Too much Salt

caroline_mason42
caroline_mason42 Posts: 83 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am trying to eat healthy but I have to be honest I am sure I have too much salt, on my potatoes, on my salad etc and I have seen posts that this can stall weight loss, is this actually a fact that it stops you loosing or is the weight loss masked as you can retain fluid with too much salt....I would love to cut it out but the food just seems so bland without it and I dont want to stray to high calorie options just to satisfy my taste buds :smile:

Replies

  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
    the weight loss masked as you can retain fluid with too much salt

    this^

    unless you eat ginormous amounts of salt and you don't have amedical condition there is no real reason to cut salt. Just drink some more water. And beware that the day after a high sodium day you might be 'heavier' on the scale.
    I jumped 2.5 lbs from yesterday to today cause I had a massive protion of very salty chips last night
  • pugsleyjean
    pugsleyjean Posts: 135 Member
    I am by no means an expert but when I eat too much salt I retain water. I can fluctuate anywhere from 2-5lbs with the days I go overboard on salt. I don't add salt to my meals but I eat a lot of processed foods which have more sodium. Try limiting the amount you put on each item and slowly decrease the need to add it to all foods. I have recently started putting Mrs. Dash on a few items instead of salt for some flavor and they make some that are salt free.
  • caroline_mason42
    caroline_mason42 Posts: 83 Member
    thank you very much for the advice - do you know if there is a difference in the effect between proper salt and that low salt alternative? I have never tried it but I do know I use too much salt......
  • echofm1
    echofm1 Posts: 471 Member
    Yeah, it's all water retention that's the problem. Salt doesn't make you gain fat, but in the beginning particularly it can make it look like you haven't lost any weight.

    If you eat it on so many things though, it would probably be beneficial to cut some out so you don't end up skinny with high blood pressure. Or eat lots of potassium with it. Try other things that aren't as salt-heavy as putting actual grains of salt onto it. Dressings on your salad, ketchup on potatoes, or maybe garlic on your potatoes instead. I discovered that I'm not as big a fan of salt as I thought. A dash of it on my potatoes is usually enough to satisfy, and what I really like is the pepper taste.

    The longer you eat something without putting salt on it, the better it'll taste. Much like when habitual pop drinkers (me!) actively make themselves drink water. At first it tastes bland and gross, but eventually you start to enjoy the taste.
  • wjrapp
    wjrapp Posts: 56 Member
    Switch to Himalayan pink salt instead of regular white table salt. It's much better for us and has minerals that our bodies need, whereas table salt can be harmful. Increase your magnesium and potassium intake to help counter and balance sodium in your body. Don't forget to drink enough water daily also. Try to limit or eliminate processed foods too.
  • zacharydeveaux
    zacharydeveaux Posts: 17 Member
    I don't think it stops you losing. It does kind of mask your results, makes you hold more water, etc.

    There are other negative effects of too much salt as well....but I'm not a nutritionist (I think it's high blood pressure and a handful of other things).

    When I was losing, I did find that if I ate something too high in sodium, the scale would often read higher the next day regardless of whether I was under my calories / had exercised. This 'bogus weight' would go away within 2-3 days if I ate normally and drank lots of water.
  • quksan
    quksan Posts: 25 Member
    Try using Mrs. Dash it comes in a lot of flavors and is salt free. Use more spices and you can try Spike the one with the blue top is salt free. I crave salt so I know what you mean however its so bad for our hearts. I'm slowing down but I still go over my sodium intake a lot. Good Luck.:flowerforyou:
  • selfepidemic1
    selfepidemic1 Posts: 159 Member
    If you use salt like lo-salt it has potassium, great for your heart and blood pressure.

    I actually have to have more salt on my food, which is cool because I like it. However if I don't I start seeing black when I stand up etc. Which is no good for anyone.

    Lo-salt is pretty good if you're not eating bananas or anything else potassium high. That or some sports drinks that replace electrolytes.
  • JackiSto
    JackiSto Posts: 56 Member
    I've found that salt is the nutritional measure I struggle with most. I have lots of calorie/fat/fiber friendly recipes that I made, but often they include canned tomatoes of some kind and those suckers are PACKED with salt! Ech.

    Think I'm going to have to learn how to can this year.
  • Aaliyahgurl83
    Aaliyahgurl83 Posts: 23
    I have had the same problem with salt myself and I am on the Advocare diet and i was told to use Mrs Dash. I mean you have to have some sort of flavor to your food even though your watching what you eat you have to enjoy your meal!
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,123 Member
    Whenever I have a high sodium day... I just drink a TON of water to counteract it. I can usually tell when I'm retaining water because I've got the "squishy fat" going on.
  • Commander_Keen
    Commander_Keen Posts: 1,179 Member
    isn't that 1 and the same.. if you retain, too much water you will not see the weightloss until you go pee.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    Lo-salt is pretty good

    This.

    Anytime I add salt to foods at the table, I use the lo-salt. Also, get some garlic powder. For me, I found that for just about anything I used to put salt on, I could sprinkle a bit of garlic powder (not "garlic salt") and a TINY amount of lo-salt and things like potatoes or steamed vegetables tasted way better.
  • jeccawest91
    jeccawest91 Posts: 94 Member
    My sodium is almost always over what MFP gives me, I just drink a TON of water. Normally anywhere between 12 and 18 glasses a day. If I am working out its usually between 16 and 20. I just like water a lot :) But I am always careful not to wash out any electrolytes.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    is this actually a fact that it stops you loosing or is the weight loss masked as you can retain fluid with too much salt....I would love to cut it out but the food just seems so bland without it and I dont want to stray to high calorie options just to satisfy my taste buds :smile:

    The fat loss may be masked by water retention. But water weighs and looks much like fat, so if you are routinely bloated it might be time to do something about it. Getting more potassium in your diet can help as the mix of sodium and potassium is import for controlling water weight. I would also suggest exploring different seasonings. A well seasoned dish needs much less salt than if salt is your main seasoning.

    Look up recipes and explore using different herbs, both fresh and dried, and maybe try some of the salt-free seasoning blends available.
  • juiletflt
    juiletflt Posts: 159
    As others have said it's mainly water retention, but there are a LOT of other ways to make food very flavorful without adding salt, or much salt. Your cooking method is one... growing up we always microwaved frozen veggies, now I roast fresh veggies in the oven or grill them. I can't believe the difference.

    I also love adding things like fresh herbs... rosemary leaves, basil, cilantro, etc.... so much yummier than just adding salt.
  • Dgydad
    Dgydad Posts: 104 Member
    Please also remember that even if you banish the salt shaker from your table, you are still vulnerable. If your diet contains processed foods, (as does mine), you can get a "boat-load" of sodium that way. I offer this as encouragement; if you drop the salt, but still don't see the expected improvement, it isn't necessarily an indication of "failure".......
  • mcrook1976
    mcrook1976 Posts: 1
    I'm not sure on the facts but, I have learned to eat without salt. If you enjoy seasoning, buy all of the Mrs. Dash line! They are all sodium free and taste great, not to mention there are several flavors. Hope this at least helps.

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