What causes the dramatic initial water weight loss on the carnivore diet?
Answer
The body burns through stored glucose (glycogen) bound to water.
The initial, rapid loss of several pounds seen when starting the carnivore diet, which is common when severely restricting carbohydrates, is primarily water weight. This occurs because the body utilizes its stored form of glucose, known as glycogen, which is held in the muscles and liver. Glycogen molecules bind substantial amounts of water; when the body depletes these carbohydrate reserves for energy due to starvation of carbs, this bound water is released and excreted, resulting in a noticeable drop on the scale within the first week or two, independent of actual fat loss.
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