Water and weight: why plus or minus two kilograms per day is normal
A 65 kg woman’s body contains about 36 liters of water, and 2-3 liters pass through the kidneys, sweat, and breathing each day. A liter is a kilogram. Just a little more salt or carbohydrates, or a little less sleep, is enough for the scales to show a “plus” in the morning that has nothing to do with fat. Section — fat and muscle.
The first kilograms on the method are water, and that is good
Insulin makes the kidneys retain sodium, and sodium holds water. With bread and sugar, insulin is always high, and the body carries 2-3 extra liters — a puffy face, a ring that will not come off, marks from socks. Remove sugar and flour — insulin drops, and within a week the kidneys release those liters. Minus 2-3 kg in the first week — that is what they are. Not a “trick,” but relief for the blood vessels and joints; and that is exactly why salt is needed in the first days, otherwise potassium and magnesium will leave with the water: salt on a low-carb diet.
36 l
water in a 65 kg woman
3 g
of water per 1 g of glycogen
2-3 kg
are lost during the first week of the method
+1-2 kg
after a “cake day”
Where water comes and goes
| Event | Water | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Salty dinner | +0.5-1.5 kg | 1-2 days |
| A plate of pasta or cake | +1-2 kg (glycogen + water) | 2-3 days on the method |
| Luteal phase, PMS | +1-2 kg | up to 2-3 days before your period |
| Lack of sleep | +0.5-1 kg | 24 hours |
| Strength training | +0.5-1.5 kg in the muscles | 2-3 days |
| Heat, sauna | −0.5-1.5 kg | will return with water |
| First week of the method | −2-3 kg | stays off as long as there is no sugar |
How to tell water from fat
Speed: fat does not move faster than 0.7 kg per week, while water can shift by 2 kg overnight. Direction: water returns after two or three days, fat does not. Symptoms: swelling, heaviness, a tight ring, marks from elastic bands — water. And the waist measurement: water is distributed throughout the body, while belly fat decreases by centimeters. More about the scales — why scales lie.
Swelling on the method: not because of salt
If swelling persists on a low-carb diet, the cause is more often not salt but a lack of potassium and protein, insufficient sleep, thyroid hormones, or the cycle. Removing salt is a mistake: without sodium, the kidneys excrete potassium, and swelling gets worse. Check: potassium from avocado and greens, protein 1.4 g/kg, sleep, TSH. About the cycle — PMS and water retention.
Frequently asked questions
Diuretics to remove water?
No. They wash out potassium and magnesium, and the swelling returns more strongly. Water with salt, potassium from food, walking.
Drink less to swell less?
On the contrary: when there is not enough water, the body retains it. 2-3 liters with salt — and the swelling goes away.
You brought bread back for a week — plus 3 kg. Is that fat?
Glycogen and water — 2-2.5 kg. Fat in a week — at most 0.3-0.5. Return to the method — the water will go away in 3-4 days.
Reviewed by Anastasia Zhukova, Fitness Trainer • Author of a Nutrition and Training System • Creator of an AI Personal Support Platform
A human has reviewed this material against the method and real client practice.