UHMM HELLOOO...SALT I HATE YOU!!

gingerra19800

im so frustrated:grumble: but maybe ya'll can help me...how can i kept my sodium intake low..im allowed 2,500mg..ive gotten better with my sugar intake..thank goodness..but my salt..its so damn hard..i dont know what i am doing wrong..whats nuts is i dont even really like salt..had no idea i was ingesting that much of it...i know processed foods have alot of it..and im tryna cut those out..but im still messing up on my salt..and i drink lots of water...the only reason im complaining is cause i have reached a plateau..:sad: and im thinking its my salt...does any one have ideas or tips they can give me ..i would appreciate it..
danQ!!!... ginger!!:flowerforyou:

Rynatat

Sodium is in so many things, I try to avoid it like the plague since salt is definately NOT MY FRIEND! I rarely eat processed foods (partially because I have Celiac's Disease) but I also do not add salt... to anything (except once every several months I get this uncanny craving for real salt & vinegar chips (french fries with salt & vinegar) & will make a serving). But I also take a daily water pill, it's not as harsh as most, brand name is Michaels Water Balance Factors and it seems to balance out (especially during TOM ).
It's very hard, but you may have to just refine some of your food choices: if you want chips, get no salt added or the lowest sodium you can find. If you have to have processed foods, checkout the sodium contents first & take the lesser of 2 evils. And the biggest, is unless you just can't live without it, do not add salt to anything (even a potatoe). I add pepper to potatoes, fries, salads, pretty much everything that I want a little extra oomph added. It may take some getting used to, but you're on MFP & working hard to make this lifestyle change & you can do this :flowerforyou:

AlannaPie

I'm horrible with salt. I think I'm going to try a week without any added salts on my part. My boyfriend is going to hide me salt substitute

weaklink109

In order to answer your question, others would need to be able to see your food diary.

You can make it public by going to your MFP home page,>settings>diary settings--go to bottom of the page and choose "public" for others to see your diary. You can change it back to private at any time by going back to the same place and choosing "private."

If you are still using any significant amount of processed food in your diet, you are going to have a problem keeping your sodium level down. Good luck.

eriny

i agree !!! im trying to cut back to 2500 mg a day or less !! so together lets kick some salt *kitten* !!!:mad:
today i am at 1500 still have 500 left for dinner :drinker:

HealthyChanges2010

If you eat whole foods rather than pkg'd or purchased at fast food/out to eat places that can make a world of difference. Even various brands of bread can make a difference. If you eat fresh whole veggies, fruits, raw nuts (no salt), baked chicken, fish etc. That'll help keep lots of sodium out. Tuna is great but it does have high sodium, but they carry lower sodium. Cottage cheese is a good food but HIGH in sodium.

Since you food diary is not public I'm spittin in the wind a bit here but ideas like the above can help out. Trying to keep away from any processed, frozen meals, etc. as they contain ungodly amounts!

Good luck,
Becca

gingerra19800

i made it public for those wanting to see it..if that helps with the ideas.... :)P

Families_R_Forever

I try to keep my sodium to 1500 a day at best and under 2000 on a bad day. No processed foods, lots of veggies. Cottage cheese does have alot. That is a big one for me and my salsa, just for 2 tbsp=200. I use salsa ALOT. GOOD LUCK

babygirl2010

i had the same issue, salt make you bloat along with alot of water!! make sure you drink water and SWEAT!!!

HealthyChanges2010

i made it public for those wanting to see it..if that helps with the ideas.... :)P

Ok, cool

I looked back about a week, some days not too bad, the days the sodium blew you outta the water were days you had lots of pkg'd foods. Just a couple changes, ya know baby steps can make a huge difference. I take it you might be eating canned peas since it showed 800 in sodium. Purchasing frozen can make a huge difference and they actually take far better as well. Look for sales and you get some good deals, generic are just fine:drinker:

The Italian chicken breasts that you eat, by the sodium level it looks like they might be seasoned when you purchase them? You could bake up some of your own skinless, boneless chicken breasts and add in some Mrs. Dash no salt Italian seasonings. Little things like that can help here and there. I know it's hard at first and you are just starting out so trust me none of are getting down on your, just sharing ideas etc. :drinker:

Someone shared drinking plenty of water, so true, getting lots of water in flushes out the excess sodium our bodies don't need. No need to change everything in life overnight but look at one thing in your diary at a time and change it up a bit and you'll do fine

What I've done for myself is dropped my sodium level down to 2000 and sometimes in the past to 1500 just to keep it even below 2500 so it never goes over), checking sodium on the labels before purchasing is something I do on a regular basis as well. Making changes in our eating is HUGE and takes time, I applaude you for realizing the sodium might be an issue:drinker: :flowerforyou:
Hope something I shared helps you in some way,
Becca:flowerforyou:

gingerra19800

danQ so very much becca!! that does help me alot...and your right one day at a time.. i just get soo grr like kitty ya know..lol but the first step is admitting i have a problem..to put it lightly.. danQ again!!

antiadipose

EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY MRS.DASH SEASONING!!!!!!!! they have several options/flavors/styles
and theyre salt freeeeee. u wont believe the amount of salt in bouillon or spice mixes we buy. another thing is processed food and fast food = SODIUM!
even if u make ur own burger or quesadilla or pizza at home .... or stir fry... salt will never be as much as what restaurants and pre-packaged put in their crap.

weaklink109

... Trying to keep away from any processed, frozen meals, etc. as they contain ungodly amounts!

Good luck,
Becca

If the statement above said "most processed" rather than "any processed" I could agree, but if you become a label reader, there ARE frozen entrees from Lean Cuisine, Eating Right (Safeway Brand) and Healthy Choice that have a reasonable amount of sodium. For convenience, I do use them on occasion, and find plenty that are right around 500 mg or less.

Good luck.

millerll

Um, sorry to hijack the thread, but concerning the salsa, I found a brand that is great!

Try La Mexicana brand - 2 tbsp is only 75 mg sodium, and it tastes great. I find it at the Publix and even in my local military commissary. It's usually in the refrigerated section near the gourmet cheeses at my stores.

If you search the recipe section of this site, there are also some excellent recipes for easy homemade salsa that is much healthier. Good luck!

weaklink109

I looked at your diary for today, and some obvious things jump out, such as the pickles, corned beef and cabbage, as far as sodium is concerned, but what I also noticed is that your food diary shows that, before any exercise calories, you are allowed about 2300 calories per day ????

That seems very high for a woman trying to lose, unless you are extremely tall, and very active. What activity level do you have your profile set to? I only mention this because if you don't have your profile set properly and you are eating more calories than you need to maintain, you are never going to lose, no matter how much exercise you do.

Yurippe

i made it public for those wanting to see it..if that helps with the ideas.... :)P

I miss pickles... :laugh: Gave them up because it just wasn't worth the sodium.

It's already been mentioned to avoid processed foods. This is key. Make a menu for a week before going shopping. Compare the items you would usually buy with low sodium alternatives.

Restaurant food is packed w/ sodium. If you ever eat out, you have to be extra good the rest of the day. When possible, check nutritional info online before dining out. I've actually started looking at the sodium column before the calorie column when deciding on a meal.

JBennis1013

I just looked at today's diary...Pickles are so high in salt and are they really worth it? The corned beef n cabbage is what truely did you in today.. Corned beef is definitely high in salt...It stinks when you see the RED, but just remember that it's prob a lot less than you were eating and work your way down til its even or less than what MFP gives you.

eriny

well its a start for me to but i was able to make breakfast and lunch for today total sodium of 631 mg :drinker:

still have 1869 out of 2500 but trying to keep tp 2100-2400 for now till i can find more types of food with low or no salt :drinker: