Do you keep sodium under 2300?

Famof72015

Anyone else keep sodium under 2300mg so they don’t see the scale go up?...

nvmomketo

No. I try to keep my sodium over 3000 mg because that level is linked with better mortality. Plus, as someone who usually eats quite low carb, my levels of water retention are a bit lower than the usual.

It is just water. I want minimize my fat levels (to a certain point) and reduce the normal amounts of water and electrolytes in my body. Working towards minor dehydration seems counterproductive to fat loss. KWIM?

ptrcmcc6

I do because my blood pressure seems to run a little high and I don't take any medication for it. That's not saying I always meet those goals though...

livingleanlivingclean

I don't track sodium. I have no idea how much is in the food I eat, and I add it to pretty much everything I consume (including coffee)

sardelsa

I don't track it either. Most of my food is home cooked so I'm sure it's not ridiculous or anything. To be honest I wouldn't keep it low just for a certain scale reading. That's like avoiding weight training to prevent gain from water retention in the muscles. My goals are more important than the scale, and fluctuations are all part of it.

TonyB0588

Famof72015 wrote: »

Anyone else keep sodium under 2300mg so they don’t see the scale go up?...

Mine usually was under 2300, but now it's been recommended that I increase it because I have Low Blood Pressure. A bit awkward as I don't use much sodium rich processed foods.

MegaMooseEsq

Nope. My doctor has said my diet is fine, my blood pressure and sodium levels are normal, so I don’t pay much attention to anything other than calories. As others have said, trying to minimize water weight is pointless and unhealthy. Don’t worry about what your bones weigh, don’t worry about what your organs weigh, and absent some medical concern, don’t worry about water weight.

lucerorojo

I try to keep mine under 1500 but is usually between 1500-2300.

brittneyalley

I try to stay under 2300, as that’s the recommendation, but I do go over every once in awhile. I don’t eat many processed foods, so it’s not too hard.

cmriverside

I don't track it, but when I do look (on the printable version of the food diary by default) it's usually around 3500 a day. I'm at a healthy weight with no other health issues and I don't eat low-carb.

lorrpb

I try to limit high sodium foods in general because it's better healthwise in the long term. I've done this for many many years, whether on weight loss or while fat. I now prefer low salt foods, even chips and other typically high-sodium foods. They just taste better to me.
About half the population can eat unlimited sodium with no health effect and the other half has serious effects, per a nephrologist my husband works with. The thing is, you don't really know which half you're in until the problems appear.
If I want something with more sodium, like PIZZA, I have it without concern for my weight the next day, because I know it's water retention, NOT FAT, and will dissipate over the next few days to a week.

MelanieCN77

I just put soy sauce in my morning eggs, so not today.

jemhh

No. I keep my sodium fairly level to reduce fluctuations but I average around 2600-2700 I believe.

Lounmoun

I watch sodium but sometimes I'm higher and sometimes lower. I feel better when I don't eat a very high sodium diet daily.

collectingblues

I'm supposed to be trying to keep it to between 2000 and 2300 -- I tend to swing between super low (between 1000 and 1500 if I'm not eating out), and then puff up like a balloon when I go above 2300, so my dietitian recommended aiming for 2000 as a minimum, and not worrying about going over.

sgtx81

I try to keep sodium under 2300. I also try to keep my potassium intake at close to 2:1 of the sodium. As long as I'm not eating processed foods, it's not so hard.

ladyreva78

I try to keep it at around 3000mg/d. Since doing that (upon doctor's recommendation), I've been able to half the amount of meds I need to take for my low BP. Hoping that the added daily 2 coffees will take care of the rest.

Haven't passed out once since doing that, which is quite the treat.

2snakeswoman

I'm so focused on carbs and sugar right now (prediabetic) that I'm not even looking at sodium.

RoxieDawn

I try to keep the recommendation averages about 2500-2700 a day. Sodium has a direct impact on my fluctuations and weeding these out to determine weekly weight changes gets hard. I don't like taking 3-4 days to balance out but sometimes that happens and that's okay. Weekend eating (being flexible with the types of calories I eat i.e. with family/friends) is going to happen often, its part of it.

nvmomketo

2snakeswoman wrote: »

I'm so focused on carbs and sugar right now (prediabetic) that I'm not even looking at sodium.

@2snakeswoman If you are cutting carbs and sugar, be aware that you will be losing electrolytes and you may need some extra sodium to replace what you are losing. If you start to get fatigued, nauseated, headaches, BM issues, brain fog and muscle aches or cramps, you need more sodium, and possibly some more potassium and magnesium.

TonyB0588

2snakeswoman wrote: »

I'm so focused on carbs and sugar right now (prediabetic) that I'm not even looking at sodium.

I'm mainly focused on calories, and often wondered how other people's diaries showed such high sodium compared to mine.

Christine_72

I try to keep it under 2300mg, I puff up like a frickan water balloon if i go even a couple hundred mg over. I don't bother weighing myself the next morning after a high sodium day. Even though I know it's only extra water weight, that inflated number is still annoying!!

ETA: My blood pressure has always been perfect, I don't know why I'm so sensitive to extra sodium.

Orphia

I never look at sodium.

sgtx81 wrote: »

I try to keep sodium under 2300. I also try to keep my potassium intake at close to 2:1 of the sodium. As long as I'm not eating processed foods, it's not so hard.

When creating a food database entry, sodium and potassium are optional fields.

A huge amount of MFP entries don't include stats for sodium, potassium, or vitamins or minerals.

CarvedTones

I don't do it for the scale; I just don't eat much salt. Mine is under 1000 about half of the time. Only when I have a lot of prepared food is it over 2000. I cook chicken and fish without salt (I don't eat mammal meat).

Machka9

Do you keep sodium under 2300?

No.

sgtx81

Orphia wrote: »

I never look at sodium.

sgtx81 wrote: »

I try to keep sodium under 2300. I also try to keep my potassium intake at close to 2:1 of the sodium. As long as I'm not eating processed foods, it's not so hard.

When creating a food database entry, sodium and potassium are optional fields.

A huge amount of MFP entries don't include stats for sodium, potassium, or vitamins or minerals.

I noticed, but I made my own list that includes that information so I can keep better track of it.

Sp1tfire

I try to stick around less than 2500 mg a day. If I go over once in awhile, I don't worry about it. I just down an extra glass of water and/or add a banana to my breakfast the next day if I know it was REALLY sodium heavy (looking at you applebees and BWW)