how much does water weight effect the scale?

I'm curious...and a little worried. I weigh in every day to keep myself on track, and through the week I weighed about the same, and dieted and exercised as usual and stuck to my plan. Last night though I went out and did some heavy drinking with friends! This morning I'm two pounds lighter. Is this the result of my efforts earlier in the week or is it just dehydration? How many pounds can water weight add or take away?

Sat. Mar 18, 10:48am

The only way you are going to be able to do that, is to get a body composition scale. Extra water weight has little affect in terms of pounds I have found. The % of your body composition will change but I find and I talked to my doctor that its a matter of ounces even though you puff out and feel like its so much more weight. I suggest investing in a body composition scale, I have one and its priceless.

Saturday, March 18, 2006, 11:12 AM

I retain a lot of water, the scale will very by 10 lbs depending on the day of the month. I have found that if I make myself drink at least a galon of water or more a day, I can lose 4 pounds in a week. I know this is all water weight, and what not So I am not that woried about it. I try to weigh myself once a month after my cycle, to have more of a clue of my "true" weight.
I think everyone is different. and you need to learn you body.

Saturday, March 18, 2006, 11:30 AM

I've noticed that if I eat Chinese food that has a lot of sodium the night before I weigh myself, I gain 2 lbsfrom water retention. After a couple of days I lose the 2lbs of water weight.
I would not follow the advice of the 11:30 poster. I've never heard of anyone fluctuating 10lbs due to water retention, and it's actually dangerous to drink too much water in one day. If you feel thirsty, drink. If not, don't feel you should drink a gallon of water.

Monday, March 20, 2006, 4:18 PM

alcohol and weight loss

In college, my roomates and i had a long standing weekly weigh-in. We made bets of weight loss. The bet was also with some guys across the way. We would all weigh ourselves the day before the weigh-in, drink heavily that night, then at the weekly morning weigh-in, we would consistently be a couple of pounds lighter - and hungover! It's pure dehydration and won't last but a day.

Sunday, April 09, 2006, 8:10 PM

I put on about 8 pounds with "time of the month," which my doctor says is the upper limit of "normal." It's no mystery how my body does this, BTW; I cook without salt all month because I can't stand it, but then the week before my period I absolutely crave salty foods.

Sunday, April 09, 2006, 11:22 PM

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