has covered
chemistry for ThoughtCo and About Education since 2001, and other sciences
since 2013. She taught chemistry, biology, astronomy, and physics at the high
school, college, and graduate levels. She has worked as a research
scientist and also abstracting and indexing diverse scientific literature for
the Department of Energy.
In addition to her work as a science writer,
Dr. Helmenstine currently serves as a scientific consultant, specializing in
problems requiring an interdisciplinary approach. Previously, she worked
as a research scientist and college professor.
Education
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical
sciences from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and a B.A.
in physics and mathematics with a minor in chemistry from Hastings
College. In her doctoral work, Dr. Helmenstine developed ultra-sensitive
chemical detection and medical diagnostic tests.
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