I need help understanding the why behind sodium restriction.

Losershawn

Ok....call me bull headed and stubborn but I'm really struggling in the sodium department. I've been trying to watch my intake but I'm always over and it's getting on my nerves. So what affect does sodium have on weight loss? Is it just that it causes you to retain water or is it really more than that? If it's simple water retention then I am tempted to say "who cares" and just enjoy the foods I like for now and worry about the sodium when I get close to my goal. If there is some other concern with sodium I would like to figure it out.

ambie35

It can raise your blood pressure as well if your concerned about that.

Holton

Found this information to be helpful:

Sodium isn’t bad for, it’s just that we have begun eating far too much of it. The daily recommended amount is between 500 mg and 1000 mg, which equates to only about a half to one and a half teaspoons of table salt. It’s estimated that the average American consumes three to ten times that amount! So you can see, it’s not that sodium is bad for you, it’s that we have a bad sense of how much sodium is in our foods, a bad sense of how much we really need, and we are regularly exceeding daily amounts by a significant amount.
:frown: Now, onto why sodium is bad when you consume too much of it. Too much sodium increases your chances of developing high blood pressure, which leads to a whole host of problems including increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. Those three things are pretty much game changers, if not career ending, type events.
So, limit your intake of processed foods and try to cook from scratch so you know what’s in your food. Check labels to ensure you aren’t eating something that totally loaded with sodium and you will be fine. A lot of soups and processed foods contain a ridiculous amount of sodium and even things that aren’t salty, like diet sodas, contain sodium. (Diet Dr. Pepper has 55 mg of sodium, which they claim is 2% of the daily recommended value; but is more like 5-10% based on scientific studies of sodium requirements).

So if you are trying to live a healthier life, you really should be concerned about the quantity of sodium you intake. Processed foods are the worst.

fitterpam

Awwww - these guys beat me to it. Sodium does cause the water retention and leads to serious health complications.

But it also tends to come in foods that are processed and have lots of additives and other ingredients that are just not good for you. If you're eating whole foods and then adding salt to it, that is one thing, but if you're doing freezer food every day 3x a day, you are probably consuming a lot more chemicals that can do harm. Those type foods aren't meant to be had very often - while they're relatively safe in small quantities.

I had trouble with the sodium at first too. I found that instead of focusing on getting the sodium out, I focused on making sure I was getting 4-8 servings of vegetables a day and 1-2 of fruit. By increasing your natural food intake, your processed food intake naturally decreases.

mboone4541

Also being discussed here:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/233267-why-cut-back-on-salt

UpEarly

Found this information to be helpful:
Sodium isn’t bad for, it’s just that we have begun eating far too much of it. The daily recommended amount is between 500 mg and 1000 mg, which equates to only about a half to one and a half teaspoons of table salt.

Just curious where you got this information? I was always told that 500mg is the *bare minimum* a human need to maintain healthy bodily function. People who are salt sensitive and have blood pressure problems should limit it to 1500mg. And, everyone else should try to stay under 2300 mg.

According to the Mayo Clinic (and several other sources), one teaspoon of salt has 2325 mg of sodium.

Losershawn

FYI - my major problem seems to come from cold cuts....at lunch! What are some good alternatives?

fitterpam

Cold cuts are definitely the worst Nitrates and all that.....

What I do instead is grill up or roast a chicken on Sunday for lunch and my family has the dark meat that night and then I bring out the slicer and chop up the white meat for lunches (or I do up the whole chicken and chop up the dark meat and make chicken salad too. Package them in containers with enough for 2 days (food safety first!) worth each one. I freeze the ones except the two days worth and use that. I also don't do sandwiches for lunch every day. Some lunches are leftovers from the night before. Sometimes I pack a salad (and use the grilled meat). And then when I have a particular amount of energy, I cook a whole other meal and freeze them individually.

With the frozen lunch stuff, I pull them out the morning before I'm going to use them and put them in the fridge to thaw (by the next day, the lunch meat is good and the meals are ready to heat).

All that being said, I'm doing Subway for lunch today and having me some cold cuts.......:blushing: Feel free to check out my diary if you want, it should be public.