Why am I retaining so much water?

[Premo55]

Okay, I don't remember any point in my bodybuilding career where I've held on to so much water, maybe it's carb cycling messing with my mental, and the carb days just throw my water retentive capacity off whack, but I'm really holding a lot more water than usual. I drink an inhuman amount of water (9-10 liters a day), and have been thinking that maybe I should bring that amount down....though at the same time that runs contrary to the fact that MORE water is needed to flush subcutaneous water. I also eat plenty of fiber and all my sodium comes from vegetables and meat only.

So what gives, really? I feel like my genetics have altered themselves or something. It's come to the point where I'm at 9-10%, a stage where I would ordinarily look a lot better than I do now, and I'm just drowning in subcutaneous water.

Peace.

 

[Premo55]

34 views and no help?

Peace.

 

[P-funk]

Do you eat a ton of carbs?

are you on any medications that could be making you hold water?

 

[Jodi]

You drink too much water IMO. 6-8L a day is all you need. I know fiber makes me bloated as all hell. The more fiber the more I hold. Are your high carb days increasing in carbs?

 

[P-funk]

Just curious, why do you drink so much water?

 

[kvyd]

If im not mistaken premo eats tons of fiber.
So tons of fiber...tons of water... hell of a combo

 

[Akateros]

It might be the carb cycling; that'd be my first guess. Why doncha try five or six days at a steady moderate carb and see if that helps? (roundabout 40/40/20 or so, at whatever your weekly average intake is -- presumably slightly below maintenance)

I suppose it is also remotely conceivable that if you are not using any added salt at all, your electrolyte balance is out of whack. Startling, in this day and age, but -- remotely conceivable, considering the water intake.

 

[Premo55]

Jodi and P-Funk, I dunno why I drink so much water, it's kinda compulsive, I guess, I just drink water in class without thinking, as I carry fluid with me everywhere.

Akateros, I really suspect it's my abstinence from all sodium and the electrolyte balance. I have no idea how to remedy everything though. I guess I'm gonna cut back on the water intake, I dunno what else to do though.

High carb days actually make me look better as opposed to worse, the water seems to fill me out better than on other days. I thought that drinking more water and avoiding salt would be the SMART thing to do. I guess sticking to these two things religiously for so long has kinda screwed up my capacity to drain water.

Also Jodi, my high carb days are not increasing in carbs, I've kept them constant at 2-2.5g per pound for weeks now. I think the fiber is also a problem. I can't really help it, though, fiber is the only way I can keep sane being as hungry as I am all the time, haha. Sucks.

Peace.

 

[Arnold]

if I eat a lot of carbs I retain water.

 

[Akateros]

Yeah, that is a lot of water. You are diluting your fluids mayhap. Amazing. I can barely manage to gag down four litres a day if I really try.

You thought about adding in a bit of extra salt? Even throwing in a half-teaspoon or so into the day's batch of barley?

Your potassium might be off too if your sodium is. Anyone who knows Salt Loading wanna comment? I totally f*ed it up when I tried it, so I think my grasp of the theory is not quite on.

 

[greekblondechic]

One day of a lot of carbs can make me retain up to 6lbs of water.

 

[kvyd]

If i remember the numbers correctly. For every one gram of carb you eat your body retains 2.6 grams of water. I dont remember where i read this but, I thought that explains why I look larger after a carb binge.

 

[Mindless]

2.8 last I heard.

 

[Premo55]

I realise this. I think I should cut down on my fiber intake, drink less water and maybe add a smidgen of sodium to my diet.

Peace.