Upping protein - sodium issues and no weight loss?

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  • momjmd
    momjmd Posts: 296 Member
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    I drink a liquid protein that you add to drinks and LOVE IT. It is part of the MRC program which is high protein/low fat/low to moderate carb diet. It is a great way to add some protein. I also eat chicken, hard boiled eggs, string cheese (low fat), low fat cottage cheese, I make turkey burgers which are great and turkey meatballs, and occasionally have a reg hamburger or a steak. I also like to eat tilapia-- just bought some cedar planks to grill my fish on for extra flavor. There are a lot of proteins out there other than red meats.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Oh, as for the weight loss - I'd chalk it up to new routine. Possibly the increase sodium. Keep going, the scale will move eventually. When I changed my workout program the scale didn't move for a month. Even my measurements didn't really move but I took photos and you could see the difference in places you can't measure, like my face, the area between my waist and hips, arms, etc.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    Yea, I feel for you. 120g is a lot when you are limited on what you're willing to eat. I eat A LOT of chicken, my family just got used to it :-) As for your sodium, unless you have high blood pressure going 500 over really isn't a lot to be concerned with, just drink more water and keep exercising! I only eat 90g but I try do eat more if my calories allow for it and will throw in some protein powder when necessary. I can't see your food diary so I don't know what all is contributing to your sodium levels. The less processed foods the better. I go over quite a bit but I also see a nutritionist and he isn't concerned with my levels.

    My protein staples are chicken, turkey, egg whites, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken sausage and nuts.
  • aarikadanielle
    aarikadanielle Posts: 179
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    when I started my journey I knew my body functioned well on the higher protein end. I get between 100-130 gram of protein a day from Whey Protein, nonfat greek yogurt, lowfat cottage cheese, and lean cuts of meat (Beef, turkey, and Chicken lots of chicken). Like most other posters have said, processed foods are really high in sodium, especially lunch meat.
  • ktmmom189
    ktmmom189 Posts: 132 Member
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    Personally if I am high or even right on 2500 sodium I don't see a weight loss as I tend to really retain water. You didn't say how your water intake is either.

    For protein i do yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, black beans, chickpeas, soy nuts. I very rarely eat beef, but do fish and chicken a couple times of week.
  • KickyLegs
    KickyLegs Posts: 53
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    I haven't read any responses yet, but have you tried cottage cheese for protein? Be careful, I think low fat has more sodium than the regular kind.

    I like having oatmeal with almond milk. I also substitute beans with meat like when I make low sodium veggie chilli where I add low sodium tomato sauce with spices and vegetables.

    I also make low sodium bean tacos. Don't buy canned (too salty plus BPA). Just get mixed beans and soak them overnight. If I really want to make it healthy, I use lettuce as the shell instead of a tortilla.
  • GloMash710
    GloMash710 Posts: 78 Member
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    Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder has 150mg of sodium per scoop. You can easily have 3 servings for 450 mg of sodium and 75 mg of protein and log your other calories around that.

    Nuts are a good source of protein but most are salted. Lookout for raw nuts which usually have zero to minimal sodium.

    I also have issues with sodium so I take a daily supplement that helps with bloat called Bloat-Awary Diuretic for Water Weight and drink LOTS of water. I've noticed that since I started taking it I have less water weight fluctuations.

    Also remember that with your new training regime your muscles will hold on to water as they repair themselves.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    Thanks guys (I do appreciate it). Maybe I'll just chalk it up to the new routine for a few more weeks before worrying about sodium too much.

    Things I do eat for protein:
    chicken
    ham
    turkey
    low fat cheese
    low fat cottage cheese (but WHOA on the sodium here)
    greek yogurt
    milk
    eggs
    nuts (mostly almonds)
    protein bars


    I do eat processed food, but not a ton of it. I've cut down a LOT over the last 2 years.
  • forgetmenotcj
    forgetmenotcj Posts: 14 Member
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    I have changed using regular bread (even whole wheat) to the Multigrain LIGHT English muffins by Thomas'. They are only 100 cal and low sodium. I can still make a pretty decent sandwich on them and they have higher protein than most bread. This way you can have a yummy sandwich with: 170 cal, 15 protein, and 500 sodium.

    That would include: English muffin, turkey, 2 % cheese, lettuce, sprouts. And I switched potato chips to the Sensible Portions Veggie Sticks - you can find those at Sam's/Costco. They are MUCH lower in sodium and you can have a bunch more :)

    Hope this helps :)
  • wowser5
    wowser5 Posts: 51 Member
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    I do not eat chicken, beef or ham, but noticed last week I was going over on my sodium. I have made some changes to reduce my sodium this week, and it is working. I realized my veggie burgers are high in sodium, and I was eating them every day. I am pretty much always over on my protein though. If you want you can add me as a friend and you can see what I eat every day when I update my journal.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
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    You didn't say how your water intake is either.

    Similar to my protein - lower than it should be. And that I can definitely work on!
  • eliseofthejungle
    eliseofthejungle Posts: 113 Member
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    Have you tried quinoa? I haven't seen that mentioned yet.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    You've gotten some great suggestions and your replies to those are generally pretty b*tchy. Maybe you should be thankful anyone even took the time to reply.

    no, she got a couple good suggestions and replies from people who clearly didn't read her post very closely.
    Her original post didn't say she was lifting heavy weights. It said her "new workout." I did read her post closely.

    Thank you JossFit and amytaylorwill. I couldn't agree with you more. OP should take the helpful advice and skip commenting on the foods she doesn't like. It doesn't come across well.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    Have you tried quinoa? I haven't seen that mentioned yet.

    Good suggestion!
  • ugottafriend
    ugottafriend Posts: 97 Member
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    Consider raw nuts instead of salted, and use salt free seasonings (not necessarily salt substitutes, but salt free altogether). I use a lot of spices and seasonings in the place of salt, and if I can't find certain things in a local store, I order them online at Spices, Inc or The Spice House. Cheese is my nemesis...I love it and haven't given up cheddar, mozz, or parmesan yet. Swiss is naturally very low in sodium. Provolone can often be found low sodium also. Watch intake of processed foods and salt content that likes to hide in things such as broths, soups, and sauces. I buy low sodium options whenever possible, as well as organic meat when I can find/afford it. The only way I have gotten around some of these things is to learn to make them myself (sauces, broths, pickles, etc). I never ever ever buy canned food anymore. I used to live on canned veggies and soups, which are incredibly high in sodium. Now if I can't prepare it myself in a crock pot, oven, or on the stove, I don't eat it. And that's coming from someone who is barely able to cook (due to disability).

    I am on a high protein, low sodium diet and it is very hard, but possible. Best of luck.
  • Yellerie
    Yellerie Posts: 221 Member
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    Sorry if I am repeating others I didn't read through the whole post.

    Greek Yogurt
    Eggs
    Low sodim bacon
    low fat cottage cheese
    if you have enough calories a glass of lowfat milk
    Broccoli (decent protein & low cal)
    legumes
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,834 Member
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    Thanks guys (I do appreciate it). Maybe I'll just chalk it up to the new routine for a few more weeks before worrying about sodium too much.

    Things I do eat for protein:
    chicken
    ham
    turkey
    low fat cheese
    low fat cottage cheese (but WHOA on the sodium here)
    greek yogurt
    milk
    eggs
    nuts (mostly almonds)
    protein bars


    I do eat processed food, but not a ton of it. I've cut down a LOT over the last 2 years.

    if you get 80g now, then take the above foods you eat and eat 1.5x them and get your 120g.

    Also, do you have hypertension?
  • sma83
    sma83 Posts: 485 Member
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    Natural Almonds don't have any sodium in them at all, so that might be a good option for a snack. Something else you may look into is increasing the amount of potassium you take in. Potassium helps to counter act the bad effects of a high sodium diet. Fat free milk is a good source of protien and the potassium in it outweighs the relatively small amount of sodium. For days that I am low on protien but running short on calories I use EAS Lean 15 Protien Powder in Chocolate Fudge. You can get it at Walmart. It's 100 cals per serving, with 15g of protien. Its low in sugar (only 2 g) and has the right ratio of sodium to potassium. Anyway, hope you figure out what works best for you! Good luck :flowerforyou:
  • DivaLuvsDisney
    DivaLuvsDisney Posts: 75 Member
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    Here is a link to a decent list of protein sources I bookmarked a few days ago.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
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    As far as protein sources go - that's been covered pretty well.

    Speaking for myself - I wouldn't meet my protein requirement most days without a high-quality (93% protein) whey isolate protein powder. Sometimes 2 or 3 x a day.

    You say there's certain things you don't like the taste of ... Sometimes to get our nutrients we need to eat things we don't necessarily "like" the taste of. And, our taste CAN change. :smile: You may have to just 'grin and bear it'.

    As for Sodium: Unless you are at risk (advised by your physician) for CVD (cardiovascular disease) or stroke, your intake is not troublesome. If you have a personal/medical reason for avoiding sodium - that's another matter.

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