Salt
nikkib0103
Posts: 969 Member
I know I should have been doing this all along because I know one really needs to keep track of sodium but I have been content to just include the sodium that is tallied in whatever food items I log into my diary, but NOT the salt I shake on or add while cooking. So I had a real eye opener this morning when I did just that. I made myself a lovely bowl of cream farina this morning. I was incredibly virtuous and did not add the butter which makes it a bit richer. But I did add salt because otherwise it is a bowl of wallpaper paste and not much else. I added half a teaspoon, measured in my measuring spoon, which didn't seem like much and added just the right amount of salty deliciousness. WELL. I could not believe it was slightly over 1000 mg when I dutifully plugged it in. my weight has not changed in a month. I struggle drinking my water and now I see that because I like salt and tend to shake it on most everything without accounting for it, this may be a part of the reason. it seems that even on days the diary tells me I am under my sodium goals, I may well actually be over. I know this will be a small factor but if I correct it, it may well help. I am just such a salt addict!
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Hmm. I didn't really think about measuring the salt that I shake onto foods. I don't use a lot, but it never occurred to me to measure it. Uh oh. I may be in for a surprise, too.
Thanks for posting about it!!0 -
Sodium is something I really struggle with too. Fortunately, I don't have the habit, in fact rarely do I ever use the salt shaker. However, I do like a lot of high sodium foods and pretty much daily I'm struggling to keep it in check in my diary. From what I've learned, your body does just flush out unneeded sodium but it takes some time and certainly the short term effect is water retention. This can be very frustrating when you've had a great week in staying under calories and getting your exercise and then the scale shows you plateaued or even gained some.
I try to purchase the 'low sodium' option for things like lunch meat, broth, etc. Also, after a month or two of lower sodium, you will notice some foods taste better.0 -
This is so true. One of the big reasons you will have a gain after restaurant/processed food, retained water. This is probably TMI, but a few years back, I had to collect urine for 24 hours for a lab test, (yeah, yuck). On a whim, since the scale is near the toilet, I weighed the jug. It was over 12 lbs, (it was a light plastic jug). So yes retaining water can make a huge difference.0
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One of the big reasons you will have a gain after restaurant/processed food, retained water.
Great point Jen, eating out is a huge challenge. When your good and just get a salad or steamed broccoli at a restaurant, chances are it tasted so good because they put 1000mg of sodium in it. It's a really good idea to pull up the nutritional information on their website and log it accordingly.0 -
One of the big reasons you will have a gain after restaurant/processed food, retained water.
Great point Jen, eating out is a huge challenge. When your good and just get a salad or steamed broccoli at a restaurant, chances are it tasted so good because they put 1000mg of sodium in it. It's a really good idea to pull up the nutritional information on their website and log it accordingly.
Restaurants can be a real issue. I rarely go to chains, because, oddly enough, except for fast food ones there aren't any near me and the independents hardly ever list their nutritional info. It can be very frustrating to try and sort out what they MIGHT be using in their food. I am going to leave the salt shaker off the table and just cut back on general. Hopefully it helps.0 -
This is so true. One of the big reasons you will have a gain after restaurant/processed food, retained water. This is probably TMI, but a few years back, I had to collect urine for 24 hours for a lab test, (yeah, yuck). On a whim, since the scale is near the toilet, I weighed the jug. It was over 12 lbs, (it was a light plastic jug). So yes retaining water can make a huge difference.
THAT is a lot of pee. 12 pounds. Did you then weigh yourself? What was the outcome if you did?0 -
Haven't used salt in over a year. Boy can I taste it though. My son and I went to a fast food place last week and I ordered a salad but he had the fries and burger. I thought I'd try one french fry. OMG !!! It was so salty I sat there and drank my water. Yuck. Not using salt definitely changes your taste buds.
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I've kept track of it for a number of years now and it was definitely a real eye-opener at first. I agree with heart2heart. After a time of cutting down on the sodium, salty foods that used to seem fine now seem too salty. I've also found that I appreciate the taste of whole foods more now that I don't kill their natural flavor with tons of salt.0
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Too little sodium is just as bad as too much. Some academics believe that the limit for sodium, 2,300mg, is too low
http://www.wsj.com/articles/recommended-salt-levels-could-do-more-harm-than-good-study-suggests-1407964274
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe1407695
There's a happy place somewhere between the extremes of eating a salt lick and attempting to eliminate all salt.0 -
The body does need salt to operate properly. Most over do without thinking, especially with the pre-packaged and restaurant foods. I think the academics will eventually settle somewhere b/w 2300 and 3500. It is the 4.5.6000 levels that can be a problem for some. Though like anything in humans, there are probably people that can handle that. Being a small old woman, I am not one of them.0
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I grew up with a dad and sister who had heart conditions. We never had any salt in the house and I never developed a taste for it.
As luck would have it, I have low blood pressure along with an underactive thyroid so after a bunch of dizzy spells, I have to add salt with iodine to my food at every day or at least a few times a week. Makes my mom so nervous; she doesn't think anyone needs salt.
That's Murphy, huh? Why couldn't I be chocolate deficient?0 -
MostlyWater wrote: »Why couldn't I be chocolate deficient?
^^^ Ha! That would be on my wish list too.
I know there is a lot of uncertainty still on the appropriate amount of sodium. I do find it very odd that there is a fixed number of 2300mg regardless if you weigh 90lbs or 350lbs. I have adjusted mine in my diary to 2900mg based on the best information I could find. Most importantly, I try to keep my intake as consistent as possible to avoid having big swings in water retention and messing with my scale numbers.0 -
Good plan Bill! You are right about the across the board number for everyone. It doesn't make sense.
Yes, a chocolate deficiency would be great. lol0 -
I should live to see the day when the doctor says 'You have a chocolate deficiency. You need to eat chocolate with every meal'.0
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I too am just doing the salt that was in food and not thinking about the salt shaker. I never thought about measuring the salt I add at the table (I don't know why because I measure everything else). Thanks for opening my eyes too. (that's why I like these community forums especially for us who are a bit senior).0
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I feel there is enough salt in my food that I do not need to add any and I am sure I am still getting all that I need. Check out your food labels. Unless you prepare everything from it's natural state yourself (which I don't) today's food is loaded with salt! One of the big benefits of my 100 pound weght loss has been the drastic reduction in my blood pressure meds. I was a saltaholic at one time I salted McDonald's French Fries! It was hard to eliminate adding extra salt, but after about a month I also noticed a huge difference in food flavor, for the better. The more you salt the more you need.
Even though I stopped adding salt to my cooking and eliminated the table salt shaker we still eat out a lot. While I have been losing weght, I had stalled, so I experimented and stopped eating out for a week. I took my own food to work, etc. I ate the same number of calories and did not change my exercise routine. I lost 4 pounds in that week. I think that says something. I had logged everything I ate when we went out, too. I carried a purse size travel scale with me to weigh foods like simple meats and vegges and I ordered smple foods as much as possible. I used the company's website information whenever possible. The only difference I could really see was the salt. We will still eat out, but now my goal is to not go out more than once a week.
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sunnyazgirl, you have the right of it. We seriuosly don't know how much salt restaurants or other people put in their food. Unless you eat at chains it can be extremely difficult to figure out how much sodium may be in a prepared dish. I have cut back on salting while cooking, except for pasta, because it tastes like crud to me without it. And I am only going to go so far! I have been eating out a lot more than usual lately because of family events and I can tell you that I feel more sluggish. Luckily, there are no big events on the horizon for a while and I can get back to normal.
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it's definitely easier to eat food that you've made yourself. you know exactly what's in it.0
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nikkib0103 wrote: »sunnyazgirl, you have the right of it. We seriuosly don't know how much salt restaurants or other people put in their food. Unless you eat at chains it can be extremely difficult to figure out how much sodium may be in a prepared dish. I have cut back on salting while cooking, except for pasta, because it tastes like crud to me without it. And I am only going to go so far! I have been eating out a lot more than usual lately because of family events and I can tell you that I feel more sluggish. Luckily, there are no big events on the horizon for a while and I can get back to normal.
I may have hit on something to help. I don't know if it will work everywhere, but last night we went out to Texas Roadhouse. While looking at their website for a light menu or nutrition information (they no longer post it) I saw information on getting "gluten friendly" menu items. In a nutshell, by ordering "gluten friendly" your meat would not be basted in butter sauce or marinade, your veggies would not be covered in their salty "special seasoning" and the salad arrived crouton free and with oil and vinegar dressing on the side. I also requested no added salt. I am not gluten sensitive, but these measures not only helped decrease the sodium, but helped eliminate those pesky hidden calories in restaurant food. By ordering plain foods, I felt as if I had better control of my meal. I also whipped out my handy dandy purse scale and weighed my steak and sweet potato in grams, so I felt as if the meal was eating was akin to being at home. And it did not taste salty at all!
In Vegas a couple of weeks ago we were going to a dinner show and they had an option to order a gluten-free meal also. There would be no sauce on the food, salad instead of soup (which is always very salty when not made at home) and for dessert they substituted fruit for cobbler. It may not be for everyone, but for me this looks to be a good way for me to stay happy when eating out. I eat out more for the occasion with friends or family than for the food itself anymore. We are going on a 2+ week cruise soon and I may have to join the "gluten free" bandwagon for that stretch of time, too.
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sunnyazgirl wrote: »nikkib0103 wrote: »sunnyazgirl, you have the right of it. We seriuosly don't know how much salt restaurants or other people put in their food. Unless you eat at chains it can be extremely difficult to figure out how much sodium may be in a prepared dish. I have cut back on salting while cooking, except for pasta, because it tastes like crud to me without it. And I am only going to go so far! I have been eating out a lot more than usual lately because of family events and I can tell you that I feel more sluggish. Luckily, there are no big events on the horizon for a while and I can get back to normal.
I may have hit on something to help. I don't know if it will work everywhere, but last night we went out to Texas Roadhouse. While looking at their website for a light menu or nutrition information (they no longer post it) I saw information on getting "gluten friendly" menu items. In a nutshell, by ordering "gluten friendly" your meat would not be basted in butter sauce or marinade, your veggies would not be covered in their salty "special seasoning" and the salad arrived crouton free and with oil and vinegar dressing on the side. I also requested no added salt. I am not gluten sensitive, but these measures not only helped decrease the sodium, but helped eliminate those pesky hidden calories in restaurant food. By ordering plain foods, I felt as if I had better control of my meal. I also whipped out my handy dandy purse scale and weighed my steak and sweet potato in grams, so I felt as if the meal was eating was akin to being at home. And it did not taste salty at all!
In Vegas a couple of weeks ago we were going to a dinner show and they had an option to order a gluten-free meal also. There would be no sauce on the food, salad instead of soup (which is always very salty when not made at home) and for dessert they substituted fruit for cobbler. It may not be for everyone, but for me this looks to be a good way for me to stay happy when eating out. I eat out more for the occasion with friends or family than for the food itself anymore. We are going on a 2+ week cruise soon and I may have to join the "gluten free" bandwagon for that stretch of time, too.
Fascinating information. I did not know that if you specify gluten free they get all the gunk out. I just assumed they would keep wheat products off your plate but nothing else would change. Of course, people don't realize how much wheat or wheat byproducts end up in foods that, on the surface, shouldn't have wheat in it. This will be handy knowledge to have going forward and I thank you for sharing it0 -
nikkib0103 wrote: »sunnyazgirl wrote: »nikkib0103 wrote: »sunnyazgirl, you have the right of it. We seriuosly don't know how much salt restaurants or other people put in their food. Unless you eat at chains it can be extremely difficult to figure out how much sodium may be in a prepared dish. I have cut back on salting while cooking, except for pasta, because it tastes like crud to me without it. And I am only going to go so far! I have been eating out a lot more than usual lately because of family events and I can tell you that I feel more sluggish. Luckily, there are no big events on the horizon for a while and I can get back to normal.
I may have hit on something to help. I don't know if it will work everywhere, but last night we went out to Texas Roadhouse. While looking at their website for a light menu or nutrition information (they no longer post it) I saw information on getting "gluten friendly" menu items. In a nutshell, by ordering "gluten friendly" your meat would not be basted in butter sauce or marinade, your veggies would not be covered in their salty "special seasoning" and the salad arrived crouton free and with oil and vinegar dressing on the side. I also requested no added salt. I am not gluten sensitive, but these measures not only helped decrease the sodium, but helped eliminate those pesky hidden calories in restaurant food. By ordering plain foods, I felt as if I had better control of my meal. I also whipped out my handy dandy purse scale and weighed my steak and sweet potato in grams, so I felt as if the meal was eating was akin to being at home. And it did not taste salty at all!
In Vegas a couple of weeks ago we were going to a dinner show and they had an option to order a gluten-free meal also. There would be no sauce on the food, salad instead of soup (which is always very salty when not made at home) and for dessert they substituted fruit for cobbler. It may not be for everyone, but for me this looks to be a good way for me to stay happy when eating out. I eat out more for the occasion with friends or family than for the food itself anymore. We are going on a 2+ week cruise soon and I may have to join the "gluten free" bandwagon for that stretch of time, too.
Fascinating information. I did not know that if you specify gluten free they get all the gunk out. I just assumed they would keep wheat products off your plate but nothing else would change. Of course, people don't realize how much wheat or wheat byproducts end up in foods that, on the surface, shouldn't have wheat in it. This will be handy knowledge to have going forward and I thank you for sharing it
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It is probably not the perfect solution, but it is certainly an improvement over ordering straight off the menu. I am not sure if every place this will work, but I am going to try!0
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Most sauces are thickened with flour and the special seasonings cannot be guaranteed that they didn't come in contact with some type of gluten product, so they get eliminated, which gets rid of most salt. Must be careful because gf sauces can be thickened with tapioca, corn, potato starch or arrowroot. Doesn't add salt, but definitely adds calories. I was gf for several years because they thought I was a celiac, (turns out it was Hashimoto's, long story). GF stuff has all kinds of additives to make it taste good, (mostly fat and sugar). At restaurants, I request no salt, no sauces and no breading, and hopefully get them to grill not fry. Not perfect, but does cut down on the bad stuff0
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Good to know! I am not looking to eat gluten free products - I certainly don't want the added fat and sugar!Most sauces are thickened with flour and the special seasonings cannot be guaranteed that they didn't come in contact with some type of gluten product, so they get eliminated, which gets rid of most salt. Must be careful because gf sauces can be thickened with tapioca, corn, potato starch or arrowroot. Doesn't add salt, but definitely adds calories. I was gf for several years because they thought I was a celiac, (turns out it was Hashimoto's, long story). GF stuff has all kinds of additives to make it taste good, (mostly fat and sugar). At restaurants, I request no salt, no sauces and no breading, and hopefully get them to grill not fry. Not perfect, but does cut down on the bad stuff
I am hoping that I can eliminate the extra salt and calories in restaurant food with gluten free, though. It seems that in these two examples I mentioned at least they did not substitute gf products, but eliminated sauces, marinades, seasonings and had healthy substitutions, such as fruit for cobbler. I will certainly use the "No sauces, salt or breading" in the future. Hopefully that will work on the cruise.
I hope you are doing ok with the Hashimotos. That kind of stinks.
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nikkib0103 wrote: »I struggle drinking my water and now I see that because I like salt and tend to shake it on most everything without accounting for it, this may be a part of the reason. it seems that even on days the diary tells me I am under my sodium goals, I may well actually be over. I know this will be a small factor but if I correct it, it may well help. I am just such a salt addict!
I'm very skeptical that your salt preferences are a significant factor in your not losing weight. If you're consistently eating high amounts of salt, roughly the same amount daily, it seems like you'd reach some kind of salt/water input/output equilibrium . . . doesn't seem to me that you'd be gaining enough *additional* water weight every day & week to offset any weight loss through CI < CO.
The salt consumption may not be good from a general health standpoint, of course . . . and any recipe I've seen for porridge-y stuff (cream of wheat, oatmeal, farina, etc.) with oatmeal has said something like "a pinch of salt". Half a teaspoon sounds . . . unusual. Just an opinon, not an expert one.
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Doing better with it. I was doubling the recipe and misread the measurements. I do like more salt in my farina, though. According to the boyfriend I have the pallette of a seven year old that smokes. Salt, sweet, etc. I am getting better with that too and choking down my veg with no real complaints.0
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Salt (sodium) will cause your body to retain water. That water weights 10lbs/gal so it can really add up. The doctor put me on a 1500 g sodium diet but that was because of high blood pressure. I've been doing MFP now for just over 3 months i do strength training and run just over 5 miles a day 4 days then a day off . This I built on, starting I could run only10 min now an hour. My blood pressure now is way below the 120 thanks to proper eating and excersise. If I eat out now I usually find the foods at most places salty.0
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Excellent job, Barry!0
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Hi all I am newly rejoining MFP/ Interesting discussion. Thanks all.0
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TravelinGal7147 wrote: »Hi all I am newly rejoining MFP/ Interesting discussion. Thanks all.
Glad to have your input!
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