If you open your diary we can see waht you are eating and make suggestions otherwise you will just get generic comments you can look up in the older "too much sodium" threads. MFP is actually very generous on the amount of sodium it gives you, so if you are not willing to change the foods you are eating you will need to increase your water intake above the 8-8oz glasses a day.
My sodium was kicking my butt till this week. Im not sure if you can see my diary. If not add me as a friend and take a look. This week is the only week Ive been doing really good at it. maybe it will give you an idea. Also plan meals ahead! I plan the night before so I can change things if i have to much of things. my numbers for sugar and protein are over to. First I tackled my sodium then im gonna work on sugar then protein. its a slow process but im getting there. its hard to do if you dont plan ahead.
Ok pretty much everything you eat most days is processed in some way. Stop having all the crackers, cereal, and cereal/granola bars for snacks and try some whole fruits and veggies. I dont know if the crockpot dinners are ones you entered yourself or found in the log, if they are your own recipes you REALLY need to look up low-sodium crockpot options. I season all of my crockpot items myself and its much lower sodium per serving (unless I do pulled BBQ chicken in the crockpot, then I just go over) You eat oatmeal every day for breakfast, save yourself money and sodium and just get regular oatmeal and flavor it yourself. Overall you just need more natural foods in your diet vs all the packaged stuff. Avoid lunch meats, sour cream and cottage cheese. If you want them then just watch your sodium at other meals for the day. The bright side is you arent as bad as some others I have seen! And yes I cant remember the exact water amount vs excess sodium but extra water helps flush out the excess sodium preventing water retention (and a false weight gain) Your body only needs 800-1200 mg of sodium for normal function (the 1200 is with excercise unless its extreme) the guideline of 2500mg is for a 2200 calorie a day diet per the FDA.
I have high blood pressure and had to cut my sodium to 1200mg/day (some days I am more successful than others!) First thing to go has to be ALL fast food. No exceptions! (And most restaurant food) Second is junk food. Chips, dips, soft drinks. All contain sodium & refined sugars. Third is almost all processed foods. Frozen Foods - Canned food - Prepared Sauces - Deli Meats - Pickles - Breads - Most Cereals - Etc. Now on to what you CAN eat. Pretty much everything else! Ha Ha! thank you have i have stoped going to resturant i have cut out all junk and all sodas and juices i drink water lots of water every day...i just need to now cut out the process snack n oatmeal n just make my own i am not the type of person that has to have salt i can live with out so that is why i dont understand how i keep going over it, I read labels and compare the grocery store takes me forever to go thru anymore. I am sure once i figure my plan out i will be able to do it I eat lots of Oatmeal, fruits & veggies. Along with non-salted nuts. Lots of beans, chickpeas & lentils. Meat of all kinds but lean cuts and small portions. As I continue to adjust my diet, meat will probably disappear. If you have no heart or blood pressure issues you should be OK at 2500mg/day. If you have any health issues, like I do, the count will be 1200mg/day, or less. Start by checking the serving size and sodium count on everything you eat. MFP is a great help for this! (Note that you can make sure that sodium shows up when you load your food everyday, a great way to keep track). For some interesting recipe ideas check out: http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/ Not sure about where you live? But in my grocery store I am seeing more and more "No Salt" added produce. Tuna, salmon & canned tomatoes are the best example of no salt added food I am able to buy. The hardest work is making the initial change. Once you are used to keeping track of your sodium intake it gets easier and it does not take long before you will lose the taste for anything salty. Last though, MFP suggests that you drink 8 glasses of water per day. If you have not already, I would suggest that make this a must in your daily routine. Best of luck!
