how much water weight gain is normal?

[vodkavases]

after going off plan for a day or so, i tend to gain 5, 6, 7 lbs or so of water weight which comes off quickly thereafter (as you can see from my stats. ex. after monday i was 158 and tuesday 154) is it okay to retain this much water, to gain and shed it that fast or is that abnormal?

[Diana]

I don't think it is good for the body. When I get water weight, I can gain as much as 10lbs!! the first 4-5 fall off then the rest I struggle to lose. Which is what makes me think it isn't all water.

[califgal45]

This is a tough one, I like Diana can gain 7 to 10 pounds in water depending on the time of year summer being worse. I have a high sodium level naturally so I do not normally eat salt, if I eat out alot or at my Moms who salts everything to death...lol I can come home after just one week up 7 to 10 pounds, I always lose it within a weeks time, but again agreeing with Diana not sure thats so good for the body, but it does happen.

[vodkavases]

i too always lose it usually within a week or two. i assume if it comes off that fast its just water. especially since when i cheat i dont eat a lot of calories so it should be impossible for me to gain weight but who knows. the body works in mysterious ways. at least i know im not alone here, i thought i was the only one. its just so wierd measuring my waist one day and losing 3 inches a couple of days later.

[Lisa Rae]

Yep..very individual here.

I tend to gain 4-5 lbs or a day off plan..and it takes 1-2 weeks to get it all back off. I usually have a 2 lb whoosh after a day or so back on plan..but the rest goes very slow.

For something like TOM, I gain 3-4 lbs the week before..and it starts to leave right when TOM hits.

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

First, I want to stress that the Atkins Nutritional Approach is not something you can go 'on' and 'off', as you described. It is a lifestyle. Are you in Induction? For some, the rules are too strict, so people modify them so it is more like meal planning in OWL in order to individualize what will work best for them. It's all about individualizing to meet your lifestyle, and this is okay as long as you continue with your modification to develop healthier meal planning, and not go 'on' and 'off' of this either.

Water weight is so individual. I would advise not weighing yourself daily, try once a week, or if you can't wait that long, twice a week.

[Purrgirl]

Vodka - Wow we sound so alike in the water weight dept. I can and have gained over 6 lbs. in a day and I've lost over 5 lbs. in a day. I can gain 10 lbs. in 2 days , but lose the same in about 3 (maybe 4) days . So strange!

I think it's bad because sometimes I've decided to cheat, knowing that I will lose the weight quickly.

Laura

[chutatip_t]

So, What is the best way to get rid of that waterweight?

[Diana]

Drink water!!! It sounds wrong. But if the body sees it has plenty of water coming in Hydrating itself, it will release what it is holding on here. It's like it is saying- Oh ok, we have plenty coming in, we can let go and relax.
If you don't drink enough your body will hold on to it. It has to store it.

[skdanny]

The body stores glucose in solution with water as glycogen (2 grams of water to one gram of glucose, by weight).
It is stored in the liver and muscles. On Atkins you use up all your liver glycogen and then go on to burn fat. You probably use up all your muscle glycogen over time by using your muscles and not replacing the glucose.
The "water weight" is new glycogen being formed and stored. Do you experience thirst when you go off Atkins ?
The liver glycogen will disappear in 2 or 3 days on the program, the muscle glycogen has to be exercised away, which is why it takes a bit longer.

danny

[Matt]

Originally posted by Atkins_Nutritionist
First, I want to stress that the Atkins Nutritional Approach is not something you can go 'on' and 'off', as you described. It is a lifestyle.