Long term affects of salty food on weight loss?

ReadyToBeMeAt160

Team -
I know having lots of salty foods will cause you to retain water until the salts left your system but does it affect your weight loss long term.

For example, if I lose 2 lbs every week but this week I just had a lot of salt and didn't loose any weight (still same calorie consumption) and next week I'm great with salt intake and drink lots of water will I lose a total of 4 lbs at the end of week 2 or just the 2lbs?

Obviously salt is bad for other reasons but I THINK my choosing to have a baked potato covered in salt and mustard is a better option than eating a box of party mix - which is really what i want to do today lol

ladynocturne

If you maintain a 500 calorie deficit everyday for 4 weeks, regardless of your sodium intake, you should theoretically lose 4lbs a month. I doesn't always show up on the scale, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Sodium does not make you gain or retain fat.

ReadyToBeMeAt160

that's what i figured - thanks! so i won't feel too bad about giving into my pre-menstrual munchies

willdob3

Sodium is important to our health.

I avoid processed foods and that eliminates any danger of my getting too much sodium. I use only sea salt & have no need to limit it.

The scale fluctuations do not reflect your fat-loss. Just because the scale goes down two pounds does not mean you lost two pounds of fat. And when it goes up you're generally just retaining water. The downward trend over time is more telling but the scale only shows total weight.

nan199678

Is there anything you don't put mustard on??? Lol

ReadyToBeMeAt160

lol you know I'm a condiment junky. can't wait to get my buffalo sauce at giant today! watch out!

WaterBunnie

Much is spoken of sodium on this site but surely if your sodium content was high all the time it wouldn't be a factor at all from week to week? Surely over a month it all equals out anyway and as someone else said your deficit should have given you fat loss.