water weight or muscle how can you tell?

[SEADRA]

I started these meds that are known for water retention. I'm all excited i've gained 15 pounds. But how do I know if it's water weight or muscle?

[Emma-Leigh]

I started these meds that are known for water retention. I'm all excited i've gained 15 pounds. But how do I know if it's water weight or muscle?

Well - water retention associated with meds will depend on what meds you are on. For example, corticosteroids and anti-inflammatories cause fluid retention due to a combination of increased blood volume (it decreases your kidney filtration rate) and an accumulation in subcutaneous and other tissues (giving you that 'puffy and bloated' look - which is the reason why people with cushing's disease - which is an excess of corticosteriods - have big round faces)....

Anyway - with water weight from meds you may look 'puffy' and will loose some muscle definition... But other than that visual difference it is hard to differentiate from 'true weight gain'. Just continue to eat well and monitor your weight when you come off the meds - if it starts to decrease rapidly then the weight was probably mostly water.

[SEADRA]

I shoudn't have said meds it's just BC. The only place I lose definittion was my abs but every place else I havn't. So I'm glad to know it may not all be water weight.

Thanks