How do you keep from going over your sodium and sugar levels?

ciacyrus29

It seems like everything has salt and sugar - although I try to make good judgement on what to eat with regards to those levels - I'm still over.

Can you exercise more to increase your sodium and sugar level? How can one diminish their salt and sugar levels without eating anything. FYI: I'm very picky when it comes to certain foods, so this may be a factor.

Any suggestions - positive one's only please.

janejellyroll

I don't have any medical restrictions or reasons to avoid those, so I just ignore them.

Has your doctor told you that you need to monitor these?

jgnatca

I limit my consumption of processed foods which also reduces my salt and added sugar intake. I never worry about the sugars that come with fruits.

jgnatca

I control salt and sugar consumption in my cooking. That's where I get control. For jazz I use pepper, garlic, and hot sauce.

ciacyrus29

My doctor hasn't restricted me from anything. Would like to see me lose some weight but no real restrictions. So do I just not pay attention to those and only focus on my caloric intake?

ciacyrus29

jgnatca wrote: »

I control salt and sugar consumption in my cooking. That's where I get control. For jazz I use pepper, garlic, and hot sauce.

I love all those things!

jgnatca

Caloric intake is the most important number to watch for weight loss. Many MFP members track fiber instead of sugar. You can still monitor your sugar/carb intake by watching the carbs.

janejellyroll

ciacyrus29 wrote: »

My doctor hasn't restricted me from anything. Would like to see me lose some weight but no real restrictions. So do I just not pay attention to those and only focus on my caloric intake?

That's what many people do and they see good results. Some people find that lots of sodium increases their water retention, so they pay attention for that reason (I don't seem to have issues with this). Other people find that eating lots of added sugar impacts their appetite, so they watch that.

But to lose weight, it's really just calories in and calories out.

You could try tracking your food and paying attention to how you feel. That's how lots of people wind up tweaking their diet.

I began by just tracking calories and paying attention to how I felt with different macro (protein, carbohydrate, fat) levels. If you do want to control your consumption, @jgnatca has some good suggestions above. Many processed foods are high in sugar and sodium. If you make your own foods, you can help control how much you are consuming.

cwolfman13

eat more whole foods.

getup25

I do the same as ignatca. Watch labels though, sometimes there are other brands that have less sodium than the ones with the "Sodium Reduced" in big letters on the label. I find if it's less of something, it's always higher of something else. i.e. less sugar, more fat

jgnatca

Hubby and I have attended many nutrition classes, both for diabetic training and for weight loss. Every once in a while we'll take a packaged food, turn a few over in the store so their nutrition labels are all lined up, and compare. Every time we are surprised.

• The hot dogs with the lowest sodium and fat content are also the cheapest, no-name generic brand.
• Protein and health bars are sneaky. Usually about 190 calories or more each.
• Cereals packaged as healthy are a nasty surprise. Granolas are simply not worth it for their caloric punch. Maybe a tablespoon sprinkled on top of yogurt. Hubby can get me on a certifiable rant about Special K. Too much sugar, no fiber to speak of.

ciacyrus29

Thanks for all the positive feedback, I appreciate it. I do try and prepare my own meals but i must admit - I get lazy or I get busy and just don't feel like it. I guess that is normal.
But thanks for helping to see. I will monitor how I feel, read labels more closely, try and prepare ahead of time more whole foods that way I can control my consumption of sugar and salt.
So thanks. I appreciate it.

Lexicpt

I don't pay attention to anything but protein and overall calorie intake.