Sodium Levels

JGT2004

Basic Info: I have been working on tracking better and have been working out more. As part of my change to get more protein in my diet I have started eating a lot of turkey sandwhiches (usually 1 1/2 a day during the work week). I had heard but never really listened to the warnings that prepackaged lunch meat has a ton of sodium. I have been trying to meet my 1800 calorie goal (calculated using TDEE method) as a weekly average (weekends have been bad lately & many have been spent with sick relatives or with them in the hospital). The last two weeks I averaged 1,923 and then 1,717. I am also getting what I think is a decent amount of exercise a week (3-4 days of Crossfit and 2-4 days of T25). I drink well over 8 glasses of water a day.

Problem: I'm not showing any weightloss and my clothes are fitting tighter. I am not new to Crossfit (started it beg of Oct) so I don't think it can be all water retention from that. Yesterday I decided to add sodium to my diary and have looked back at the last few weeks and noticed I am hitting between 3.500 - 5,500 mg of sodium a day! Way more than the 1,500 - 2,500 suggested. I plan to find some lower sodium substitutions and switch some things up but would like an idea of how long I need to be patient.

Questions: How long should it be before I lose the water weight from all the sodium I have been intaking, (if I drop my levels down to 2,500 mg or less)? I drink between 8 - 12 glasses of water/unsweet tea a day so it obviously isn't enough to "flush" all the salt out of my body. Should I do a juice fast for a couple days to help?

MysteriousMerlin

I wasn't pay close attention when I started tracking my sodium here, but I think it just took about 4-5 days at most. It was also during my menstrual cycle, so it may not take that long.

257_Lag

2 or 3 days. Drink lots of water and potassium rich foods will help also.

I am so envious of the people that don't need to watch their sodium but I am not one of them! A 4000 sodium day shows up as 3 lbs on the scale the next day and I feel like a whale.