Calories Intake = High Sodium levels But Low Calories intake with mid level sodium = Starving ??

HakeemTheDream89

MY HIGHEST DAYS OF
Sodium levels for 10/10 = 2,283 Sodium levels for 10/09 = 2,262
Calories intake for 10/10= 1,292 Calories intake for 10/09 =2,125

Out of the the 14 days I’ve been on MyFitnessPal I’ve had 7 days where my calorie levels were about 1,300 at its highest and 2,200 mg of sodium. Obviously I need to have my sodium lower so my question is If I eat more meals. Is there a way I can lower my sodium by drinking more water or exercising after the meal. For example I planned out all my meals for today kind of like a test beta .When I tallied it all up I had over 4,000 mg of sodium and 2,500 calories intake. Of course I know both are not only extremely high and not my usual trend in past two weeks. As a matter of fact I checked my food diary and on three days I literally starved myself or ate less then 800. 7 days I usually don’t reach the 1,000 calories goal but I will still have around 1,300 sodium mg intake. So what’s the solution? I will have to wait until next month until I get some real money to actually go grocery shopping.


Plan meals for today was: Three Grilled Bologna and Cheese with Wavy Ranch for lunch
Dinner: Leftovers of 1 baked drumstick with home made mash potatoes(small portion) and left over chick alfredo spirals (1 cup)

The sodium levels on these two meals alone was over 2,500 and calories was around 2,500. Should I dump these meals or can I workout or drink water to reduce sodium. My exercise plans 60 minute walk and 30 minute walk if that helps (My new challenge to do walk over 60 minutes daily as oppose to just 30 or 60)

HakeemTheDream89

Trying my best to improve as a ObesityWarrior by improving exercise and being more active daily. As for food intake trying my best not to starve myself while at the same time keep sodium levels below average (Due to Severe High Blood pressure I have) while at the same time have calories in my body throughout the day as fuel for energy to burn through out the day. I simply as of right now just don't have the fruit or veggies to replace the big meals nor do they count nearly as enough calories.Just take a moment and look through my Food Diary for past two weeks an you will see.

lorrpb

The RDA for sodium is 2300 I believe, from memory. If you need or want to go lower, buy fresh, use herbs & spices, and look for low sodium on any processed foods. But be aware they'll prob be higher in sugar and fat.

ummijaaz560

Do you cook your meals, or mainly buy processed foods? Thats where your sodium, comes from the packaged food.

Do you have a medical reason to keep sodium reduced? If so you should look into the DASH DIET. The very best way to reduce sodium is to cook whole foods and cut the prepackaged food.

If you have to do with what you have on hand, just eat it and drink plenty of water. One of my salt hacks is to add a lil bit of water to things like your chicken alfredo spirals. The water helps dillute some of the salt in the cheese.

So try to cook your own meals from scratch when you re-up on groceries. Its the best way to control how much salt you intake.

SLLRunner

Abney, you are eating way too few calories, especially if you are 400 pounds as your profile reads. You can eat a whole lot more and still lose weight.

Sodium will cause water retention, and needs to be moderated if you have medical conditions that affect it. However, if you're like me and have low blood pressure, sodium is not a problem. Maybe talk to your doctor about this.

I have found water helps lessen water retention.

HakeemTheDream89

Well being 450 pounds I have high blood pressure and chest pain. But I do cardio everyday and last two weeks even with minor slip up.I've been either starving myself according to Food Diary. I'm not worry about the calories because I burn calories but I'm worried about sodium

Lounmoun

Well processed meats like bologna are high sodium as can be cheese and bread. If you want to lower sodium choose different foods. When you cook add less salt.

http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments_and_procedures/hic-your-sodium-controlled-diet
http://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uz1670
http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/Archive.htm#maindishes
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Recipes/Cookbooks-and-Health-Guides-from-American-Heart-Association_UCM_468182_SubHomePage.jsp#mainContent
https://www.amazon.com/American-Heart-Association-Low-Salt-Cookbook/dp/0307589781

Lounmoun

abneyhakeem89 wrote: »

Just take a moment and look through my Food Diary for past two weeks an you will see.

Your diary is not open.

HakeemTheDream89

My Food diary is public now.. Now you can go check it out

RoxieDawn

Very low calorie days. I would say that you are starving because of such an agressive cut in your calorie intake.

As for sodium, it appears that you might not be eating because of the sodium, so the question is are you being treated by a doctor for blood pressure/hypertension? Did this doctor approve such low calories and did he/she provide you with their recommended sodium levels?

if so, has this doctor given you a referral to see a dietician or perhaps provided you with any paper work that contains a diet regime/list of foods to choose from etc..

You can always buy as much whole foods that you can (fresh fruits/veggies/lean cuts of meat, chicken, potatoes, etc..), cook them and prep them with lower sodium. You can buy lower sodium canned goods as well.. also frozen veggies do not contain a great deal of sodium.

You say you do not have money to buy groceries, do you have a local food bank?

kd_mazur

you might research the DASH diet. It is not really a diet but a style of eating a lower sodium diet with the intention of stopping hypertension.

ogtmama

Are you under a doctor's supervision? That is an extremely low amount of calories...why do you care so much about sodium?

AliceDark

You don't need to fix everything at once. It's okay to focus on one thing for a couple of weeks, and then pick the next thing. I'd suggest just focusing on getting used to logging and getting your calorie intake under control first, and then maybe looking at sodium. If you try to focus on everything, you end up focusing on nothing.

At your current weight, you can eat a lot of food and still lose. Stop trying to starve yourself and eat what MFP tells you to eat. But be careful with which entries you pick from the database; don't ever use anything labeled "homemade" unless you used the recipe builder yourself, because someone else's homemade food is guaranteed to be inaccurate for whatever you're eating.

Always enter the individual ingredients separately instead of picking one entry that covers everything. (For example, enter the bread, peanut butter and jelly as separate items instead of picking an entry that says "PB&J").

Has a doctor told you to reduce your sodium intake, and if so, to what level? I'd bet money that if you stuck to the 2300mg RDA, that would still be a significant reduction from your past intake. But if you want to reduce it more, start by cutting back on the processed foods. Use herbs or salt alternatives when you cook your meals, and start replacing chips with fresh veggies or things like no-salt popcorn. The more food you prepare yourself, the easier it will be to reduce your sodium intake.

HakeemTheDream89

ogtmama wrote: »

Are you under a doctor's supervision? That is an extremely low amount of calories...why do you care so much about sodium?

Being 455 pounds and severe blood pressure is reason why I need to lower sodium

HakeemTheDream89

RoxieDawn wrote: »

Very low calorie days. I would say that you are starving because of such an agressive cut in your calorie intake.

As for sodium, it appears that you might not be eating because of the sodium, so the question is are you being treated by a doctor for blood pressure/hypertension? Did this doctor approve such low calories and did he/she provide you with their recommended sodium levels?

if so, has this doctor given you a referral to see a dietician or perhaps provided you with any paper work that contains a diet regime/list of foods to choose from etc..

You can always buy as much whole foods that you can (fresh fruits/veggies/lean cuts of meat, chicken, potatoes, etc..), cook them and prep them with lower sodium. You can buy lower sodium canned goods as well.. also frozen veggies do not contain a great deal of sodium.

You say you do not have money to buy groceries, do you have a local food bank?

No to all the questions and a yes we do have a food bank.I have frozen veggies in freezer. An when I went to the hospital on sep 31 the doctor only perscribe me inhaler and nexium for gas in chest.They didn't subscribe me any blood pressure meds

Evamutt

It's better to eat all the calories you're allotted each day, that way you won't be hungry & able to stick with this.

RoxieDawn

abneyhakeem89 wrote: »

RoxieDawn wrote: »

Very low calorie days. I would say that you are starving because of such an agressive cut in your calorie intake.

As for sodium, it appears that you might not be eating because of the sodium, so the question is are you being treated by a doctor for blood pressure/hypertension? Did this doctor approve such low calories and did he/she provide you with their recommended sodium levels?

if so, has this doctor given you a referral to see a dietician or perhaps provided you with any paper work that contains a diet regime/list of foods to choose from etc..

You can always buy as much whole foods that you can (fresh fruits/veggies/lean cuts of meat, chicken, potatoes, etc..), cook them and prep them with lower sodium. You can buy lower sodium canned goods as well.. also frozen veggies do not contain a great deal of sodium.

You say you do not have money to buy groceries, do you have a local food bank?

No to all the questions and a yes we do have a food bank.I have frozen veggies in freezer. An when I went to the hospital on sep 31 the doctor only perscribe me inhaler and nexium for gas in chest.They didn't subscribe me any blood pressure meds

Why didn't your doctors even the ones at the hospital provide you with dietary information to help you lose weight and moreover get your sodium in control? So is your blood pressure not controlled with medication at all?

Can you get to the food bank? You can get things there to go with those frozen veggies that I think would be much better choices other than for example the high sodium Bologna and cheese you were having today.

You need to eat. You truly need to get your calories up. If there are not other food choices in your home or you cannot get to the food bank, do you have family or friends nearby or even a church nearby.. I am throwing out some things,, but in your case, you might need to just eat what you have in house until you can get to the grocery store and buy you better food choices.

salsera_barbie

you need to cut the processed foods like the bologna. Your eating chips, poptarts, ranch dressing, all of which are highly processed. You could make a chicken breast with a little salt or some Mrs. Dash and it would drastically cut your sodium.

HakeemTheDream89

@RoxieDawn I will just make better decisions when it comes to my food intake.I cut out the greasy food , Now it's time to cut down on meat and cut out the chips and snacks. Slowly but surely I will get their. My goal is to get out the 400s by Jan.1st and losing weight the right way

HakeemTheDream89

salsera_barbie wrote: »

you need to cut the processed foods like the bologna. Your eating chips, poptarts, ranch dressing, all of which are highly processed. You could make a chicken breast with a little salt or some Mrs. Dash and it would drastically cut your sodium.

Yes today I've learned a valuable lesson that enjoying the lesser of evils is not gonna cut it. Removing the big monster from attacking me and still end up getting attacked by little minions is not gonna help me progress through this journey.The two biggest things I'm trying to establish besides being consistent in a positive way across the board is Eating healthy on daily basis and exercising on daily basis until it becomes a way of life. This not the beginning of my journey it's just the prelude. An I'm thankful for every breath that blows through my body #RESPECT

ogtmama

Yes, I learned the hard way that anything processed (and even slightly yummy) that has a lower number of calories is a nightmare in the sodium department.

A couple of hidden ones to look out for along the way is canned veg (especially tomatoes) and soy sauce, though you can get lower sodium versions.

Unfortunately the big answer to this is just cooking more yourself. Look up skinnytaste, they have some really awesome, easy to follow recipes.

SLLRunner

abneyhakeem89 wrote: »

ogtmama wrote: »

Are you under a doctor's supervision? That is an extremely low amount of calories...why do you care so much about sodium?

Being 455 pounds and severe blood pressure is reason why I need to lower sodium

Understood.

I suggest eating foods that are naturally lower in sodium, which may mean preparing more of your foods at home. You can lower your sodium by eating less processed foods and making more of your meals from scratch. Just to clarify, there is nothing wrong with processed/prepackaged food, but they are usually packed with sodium.

Can you doctor refer you to a registered dietician as well? They are an excellent resource when it comes to diets for medical issues.

HakeemTheDream89

I don't have a doctor but I did set up for an appointment on Jan. 3rd (Their earliest date available)

ogtmama

abneyhakeem89 wrote: »

I don't have a doctor but I did set up for an appointment on Jan. 3rd (Their earliest date available)

Are you in the U.S.?

amelialoveshersnacks

Hubby is on a low sodium diet due to health issues. He also needs to limit his fluid intake. I don't cook with any salt or add any salt to cooked foods, I read labels as he is on1500mg max per day. So no bacon, no cheese, no packaged meals and no takeaways. All those no's do make me feel sorry for him so when I do a high sodium meal, I try to offset it with a higher serve of potassium. It seems to be working well for him.

Naptownbabi

I have HPB 140/90 is my normal and Kidney disease , My sodium levels are set to 1500, recommended by my Dr. I am taking medication(that im not so consistent with). My DR recommended me the DASH diet, Also try using Salt substitutes for certain things. Add more potassium to reduce sodium(but be careful of too much not good for bad kidneys) Greens, Potatoes, Coffee,Apples.... Ms. Dash is a good seasoning substitute. And if you like salty things(I do but shouldn't) I buy the lower sodium(lunch meat, tuna, bread, spreads...) Also I increased garlic, onions and vinegar in things I cook, it gives me the salty flavors. Even my favorite Block of ramen, I use half the seasoning pack. Rinse off canned veggies, try frozen. If you look at my diary I go over sodium a lot, but im trying to work on it. Add me so we can help each other.

ogtmama

I'm just wondering if there might be a public state run program to help set you up with a dietary plan...not trying to pry.

HakeemTheDream89

@Naptownbabi @amelialoveshersnacks @ogtmama Too be honest if you look at my food diary. It's not the calories that get to me.It's the sodium that I'm struggling against . I understand my choice selection is not the best but given the food I have in house.These are the best choices given situation. Now I already removed the snacks and fried foods. But now I'm struggling to remove chips out of life for obvious reasons. Today I could've had my usual "Toast em" Pop tarts(2) instead I chose Valley granoila bar for breakfast. For lunch I was offered Hungry howies .of course I said no. I was urging to eat grilled bologna and cheese sandwiches with chips. Instead I ate two grilled cheese and two nice handful servings of wavy chips. An the sodium levels added up to over 1,500 . It's going to be difficult but I gotta do this. After I eat these sodium infested meals I don't like how I feel and even my body becomes jittery .I'm starting to think I'm go back to the small meals at least until I can find some replacements for these sodium food I continue to feed into.

HakeemTheDream89

ogtmama wrote: »

I'm just wondering if there might be a public state run program to help set you up with a dietary plan...not trying to pry.

Yes I live in pensacola,florida and when my doctor visit comes I will look into that

HakeemTheDream89

Naptownbabi wrote: »

I have HPB 140/90 is my normal and Kidney disease , My sodium levels are set to 1500, recommended by my Dr. I am taking medication(that im not so consistent with). My DR recommended me the DASH diet, Also try using Salt substitutes for certain things. Add more potassium to reduce sodium(but be careful of too much not good for bad kidneys) Greens, Potatoes, Coffee,Apples.... Ms. Dash is a good seasoning substitute. And if you like salty things(I do but shouldn't) I buy the lower sodium(lunch meat, tuna, bread, spreads...) Also I increased garlic, onions and vinegar in things I cook, it gives me the salty flavors. Even my favorite Block of ramen, I use half the seasoning pack. Rinse off canned veggies, try frozen. If you look at my diary I go over sodium a lot, but im trying to work on it. Add me so we can help each other.

Thanks for all the info and yes I will apply it to my life. I tried adding you twice and messaging you once but it was a error

HakeemTheDream89

amelialoveshersnacks wrote: »

Hubby is on a low sodium diet due to health issues. He also needs to limit his fluid intake. I don't cook with any salt or add any salt to cooked foods, I read labels as he is on1500mg max per day. So no bacon, no cheese, no packaged meals and no takeaways. All those no's do make me feel sorry for him so when I do a high sodium meal, I try to offset it with a higher serve of potassium. It seems to be working well for him.

Too be honest I need to get on this strict diet even if that means starving myself.An I hope your hubby continue to overcome this battle and destroy the opponent