Sodium and Weight Gain?

hselby87

How much does sodium really affect your weight loss/gain? If I am still eating under my calorie limit but my sodium has been too high, will that keep me from losing or even cause me to gain?

Can someone with a bit more knowledge on all this stuff give me a helping hand? I want to see the scales moving again, but I really don't want to start starving my body to do it. Please oh please shed some light. My diary is wide open (I've had a bad week, so please disregard this past week lol)

Ntsocial

Here's my own opinion, though it is based on some informed reading.
Sodium is not particularly good for you if you've got hypertension or other health issues of a similar nature.
If you don't have those issues, it's not such a big deal. (I no longer have high blood pressure, so I don't tend to worry about it.)
Sodium intake will make you retain water, so a couple of days of eating too much salt will be likely to shoot your weight up, but this is a temporary thing and should have minimal impact on your actual fat loss (which, really, is what you want).

So, if you weigh yourself too frequently, it's going to make your measurements bounce around a bit if you have a couple salty dogs the night before. Otherwise, I wouldn't worry about it.

And while there's some indication that truly excess salt will knock your kidneys around eventually, unless you're freebasing gherkins on a regular basis, just make sure you have plenty of water.

MysticRealm

It won't impede your actual weight loss (fat) but it can make you bloated and make you hold water weight which can change the number on the scale and your inches/measurements

bajoyba

Too much sodium won't affect actual weight loss, nor will it cause your body to hold onto or gain fat. It might cause your body to retain water, and since water is pretty heavy, it may show up on the scale.
If you're worried about your sodium intake and water retention, just cut down on the salt. You don't have to lower your calories to lower your sodium. If you eat a lot of frozen or pre-packaged food, you might want to switch to eating more home-cooked and fresh foods. Also, drink lots of water. If your body is retaining water, drinking more water will help flush it out.

SinomenJen

I can show a gain of u to 5lbs from water retention from sodium,,, I then lose it within a few days of watching it though
,