"It jsut water weight........"

[Tweety]

Why is it that when someone loses weight or a goodly amount in their first week they invariably say "it's just water weight.....".

Is there a fluid balance shift when someone restricts their calories? I always thought the weight loss was adipose.

Anyone know?

[wilbur's mom]

I think there is an initial fluid loss component to many diets, too. One that comes to mind is ye olde "Cabbage Soup Diet", and when you get diarrhea from sudden fiber overload.... there goes water weight.

[woody62, RN]

I think there is an initial fluid loss component to many diets too. One that comes to mind is ye olde "Cabbage Soup Diet", and when you get diarrhea from sudden fiber overload.... there goes water weight.[/quote']

You also end up in fluid and electrolyte imbalance. And getting back into balance, you regain all that supposed lost water weight.

Woody:balloons:

[cabela]

Just to clarify, I believe a liter of water is 2.2 lbs, a gallon of water is 8 lbs. , that's also how much my Med-Surg book weighed when I weighed if out of curiosity.