How much sodium do you have each day? Help please

2

Replies

  • johnwhitent
    johnwhitent Posts: 648 Member
    I have friends with high blood pressure that limit sodium to under 1,500 daily. But I do cycling and running and I sweat profusely so I add extra sodium on intense exercise days to make up for what I lose in sweat. I get very dehydrated on long rides and runs and the extra sodium in exercise drinks encourages me to drink more liquid, which I very much need to do. So the RDA is essentially meaningless for either end of the spectrum. Sedentary people probably need far less sodium than the RDA but highly active outdoorsy folk may find it necessary to add sodium to their diet.
  • saiabone
    saiabone Posts: 29 Member
    Sorry everyone my diary is open now I must of had it friends only
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    I don't get enough sodium most days, but I have a severe potassium deficiency, so it actually balances out pretty well (other than the whole occasionally passing out thing).

    I tend to get between 1200-1400 mg/day on average.

    If I do vigorous exercise, I *have* to get closer to 2000 mg.

    Sodium is not good in excess, but it is important nonetheless.
  • gatorginger
    gatorginger Posts: 947 Member
    I started watching the sodium because when I first joined I was losing weight but feeling bloated so my daughter told me to watch the sodium so now I stay under what they recommend with only going over on occasions. If I do eat something high in sodium for lunch I try extra hard to be more careful at dinner so that I don't go over. I feel better by watching the sodium that is for sure
  • pugsley5
    pugsley5 Posts: 38 Member
    Where do they indicate sodium intake??? I missed that??
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    I have to have between 2,000 and 3,500 mg sodium per day to keep my blood pressure up. I'm naturally hypotensive and my heart meds make it even worse. Higher sodium intake helps balance it out.
  • pugsley5
    pugsley5 Posts: 38 Member
    Your picture is hysterical!!!:laugh:
  • bradthemedic
    bradthemedic Posts: 623 Member
    I had 3200mg yesterday - unsure how that happens. I am good until lunch and then it explodes. It absolutely adds to bloat.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,989 Member
    I don't track it, 3 nutrients to manage + some micros is enough.
    Why do you guys track it ?
    This. Unless HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE is an issue with family history, high sodium really isn't a big deal. Now if you're not drinking enough water, expect to not lose weight along with high sodium intake. But for myself, weight on the scale isn't my first concern.


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group FitnessTrainer
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  • MrsRadder
    MrsRadder Posts: 207 Member
    The American Heart *kitten*. says 1000mg of sodium a day.
  • KariQuiteContrary
    KariQuiteContrary Posts: 274 Member
    I usually try to stay under 2500 but if it doesn't it doesn't. I just chug some extra water.
  • saugonda1
    saugonda1 Posts: 145 Member
    i drink plenty of water, Besides i have lost 50 pounds not worrying about sodium,sometimes i'm low most of the times i'm high
  • Discoveri
    Discoveri Posts: 435 Member
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/UponThisRock/view/flushing-the-sodium-237431

    Good post, thanks for that.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    I try and keep it under 2,500. On average it's usually under 2000 and some days under 1000.
  • dansls1
    dansls1 Posts: 309 Member
    Concerns about high blood pressure were what originally got me on the kick about getting healthy - so I track it to make sure I stay on course. I don't worry if I'm a little over here and there because the average is under - but the BP is why I track it - not to do with losing weight per se.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
    While I know that the FDA generally recommends everyone stay under 1800, when I try to drop my sodium/salt that far, I actually get sick. My BP bottoms out, I get BAD muscle spasms, and I'm miserable. People repeatedly told me that it could be accounting for my weight retention, but I found that when I cut it out, I gained back weight as well.

    I think it's really individual and depends on your body. If you feel bloated or you eat a lot of processed foods and stuff, then I'd look into it. However, it's one area where I let my body tell me, and I find that since I stopped tracking it (it's really hard to stay under 2500mg when you have to eat over 3k a day) I felt a lot better.

    I concentrate more on sugars than anything, because they easily get out of control, and are what impacts insulin levels.
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    No point tracking sodium, any "weight" it causes you to gain is just water. Unless you have an unusually high sodium day before weigh in it isn't going to make any difference.

    That's fine if you are only on here to lose weight. For me and lots of others it's very much about optimising our health. I use all the nutritional breakdown to make sure everything's as good as I can realistically get it.
  • Diandra81
    Diandra81 Posts: 128 Member
    I try to have no more than 1200 mg daily....
  • MontagneGitane
    MontagneGitane Posts: 127 Member
    No point tracking sodium, any "weight" it causes you to gain is just water. Unless you have an unusually high sodium day before weigh in it isn't going to make any difference.

    That's fine if you are only on here to lose weight. For me and lots of others it's very much about optimising our health. I use all the nutritional breakdown to make sure everything's as good as I can realistically get it.

    exactly
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    While I know that the FDA generally recommends everyone stay under 1800, when I try to drop my sodium/salt that far, I actually get sick. My BP bottoms out, I get BAD muscle spasms, and I'm miserable. People repeatedly told me that it could be accounting for my weight retention, but I found that when I cut it out, I gained back weight as well.

    I think it's really individual and depends on your body. If you feel bloated or you eat a lot of processed foods and stuff, then I'd look into it. However, it's one area where I let my body tell me, and I find that since I stopped tracking it (it's really hard to stay under 2500mg when you have to eat over 3k a day) I felt a lot better.

    I concentrate more on sugars than anything, because they easily get out of control, and are what impacts insulin levels.

    EXACT same thing was happening to me. Turns out I'm hypotensive (exact opposite of hypertensive).

    FWIW, protein also induces insulin spikes. Unless you're diabetic or eating chocolate all day every day, don't worry about the sugar either. Just focus on calories and eating as much whole quality food as you can.
  • saiabone
    saiabone Posts: 29 Member
    Can someone check out my diary to see how I am doing..Please be somewhat nice I am learning
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    Your diary looks pretty good on the whole, and your sodium levels aren't all that high.

    If you're concerned about just cut back on processed stuff - weightwatchers products, highly processed cheese etc. You could also have whole eggs which are nutritionally very good instead of egg beaters (which I've only come across since using this site, I don't think we have this product in the UK. Euuugh!)
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    No point tracking sodium, any "weight" it causes you to gain is just water. Unless you have an unusually high sodium day before weigh in it isn't going to make any difference.

    That's fine if you are only on here to lose weight. For me and lots of others it's very much about optimising our health. I use all the nutritional breakdown to make sure everything's as good as I can realistically get it.

    exactly

    I'm totally not bothered about health I guess

    *lights cigarette, swigs gin*
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
    Can someone check out my diary to see how I am doing..Please be somewhat nice I am learning

    Overall looks okay, but you're only netting about 1,000 calories per day. I'd suggest increasing your calorie intake by about 200 calories. You're burning 600-800 calories in workouts on a regular basis. Otherwise, it's looks great. Good job!
  • saiabone
    saiabone Posts: 29 Member
    Your diary looks pretty good on the whole, and your sodium levels aren't all that high.

    If you're concerned about just cut back on processed stuff - weightwatchers products, highly processed cheese etc. You could also have whole eggs which are nutritionally very good instead of egg beaters (which I've only come across since using this site, I don't think we have this product in the UK. Euuugh!)

    The weight watchers food are recipes I have entered not the frozen kind 95% of the time...and ok about the eggs! I was actually going to eat a hard boiled egg later
  • saiabone
    saiabone Posts: 29 Member
    Thanks for the help everyone so far!
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    I don't add salt to anything. I literally haven't picked up the salt shaker in months, which is saying something for someone who loves salty food, and I still end up over my sodium limit on a lot of days. I've started taking a potassium supplement, and my BP is very good, but I still need to cut the sodium some more.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    If you're only here to lose weight it doesn't matter very much. An abundance of sodium in your diet may cause you to retain water but even if you're constantly retaining (say) 5lbs of water, that 5lbs of water is going to be consistent whether you're losing fat or not. So when you're losing weight, you're losing weight regardless of water retention.

    That said... I do not care about my sodium intake because I don't usually eat food from a can or a package.
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    Mine is usually 600 - 1000 a day. I try to eat clean as much as poss and avoid tins/packets I cook everything from scratch.
  • HealthyIsMyNewNormal
    HealthyIsMyNewNormal Posts: 5 Member
    So the thing about sodium is this: the amount you should consume depends on how physical you are in the day.

    Athletes actually drink more sodium-rich drinks like Gatorade because sweating depletes salt from the body (yes, we all need salt in healthy amounts). If you're active (60 minutes of exercise a day), it's okay to go a little over MFP daily sodium recommendations. If you're not active, it really is a good idea to find ways to limit your sodium to the daily amount on this site.

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