Do You Pee More When Losing Weight? Correlation Explained

Table of Contents

• Do You Pee More When Losing Weight?
• 5 Reasons Why You Pee More When Losing Weight
• Does Peeing More Help You Lose Weight?
• Wrapping Up

If you’ve started a weight loss program that includes diet modifications and an exercise plan, you will slowly begin to take notice of the changes that happen in your body. Aside from the physical changes that occur, you might find yourself going to the bathroom more frequently and wondering if losing weight makes you pee a lot. 

On the other hand, some believe that peeing can make you lose weight. Just like the notion that throwing up can cause weight loss, this belief can also lead people to seek unhealthy shortcuts to losing weight. A few examples are the misuse of substances like diuretics. 

It’s always important to dig deep in order to find out if these claims have any scientific evidence to back them up. 

In today’s post, we will be answering the question, “Do you pee more when losing weight?” and we will also explain whether you can lose weight by urinating more often. 

Do You Pee More When Losing Weight?

You might notice that you pee more when you’re trying to lose weight, especially in the early phases of your weight-loss journey. If you’re wondering if it’s normal, don’t worry, a lot of people experience this during weight loss.

However, there appear to be no scientific studies that directly link weight loss with frequent urination. Then why do you get the urge to pee a lot when you’re losing weight? Well, there are a few simple explanations that we will be discussing in detail in the next section. 

5 Reasons Why You Pee More When Losing Weight

#1 Burning Fat Might Make You Want To Pee More

You will be burning fat when you’re losing weight, and the fat-burning process produces water as a by-product. This water is removed from the body through urine, sweat, breath, and other bodily fluids [1]. This means you will pee more often as you burn fat.

#2 Your Water Intake Might Be Higher Than Usual

Trying to lose weight probably means that you’re changing your eating habits and drinking more water than usual. Increasing your water intake will obviously make you pee more. 

A less obvious reason is that you will also increase your water intake indirectly through foods like fruits and vegetables, which contain a higher percentage of water than processed foods. These foods will add more fluids to your system and thus will increase your urine output.

#3 Your Body May Not Be Holding Onto Water As Usual

You might also have cut down your carb and salt intake while trying to lose weight, and this can significantly decrease water retention in the body. 

The carbs you eat are stored in your body in the form of glycogen, and this stored glycogen is stored along with water [2]. Studies have proven that one gram of glycogen is bound to 3-4 g of water. 

Reducing carb intake depletes glycogen stores and therefore releases the water bound to it. This released water will be excreted mainly through urine, thus increasing the number of visits to the bathroom. 

Reducing salt intake will also release excess fluids from the body. Sodium retains water up to as much as 1.5 liters [3]. When your sodium intake goes down, this water will be removed from the body via urination.

Moreover, certain medications, such as thyroid medications, are also known to excrete excess water from the body [4]. People with hypothyroidism have an abnormally high amount of a water-binding compound in the body, leading to increased water retention. 

If thyroid hormones are taken to treat hypothyroidism, this can lead to an increase in urine excretion. [5]

#4 You Might Be Taking Some Supplements That Make You Produce More Urine

Certain dietary supplements such as ginger, dandelion, and parsley can act as diuretics and produce more urine than usual [6]. If you have recently started taking such a supplement, you might notice an increase in your urine output. 

#5 It Can Even Be Your Coffee

Caffeine is a known diuretic that will increase urine production [7]. Take note of your caffeine intake through coffee and other caffeinated beverages, which might be the reason for your increased urination. 

Does Peeing More Help You Lose Weight?

Now that we have established why you might pee more when losing weight, let’s address the other important question. Does peeing make you lose weight? In short, no. 

You can’t lose weight by peeing more, although you might notice a temporary drop in weight immediately after peeing. 

However, increased water intake can help you lose weight, which will also lead to frequent urination. Research has shown that drinking water is associated with increased weight loss when combined with a low-calorie diet [8]. 

One reason this happens is because drinking water before a meal makes you feel full, so your calorie intake goes down [9]. This will, in turn, result in weight loss.

Wrapping Up

So, do you pee more when losing weight? Yes, you might want to pee more often when you’re losing weight, and it’s normal. Fat burning taking place in your body, combined with your diet changes, will remove water from the body, leading to an increase in urinating frequency. 

Nevertheless, it doesn’t work the other way around: you can’t lose weight by peeing more. You can, however, lose weight by drinking more water which will, of course, make you pee more. Drinking more water keeps your belly full, which may reduce your calorie intake and lead to weight loss. 

While it’s natural to urinate more during the weight loss process, consider seeing a doctor if you have any doubts. Increased urination can also be a symptom of certain conditions such as diabetes, and therefore it’s best to determine the cause.