Sodium? - is it important to meet the target set

Options
2

Replies

  • grapefruitannie
    grapefruitannie Posts: 122 Member
    Options
    it makes sence to be under sodium but why does it state so high, from what i have read (so far) people seem to say that you should try and reach the macros stated. Very confused :(
    dont go over it. under = good, over = bad. not much else to say

    Bad in what way? Assuming you don't suffer from hypertension or have another medical condition that would warrant you to be mindful of sodium, it is nothing to really worry about

    Thank you and Go you Great weight loss well done x

    Agreed... I have never once worried about sodium, let alone tracked it and it hasn't hurt my weight loss or atleast I don't think it has... I just drink my fair share of water.... Best of Luck
  • grapefruitannie
    grapefruitannie Posts: 122 Member
    Options
    oh dont know what happened there not too good with these quote things i think

    Thank you everyone for your input!

    Plant food sodium however i do not know what that is so will have to google lol
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Hi I am new to this and there is soooo much information my brain hurts sometimes, but i love this site. Please can anyone tell me if you have to meet, or at least get close to all of your macro targets in particular sodium as i never get near this.

    Thank you Annie

    Sodium is a micro-nutrient, not a macronutrient. The sodium number is best viewed not as a goal, but a limit. Under is better. Your body needs very little sodium to function. Only a small fraction of the RDA limit.
  • veronica341972
    veronica341972 Posts: 22
    Options
    Better not to overdue on sodium (less is better). If you read up on Eat To Live on line by Dr. Fuhrman, doctors will tell you that 1,500 two 2,000 is good however less than that is better for your health. I am hypertensive (thank God I was finally taken off my last bp medication as of yesterday!), however I am NO LONGER going back to eating how I used to eat. I am very sodium conscious and frankly less is much better..........
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Options
    it makes sence to be under sodium but why does it state so high, from what i have read (so far) people seem to say that you should try and reach the macros stated. Very confused :(
    dont go over it. under = good, over = bad. not much else to say

    Bad in what way? Assuming you don't suffer from hypertension or have another medical condition that would warrant you to be mindful of sodium, it is nothing to really worry about

    Agreed... I have never once worried about sodium, let alone tracked it and it hasn't hurt my weight loss or atleast I don't think it has... I just drink my fair share of water.... Best of Luck

    These 2 post! Don't get hung up in the minutae. Hit your calorie target. Hit your macros. Work out.
  • pfgaytriot
    pfgaytriot Posts: 238 Member
    Options
    I've noticed that my friends that complain that they're not losing weight despite the fact that they're watching what their calorie intake and exercising are going waaaay over their daily recommended sodium intake. As soon as they start adding that into equation, the weight starts to come off easier. Try to stay at or below 2,500 daily. Sodium keeps you bloated. Read ALL food labels! Sodium intake is VERY important!

    Just wanted to add that too much sodium can also lead to health problems later down the road. Keep the want to lose the weight, but work to be healthy, too.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Options
    Sodium is what you want to be LOW on (unless you have a particular genetic problem).

    I think MFP is high - my aim is 1500 mg and go as far under that as possible.
  • Woofkaz4
    Woofkaz4 Posts: 8
    Options
    Hi Annie,
    I do not feel it is as crucial to meet the sodium numbers as much as it would be to meet the protein and fat. I am very sensitive to sodium, so I don't even come close to it and I have lost 27lbs so far. No worries.:smile:
  • koko12
    koko12 Posts: 81 Member
    Options
    for a weight lifter sodium is that bad and can be used to ones advantage. like right now im in comp prep and i take in up to or over the amount stated my MFP. but i also eat whole foods, nothing canned or processed. it comes down to how comfortable you are in your own skin regarding your intake of anything
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Options
    You don't want to aim to meet the 2500mg setting. That should be looked at as a max instead of a goal to strive towards. Too much sodium can cause/hurt health issues and lead to more water retention.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Options
    I've noticed that my friends that complain that they're not losing weight despite the fact that they're watching what their calorie intake and exercising are going waaaay over their daily recommended sodium intake. As soon as they start adding that into equation, the weight starts to come off easier. Try to stay at or below 2,500 daily. Sodium keeps you bloated. Read ALL food labels! Sodium intake is VERY important!
    That would be water weight and is more about electrolyte balance. It has nothing to do with fat loss. If there is too much sodium and electrolytes are out of balance it would mask fat loss but not prevent it. Sodium intake is of only minor importance for most people.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    it makes sence to be under sodium but why does it state so high, from what i have read (so far) people seem to say that you should try and reach the macros stated. Very confused :(
    dont go over it. under = good, over = bad. not much else to say

    Bad in what way? Assuming you don't suffer from hypertension or have another medical condition that would warrant you to be mindful of sodium, it is nothing to really worry about

    That's not really what the science shows. There was once a lot more room for controversary in the world of nutrition science over the role of sodium, but there is now pretty conclusive evidence that too much sodium increases risk of heart disease.
  • GadgetGuy2
    GadgetGuy2 Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    High sodium intake (folks can vary slightly on what is high) can (genetics aside) lead to high blood pressure which can lead to heart disease OVER THE LONG HAUL.

    I tried the low sodium foods from the supermarket. Went from 300% of RDA to 200% of RDA.

    Started making selected foods (typically high sodium) myself, leaving out added salt. I make bread, waffles, bagels, chicken soup, chili myself to address the sodium content. Overall diet went to around 100% of RDA for sodium.

    I don't have nor haven't had high blood pressure. But now that I am 60....I started to worry a little. You've had replies from young, fit people saying sodium had not been a problem for them, so they ignore it. I wonder what their answers about not being a problem will be once they are much older, and taking blood pressure medication......or worse suffering the consequences (e.g. heart attack etc.).

    Side benefit.......I'm saving about 50% on the cost of the foods I make. The convenience of getting pre-made (some call it processed) food has a price you pay later in life and a current money hit. Why do food processors put so much salt in their products? Because we crave salt. It use to be relatively hard to get in the diet. Now.....its hard to avoid. Again, I realized I had to make my own selected foods (just the high salt ones) if I was going to avoid the future blood pressure problems.

    P.S.-I make these foods up in big batches, and either freeze (e.g. bread) or can (e.g. chili) the final product. Thus, I only have to commit about 8 hours every 3 months to cooking.
    P.P.S.-As an apprentice cook, my wife benefits in that I have to clean up my own messes, and that also means lots of elbow grease cleaning the oven and stove top of baked on carbon. So.....my salt is in line.......and I get some points with the Mrs. :)
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Options
    it makes sence to be under sodium but why does it state so high, from what i have read (so far) people seem to say that you should try and reach the macros stated. Very confused :(
    dont go over it. under = good, over = bad. not much else to say

    Bad in what way? Assuming you don't suffer from hypertension or have another medical condition that would warrant you to be mindful of sodium, it is nothing to really worry about

    That's not really what the science shows. There was once a lot more room for controversary in the world of nutrition science over the role of sodium, but there is now pretty conclusive evidence that too much sodium increases risk of heart disease.


    C'mon! Don't you know better than this yet? Proof source?? Where is the evidence you claim? (I hope you have more here than on the too much protein thread!)
  • DaveMurphy6
    DaveMurphy6 Posts: 129 Member
    Options
    Under1500 is recommended for people over 50
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    it makes sence to be under sodium but why does it state so high, from what i have read (so far) people seem to say that you should try and reach the macros stated. Very confused :(
    dont go over it. under = good, over = bad. not much else to say

    Bad in what way? Assuming you don't suffer from hypertension or have another medical condition that would warrant you to be mindful of sodium, it is nothing to really worry about

    That's not really what the science shows. There was once a lot more room for controversary in the world of nutrition science over the role of sodium, but there is now pretty conclusive evidence that too much sodium increases risk of heart disease.


    C'mon! Don't you know better than this yet? Proof source?? Where is the evidence you claim? (I hope you have more here than on the too much protein thread!)

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium-debate/

    Tell how, why, we should believe you have more experience or knowledge in nutrition science than the experts at Harvard, and then we'll have a rational discussion. Otherwise, go troll pubmed for a cherry picked rebuttal.
  • toaster6
    toaster6 Posts: 703 Member
    Options
    Depends on your blood pressure. Some people need to limit their sodium (my dad has high blood pressure so he has to limit his intake) , others need to make sure they get enough salt (my boyfriend's sister would have fainting spells if she didn't have enough salt that day).
  • MrsSamiP
    MrsSamiP Posts: 11
    Options
    Here is a link that will give you more info on sodium intake, what's healthy and why.

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/4734-need-recommended-daily-sodium-intake/

    Hope it helps
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    Options
    it makes sence to be under sodium but why does it state so high, from what i have read (so far) people seem to say that you should try and reach the macros stated. Very confused :(
    dont go over it. under = good, over = bad. not much else to say

    Bad in what way? Assuming you don't suffer from hypertension or have another medical condition that would warrant you to be mindful of sodium, it is nothing to really worry about
    ok fine. go over it by 5000 units, see if i care or give a rats *kitten* about the pendanticness of this forum at times.

    im trying to lay it out for the OP in simple terms. she asked a question, i provided the answer.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Options
    it makes sence to be under sodium but why does it state so high, from what i have read (so far) people seem to say that you should try and reach the macros stated. Very confused :(
    dont go over it. under = good, over = bad. not much else to say

    Bad in what way? Assuming you don't suffer from hypertension or have another medical condition that would warrant you to be mindful of sodium, it is nothing to really worry about

    That's not really what the science shows. There was once a lot more room for controversary in the world of nutrition science over the role of sodium, but there is now pretty conclusive evidence that too much sodium increases risk of heart disease.


    C'mon! Don't you know better than this yet? Proof source?? Where is the evidence you claim? (I hope you have more here than on the too much protein thread!)

    http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/salt-and-sodium-debate/

    Tell how, why, we should believe you have more experience or knowledge in nutrition science than the experts at Harvard, and then we'll have a rational discussion. Otherwise, go troll pubmed for a cherry picked rebuttal.

    Didn't say I did. Just would think that by now you should be able to do better than making unsupported statements but you seem to learn slowly in that regard.

    PS: Is there any other source you know of other than Harvard?

Categories