Real Weight vs Water Weight: 4 ways to differentiate

4 WAY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN FAT WEIGHT AND WATER WEIGHT: Just the thought of stepping onto that weight scale is the reason behind anxiety for many. What’s more frightening is when your weight jumps a few grams up during the day. Have you ever thought the reason behind the same? If not, here is the answer for you. It's water weight that causes fluctuations in your weight during the day. But how to know whether what you have around your body is fat weight or water weight? We give you four methods to do it yourself.

WHAT IS FAT WEIGHT? Fat weight may take up several weeks to show up on the scale. When you eat more calories than you burn, it leads to weight gain. Foods that are high in fat and sugar such as chips, cookies, cakes and fast foods are strongly associated with weight gain, says a study published in 2006. These foods have nothing to offer apart from calories.

WHAT IS WATER WEIGHT? If you have gained a significant amount of weight over a week or a few days, it’s most probably water weight. And it's normal if your weight fluctuates half a kilos to a kilo in a day. The shift in your body’s fluid state is the reason behind the same. One may be retaining water due to several reasons including weather, premenstrual symptoms, side effect of medication or lack of dietary protein.

HOW TO FIND OUT: So now as we know what exactly water weight and fat weight is, we give you four easy ways to know if the weight you have gained is water weight or fat weight.

METHOD 1: Weigh yourself and compare it with your yesterday’s weight. More than 450 grams that you have gained since yesterday is actually water weight. As mentioned above, one’s weight can fluctuate from 500 grams to 1 kg in a day due to the fluctuation of liquids in the body.

METHOD 2: Keep a track of your body fat percentage. You can compare your current body fat percentage to your body fat percentage one month ago. If the current one is more, then obviously you have gained fat weight and if your body fat percentage is same or has decreased but you have gained weight, it is water weight.

METHOD 3: Do you feel your hands, legs, feet and face look puffy now? Press with your finger on your legs or hands and if the imprint remains or leaves an impression that lasts more than a few seconds, its water weight. Ideally, if you press, it should come back to its original shape immediately.

METHOD 4: Swollen feet caused by water weight get the imprint of your socks which you can see when you take them off. Even your ring or other ornaments may feel tighter than before if you have gained water weight.