How to Tell if Weight Is Water Weight or Fat Weight

When you first start a new weight-loss plan, it's common for the pounds to seem like they're practically falling off. But as you time goes on, you may notice that your weight loss starts to stall. Sound familiar?

First of all, it’s important to note that the number you see on your scale when you weigh yourself is a measure of every single thing in your body. According to Gabe Neal, MD, most of the weight in your body comes from water. In fact, he says that it's the heaviest thing in your body besides your bones.

If you find yourself gaining weight quickly and then losing it just as fast, it is very likely that you have just gained water weight. If you step on a scale after you’ve eaten a heavy meal and find that your weight has gone up by several pounds, you don’t have to freak out. Within 24 hours the weight gain will very likely have gone and you’ll be back to your pre-meal weight. The weight you gained will have been water weight.

According to Erica Zellner, MS, LDN, "Water weight gain is our body's way of protecting itself against dehydration, because our body can only survive for a couple of days without water." In short, water weight is a survival tactic—you need it to stay alive. It’s not something you should look to lose, per se.

In contrast, fat gain is much harder to get rid of. Excess belly fat is stored energy so the only way to get rid of it is to put the body in a state where it has no choice but to call on that stored reserve to meet its energy demands. You can do this through a combination of reduced daily calorie intake and exercise.

In a nutshell: “You can fluctuate up to five or six pounds per day, depending on how much water you’re retaining,” Zellner says. “If it’s true weight loss, it's going to be slower and more sustained, whereas the water weight is going to be much more variable—one pound down one day, two pounds up the next day, up three pounds a day after that. It's going to fluctuate a lot.”

These fluctuations are perfectly normal, but they can be discouraging. That's why, psychologist Amy Walters, director of behavioral services at Boise's St. Luke's Health System Humphreys Diabetes Center, recommends focusing on the overall trend and not the actual day's number. As long as you're steadily losing a little bit of weight over time, try not to get frustrated if the numbers go up on some days.

While you’ll never really “lose” your water weight, since your body needs it to live, there are a couple ways to reduce the amount of water weight your body retains in general. Staying hydrated throughout the day is the best way to keep your water weight levels in check, since your body won’t be forced to produce a physiological response to dehydration. In addition, avoiding salty foods, drinking fluids with diuretic effects, and getting enough sleep are also beneficial in keeping the water weight down.

You can do a simple test to see whether you are carrying water or fat weight. Just press your index finger into the fat on the back of your hand. If it leaves an impression, then you are looking at water weight. But, if it’s fat weight, the skin will bounce back to its original state with no mark left on the skin. If you are unsure, our Personal Trainers here at Success Studio will be able to test you and give you more information on the topic. Just press the button below for a complimentary assessment and we’ll figure it out together.