Do You Pay Attention To Sodium and Sugar Intake?

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  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
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    If you're have an active lifestyle (biking to your jobs included) your sodium intake at this level shouldn't be a problem. Sugar is not a problem for most people when taken in reasonable amounts. Stay away from soda. Avoid too much fruit juice, sports drinks and treats and you'll most likely be fine. But don't be scared to live a little. Moderate but enjoy.
  • susannamarie
    susannamarie Posts: 2,148 Member
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    Nope.

    I track potassium and fiber instead.
  • StaticEntropy
    StaticEntropy Posts: 224 Member
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    Nope.

    I track potassium and fiber instead.

    Ditto.

    I try to keep my sucrose intake below a certain point since it has been inversely correlated with insulin sensitivity. I know, causation =/= correlation, but as a personal anecdote, I've had a harder time going below 10% bf when I'm not limiting my refined sugar intake. While I am not diabetic/pre-diabetic, my fasted glucose levels are a little higher than I would like them to be (insulin resistance seems to run in the family), so I try to be careful about it.

    If you are highly active, sodium is your friend.
  • SStruthers13
    SStruthers13 Posts: 150 Member
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    Sugar can make you fat and has no nutritional value so the less of that the better. So sugar, if your healthy, isn't bad. Salt on the other hand may be. Even if your healthy as a younger person it can have effects on you later in life so to me salt Is bad.
  • Alwayssohungry
    Alwayssohungry Posts: 369 Member
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    Fortunately for me I've never come close to the sodium levels. But with Diabetes running in the family I try to keep an eye on Sugars - not having any luck though. But if I do come down with diabetes and do have to watch my sugars I know what to remove and it will be fairly easy.
  • Ke22yB
    Ke22yB Posts: 969 Member
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    Yes and no I am aware of what the levels are but my daily exercise and eating dictates where I feel I should be more than the Diary . I am getting into running more and more and when it is hot I am soaked shirt shorts right down to the socks and I have a need for alot more sodium than MFP allows for If I burn 1200 calories on a 2 hour run it adjusts my macros for carbs protein fats etc but doesnt do a thing for sodium so I eat more salty foods at that time also take a few supplements to provide other minerals such as potassium and magnesium.
    I drink alot more water when exercising and that flushes out sodium as well as the sweat does
    As far as sugar alot of mine comes from fruits so I watch it but it doesnt really concern me if I am over
  • maegmez
    maegmez Posts: 341 Member
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    I track both and feel both are important. I know it's the refined sugars you have to watch but in the end, sugar is sugar.

    I've learned it's a personal preference.

    I think if you are healthy, fit and active, you don't have to watch so carefully but if you are still on your weight loss journey, I feel they should be tracked. I think the added benefit of tracking is also learning how much sugar is in the foods you eat.
  • ken_hogan
    ken_hogan Posts: 854 Member
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    I pay attention to my sodium merely out of curiousity, especially a day or two before my weigh in since it does seem to effect my weight. I do keep in mind that it is only temporary though..
  • xilka
    xilka Posts: 308 Member
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    I double, and sometimes even triple the recommended sugar intake.
    There's no way I could stay under. But I at least look at it.

    I pay much more attention to my protein.
    Eating more protein actually increases how much you burn through the Thermal Effect of Food.
    And protein builds muscle. So it's all in the protein.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
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    Some people absolutely do need to pay attention to sodium, and some people do not. It's something to try if you have high blood pressure, to see if limiting your salt intake helps.
  • ChristinaR720
    ChristinaR720 Posts: 1,186
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    Sodium - yes, sugar - no. Sodium causes major water retention issues for me, so I track it. Fruit naturally contains sugar and you can easily go over the sugar limits MFP has set, just by eating a serving or two! But, unless you have health issues (or water retention issues!) that require you to limit your intake of sodium or sugar, I would not worry too much about either one.
  • shadus
    shadus Posts: 424 Member
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    I kinda watch the sugar levels, because it tends to make me more hungry, but I don't even care about sodium, most things I put more salt on. Also if you're doing a lot of high energy exercise you will likely need a bit more of both to keep your electrolyte levels up. Might want to consider the occasional banana too for potassium and magnesium (also a free shot of several b vitamins.)
  • QueensGirl83
    QueensGirl83 Posts: 54 Member
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    I try not to go over my sodium because I know too much is not good. However, I don't sweat the sugar because a lot of times it went over due to fruit and I am not diabetic. However, you can change your chart to not show the sugar or sodium and customize it to what you do want it to show.
  • RM10003
    RM10003 Posts: 316 Member
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    Sodium yes--blood pressure has been creeping up with age, plus I definitely hold onto water when I eat too much. Sugar not so much because most of mine is not "added" sugar, and there is no history of diabetes in the family.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
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    Even if your healthy as a younger person it can have effects on you later in life so to me salt Is bad.
    You need salt, actually. Too little can be bad for you too. I"m not sure what the appropriate amount is, I track sodium but it's more of a curiosity. If cooking my own food I salt to taste without worrying about it, because my blood pressure has never been high. This time of year you probably need more sodium if you're working in the heat...

    Sugar I track and try to keep within range, but if I go over (especially if I go over because of fruit or some sort of planned indulgence) I don't worry too much.
  • lilmiss_sunshine29
    lilmiss_sunshine29 Posts: 136 Member
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    Like everyone commented, I watch my sodium more than sugar (most of which comes from fruit). Sodium to me means excessive water retention and upward mobility on the scale. Regardless of how old you are, I think one should pay particular attention to sodium intake.

    thanks. i do too watch both & was recently stressing about the continually over the allowance level of sugar. like today, just from having some fruit & greek yoghurt - it's over...really WTH?
    but sodium I watch because i personally worry about developing hypertension.
  • My0WNinspiration
    My0WNinspiration Posts: 1,146 Member
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    I don't worry about sugars at all. I track potassium instead of sodium.
  • EDollah
    EDollah Posts: 464 Member
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    I wouldn't bother tracking either, but since the default setting displays both, I do monitor them merely out of curiosity. I think it's interesting to see what has high sodium. I don't have high blood pressure at this point in time but I'm borderline (hopefully that goes away when get to target weight) so I'm mentally preparing to cut down sodium. Likewise for sugar, I just like knowing what foods unexpectedly have high sugar, such as 90% (number completely made up) of all breakfast cereals, including the "healthy" ones.
  • hungryhobbit1
    hungryhobbit1 Posts: 259 Member
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    OP, it sounds like it's very hot where you live and you bike to get most places. I'm sure you are drinking a lot of water. A little excess sodium in the summer may be a good thing for you. (But most likely not for most people here.)

    I try not to go over on sodium because it makes me bloat, and I hate looking in the mirror and seeing a big puffy face when I'm working so hard to not see that anymore.
  • Myxalplyx
    Myxalplyx Posts: 129 Member
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    Nope and nope. I watch calories, try to hit my protein and fat, then wing the rest.

    I'm with this guy! However, my answer is Yes and Yes. Sugar was a HUGE challenge in the past because I didn't know if it was even possible to stay under it. Changing how you eat to satisfy all of your nutritional goals while not going over sugar and sodium is a huge task. Once you get it though, you realize how easy it is.

    Hell, my Kashi cereal with banana and Prune juice in the morning pretty much killed my sugar intake for the day in the past. It's not the case anymore though. That's what makes using sites/apps like Myfitnesspal so useful. Good luck!

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