Do You Lose Weight When You Pee? (2024)

Drinking more water is a common strategy used to promote weight loss.

However, while many people believe the weight loss may be due to increased urination, others claim this is little more than a myth.

This article takes an in-depth look at the evidence to determine whether you lose weight when you urinate.

The urinary tract is responsible for removing excess fluid and waste from the body.

It comprises several organs, including the kidneys, bladder, urethra, and ureters.

The kidneys are responsible for filtering blood to produce urine, which is transported to the bladder by thin tubes of muscle known as ureters.

The bladder is a hollow organ that slowly expands as it fills with urine. It’s estimated that the bladder can hold up to 2 cups (475 mL) of urine.

As your bladder starts to fill up, it sends a signal to your brain indicating that it’s time to urinate.

Finally, urine is excreted from the body through the urethra by relaxing the internal and external sphincters, which are muscles that control the flow of urine (1).

On average, most people excrete around 27–68 ounces (800–2,000 mL) of urine per day (2).

summary

The urinary tract is responsible for removing fluid and waste from the body, which is filtered by the kidneys, transported to the bladder, and excreted through the urethra.

Urination plays a key role in fat metabolism.

This is because when you consume fewer calories than your body needs, fat stores throughout the body are broken down and used for energy.

The byproducts of this process are then excreted from the body through urine, sweat, feces, and the lungs (3).

Urination may also cause other minor changes in body weight.

For example, when you drink a large amount of water, you may notice that the number on the scale increases slightly. Contrarily, when you urinate, it decreases slightly.

These fluctuations are normal, as studies show that increasing your daily intake of water is associated with higher urine output (4).

Therefore, the amount of weight you temporarily gain or lose throughout the day from fluid intake depends on how much liquid you drink.

However, keep in mind that any weight gained from drinking water is temporary, and your weight will decrease again once you urinate.

summary

Drinking water may lead to temporary fluctuations in body weight. Additionally, when your body uses fat as energy, the byproducts of this process are excreted through the body in several ways, including through urine.

Studies suggest that drinking more water may be beneficial for weight loss (5, 6, 7).

That said, this isn’t necessarily due to increased urination.

Instead, studies show that drinking water before a meal can help enhance feelings of fullness and reduce your appetite and food intake (8, 9).

Drinking cold water may temporarily increase your metabolism slightly, potentially promoting weight loss (10, 11).

Still, making modifications to your dietary or exercise routine is essential for long-term weight loss.

Additionally, keep in mind that consuming certain drinks, including sugar-sweetened beverages like soda, sweet tea, and sports drinks, can increase your calorie intake and lead to weight gain (12).

summary

While peeing more frequently may not directly lead to weight loss, increasing your water intake could help support your weight loss progress.

When your body uses fat for fuel, the byproducts of fat metabolism are often excreted through urine.

While peeing more frequently is unlikely to lead to weight loss, increasing your intake of water may support your weight loss goals.

In fact, some research shows that drinking more water could temporarily boost your metabolism and reduce your appetite.

That said, increasing your water intake to increase urination will not lead to lasting weight loss on its own.

Do You Lose Weight When You Pee? (2024)

FAQs

Do You Lose Weight When You Pee? ›

Urination and your weight

Should you weigh after peeing? ›

Follow these steps below to get the most accurate weight possible: • Weigh yourself at the same time each morning: after you urinate but before you eat or drink. Use the same scale every day. Place the scale on a hard, flat surface without carpet.

What color is urine when burning fat? ›

Any color on the ketone strip, from pink to purple, indicates fat burning (ketosis). Some people get a darker ketone strip color and achieve the same weight loss results as someone with a lighter color. Your “positive” color result can vary throughout the day for many reasons.

Is the first 10 lbs water weight? ›

When you go on diet that either restricts your caloric intake too much or cuts out an entire category of food, like a zero-carb diet, it's possible to see the scale go down by five to 10 pounds in one week, but Dr. March says that's usually not real fat loss; it's water.

What parts of the body lose fat first? ›

The first place men typically lose weight is the belly, while women tend to lose weight all over, but hold onto weight in their thighs and hips, Dr. Block explains.

Can you lose 2 pounds from peeing? ›

While peeing more frequently is unlikely to lead to weight loss, increasing your intake of water may support your weight loss goals. In fact, some research shows that drinking more water could temporarily boost your metabolism and reduce your appetite.

How much does 1 gallon of urine weigh? ›

22.7 liters is about 50 pounds of urine (1 liter = 2.205 pounds). For a herd of 200 lactating cows this equals 10,000 pounds of urine per day. To convert to gallons (1 gal = 8.35 pounds) or about 1,200 gallons/day.

Does fat exit through urine? ›

Fat leaves the body as CO2 when you breathe out and as water through urine, sweat, and other bodily fluids. What does fat look like in urine? You can't see the fat in urine with your eyes. Fat breaks down into water, which leaves the body as dissolved substances in urine.

Does your pee smell when losing fat? ›

The sweet smell is from ketonuria, or a buildup of ketones. Those are chemicals your body makes when you burn fat, instead of glucose, for energy.

Do you pee a lot when losing weight? ›

You may notice when you start to lose weight that you'll need to urinate more often. That's because your body is attempting to get rid of those byproducts. Drinking more water can help encourage this process, and may even help boost your metabolism.

How to tell if you're losing fat? ›

How to know when your body is burning fat
  1. An improved sense of well-being.
  2. A decreased appetite.
  3. An improvement in the way your clothes fit.
  4. Better-quality sleep and less snoring.
  5. An improvement in your mood.
  6. Better health parameters such as a lowering of blood pressure, decrease in chronic pain, or smoother bowel movements.
Aug 4, 2022

How to flush water weight? ›

Cutting down on salty and sugary foods, drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, and staying physically active are some ways to shed water weight. You put on water weight when your body retains fluid that normally goes to your kidneys. It's normal to have water weight.

Why did I gain 5 pounds overnight? ›

"We can weigh 5, 6, 7 pounds more at night than we do first thing in the morning," Hunnes says. Part of that is thanks to all the salt we consume throughout the day; the other part is that we may not have fully digested (and excreted) everything we at and drank that day yet.

What are the first signs of losing weight? ›

10 signs you're losing weight
  • You're not hungry all the time. ...
  • Your sense of well-being improves. ...
  • Your clothes fit differently. ...
  • You're noticing some muscle definition. ...
  • Your body measurements are changing. ...
  • Your chronic pain improves. ...
  • You're going to the bathroom more — or less — frequently. ...
  • Your blood pressure is coming down.
Nov 30, 2020

When is weight loss noticeable? ›

Second and third week – Continued healthier eating, along with the incorporation of regular exercise, will typically result in steady weight loss of 1 to 2 pounds per week. Fourth week (and beyond) – This is when your weight loss will likely become noticeable to you and those around you.

What part of body is hardest to lose fat? ›

Stubborn fat is more metabolically active and can lead to serious health problems. The most stubborn areas of fat are the abdomen, arms, and thighs. Strategies for reducing stubborn fat include exercise and diet. Non-surgical treatments like Coolsculpting and weight loss supplements can also be effective.

Should you weigh yourself after the toilet? ›

The takeaway

To get the best results: Weigh yourself at the same time every day (morning is best, after using the restroom).

Does peeing before weighing yourself make a difference? ›

Should you pee before you weigh yourself? You should! In fact, not only should you urinate, but you should make sure you take off your clothes and shoes too. Research has found that this is the way to get the most accurate reading of your body weight [4].

Is it OK to weigh after a shower? ›

So while you probably already know that it's best to weigh yourself first thing in the morning — before you've eaten or used the bathroom — you should also add one more parameter to the list: before showering. “Your skin is the largest organ in the body and absorbs fluid easily,” says Dr.

Does urine weigh more than water? ›

Urine is denser than pure water because it contains excreted solutes. Therefore the urine specific gravity is always greater than 1.000. Specific gravity is affected by the number of solute particles in solution as well as their molecular weight.

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