Patient-Friendly Explanation

Water weight is the extra fluid your body holds onto, causing temporary bloating and puffiness. It can fluctuate day to day due to salt, hormones, carbohydrates, and medications, and it is different from actual fat gain.

Clinical Definition

Fluid retention reflects shifts in extracellular water driven by sodium balance, glycogen storage (each gram of glycogen binds about three to four grams of water), hormonal fluctuations, and renal sodium handling. It can cause short-term scale fluctuations of one to two kilograms that are unrelated to changes in body fat mass.

Why It Matters

Understanding water weight helps patients interpret scale readings without discouragement. NuLifeCare Singapore educates patients on weighing strategies and trends so transient fluid shifts don’t derail long-term progress.