Carbohydrates bind water
The body stores carbohydrates as glycogen, together with three to four times as much water. That is why weight often drops quickly at the start of a diet and can rise quickly after a carbohydrate-rich meal.[1]
Your cycle plays a part
In a study of 62 healthy women and 765 cycles, the feeling of fluid retention was strongest on the first day of the period.[2] These were self-reports, not readings from scales.
The week has a rhythm too
An analysis of 4,657 measurements from 80 adults found higher values on Sunday and Monday than later in the week. The authors consider this normal.[3]
How much to drink
DGE gives about 1,410 ml a day from drinks for adults aged 25 to under 51. Needs are higher with heat, a lot of activity or fever.[4]
How to read the values
Compare means over weeks, not single days. Weighing is optional in the app, and you do not have to do it every day.
The app does not replace medical advice.
Sources
- Kreitzman SN et al.: Glycogen storage: illusions of easy weight loss, excessive weight regain, and distortions in estimates of body composition. Am J Clin Nutr, 1992
- White CP et al.: Fluid Retention over the Menstrual Cycle: 1-Year Data from the Prospective Ovulation Cohort. Obstet Gynecol Int, 2011
- Orsama AL et al.: Weight rhythms: weight increases during weekends and decreases during weekdays. Obes Facts, 2014
- DGE: Reference values for water (German)