Water-weight?

elpgal

So say you were embarking on a ‘lose the last 10 lbs’ type of long-term regimen.
Do folk generally lose weight in the first few weeks? And regain them back while your body adjusts to the new fitness/food regimen?

6 years ago

Off Topic

16 replies

Latest reply was from

Anonymous

Yes.

6 years ago

Anonymous

That sounds horrible. I have to vote no.

When I start to feel bad about my body I reassess my whole eating style, aim to feed my body better, enjoy the positive about my abilities and accept where I land weight wise.

I try to keep my perspective on the magnitude of this "problem" too. My dad once commented that it was way more fun to travel with women who enjoyed the food.

6 years ago

Jules

Veteran

I'd be focusing on how my clothes fit and how I feel rather than the scale, which will indeed reflect "water" weight and monthly fluctuations. For those who need hard numbers, I'd suggest taking measurements and focusing on the long term results. Personally I can tell my new habits are working for my goals based on how I feel, how my clothes fit and reactions from people, so I don't need to measure.
All this assumes weight bearing exercise which will change your body composition over time, but might not show up on the scale in the way a classic "diet" assumes.

6 years ago

Anonymous

Ditto Lisa! Don't do anything that's not sustainable, diet or exercize wise. It's not quick, or trendy, and doesn't sell books but eat real food, not too much, mostly plants!

6 years ago

Anonymous

I'm not voting yes or no to anything - just answering the question .

6 years ago

elpgal

Veteran

Sorry for the lazy post. Here is some more context. I ended up seeing a doc for my raging appetite issue (I posted here about it previously).

Anyhow, I have reduced my carb intake, upped my protein quite a bit and have eliminated dairy. She also recommended I switch from Ibuprofen to Aspirin for PMS pains.

My weight is all over the place. Lost several pounds initially but regained them all back. A lot of weight and blot fluctuation over the month. I am not as hungry anymore and ok with a grain based salad for a meal.formerly I would be ravenous and hangry if I ate just a salad. My measurements haven’t changed even the slightest bit.

My doctor also recommended getting DEXA scans so I can monitor my fat/muscle ratios accurately.

I’d be lying if I don’t mention that I enjoyed my clothes much more at a lower weight. It was mostly because a smaller waist looked better in my current clothing.

6 years ago

Marilyn

Veteran

Excellent advice from Suntiger. YES to an exercise plan and a healthy way of eating that is sustainable. And YES to eating whole foods and including lots of plant based foods. My diet is heavily plant based.....I was doing it before it became trendy. I do at least 3 days a week that are 100% vegan. There is nothing I have cut completely out of my diet so I don't feel deprived. I don't generally eat dairy now but smaller amounts of meat, sugar, bread and such.

Remember that our weight constantly fluctuates. It's not necessarily fat. Hormonal bloating/water weight is a real thing. I sometimes get so bloated that my pants feel super tight then they're fine again. And waste coming through you can change your weight too. I'm a petite little person and I can weigh myself one day and be X lbs and two days later I'm 4 lbs more. It constantly goes up and down.

Also, regarding exercise.....mix it up. Don't do the same routine over and over. Your body gets used to it and you'll stop seeing results. There are loads of ways to work each body part.

6 years ago

Anonymous

Ok, here I go. I take in a lot of calories and weigh about the same I did a little over 2 years ago before I started training on a regular basis. I guess I am down between 5 to 10 lbs when I started, but my clothing size has gone down about 2 sizes. I eat a fair amount of fruits and veggies. I also eat a lot of lean protein (mostly chicken) and do have protein shakes when I train. A also consume at least 64 oz of fluids daily (mostly water).

I am more muscular than I was 2 years ago and flab has disappeared from abs, legs, thighs where they once existed. Since I am over 60 it has taken me a bit longer to build muscle, but I continue to make strides.

So am I pushing exercise instead of dieting, yes, but I encourage overall healthy eating. P.S.- working with a trainer is the best thing if you really want to see results injury free.

6 years ago

smittie

Veteran

Yes.
When i go on vacation, I eat a lot of carbs. When i come back, I go back to zero carbs and I lose the 3-4lbs I gained in 2-3 days. So that’s the water weight. My tummy is slimmer and I feel better but all the rest of me looks the same.

I stay at the lower weight as long as I don’t eat carbs.

6 years ago

Kyle

Veteran

I generally lose the weight initially and sometimes subsequently gain a small portion or none at all if I am diligent and disciplined.

6 years ago

Jules

Veteran

That's awesome danusia! I firmly believe in weight training at any age and not going by the scale, based on my first experience working with a good trainer in my twenties where I lost 4 inches off my hips (and other places) but only 4 pounds on the scale (weight loss on the scale did come later in the process). It's great to hear about someone doing it at 60! I have had so many conversations with women who want to know what I'm doing but just refuse to believe it's the weight training that makes the difference. Our culture really does want to sell women on calorie restrictive diets and endless cardio, I guess.

6 years ago

Bennett

Veteran

Ditto suntiger - making permanent, sustainable changes to your diet and exercise habits will get you there and keep you there. You can lose the weight by going hardcore, but you can't keep it off if you return to the old habits. And yes, building muscle helps by upping your metabolism.

Think in terms of life changes, not crash dieting. In for the long haul...

6 years ago

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I’m completely with Suntiger.

6 years ago

Classically Casual

Veteran

I believe DEXA scans measure bone density....it’s impt. to have a baseline measurement to compare against later.

6 years ago

cindysmith

Veteran

I am having to change the whole lifestyle. It's a process, and it's a slow one. Because cake just deserves to be enjoyed every now and then. Also, it's hot as hades so going to the gym and getting sweater than I already am just isn't fun.
But as my trainer says every time I make a new change or can increase the amount weight I'm lifting, "you gotta start somewhere"; so I'm not beating myself up for how slow the progress feels in my efforts to have a stronger, leaner body.

6 years ago

Anonymous

@cindysmith - you have to progress at your own rate. We all have different fitness levels. Oh, regarding being really hot at the gym, I wear a cooling vest when I need to. Helps immensely!

6 years ago

Category