How bad is sodium? I am averaging 2500-5000mgs/day!!!

It causes you to retain water. So you are holding onto some extra water weight.

Sodium causes water retention - think of when that time of the month hits and you suddenly put on 5 lbs for no reason, it's just like that! Even with drinking a ton of water and lowering your sodium the following days it can take up to 3 days for your body to clear out just ONE high sodium day.

High sodium intake over a long period of time can lead to many terrible conditions including high blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease, and kidney failure.

Take some time to look over your nutrition and find some ways to fit in more natural and less processed foods. Looking through food stores you can often find a lot of foods marked "lower sodium" and that's a start at least! Fruits/veggies are sodium free while lunch meats will ruin your day - ramen noodles will ruin your week lol. Be sure to use the search button at the top and type in sodium as a keyword, you'll find a ton of discussions on short term and long term effects as well as how to reduce sodium intake in your daily diet - good luck!

I've noticed that anything low fat or low calorie will be high in sodium. Sadly, you cannot get away from that. If you consume high levels of sodium, you will retain water a bit more. My Wellness Instructor said to increase my water intake to at least 10 cups a day. She went on about how water intake does have an impact on weight loss but I sort of zoned out during that bit. I usually drink 10-15 glasses a day. I like water lol

The concern with sodium isn't just about water retention causing you to see bigger numbers than necessary on the scale. It also causes high blood pressure, heart problems and stroke, amongst other things... http://www.realage.com/tips/sodium-intake-risk-of-stroke

So, how bad is sodium for your diet/weight gain? I just looked at my logs and realize I average between 2500-5000mgs per day. I do not "add" salt to anything. Occasionally, I will have fast food or processed food, but it is not the everday norm. I drink tons of water every day between 8-12 8oz glasses. I have read that that is good to flush out the sodium, but then also read it flushes out electrolytes. Sometimes I feel a little "off" and I wonder if that is why. I just had a complete physical, blood work, etc. And I was given a good bill of health, normal blood pressure, normal chlosterol, etc etc.

Number 1: I wanna know how much it will impede with me losing 20lbs?

Number 2: How bad is it for my health? What are the long-term consequences, considering I am "healthy" now at almost 40?

In answer to Q2 (as that is probably more important than the 20 lb question)

The kidneys are the main regulators of sodium levels in the body. Too much sodium can cause high blood pressure and many other health conditions. On the other hand, if sodium levels drop too low, the hormone aldosterone is released and this increases the amount of sodium held in the body by reducing the amount lost in urine. Excessive sodium loss is very rare, but low sodium levels in the body can be dangerous if not treated.

Around 75 per cent of the salt in our diet comes from processed foods. Nutritionists recognise it may be difficult for many people to reduce their salt intake to the ideal level, given our current food supply. Heart Foundation advice is that all individuals should at least reduce their salt intake to less than 6g of salt a day (approximately 2,300mg of sodium a day) as a first step towards reaching the recommended levels. This is approximately 1½ teaspoons of salt.

High sodium intake and blood pressure
The scientific literature linking sodium intake to blood pressure is extensive and dates back more than 100 years. Populations with a high average salt intake have a higher average blood pressure and higher levels of hypertension (high blood pressure).

Reducing the amount of salt you have will lower high blood pressure – the extent depends on your age and blood pressure. People with high blood pressure, diabetes or chronic kidney disease, and those who are older or overweight, are particularly susceptible to the effect of too much sodium on blood pressure. However, sodium reduction may not lower blood pressure in younger people with low or normal blood pressure.

High sodium intake and other health conditions
Excessive sodium intake has also been linked to other conditions, such as:
Heart failure
Kidney problems and kidney stones
Oedema
Stroke
Gastric cancer
Left ventricular hypertrophy
Osteoporosis.
A high level of salt intake increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine, which may also contribute to osteoporosis and increased risk of fracture.

The balance of sodium and water in the body can also be disrupted if there is not enough water. This may be caused by a damaged thirst mechanism or by limited access to water. Hypernatremia is a very serious condition that occurs when your sodium levels rise above 145mEq/L. It can lead to death. A major symptom is thirst and treatment usually involves controlled water replacement.

This information has been taken / summarized from medical websites for you.

What is a typical day in your food diary? What are you eating that is soooo loaded with sodium? I know a lot of deli meats and soups are.

My sodium is always high... not usually as high as your but its higher than recommended by MFP; which I would imagine is already on the high side anyway. I do add salt to things. I love savory, salty goodies more than sweet things. I add salt to things that I deem not salty enough and I swear its because I can't taste anything anymore.

Too much sodium is not good for you. It causes a ton of problems in your body over long term use high blood pressure being a common one. Its a tough one to get around.

as said by other posters, the water retention is the least of it. salt is a silent killer and a major cause of heart disease and high blood pressure, amongst other nasties. in terms of actual weight loss, it doesn't make much of a difference.

there are some misconceptions floating around out there about sodium, and with so much conflicting information out there about the effects it has on the body that most of what is stated is the "medical norm". I say "medical norm" with quotation marks because almost every number that it lists has little if any data supporting it. if you don't believe me, ask a statistician. how much sodium the body needs is largely affected by its mass, not only that but also the composition of its mass. more muscle more sodium. that is why meats without added salt still have it.

here is what we do know for certain.
1) sat is a necessity of life. it prevents dehydration, and provides a catalyst for electrical impulses. those with a salt deficiency suffer anima, digestive problems, high blood pressure, diminished kidney function, and diminished liver function. I also offer this fact gatorade was originally invented to make it easier for athletes (florida gaiters) to drink salt water.
2) yes, excessive sodium intake will cause you to hold on to more water, but this isn't necessarily bad especially if your doing any extensive exercise. the more you sweat the more salt you need.
3) high doses of sodium can cause kidney damage, but to do that would require massive amounts. a quart of sea water would do it. as long as you have two healthy kidneys, it would be impossible to consume the amount of sodium required to do any damage to the body.
4) the only evidence that suggests that sodium has any affect on blood pressure is at best circumstantial and even then the results are minimal. however eating more plant matter and less red meat as well as staying clear of heavily processed foods has profound effect.

Read This, its an article about sodium from the American Heart Association.

http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4708/