If you’re not sure whether you have water weight or belly fat, this article will show you how to differentiate between water weight and belly fat.
Water weight refers to the additional weight we gain when our tissues, cavities, and joints retain excess water.
Water weight can manifest itself in the form of bloating, swollen joints, and even a swollen belly.
On the other hand, belly fat is the extra fat that is disposed around your waist.
Common causes of belly fat include overeating, inactivity, and hormonal changes.
Since both water weight and belly fat occur around your waist, it may be hard to differentiate between the two. Here are some ways you can tell the difference between water weight and belly fat.
How to Differentiate Between Water Weight and Belly Fat
1. Water Weight Is Not Linked to Calories
Belly fat forms when you eat more calories than you burn each day. Continued intake of excess calories leads to the accumulation of fat around your abdominal area.
Water weight, on the other hand, can be caused by different factors like chronically elevated cortisol, unbalanced hormones, a diet full of carbohydrates and salts, among others.
2. Water Weight is Temporary
Sometimes you may experience fluctuations in your body weight.
For instance, your body weight may increase after a heavy meal. That is water weight. The weight will probably drop back to normal the following day.
Belly fat doesn’t go away overnight. You need to change your diet and become more active in order to have a flat belly.
3. You Can Grab Belly Fat but You Can’t Grab a Bloat
This may sound absurd but it’s so practical and true. In the case where you have water weight, your stomach will be so stretched out and bulged such that you can’t physically grasp your belly.
This is because of the water and sometimes air-filled stomach.
On the other hand, you can easily grab belly fat since it forms folds on the skin.
4. We Gain Belly Fat Slowly While Water Weight Is Overnight
Nobody gains belly fat overnight. It takes months or years of overeating and inactivity for your belly to become big.
However, water weight can make your belly bigger within a day or two. It comes with immediate feelings of discomfort like bloating, puffiness, and sluggishness.
5. Water Weight Doesn’t Affect Hunger Hormones
Water weight does not affect leptin and ghrelin, the hunger hormones. You won’t feel hungrier because your body is carrying excess water.
However, there is a huge correlation between belly fat and hunger hormones. People with excess belly fat develop leptin resistance. This usually leads to overeating since your brain doesn’t receive the signal when you are full.
Belly fat has also been linked to other hormones like cortisol. Research shows that women with excess belly fat produce more cortisol when they are stressed, which worsens their stress.
6. Water Weight Causes Temporary Weight Gain
Water weight causes drastic weight changes that may scare you. Well, there is no need to be worried. Your weight will return to normal after you lose the excess water.
You can lose water weight by reducing sodium intake, eating potassium-rich foods, drinking lots of water, and exercising regularly.
Belly fat, on the other hand, doesn’t cause weight fluctuation. We gain it slowly and it doesn’t go away unless you make a conscious decision to get rid of it.
7. Water Weight is Triggered by Different Foods
As I mentioned earlier, eating a portion larger than you are used to or eating too much sodium can cause of water weight.
Belly fat is caused by sugary and high-calorie foods. The excess calories from these foods make you gain belly fat.
8. Use Body Fat Calipers
Body fat calipers track body fat percentage. Using them will help you know if your belly is sticking out because of belly fat or water weight.
You may want to keep track of your body fat percentage when trying to lose weight. Sometimes the scale is misleading.
9. Water Weight Makes Your Legs and Hands Puffy
Are your hands and legs puffy? Do this to know whether you have belly fat or its just water weight. Press your finger against your hands or legs. If its water weight, it should leave a finger impression that will last for a short while.
On the contrary, if it’s just fat, it should just return to its original state without leaving an imprint at first.
10. You Don’t Need to Build Muscle to Lose Water Weight
You gain water weight due to eating a lot of food or drinks within a short while. And you can lose the excess water without doing any workouts.
However, you may have to build muscle if you want to lose belly fat fast. Muscle helps boost metabolism, which consequently makes it easier to lose fat.
Note that you can lose belly fat without working out but you will end up losing a lot of muscle.
Now, it should be easy for you to differentiate between water weight and belly fat.
If your belly is bigger because of water weight, reduce your sodium intake and drink more water.
Unfortunately, losing belly fat isn’t as simple as losing water weight. You need to make diet and lifestyle changes.
The good news is anyone can lose excess fat if they follow the simple steps in this plan. This plan teaches men and women how to lose weight rapidly without going on crazy diets or doing hardcore workouts.
Also, you will get a reward of $1,000 if you lose weight using this free weight loss plan.
Do you have water weight or belly fat?
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