Correlation between sweating and weight loss

[Ruah Boxer]

I always hear that bigger, heavier guys have more of a propensity for sweating among other factors, and as they reduce their weight, assuming they were not at their ideal weight, excessive sweating would reduce with it. I'm 19 6'3" at 210-15 and I originally weighed about close to 240 about a year ago. I lost all that weight through diet and excercise, specifically weight training over the course of the year, but really nothing extreme. At 240 I was really out of shape but I didn't have a problem with sweating, not anymore then the average guy. Now with the weight gone and the added muscle, which again I state is not extreme or bulky muscle at all, I seem to sweat a hell of a lot more then I did when I was out of shape at 240. What's going on here? It seems like the lightest bit of work, even when I'm not exercising just doing very mild physical things, my back begins to sweat profusely, more then it should with some time. It's not physically taxing at all. I'm just curious as to what other people might think of this or perhaps had a similiar experience, I'll probably get a doctors opinion eventually though.

[IronFist]

Hi, welcome to the forum. Sweating doesn't necessarily mean weight loss. You can sweat out water and then weigh less because you've lost water weight, but that's different from losing fat.

Generally, sweating just means you're hot and your body is trying to cool itself, which is sometimes indicitive of a good workout, but not always.

Eating a lot can also make you sweat. When I try to gain weight I sweat a lot more because my body is metabolizing extra food which produces heat.

[Serpent]

Also, you will tend to sweat more when you're fit as your cooling system is working more efficiently. Fat people tend to sweat a lot as the fat holds the heat in and the body has to sweat more to dissipate the heat. Then there's just general genetic propensity for sweating. Everyone's a bit different, so don't sweat it. ;)

(Make sure you drink heaps of water to put back what you've lost, however).

[Mika]

Originally posted by Serpent
Also, you will tend to sweat more when you're fit as your cooling system is working more efficiently. Fat people tend to sweat a lot as the fat holds the heat in and the body has to sweat more to dissipate the heat. Then there's just general genetic propensity for sweating. Everyone's a bit different, so don't sweat it. ;)

(Make sure you drink heaps of water to put back what you've lost, however).

What he said. So, really, it's a good thing for you :)

[Tak]

Originally posted by Serpent
(Make sure you drink heaps of water to put back what you've lost, however).
I tend to sweat more when I drink more water, too.

[Mika]

If you drink immeadiately after the workout, this might happen. If you drink before the workout and you sweat more because of this, it's all good. At least you won't run out. By the way, that has happened to me a couple of times. It is most unpleasant...

But in any case, water is important to our bodies, so sweating means a negative fluid balance. Sooner or later you want to balance the books to ensure proper biochemical actions of your body.

Mika