Someone PLEASE tell me............ it isnt so.

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MED2012COLORADO
MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
in Food and Nutrition
How any vegatable or fruit of ANY kind can have sodium in it is beyond me and simply devastating to me. I have not been on here all that long so some of the tricks of the trade i am learning by reading aliot on the message boards and blogs and stuff. Apparently when i set up my diary i only added calories ( well maybe that is automatic) i dont know i am so upset right now UGH! I only added protien , fat and something else, but anyway because i dont even TOUCH a salt shaker (high blood pressure) adding the "sodium bar" wasent even on my mind, and yes i know there is hidden sodium in EVERYTHING. Everything i buy is either low sodium or no sodium if it is not fresh raw veggies and fruits. Today i was reading yet another interesting topic About weight gain and one of the answers to her question was "have you checked your sodium intake? I thought well thats not my problem for sure because i watch it. Then i thought hey wait let me "add" sodium as one of the bars and started to scan thru the months to "see" WELL I FELL OFF MY CHAIR ( yes i got back up just fine :laugh: )WHEN I SAW THAT FRESH VEGGIES HAVE SODIUM. and egg whites???. kale?? .................WHAT????????? The data base has to be wrong period. The scales would not budge for me even tho i was eating "healthy" now i know why if this is true.I feel like i wasted the last 2 months and lost barely anything and was blaming it on calories and fat and stress and well everything else. Ok people lay it on me and give me the low down, say it aint so.............:sad:
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Replies

  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    Don't even sweat it, period. SERIOUSLY.

    If you're having an issue with sodium, it means that you're holding WATER weight, not FAT weight. You could very well have lost a lot more than you realize (fat weight) but in your retention of water, you won't see it on the scale!
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    Forgive me, but I highly doubt it's the sodium in veggies and eggs that are racking up that number.
  • samhigh
    samhigh Posts: 86 Member
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    The scales would not budge for me even tho i was eating "healthy" now i know why if this is true.I feel like i wasted the last 2 months and lost barely anything and was blaming it on calories and fat and stress and well everything else. Ok people lay it on me and give me the low down, say it aint so.............:sad:

    It is not so. Sodium has no significant effect on weight loss. Look elsewhere for reasons you are not seeing progress after 2 months.
  • AnisaMG
    AnisaMG Posts: 154 Member
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    Low sodium is good, but we need sodium to function... yes there is sodium in fresh vegetables, eggs etc. Go back to a time where everything wasn't processed and you "couldn't" add salt to your food... your body still needed it - and it came from natural foods.

    ETA - open your diary if you are worried about what you are eating or would like more specific help with your food
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    If you're holding too much sodium, flush it out with water, water and more water. If it's sodium that's causing retention, you'll see the number start dipping down on the scales very shortly, and quickly. If you're not eating as healthy as you say, or watching calories......then it clearly won't go down and sodium isn't your biggest problem.
  • Espressocycle
    Espressocycle Posts: 2,245 Member
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    The good news is, unless you are under a doctor's orders to reduce sodium due to high blood pressure, sodium doesn't matter. For the vast majority of people, the body can handle extra sodium just fine. In fact, despite the anti-sodium doctrine, there is also evidence that low sodium diets aren't even good for most people.
  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
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    Don't even sweat it, period. SERIOUSLY.

    If you're having an issue with sodium, it means that you're holding WATER weight, not FAT weight. You could very well have lost a lot more than you realize (fat weight) but in your retention of water, you won't see it on the scale!
    tHANK YOU I LOVE YOU! :flowerforyou:
  • deb3129
    deb3129 Posts: 1,294 Member
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    Yes, there is sodium in veggies. But it is minute compared to the amount of sodium in other things. YOu are not going to go over your sodium allowance because of some fresh fruits and veggies. I eat a plant based diet, and on days that I do not eat any processed foods, my sodium intake is VERY low, despite the fact that all I eat is fruits and veggies. The days when it is high, it is because I have eaten something processed and/or gone out to eat. Fruits and veggies are great for your body!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    Unless you have an issue specific with sodium, delete the column concentrate on the important things.
  • jgsparks89
    jgsparks89 Posts: 85 Member
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    Ummmm....Your body needs sodium. About 2000 mg a day. More if you are losing a lot through sweat. Unless you have chronic kidney disease, heart disease or high blood pressure, you body does a very good job of eliminating excess amounts. I'm not saying you should eat 5 G of sodium a day....but you could probably worry a bit less about it.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Has your doctor giving you a target for your sodium levels? You do need some sodium in your body....and yes, pretty much everything has sodium in it. But for comparison - 1/4tsp of iodized salt has 590mg, while 1 cup of chopped raw carrots has 88mg. So, it's not really a big deal.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
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    If you are drinking enough fluids this shouldn't be a problem at all, and the fact that most fruit and vegetables have lots of potassium in them as well, should make the sodium in those foods a non-issue. Most likely if you were stalling it was from something else.
  • gratitude_mca
    gratitude_mca Posts: 1
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    Sodium is in items like vegetables, but the health benefits of veggies and egg whites etc. far outweigh the sodium's "damage." We need a bit of sodium to live, even those of us with high blood pressure (I'm with you there), so please comfort yourself that you are doing a GREAT job with your intake if you're not even picking up a salt shaker, and you should not be freaking out about the minimal amount in healthy, natural, whole foods.

    I can say pretty confidently it's not why you aren't losing weight. It's hard to know what else is affecting you--the big picture--but the impact of veggies on a high sodium intake is minimal.
  • tomomatic
    tomomatic Posts: 1,794 Member
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    Make that diary pubic so we can see it.
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
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    How any vegatable or fruit of ANY kind can have sodium in it is beyond me and simply devastating to me. I have not been on here all that long so some of the tricks of the trade i am learning by reading aliot on the message boards and blogs and stuff. Apparently when i set up my diary i only added calories ( well maybe that is automatic) i dont know i am so upset right now UGH! I only added protien , fat and something else, but anyway because i dont even TOUCH a salt shaker (high blood pressure) adding the "sodium bar" wasent even on my mind, and yes i know there is hidden sodium in EVERYTHING. Everything i buy is either low sodium or no sodium if it is not fresh raw veggies and fruits. Today i was reading yet another interesting topic About weight gain and one of the answers to her question was "have you checked your sodium intake? I thought well thats not my problem for sure because i watch it. Then i thought hey wait let me "add" sodium as one of the bars and started to scan thru the months to "see" WELL I FELL OFF MY CHAIR ( yes i got back up just fine :laugh: )WHEN I SAW THAT FRESH VEGGIES HAVE SODIUM. and egg whites???. kale?? .................WHAT????????? The data base has to be wrong period. The scales would not budge for me even tho i was eating "healthy" now i know why if this is true.I feel like i wasted the last 2 months and lost barely anything and was blaming it on calories and fat and stress and well everything else. Ok people lay it on me and give me the low down, say it aint so.............:sad:

    You are making it too complicated. Just eat the healthy foods. Your body needs some sodium. Check with your doctor if you are unsure. Same with natural sugar in foods.

    You body adjusts to the amount of sodium intake, it's only when you make sudden changes that spikes happen with water retention or release.

    Take a deep breath and talk to your doctor.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    How any vegatable or fruit of ANY kind can have sodium in it is beyond me and simply devastating to me. I have not been on here all that long so some of the tricks of the trade i am learning by reading aliot on the message boards and blogs and stuff. Apparently when i set up my diary i only added calories ( well maybe that is automatic) i dont know i am so upset right now UGH! I only added protien , fat and something else, but anyway because i dont even TOUCH a salt shaker (high blood pressure) adding the "sodium bar" wasent even on my mind, and yes i know there is hidden sodium in EVERYTHING. Everything i buy is either low sodium or no sodium if it is not fresh raw veggies and fruits. Today i was reading yet another interesting topic About weight gain and one of the answers to her question was "have you checked your sodium intake? I thought well thats not my problem for sure because i watch it. Then i thought hey wait let me "add" sodium as one of the bars and started to scan thru the months to "see" WELL I FELL OFF MY CHAIR ( yes i got back up just fine :laugh: )WHEN I SAW THAT FRESH VEGGIES HAVE SODIUM. and egg whites???. kale?? .................WHAT????????? The data base has to be wrong period. The scales would not budge for me even tho i was eating "healthy" now i know why if this is true.I feel like i wasted the last 2 months and lost barely anything and was blaming it on calories and fat and stress and well everything else. Ok people lay it on me and give me the low down, say it aint so.............:sad:

    The body needs sodium, it needs a minimum of 500mg per day - less than that and it is dangerous and can be life-threatening. Stick to between 500 and 1600 per day and there is no need to worry.

    Don't blame sodium for any weighgain or stagnation of weight if your daily salt intake is within these boundaries.
  • msacurrie
    msacurrie Posts: 144 Member
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    Sodium is NATURAL! You NEED it to live. Our bodies NEED sodium. Do not use it as an additive, ESPECIALLY if you have high blood-pressure problems but PLEASE make sure you get ENOUGH of it :D Sorry for all the exclamation, but I hope you don't do anything that could harm your body! :D
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    Sodium only causes you to retain water so I don't think it's your problem because most people eat way more salt than they need and yes, sodium occurs naturally in just about everything which is why you don't need to add salt to your food.

    If you aren't losing you need to re evaluate what you are doing in regard to calorie intake but I wouldn't blame it on the salt.
  • MED2012COLORADO
    MED2012COLORADO Posts: 238
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    The scales would not budge for me even tho i was eating "healthy" now i know why if this is true.I feel like i wasted the last 2 months and lost barely anything and was blaming it on calories and fat and stress and well everything else. Ok people lay it on me and give me the low down, say it aint so.............:sad:

    It is not so. Sodium has no significant effect on weight loss. Look elsewhere for reasons you are not seeing progress after 2 months.
    II ment maybe i was retaining fluid. Yes i knew that taking salt away wont make you loose fat, but i wasnt thinking about my weigh in when it showed no loss that it could be fluid. when i added the "sodium bar" i was shocked to see how much i was eating and some came from fresh veggies.
  • coolraul07
    coolraul07 Posts: 1,606 Member
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    I don't necessarily disagree with anybody here, but I did alter my fruit/veg intake slightly when I started noticing the sodium column in MFP. I For example, I didn't find out until a couple of months ago that celery has a significant amount of sodium in it. That used to be 'mindless eating' food (raw, no dressing, etc). My thought was "Eh, it almost all water and very few calories; eat a pound if you want cuz it doesn't matter." I still eat celery, I just no longer sit a bowl in front of me and eat it mindless like some people do chips, cookies, etc.

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