Do you pee more when losing weight? Everything you need to know

In a nutshell

Why do you pee more when losing weight? More frequent urination is a common and natural part of the weight loss process. It’s caused by fat metabolism, loss of glycogen, changes in diet, and hormonal changes that occur during dieting. At the same time, more frequent urination leads to a loss of some water weight, which is why it’s important to manage it wisely and support your hydration balance.

Struggling to lose weight? Take our quiz now to find a personalized solution just for you >

In the process of active weight loss, your body inevitably undergoes a number of internal and external changes. Apart from dropping some pounds and seeing physical changes in your appearance, it’s also not uncommon to face additional side effects, such as increased urination.

Understanding the Science Behind Weight Loss

Weight loss is a process triggered by an energy deficit when your body consumes less energy (calories) than it spends. The deficit is created from your basal metabolic rate or BMR (the amount of calories you spend without additional activity) plus additional energy expenditure created from exercising and other daily activities.

For an adult female, the BMR can range from 1,500 to 1,300 calories per day depending on age, height, and other individual factors. To be in a deficit, you need to calculate your average calorie expenditure per date based on BMR and additional calories that you spend and consume up to 500 calories less than you spend.

Now, what happens when you get into a deficit? When your body gets insufficient energy to support daily activities, it starts metabolizing the stored fat for energy. This process is called lipolysis and it’s exactly what makes you lose weight. 

The Connection Between Weight Loss and Frequent Urination

If your body burns fat, then why do you pee more when losing weight? - There are two important points you need to understand to answer this question:

1. Up to 60% of your body is made of water. Your brain, bones, heart, and lungs are made of it. And so are your muscles. That is, when your body loses weight, some part of it is also water, lost through breathing, sweating, and, of course, urination.
2. When your body launches the process of fat metabolism, there are two byproducts of this metabolism left in your body–carbon dioxide (CO2) released through your breath and water released through your skin while sweating and your kidneys when you pee.

Basically, when you burn fat, a part of it turns into water, which is why more frequent urination is a natural part of the process.

Why Do You Pee a Lot When Losing Weight? Top 4 Causes

1. Fat Metabolism

As you already know, the main reason why you pee often during weight loss is because your body metabolizes fat for energy. This happens because of the breakdown of triglycerides–the main constituents of body fat. In the process of breakdown, triglycerides convert into glycerol and free fatty acids that form ester bonds between them, with one water molecule released per each bond.

Long story short, as your body breaks down triglycerides and burns fat, it also creates lots of water molecules as a byproduct, which causes more frequent urination.

2. Loss of Stored Glycogen

Glycogen is a form of glucose deposited in your muscles and liver. This compound is known for binding water, with 1 gram of glycogen keeping around 3 grams of water.

When you lose weight due to calorie deficit, your body uses up not only stored fat but also its small reserves of glycogen to receive energy. When its stores are depleted, lost glycogen releases the water held in it, leading to more water in the body and respectively, more urination.

3. Changes in Diet

When you step on your weight loss journey, chances are that dietary adjustments are among the first things you do to jump-start the process. It doesn’t matter if you opt for popular diets, such as the Keto diet, or simply decide to make healthier food choices and count calories, in most cases, your adjusted diet will mean increased water consumption.

First of all, most weight-loss-oriented diets imply drinking plenty of water every day. Often, women who start dieting drink much more water than they used to before their weight loss journey. Secondly, a healthy diet typically implies eating many fruits and veggies, many of which contain a lot of water. Respectively, when you start dieting, you will likely consume more water, which means more frequent urination.

Also, in most healthy diets, you’ll cut down your sodium intake, which can also lead to increased water excretion.

4. Hormonal Changes

Lastly, if you’re wondering "Why do you urinate a lot when losing weight," it’s important to keep in mind the hormonal changes that occur in your body as you diet. 

When you enter an energy deficit, begin losing weight, and increase physical activity, these changes improve insulin sensitivity, meaning your body requires less insulin to regulate blood glucose. Since high insulin levels are associated with water retention, a decrease in insulin can prompt your kidneys to excrete excess water, leading to more frequent urination.

Does Peeing Make You Lose Weight?

While more frequent urination is a natural part of weight loss, it’s not a direct indicator of fat burn or a stimulator of more rapid weight loss. It’s important to understand the difference between fat loss and water loss.

Do you pee a lot when losing water weight? - Yes, in most cases, frequent urination often means a temporary loss of water weight since your body eliminates excess water and waste with urination. However, this temporarily lost weight easily returns as you consume more water and restore the balance.

Fat loss, on the contrary, is a much slower and more permanent process. So instead of clinging to short-term water loss that may make you drop a few pounds, it’s important to focus on long-term fat loss.

Managing Frequent Urination in the Process of Weight Loss: Practical Tips

Although it is a natural part of the process, needless to say, too frequent urination can be not only inconvenient but also somewhat harmful to your body. Hence, it’s important to know how to manage this process correctly to make the most out of your weight loss efforts and achieve your goals.

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Stay hydrated. When you start urinating too frequently, it can lead to gradual dehydration. In order to prevent this, you need to replace the lost fluid by drinking a sufficient amount of water every day. The amount of water intake should be calculated based on your diet, activity level, and individual factors.

• Keep an eye on electrolyte levels. Electrolytes are minerals (e.g. sodium, potassium, and magnesium) found in your blood and other body fluids that carry an electric charge. These minerals play important roles in various body functions, including your hydration balance. Hence, when you lose weight and urinate frequently, it’s important to keep an eye on your electrolyte levels and replenish them with the right foods and supplements
• Focus on healthy, gradual weight loss. As you already know, frequent peeing typically leads to temporary loss of water weight. Though this weight can help you drop a few pounds and somewhat reduce your body volume, it’s only a rapid water loss that can lead to many negative consequences and not bring any long-term results. Thus, instead of striving for rapid water weight loss, it’s important to take a sustainable approach to weight loss and focus on healthy practices.

When Should Frequent Urination Be a Cause of Concern?

In most cases, more frequent peeing is considered a norm in the process of weight loss. However, sometimes, it might also be a cause of concern, especially when there is no obvious reason for it or when your urination is so frequent that it disrupts your sleep or everyday activities.

Additionally, it’s important to keep an eye on any additional symptoms that might accompany frequent peeing, such as:

• Red or dark brown urine
• Blood in urine
• Painful urination
• Trouble emptying your bladder
• Overly strong urge to pee
• Loss of bladder control
• Pain in your lower belly, groin, or side
• Fever

In case you notice any of these or other disturbing signs, it’s important to seek medical advice. 

Conclusion

More frequent urination is a natural part of the weight loss process. When you create an energy deficit and your body uses up its stores of fat, water is one of the byproducts created in the process of this metabolism. Additionally, more frequent peeing is caused by loss of glycogen, changes in your diet, and hormonal changes that take place during your weight loss journey.

But does peeing help you lose weight? When peeing frequently, you do lose some water weight stored in your body. This weight loss is temporary and can lead to dehydration, which means that peeing more often doesn’t directly help you lose weight in the long run. Yet, it’s an important part of natural weight loss.