Does Losing Weight Make You Pee More?
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Does Losing Weight Make You Pee More?

Does Losing Weight Make You Pee More?
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Updated on August 6, 2025
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Let’s say you’ve decided to lose weight and things are going well — you’re changing your lifestyle, you’re making healthy choices, and the scale is starting to move.

But you’re noticing a rather odd phenomenon, too: Is it your imagination, or are you visiting the bathroom a lot more than before you started your weight loss journey? Could it be that losing weight makes you pee more?

Oddly enough, there is a link between your bathroom habits and the number on the scale. Here, two experts give us the lowdown.

The Connection Between Losing Weight and Peeing a Lot

Here’s the gist: When fat is broken down, it releases fluid that has to be eliminated from the body in some way, and that outlet is usually your sweat and urine, says Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.

Mary Margaret Dagen, MD, an obesity specialist with Corewell Health Bariatrics in Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides a more detailed explanation.

“Fat cells store fat. When we have less fat going in overall because of a calorie deficit, the fat cells release their stored fat into the body to use for general functions,” she says.

 “If you are taking in less calories daily, then there is no extra fat to fill the fat cells back up. They therefore shrink down in size.”

Ultimately, Dr. Dagen says, the body breaks down those shrunken-down fat cells to use as energy. When that happens, some of that energy is released in the form of carbon dioxide — which we breathe out — and water, which we sweat or pee out. As a result, you may pee a little bit more.

But wait, there’s more: Dr. Ali adds that if you’re losing weight through a ketogenic diet, you may notice an even larger increase in urination.

 That’s because low-carb diets cause the body to break down glycogen — the stored form of glucose — to use as energy. Again, some of the energy the body doesn’t use is released through water and CO2. You may also pee more due to the loss of electrolytes, including salt.

“It doesn’t matter how you lose weight, but most diets reduce carbs to force the body to burn more fat,” he says. “Keto diets tend to notice it more.”

This is different from when you lose a bit of weight after a bowel movement, which is not permanent weight loss.

3 Other Reasons You Might Pee More When You’re Losing Weight

Along with the physical breakdown of fat cells into carbon dioxide and water that can lead to peeing more, Dagen says there are several other reasons that losing weight may lead to a noticeable increase in urination.

1. You’ve Changed Your Diet

“Losing weight generally requires changing food choices, such as eating more fruits and vegetables,” she notes.

 “These foods are made up of more water, so you may pee more because of the types of foods you take in.”
According to Harvard Health Publishing, vegetables and low-calorie fruit with high water content include cucumbers, celery, lettuce, zucchini, broccoli, peppers, apples, oranges, strawberries, watermelon, grapes, pears, and pineapple.

2. You’re Drinking More Water

Along with eating more nutritious foods, making a healthy lifestyle change often means drinking more water.

Many weight loss plans tout increasing your water intake as a strategy to keep full and cut calories by replacing any sweetened beverages you may have been drinking before. But all of that increased hydration will definitely lead to more frequent bathroom breaks, too.

3. You’ve Upped Your Caffeine Intake

“If your modifications include a change in caffeine intake, this can alter how much or how often you pee,” Dagen says.

Caffeine may help boost your energy and burn more calories, according to the National Institutes of Health.

 If you’re incorporating weight loss products that contain caffeine into your weight-reduction strategy, that could mean more trips to the restroom.

Differences Between Men and Women

Both men and women tend to pee more when losing weight, but with a few differences, Dagen says.

Because of their overall higher levels of lean muscle mass, men can lose weight at a faster rate initially than most women, which can lead to more rapid fat loss and initial increased urination.

On the flip side, women generally have more fat mass than men, so they may experience increased urination for longer periods of time with weight loss efforts.

Keep in mind that urination patterns do not solely rely on your sex. There are other reasons one could pee more frequently, including medications, underlying health conditions, hydration status, and more.

When to See a Doctor About Increased Urination

Sometimes, the link between losing weight and urinating a lot stems from drinking more fluids or taking certain medications. Any increased urination you’re seeing as a result of weight loss won’t stop as long as you continue to lose weight. “As long as you are breaking down fat, you will be releasing fluids in the fat,” Ali says.

But if you’re not specifically trying to lose weight and have noticed an increase in your urination patterns, you should schedule a checkup with your doctor. “If you’re not dieting or trying to lose weight, one of the signs of diabetes is urinating more,” he notes.

 Dagen also recommends seeing your doctor if you experience bloody urine, pain or burning with urination, increased urgency, or difficulty peeing, as these symptoms could signal a condition such as a urinary tract infection, kidney infection, bladder stones, or an enlarged prostate.

The Takeaway

  • When losing weight, you might need to pee more as your body breaks down fat and eliminates it through sweat, urine, and carbon dioxide.
  • You may also need to pee more if your weight loss plan includes dietary changes like drinking more water or eating more water-rich fruits and vegetables.
  • If you’re peeing more without intentional weight loss efforts or have symptoms such as bloody urine, pain or burning while urinating, or difficulty peeing, see your doctor as it could signal an underlying health issue.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Resources
  1. Where Does Fat Disappear to When You Lose Weight? Cleveland Clinic. May 7, 2025.
  2. How Your Body Fights Weight Loss. Northwestern Medicine. December 2022.
  3. Pros and Cons of the Keto Diet. Northwestern Medicine. February 2025.
  4. Healthy Habits: Fruits and Vegetables to Manage Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. December 19, 2023.
  5. Godman H. Using Food to Stay Hydrated. Harvard Health Publishing. July 1, 2024.
  6. Yes, Drinking More Water May Help You Lose Weight. Johns Hopkins University. January 15, 2020.
  7. Ashorobi O. Top Reasons Why Caffeine Can Make You Pee More. Ochsner Health. July 25, 2024.
  8. Dietary Supplements for Weight Loss. National Institutes of Health. March 22, 2021.
  9. Do Men Really Lose Weight More Easily Than Women? Texas Health.
  10. Frequent Urination. Cleveland Clinic. February 25, 2025.
  11. Frequent Urination. Mayo Clinic. May 19, 2023.
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Sean Hashmi, MD

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