What Does Weight Loss In A Heavy Alcohol Consuming Person Signify?

Brief Answer:
3 pounds is not significant

Detailed Answer:
People vary 3 pounds in a week due to how much stool or fluid they have in them. Scales may be off by 3 pounds. If you weigh yourself with clothes, those vary the weight.
5'8" 198 pounds....
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
is a bit overweight. But not as much as you might expect because weight and fat percent goes up a bit with age. Certainly a doctor supervised exercise program will be helpful for fitness and likely lower weight slightly.

And.... a fifth of vodka is 25 ounces at about 60 calories per ounce this is over a thousand calories per day extra or almost the equivalent of two pounds per week gain/loss.
Then there is the issue of alcohol addiction but that is a separate issue.

To summarize
Yes, 198 pounds is somewhat Overweight. The 3 pound is irrelevant. The alcohol is a very hefty proportion of the daily calories someone that size would be taking in (about 50% of total daily calories). That calorie load of alcohol would benefit from suplemental thiamine, folic acid, and other b vitamins just to be able to metabolize it.

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Brief Answer:
least of your problems

Detailed Answer:
the three pound weight loss is not clinically significant. If there is continuing weight loss in a steady downward pattern, then it would be different
but:
1) you are a bit overweight

2) this is due to a LOT of calories of alcohol daily that is the cause of the overweight

3) this is likely due to a dependence on alcohol Signs of dependence would include
having problems if you don't keep drinking (withdrawal)
problems with alcohol in one's life (more than the weight) like feeling like you need one first thing in the morning
feeling like you need to cut down

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Brief Answer:
hmm... not sure...

Detailed Answer:
no urination for 2 days is quite serious. No defecation in 2 days is not.
In both, however signs of true obstruction (pain, bloating) would be serious issues.
You imply you've stopped the alcohol for 2 days or more. Otherwise, that's > 1000 calories per day and you might not lose weight with that, although eventually you likely would lose weight at a gradual rate ( 1-2 pounds a week). 1000 calories net loss per day I what I am trying to acheive...but through diet and exercise.
Then, if no alcohol for 2 to 5 days, there can be a risk of withdrawal with tremors, no sleep, agitation, even hallucinations or seizures. If no huge symptoms and if blood pressure and pulse are not markedly elevated from beline, then alcohol withdrawal is very unlikely.

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Brief Answer:
if you don't have fluid retention issues

Detailed Answer:
then a gallon a day won't likely be a problem. could argue it either way with the alcohol. But the volume of the alcohol (a fifth) isn't enough to be a factor with the gallon. Flushing out the alcohol, staying hydrated, overcoming the mild dehydrating effects of the alcohol are not very serious concerns but, you're better being a little overhydrated. You could go a bit less water but frankly it depends on the weather. If it is 35+ (centigrade).. well... maybe that's pretty good.

People with bad heart/liver/lung/or kidney can have problems with fluid accumulation and need to stay a bit dehydrated. This does not seem to be your situation.

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Brief Answer:
as mentioned a few pounds

Detailed Answer:
of variability is totally normal and the amount of stool or fluid in you at any moment will produce small weight fluctuations. especially if you drink a gallon of water and a fifth of alcohol the amount of water in you varies and produces often over a pound of weight fluctuation. These fluctuations are not dangerous in someone who does NOT have an organ failure problem that would cause fluid accumulation.

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Brief Answer:
oh it's absolutely possible

Detailed Answer:
with some liver scarring, the blood behind the liver backs up, the pressure in the veins going into the liver goes way up, and fluid is squeezed out of these vessels into the abdomen. The amount of it can vary from very little up to many gallons. If it is many gallons, then it is pretty obvious. The fluid (ascites) literally sloshes around the abdomen. The abdomen is quite full to bursting. There are usually many other signs of liver problems. Blood tests are abnormal for liver functions. Weight varies with how much ascites is present and the weight fluctuation is often quite high in this context.

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