Sodium intake

fresh_alix

My sodium intake seems to be over every time I log, is yours? is this bad? what are your thoughts?

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BeachIron

High sodium intake can result in water retention if you don't drink sufficient fluids to flush it out and/or do not sweat enough during exercise or otherwise. That's pretty much a scale issue though and nothing to worry about.

Contrary to popular belief, recent studies are showing that it is not boogyman it was once thought to be in regard to cardiovascular health.

Don't go crazy, but enjoy your salt. I personally don't pay attention to it at all.

seliinac

Processed foods and restaurant foods tend to have more sodium.

IF you want to lower your intake, start reducing these.

doctorsookie

I usually only go over if I eat out. I try not to eat too much fried foods which I tend to salt due to it upsetting my tummy. Sodium is seen as the demon to weight loss but too little can have much more dangerous effects to too much as long as much you are in good health and not seriously overdoing it everyday. I agree, enjoy your food and try not to think about it too much.

mazmataz

Too much sodium seems to play havoc with water retention in my body (like I can gain 7lbs overnight!) and I have found that drinking lots of water and keeping under the recommended MFP limit really helps. I was away this weekend and pretty much eating out for 2 days. I wasn't expecting to be under my calorie goal, but when I logged one of the days it wasn't my calorie intake that surprised me, it was my sodium! I was eating relatively 'normal' food i.e. sandwiches, eggs benedict etc but the sodium content compared to if I made these at home was off the chart!

There is a history of high blood pressure in my family, so aside from not wanting to be stunned into shock when I step on the scales after a high sodium day, it's also good to keep it down for this reason too.

NonnyMary

My sodium intake seems to be over every time I log, is yours? is this bad? what are your thoughts?

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MFP says i can have 2,500 but my doctor who gave me a checkup says i can do between 1,000 and 1,500. but thats just me. Seems to work well, though sometimes i go over a bit, but in the big picture, it alll evens out. because i dont overeat the sodium all the time.

navyrigger46

I'm over on my sodium just about every day, it's no big deal, your body needs the stuff. I do track my sodium, but only to remind me I need to drink water.

Rigger

simplycorey

Too much sodium seems to play havoc with water retention in my body (like I can gain 7lbs overnight!) and I have found that drinking lots of water and keeping under the recommended MFP limit really helps.

^^ This. I changed my sodium limit to 2,000. Sometimes I am under, sometimes I go over. Most days I do try to pay attention to it though. Eating less processed foods and eating out infrequently helps me keep within my limit.

BeachIron

Please read this article from the NY Times for a good discussion of this issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

For those who don't like popular press articles on nutrition and want studies, there are links to two of the studies used by the panel in the NYT article, but this discussion is actually pretty well written and balanced, at least IMHO.

CMB1979

Please read this article from the NY Times for a good discussion of this issue: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/health/panel-finds-no-benefit-in-sharply-restricting-sodium.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

For those who don't like popular press articles on nutrition and want studies, there are links to two of the studies used by the panel in the NYT article, but this discussion is actually pretty well written and balanced, at least IMHO.

Agreed.

I live in South Korea and eat the local cuisine on a regular basis (I work in public school and eat public school lunch). The average sodium intake here is around 5,000-7,000mg/day. Unless you have specific health issues related to sodium intake (check with your doctor before deciding that), I wouldn't sweat it.....but that's just me.

miqisha

It is recommended not to go over 2500, however, the healthier range to be in is around 1500. I cook so I am always around the 1500. if I drink or eat out then it will tend to be in that range. A lot of people diary are over the 2500 and still loose, so I guess its your choice how you want to handle it. I personally don't cook with salt, haven't in a few years. I also minimize how often I eat out.

I had to carry my daughter back to college and was a day trip 5 1/2 to go and 5 1/2 back, so had to eat on the road. This was a Wednesday, when my weigh in came on Friday, I was up 3 pounds. I know it is just water retention, however, it took almost a week for me to flush out my system and get back to where I was.

glennstoudt

My view is that managing sodium intake, not limiting it, is the right approach.
There are some studies (there are always studies) that indicate that males of a certain age and a certain pre-disposition
to heart issues should limit sodium intake to <1500 mg. While I make an effort to reduce sodium (it is not difficult if you don't eat a lot of restaurant or processed food or if you ask your chef at your restaurant to prepare your food without adding salt) I don't make it a critical aspect of my regular food intake. For anyone young and active it is simply not an issue to be terribly concerned about.

czechwolf52

It really depends on your body. I have been told by a cardiologist that I actually need more salt, or else I can faint because of my blood pressure. I don't go wild on the salt, but I don't limit myself. To counteract this I try to drink a lot of water daily, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This weekend my roommate and I ordered Papa John's, it's good, but also really high in sodium and I gained 1.5 pounds over night, even though I was within my calorie limit and I had been steadily losing weight daily. After the pizza's gone my weight will go back to normal. Unless you've been told by a doctor to limit your sodium intake, I would just keep your sodium intake in the back of your mind. Be conscious of it, but don't let it limit your food selection.

corgicake

Meh. Sodium is a non-issue most of the time for most people. If the doc says go lower, listen to the doctor. If you're at a music festival etc and it's in the nineties, skimping on the salt can earn you a trip to the medic tent. Use common sense and you'll be fine.