Will salt make me gain weight?

Hi folks,

Just a quick questions...
Have had low blood pressure for a while and it has been making me feeel very dizzy.
Have been advised to add salt to my meals but i am worried that it is very bad for you?
I have always been told that salt is bad and you shouldn't add it to meals unless you really have to.

Thankses for any replys :)

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    Salt is essential to life, so no it's not bad. Any weight gain, if any, personally it doesn't effect me, is water weight.
  • well ive been told that salt does cause weight gain but i dont really know. could be a myth.....
  • Amie_Girl
    Amie_Girl Posts: 80 Member
    Salt is a killer for me. It's recommended to get 2500mg a day which is equal to one teaspoon of salt. But remember, there is salt (sodium) in most of the food we eat like eggs and bread and cheese.
  • Muchmoretogive
    Muchmoretogive Posts: 73 Member
    No it won't make you gain weight as in fat weight but will make your body hold onto water which in turn makes your weight seem higher. Iv often worried about this but drinking lots of water clenses body of excess salt. Body would adjust to the extra salt after a few days
  • JulesAlloggio
    JulesAlloggio Posts: 480 Member
    It will definitely put on some water weight. I stay away from high salty foods.
  • I have low BP also, been dealing with it for the last few years. I find I need to make sure I get a little more extra salt in my diet other wise I get really dizzy. If you gain, it's only water weight, I need the water/salt to help balance out the BP.
  • caly_man
    caly_man Posts: 281 Member
    i would first track it in my food diary for a couple of weeks to see how much sodium you are consuming

    once you know how much salt you consume you can decide to increase if necessary

    most people are quite shocked to find out how much sodium they are already eating from everyday foods
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    Yes, salt will make you fat.
  • lyndsayspoolio
    lyndsayspoolio Posts: 10 Member
    thanks for the replies....


    So, on my food diary the bit that says Sodium is my salt intake?
  • symonspatrick
    symonspatrick Posts: 213 Member
    Salt is not bad for you. It sounds like you have gotten good advice about adding some salt to your food. Looking at your food diary you have an extremely low intake of salt. If your getting dizzy goes away by adding some salt it seems like a good idea. If you do happen to gain a couple of pounds of water weight it will go away within a day or two.
  • Amie_Girl
    Amie_Girl Posts: 80 Member
    thanks for the replies....


    So, on my food diary the bit that says Sodium is my salt intake?

    Yes. Sodium is salt.
  • Beezil
    Beezil Posts: 1,677 Member
    Follow your doctor's advice.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,783 Member
    A quick glance at your diary indicates that you are consuming less than 1200 calories per day. You may be experiencing dizziness because you are not eating enough.
  • sandi117
    sandi117 Posts: 445 Member
    It will cause water retention, which thus turns into "weight gain" when the scale is concerned. Just drink lots of water. It may sound crazy, but the more water you drink, the less you retain (what?! :noway: )
  • Memoms
    Memoms Posts: 1
    On my doctors adviceI am keeping my salt intake to 1500milgrame per day, not as easy as it saounds and I have lost 20 pounds in the last 4 months. A lot of foods that contain a lot of salt are also your higher calorie foods.
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
    You're starving girl, eat some food! It's no wonder you're dizzy looking at your food diary
  • Pinkylee77
    Pinkylee77 Posts: 432 Member
    I can't believe that your general health is not worth worrying about but a small amount of water weight is. There are many conditions where adding sodium is important to keep you healthy. As a nurse I know this and as someone who has had a condition that extra sodium helped me stay on my feet and keep working. sodium is not the spawn of Satan that many believe. It is however necessary for life.
  • Amie_Girl
    Amie_Girl Posts: 80 Member
    You are dizzy because you are not eating enough calories. Try eating between 1500 and 1800 a day for one week and see how you feel.