[flameruckus]

Can someone give me a simple explanation of what water weight is... simple enough for fourteen to eighteen year olds to understand?

Does it have anything to do with homeostasis in your body?

How do you permanently get rid of it?

Also, is it true water weight can be regained? If so, how?



Thanks much

[Eileen G]

Your body holds sugar in solution in your blood and muscles, ready to use when you do exercise. Each molecule of sugar takes 4 molecules of water to hold it in solution. If you exercise hard, or do a low carb diet which uses up glycogen, then the water which is used to keep sugar (glycogen) in solution can be lost, either in sweat or urine.

Also, if you eat something which is very salty, your body will hold onto extra water to keep the salt concentration of your blood at a healthy level. As the salt gets used up, the extra water can be lost, again through urine or sweat.

You need water. You can't get rid for more than a small amount without risking your health. A lot of people are convinced they are holding gallons of excess water weight, and if they can shift it, they'll have six-pack abs and popping muscles. Sorry, if you don't have a six pack normally, dropping a few pounds of water weight won't give you one.

In fact, your muscles look their best when they are swollen with glycogen. Many bodybuilder or fitness models do a low carb diet to keep bodyfat low, but a day or two before a competition or photoshoot, they carb load so their muscles will get full of water.