Sodium Intake effect on weight study

donjtomasco

This is MY OWN study, not something official. I tracked my sodium intake from January 27th to today and my daily weight in the AM every day.

There seems to be AN EXACT CORRELATION between sodium intake and weight gain or loss the VERY NEXT DAY.

What I now need to study (if possible) is adding the daily caloric intake (over or under) along with the sodium count (high or low) and its impact on my daily weight. My guess is that immediately following lower calorie intake days coupled with a low sodium intake, I will see my largest drop in weight the next day or two or three (since my person at Gold's Gym told me that CICO pretty much shows up on the scale in 24-48 hours, along with sodium).

Additionally, I expect to see my poorer caloric intake days coupled with a higher sodium intake day to be reflected in flat weight (plateau like) to days that I saw gains.

This is QUITE EXCITING is seeing how keeping track of ALL the details allows me/us to retroactively analyze were we were and why, once we have the data to analyze this past performance later.

donjtomasco

So out of 39 data entry days, I ranked from 1-39 by fewest net calories per day, then ranked the sodium intake (lowest to highest) next to each of the net calorie days. I then did a blended ranking of all 39, and there WAS a correlation of low sodium per day showing up along side the low caloric intake per day. Ranking:

#1 was 2nd lowest cal day with 1st lowest sodium day
#2 was 4th lowest cal day with 6th lowest sodium day
#3 was 9th lowest cal day with 3rd lowest sodium day
#4 was 1st lowest cal day with 13th lowest sodium day
#5 was 11th lowest cal day with 5th lowest sodium day
#6 was 7th lowest cal day with 11th lowest sodium day

after that, it was all pretty much a mish mash, except my highest sodium day showed up on the 35th ranked day.

jagi410

How does your weight compare to sodium intake? Does highest weight coincide with highest sodium?

I know for me, if I go over 2500mg, regardless of calories, I'm almost guaranteed to find an extra pound of water weight the next day.

Liftng4Lis

I'm a water retainer, sodium always affects this.

Zedeff

donjtomasco wrote: »

So out of 39 data entry days, I ranked from 1-39 by fewest net calories per day, then ranked the sodium intake (lowest to highest) next to each of the net calorie days. I then did a blended ranking of all 39, and there WAS a correlation of low sodium per day showing up along side the low caloric intake per day. Ranking:

#1 was 2nd lowest cal day with 1st lowest sodium day
#2 was 4th lowest cal day with 6th lowest sodium day
#3 was 9th lowest cal day with 3rd lowest sodium day
#4 was 1st lowest cal day with 13th lowest sodium day
#5 was 11th lowest cal day with 5th lowest sodium day
#6 was 7th lowest cal day with 11th lowest sodium day

after that, it was all pretty much a mish mash, except my highest sodium day showed up on the 35th ranked day.

Is this really shocking? If you eat less food, you will inherently eat less sodium. Less calories correlates with less food which correlates with less sodium.

jasoncollins79

So did you track only sodium? you should also go back and check your potassium on those days as well. Since it's pretty much the other side of the sodium equation in the body.

donjtomasco

Good idea Jason. I will post the finding later.

donjtomasco

Zedeff, your new name will be Grumpy. You must have had a bad weigh in. Hang in there, tomorrow is a new beginning!!!!!

donjtomasco

So my potassium has historically been at or under so it really would not be worth the drill. Unless Zedeff wants to see the results.........

ogmomma2012

More salt = more water retention. At least that is the common knowledge.

donjtomasco

You summarized it beautifully in under 6 words momma.

ogmomma2012

donjtomasco wrote: »

You summarized it beautifully in under 6 words momma.

It also means that it's temporary, so it's not something to get bummed about.