Going on a weight loss journey can seem overwhelming for the total beginner, with the amount of usually foreign jargon suddenly having to become an important part of life. One of the most used terms with regards to weight loss is probably water weight. But really, what is this water weight everybody keeps talking about? Well, you're about to find out.
You probably already know this, but our body is made up of mostly water. All our bodily cells contain stored water, which helps keep things moving smoothly. However, when we take in too much of certain substances such as salt, or if we are dehydrated, our body retains even more water, and the weight of this extra water is called water weight.
Often when people talk about weight loss, they think it's naturally fat loss. But actually, weight loss is very subjective. When you see the scales moving backward, it could be fat, muscle or water that you are losing.
Most of the time, the first couple of pounds that you lose is usually water weight. This is why in the first week you often lose a large amount of weight compared to the following weeks. When the water is gone, that's usually when the body chooses between muscle and fat to burn, depending on how many calories you take in. If you take in too few calories, your body will burn muscle instead of fat since muscle provides more calories than fat.
That's not to say that you will certainly lose water weight at first; if your diet is still high in sodium and alcohol and if you don't replenish your body with water adequately, then your body will still cling on to your water weight.
Water Weight and Weight Loss
Often when people talk about weight loss, they think it's naturally fat loss. But actually, weight loss is very subjective. When you see the scales moving backward, it could be fat, muscle or water that you are losing.
Most of the time, the first couple of pounds that you lose is usually water weight. This is why in the first week you often lose a large amount of weight compared to the following weeks. When the water is gone, that's usually when the body chooses between muscle and fat to burn, depending on how many calories you take in. If you take in too few calories, your body will burn muscle instead of fat since muscle provides more calories than fat.
That's not to say that you will certainly lose water weight at first; if your diet is still high in sodium and alcohol and if you don't replenish your body with water adequately, then your body will still cling on to your water weight.
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