On Sun, 14 Jun 2009 11:00:20 -0500, Geoffrey Purcell  
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>> "Weight loss at
>> the beginning of a low carb diet is mainly water...as id the weight loss
>> at the beginning of any diet."
>
> I didn't say that. ... But it is striking how quickly people who do  
> low-carb diets in the short-term, very quickly regain their former  
> weight when readding any carbs. That indicates water-retention as a  
> common cause, if not the only one.

It isn't particularly striking if you look at it from the viewpoint of  
glycogen.  The muscles and the liver store glycogen for quick energy  
later.  For every gram of glycogen that gets stored, three grams of water  
are stored.  When you go on a low-carb diet, the first thing that happens  
is the glycogen stores burn off, which also releases the water stored with  
it.  Then when they reintroduce carbs, the liver and muscles soak it up to  
replenish the glycogen stores, which also stores the water with it.  If a  
person works at it, they can easily lose and re-gain 8 to 10 lbs in just a  
few days just by manipulating their glycogen stores.

--
   Robert Kesterson
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