Do You Pay Attention To Sodium and Sugar Intake?

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  • ChristinaR720
    ChristinaR720 Posts: 1,186
    Sodium - yes, sugar - no. Sodium causes major water retention issues for me, so I track it. Fruit naturally contains sugar and you can easily go over the sugar limits MFP has set, just by eating a serving or two! But, unless you have health issues (or water retention issues!) that require you to limit your intake of sodium or sugar, I would not worry too much about either one.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
    I kinda watch the sugar levels, because it tends to make me more hungry, but I don't even care about sodium, most things I put more salt on. Also if you're doing a lot of high energy exercise you will likely need a bit more of both to keep your electrolyte levels up. Might want to consider the occasional banana too for potassium and magnesium (also a free shot of several b vitamins.)
  • QueensGirl83
    QueensGirl83 Posts: 54 Member
    I try not to go over my sodium because I know too much is not good. However, I don't sweat the sugar because a lot of times it went over due to fruit and I am not diabetic. However, you can change your chart to not show the sugar or sodium and customize it to what you do want it to show.
  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
    Sodium yes--blood pressure has been creeping up with age, plus I definitely hold onto water when I eat too much. Sugar not so much because most of mine is not "added" sugar, and there is no history of diabetes in the family.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    Even if your healthy as a younger person it can have effects on you later in life so to me salt Is bad.
    You need salt, actually. Too little can be bad for you too. I"m not sure what the appropriate amount is, I track sodium but it's more of a curiosity. If cooking my own food I salt to taste without worrying about it, because my blood pressure has never been high. This time of year you probably need more sodium if you're working in the heat...

    Sugar I track and try to keep within range, but if I go over (especially if I go over because of fruit or some sort of planned indulgence) I don't worry too much.
  • lilmiss_sunshine29
    lilmiss_sunshine29 Posts: 136 Member
    Like everyone commented, I watch my sodium more than sugar (most of which comes from fruit). Sodium to me means excessive water retention and upward mobility on the scale. Regardless of how old you are, I think one should pay particular attention to sodium intake.

    thanks. i do too watch both & was recently stressing about the continually over the allowance level of sugar. like today, just from having some fruit & greek yoghurt - it's over...really WTH?
    but sodium I watch because i personally worry about developing hypertension.
  • My0WNinspiration
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
    I don't worry about sugars at all. I track potassium instead of sodium.
  • EDollah
    EDollah Posts: 464 Member
    I wouldn't bother tracking either, but since the default setting displays both, I do monitor them merely out of curiosity. I think it's interesting to see what has high sodium. I don't have high blood pressure at this point in time but I'm borderline (hopefully that goes away when get to target weight) so I'm mentally preparing to cut down sodium. Likewise for sugar, I just like knowing what foods unexpectedly have high sugar, such as 90% (number completely made up) of all breakfast cereals, including the "healthy" ones.
  • hungryhobbit1
    hungryhobbit1 Posts: 259 Member
    OP, it sounds like it's very hot where you live and you bike to get most places. I'm sure you are drinking a lot of water. A little excess sodium in the summer may be a good thing for you. (But most likely not for most people here.)

    I try not to go over on sodium because it makes me bloat, and I hate looking in the mirror and seeing a big puffy face when I'm working so hard to not see that anymore.
  • Myxalplyx
    Myxalplyx Posts: 129 Member
    Nope and nope. I watch calories, try to hit my protein and fat, then wing the rest.

    I'm with this guy! However, my answer is Yes and Yes. Sugar was a HUGE challenge in the past because I didn't know if it was even possible to stay under it. Changing how you eat to satisfy all of your nutritional goals while not going over sugar and sodium is a huge task. Once you get it though, you realize how easy it is.

    Hell, my Kashi cereal with banana and Prune juice in the morning pretty much killed my sugar intake for the day in the past. It's not the case anymore though. That's what makes using sites/apps like Myfitnesspal so useful. Good luck!
  • laele75
    laele75 Posts: 283 Member
    I do not track sugar, fat, carbs or cholesterol. These are not my issues. When I weighed 320 lbs and ate horribly, I did not have high cholesterol and my blood sugar was fine. So now that I eat much better (almost no processed foods), I don't see a reason to track them religiously.

    I do track sodium (high blood pressure) and protein (to make sure I'm eating enough.)
  • jocelyne17
    jocelyne17 Posts: 20 Member
    Well I tried to stay under my sodium today, but by the time I arrived home from work after about....I believe it's a 6 mile bike ride in 88 degree weather with SERIOUS humidity since I live on a beach...my grandmother met me at the door and noticed I was SUPER dehydrated, even though I CONSTANTLY drink water and had already had at least half my intake for the day.

    I was also SUPER hungry, and ended up eating a burger she had bought from Whataburger ( we all make mistakes, shrug it off) and I had quite the headache even though I biked in the same weather yesterday and felt fine.

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