What effects can sodium have on your appearance?

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abrazame
abrazame Posts: 61 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
OK, so I started my journey in feb. I've lost 20 pounds since then I felt like I can't see much of a difference. Until a few days ago, I paid attention to my calorie intake only. I never looked at my sugar intake,sodium intake, etc...

I'm just wondering if the fact that I have always ate a ton of sodium is contributing to my fluffiness. Especially around my midsection... I eat a TON of lean cuisines, ramen etc. I do cook, but I just really like those things. To gie you an idea of how much sodium I eat, since last thursday I have probably have had upwards of 20,000mg if sodium. about three days ago I had 4 instant yakisoba noodle trays. One for breakfast, one for lunch, etc. There is around 700mg of sodium in one tray. I had another two yesterday and one today. Not to mention I had about 3 or 4 lean cuisines this week too...

I'm starting to wonder how much of a change I will see if I cut the sodium... Has anyone cut sodium and noticed a difference if the way your body looks?

How long will it take for my sodium levels to get back to normal?

Replies

  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    Sodium can cause water retention, which can contribute to slight "fluffiness" in some cases. Lowering the amount of sodium you have daily will help flush out extra water weight and could reduce the appearance of "fluffy".

    To what degree would this be noticeable? I do not know.

    Any diet high in sodium should have plenty of water and potassium to help offset.
  • natstar26
    natstar26 Posts: 130 Member
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    I do know that excess consumption of sodium creates water retention, thus making you bloat. That's about all i know really lol Eating healthy and drinking lots of water does eventually give you a healthier look to your skin but sodium no idea lol
  • natstar26
    natstar26 Posts: 130 Member
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    Sodium can cause water retention, which can contribute to slight "fluffiness" in some cases. Lowering the amount of sodium you have daily will help flush out extra water weight and could reduce the appearance of "fluffy".

    To what degree would this be noticeable? I do not know.

    Any diet high in sodium should have plenty of water and potassium to help offset.
    What he said lol Smart man :)
  • iPlatano
    iPlatano Posts: 487 Member
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    Sodium can cause water retention, which can contribute to slight "fluffiness" in some cases. Lowering the amount of sodium you have daily will help flush out extra water weight and could reduce the appearance of "fluffy".

    To what degree would this be noticeable? I do not know.

    Any diet high in sodium should have plenty of water and potassium to help offset.

    Well said!
  • MicheleWE
    MicheleWE Posts: 179 Member
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    20000 mg of sodium in one day????? Beyond weight loss and appearance this much sodium is bad for your health and you may want to consider cutting down. The recommended daily allowance is only 1800mg. Long term high sodium can contribute to high blood pressure which leads to all sorts of bad things.
    Not trying to be rude, I am actually concerned about your health.
  • abrazame
    abrazame Posts: 61 Member
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    I feel like such an idiot. I know that a huge portion of a weight is based on how much you eat but the more I read up about the more I believe that the amount of salt I am eating has something to do with my weight and how much my weight fluctuates. .. . I am always bloated often to the point where It's painful. My jeans could be slightly loose one day and then two days later I cant even button them up.

    And it's not just my appearance. My doctor said something about my blood pressure the last time I visited. I have symptoms of high blood pressure....

    I'm started to get scared I have did irreversible damage to my body. I am already at a higher risk for high blood pressure due to my race and my family...

    Am I overreacting?
  • abrazame
    abrazame Posts: 61 Member
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    20000 mg of sodium in one day????? Beyond weight loss and appearance this much sodium is bad for your health and you may want to consider cutting down. The recommended daily allowance is only 1800mg. Long term high sodium can contribute to high blood pressure which leads to all sorts of bad things.
    Not trying to be rude, I am actually concerned about your health.

    No. In one week.
  • Agatefairy
    Agatefairy Posts: 153 Member
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    You can correct it-is the damage irreversible? Well pre-hypertension and hypertension are reversible. One of the methods of doing that is by following a low sodium diet, and as someone said above-increase your intake of Vitamin K. I actually have high blood pressure, and I've noticed that I too eat a copious amount of sodium. I'm also "fluffy" from water retention. I've started by cutting down on consuming any pre-made meals. Even Lean Cuisines, Healthy Choice etc contain copious amounts of sodium. Also-look for low sodium options. There are low sodium lunch meats, soups, and even prepackaged meals. Label reading definitely helps, so you don't have to give up convenience completely to eat healthfully. There are also herbs that can help with water retention, but I would first reduce your sodium intake and then go from there. A good diet to follow (for ideas) is the DASH diet made by the American Heart Association. It's low sodium and can help reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure. It's free, and it can help give you some guidelines and info on sodium intake and healthy food options. Good luck to you!:flowerforyou:
  • iPlatano
    iPlatano Posts: 487 Member
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    20000 mg of sodium in one day????? Beyond weight loss and appearance this much sodium is bad for your health and you may want to consider cutting down. The recommended daily allowance is only 1800mg. Long term high sodium can contribute to high blood pressure which leads to all sorts of bad things.
    Not trying to be rude, I am actually concerned about your health.

    I eat around 4000mg everyday + drink a lot of water and feel good all the time.

    Cutting sodium out to that amount while being active can actually do more harm than good. The more active you are, the more sodium you need. I actually feel dizzy if I go below 3000.
  • GreatDepression
    GreatDepression Posts: 347 Member
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    I have a sodium sensitivity and unfortunately I like salty foods (i.e. jerky). For me, even slightly too much sodium will cause my eyelids to swell up and itch with water retention. It's horrible and started when I was in college and ate a lot of instant noodle packets.
  • CA_Underdog
    CA_Underdog Posts: 733 Member
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    I'm started to get scared I have did irreversible damage to my body. I am already at a higher risk for high blood pressure due to my race and my family... Am I overreacting?
    In the USA, the medical community advises 1500-2300mg of sodium per day, and on the lower end if you have risk factors for high blood pressure or heart disease. You're ingesting more than that. I would try to cut back, gradually if-needed. The good news is, you can get most of the way to a healthy diet with manageable levels of sodium, by simply eating more whole foods and fewer processed ones.
  • feedmedonuts
    feedmedonuts Posts: 241 Member
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    Yikes. I'm a little concerned after reading this post. There's some days I consumed just shy of 4,000mg of sodium and most days just shy of 2,000mg. I've never noticed any ill effects...yet I guess. As far as appearance I deal with bloat so maybe that's the culprit. Sometimes I wonder if my face looks swollen or if I'm just overreacting. Time to cut back a little.......so long beef jerky :-(
  • Bearbrat
    Bearbrat Posts: 230
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