Sodium Intake Question

Sgt_Pepper33

Hi, everyone. I was wondering how much sodium affects weight loss? I just started myfitnesspal last week, and today I made a meal that I often make -- terryaki stir fry. It has lots of veggies and a bit of steak and terryaki sauce. Well, I matched the ingredients in a recipe and split it into 4 servings. I logged it into my food diary. One serving had 400 some calories, which I thought was fine for a whole meal. However, the sodium in it was exorbitant!!! One serving of the stir fry made me go over my daily goal as it's listed on the site -- like a lot over. Is that something that will make a big difference in weight loss? Do I need to watch the sodium levels carefully?

Shells918

Sodium can make you bloat, which can cause water weight gain, which is temporary. If you do that continuously it can put a strain on your heart and blood vessels.
You might want to find a lower sodium teriyaki sauce or use less of it when you cook.

malibu927

You might retain a bit of water for a few days and see that on the scale, but it won't affect losing fat. If you don't have a reason to watch your sodium intake, then I wouldn't worry about it (that's mostly from the sauce, I'm guessing).

Sgt_Pepper33

Thank you both! I was really worried about that when I saw how over I went. I will definitely be looking into a lower sodium teriyaki sauce, but it's good to know it's not something to be super concerned about doing once in a while

markrgeary1

Not unless you have BP or other medical issues. Best wishes.