Sodium

HilTri

I have been racking my brain trying to figure out why in five years of basically eating the same types things (healthy) I am experiencing a slow gain. I am 5'6", now weigh 137, 18% body fat. I am female and 48. I workout 5 days per week; 3 days of lifting as heavy as I can and two days of cardio; running 6-8 miles or just last week I did P90x and tried a MOi spin class instead of running to switch up cardio. I realized that I incorporated Turkey Jerky into my diet and have been eating a lot of it. Calorically, it fits into my 1500 calories per day but I just realized I have been eating 2 times the suggested sodium! Could that be causing the gain? I currently am not eating back my exercise calories while I try to figure out this gain. Any suggestions?

kommodevaran

Water weight gain comes from taking in more sodium, or carbs, or a new exercise routines, or constipation, or hormones, or just because it feels like it, and it's sudden, large, but stops, and reverses. Fat gain comes from excess calories, and is slow, but indefinite, in one direction. Investigation/time will tell if it's the one or the other.

psuLemon

What are your goals. If you are 18% body fat, that is super lean for a woman, which means making more progress is going to be very difficult and may require meticulous logging practices and potentially incorporated refeeds.

If you are habitually eating a lot of sodium, you won't see changes in water retention. It's when there are huge up or downward swings, or inadequate sodium/magnesium that can cause swings in weight.

cwolfman13

psuLemon wrote: »

What are your goals. If you are 18% body fat, that is super lean for a woman, which means making more progress is going to be very difficult and may require meticulous logging practices and potentially incorporated refeeds.

If you are habitually eating a lot of sodium, you won't see changes in water retention. It's when there are huge up or downward swings, or inadequate sodium/magnesium that can cause swings in weight.

This^^^

All excess sodium will do is cause a bit more water retention.

But yeah...leaning out when you're already really lean is going to be tough sledding. The human body doesn't really want to be super lean...as a matter of evolution, it's a pretty new thing to want to be super lean and goes against our biology.

HilTri

Thanks for the info. I will cut back on my beloved Turkey Jerky and continue to work out and eat well and adjust my thinking and accept myself.

kommodevaran

Why do you have to cut back on the jerky?

HilTri

Because of the sodium. I have been nearly doubling my sodium since I have been it.

HilTri

*Eating it.

psuLemon

HilTri wrote: »

Because of the sodium. I have been nearly doubling my sodium since I have been it.

There isnt an issue with eating high sodium, especially if you are active, which you are. It has no impact on fat loss.

2baninja

Also remember, as we get older, we (I'm told) use less calories then we used to, so if your eating the same about of calories, and exercising the same, it might just be your body changing as you age. All this being said, I have no idea if it works the same for a really fit person....

ccrdragon

livenfree45 wrote: »

Also remember, as we get older, we (I'm told) use less calories then we used to, so if your eating the same about of calories, and exercising the same, it might just be your body changing as you age. All this being said, I have no idea if it works the same for a really fit person....

The change in BMR is fairly small and comes more.from loss of muscle.mass than anything else, so a physically active person who regularly lifts weights should not experience this.

lynn_glenmont

HilTri wrote: »

Because of the sodium. I have been nearly doubling my sodium since I have been it.

A slow gain over five years is not about the amount of sodium you're consuming. It's about eating slightly more calories than you burn. And your statement in your OP about "five years of basically eating the same types things (healthy)" suggests you're not thinking about this right. It's not the type of things you eat. It's how many calories you consume, compared to how many calories you use. Even eating the same amount of the same types of foods over five year, if accompanied by a slight reduction in activity level over that period, could lead to weight gain.

HilTri

Thanks. I was the weight I wanted to be for about five years (since I started living a healthier lifestyle) eating about the same things and doing about the same amount of exercise. It has just been over the last 3 months that I have gained five lbs with out changing anything. I am sorry that I wasn't clear.

Machka9

Sodium can cause a bit of water retention ...

Or on the other hand, if you've been drinking a lot of water, it can also cause you to let go of the water retention.

It's all about balance.

But it tends to causes abrupt changes, not a gradual gain of 5 lbs over 3 months. That sort of gain can usually be attributed to not weighing your food, and ever-so-gradually increasing the quantity of a few items.

L1zardQueen

Machka9 wrote: »

Sodium can cause a bit of water retention ...

Or on the other hand, if you've been drinking a lot of water, it can also cause you to let go of the water retention.

It's all about balance.

But it tends to causes abrupt changes, not a gradual gain of 5 lbs over 3 months. That sort of gain can usually be attributed to not weighing your food, and ever-so-gradually increasing the quantity of a few items.

Yep^ calorie creep.