Ok, this may be a stupid question.
I started weight watchers not to long ago and the first week i lost 7.6 lbs probably due to water retention. now, why can't i diet one week lose 7 lbs and not diet the next but the week after that diet again and lose more weight due to the water retention. I know i won't gain the seven lbs in one week....why is that not an effective way of weight loss. sorry for such a stupid question, but it just crossed my mind.

Ok, this may be a stupid question.
I started weight watchers not to long ago and the first week i lost 7.6 lbs probably due to water retention. now, why can't i diet one week lose 7 lbs and not diet the next but the week after that diet again and lose more weight due to the water retention. I know i won't gain the seven lbs in one week....why is that not an effective way of weight loss. sorry for such a stupid question, but it just crossed my mind.


It's not a stupid question, angelface !

When you lose that initial water the first week it's because you're eating less in general and in particular less refined carbohydrates. Your body stores carbohydrates as energy in your muscles as 'glycogen' and it uses these when it needs quick ready energy - like when you're working out hard, or when you've restricted your food intake because you're trying to lose fat.

The more muscle mass you have the more glycogen your body can store, and along with that glycogen it keeps water. It works out to roughly 3g of water per 1g of carbohydrate. If your body can store 250g of carbodhydrate as glycogen then it will also hold 750g of water, that's 1kg or 2.5 lbs. The average human body stores around 400g of glycogen, almost 5 lbs! I know when I was over 250 lbs I lost 8 lbs my first week.

So you only lose that once; unless you go back to eating refined carbs and storing more glycogen. The good thing is that after that water / glycogen loss you end up burning fat for fuel, which is the goal, right? Also, don't be surprised if the scales go up a little after that first week, it is only water.

The way to deal with water retention, btw, is to drink more water, not less. The more water your body gets the more willing it will be to let go of excess. Your body only hoards what it is not getting enough of.

HTH
Nat

That is a great reply Gopher...very informative...I learned something :wave:

Thanks, west virginia girl - glad to be of some help :)

Nat

I agree with west virgina girl............ it was very informative. thanks :)