Sodium

kmard81
kmard81 Posts: 212 Member
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
Ugh, I keep going over in Sodium every day! MFP says I shouldnt go over 2500 but today I was over again! Its not on bad stuff, but my two big sodium things today were corn and campbells select harvest soup. What does going over on sodium mean? Can that slow down weight loss?

Replies

  • modelk
    modelk Posts: 15
    Yes it can slow down weight loss. I had the same problem for almost 3 weeks. this is the thing: water follows sodium, therefore if your consuming too much sodium you can gain weight most likley it will be water weight however I look at it like weight is weight we all want to see that number on the scale go down not up so be wise when picking your foods, some have more sodium than you would ever think, I actually plug in certain foods before i decide to eat then just to see the sodium count and try to avoid going over 2500
  • bp1984
    bp1984 Posts: 38 Member
    Generally it means you are retaining water which increases your overall weight but if your using a Body Fat scale it wont affect it much. I have the same problem because nearly everything that is pre-cooked/packaged has salt as a preservative. :/
  • jetscreaminagain
    jetscreaminagain Posts: 1,130 Member
    For me, going over on sodium risks me having an attack of vertigo, so I really don't. For regular people, I think it is a risk of retaining water (and having artificially high weights). Over the long haul, high sodium can lead to high blood pressure and other long-term, chronic, yet not obvious health problems. If you're mostly near or below the sodium mark, and you aren't having problems, it might not be too big a deal. Canned soups are high in sodium, pretty much as a guarantee.
  • LoserCruiser
    LoserCruiser Posts: 184
    Cambells soups are the worst for sodium I find! That and processed foods of coarse! I love some campbells chicken noodle soup and its low in cals, BUT that dang sodium in it is a whole days worth in one can!
  • Holton
    Holton Posts: 1,018
    Try not to rely on processed/canned foods so much. Fresh is so much healthier and you control all seasoning. Make your own soups in bulk and freeze. No need to add salt there are so many other herbs that add flavor. Shopping the perimeter of the grocery store (fresh and frozen and lean meats) are key to your success and a healthier lifestyle. I try to avoid all the aisles, though enjoy black beans and peanut butter and coffee, so not saying they are off limits, but you gotta be picky or you are going to thwart your progress. Good luck to you on your journey!
  • kappyblu
    kappyblu Posts: 654 Member
    You know, I do not have sodium as one of my levels I monitor like fat, protein, etc. I know that I probably consume too much sodium, but it is not a major worry of mine at this time. My blood pressure is always very good. It is always appx. 100 over 50. I even had a recent doctor's visit and had a levels of 90 over 55. My main worry is cholesterol. My total # is normal, but my HDL could be a lot higher, and my LDL could be a lot lower. I also think my triglycerides are kind of up there. Again, all in normal range but still pretty close to those borderline numbers. So I monitor my cholesterol and keep it under 300 98% of the time.

    So, now that I took that little side trip talking about that...if you have high blood pressure worries, then monitoring your sodium is wise. But about weight loss, all I can say is that I have not done it and have lost 40.8 pounds so far since August. I am not telling you not to monitor it, just sharing what my experience has been. Of course, I do not pour buckets of salt on my food and am eating very few processed foods these days as well. I also take magnesium every day to help with any bloating I have. (I learned this on Dr. Oz)

    Now don't anybody get in an uproar about this. I have decided to monitor my sodium for a week and see where I'm at. I will see if cutting back can have good effects.
  • ClearCanada
    ClearCanada Posts: 9
    I am interested in the same question, but most places I've researched just say it contributes to high blood pressure and heart disease. I think the body tries to dilute excess salt by retaining water in the blood. This makes your scales weigh heavier so that alone makes me want to make homemade soup.

    I would like a doctor or nutritionist to explain what happens at the cellular level in different affected organs though.

    I'm a big fan of roasting vegetables in the oven and then making a soup base from that. The processed soup is always too high in sodium I find. A few days without the high salt content and you don't miss it at all.

    Smiles
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    i don't worry about it. i don't have blood pressure issues and i drink 3-4 litres of water per day
  • sosmooth2
    sosmooth2 Posts: 11
    Does water really flush the sodium out of your body?
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
    Does water really flush the sodium out of your body?

    yes because sodium follows water when filtrating through the kidneys
  • kmard81
    kmard81 Posts: 212 Member
    Thanks so much for all of this helpful advice!
This discussion has been closed.

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