Sodium and Weight loss

sarahazelnut99
sarahazelnut99 Posts: 307 Member
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
Im trying to gain a better understanding as to why sodium effects your weight loss.
i know you retain water weight but isnt that just temporary?

I'm asking because pickles are my favorite snack and with little to no calories they are my perfect buddy
...if i was trying to justify eating fries or chips it would be a different story right? RIGHT?!

Replies

  • LOVEthighSELF
    LOVEthighSELF Posts: 104 Member
    bump
  • daphne_gets_fit
    daphne_gets_fit Posts: 73 Member
    *bump* That's a good question, I would like to know the answer to this as well.
  • tonyaroseprewitt
    tonyaroseprewitt Posts: 25 Member
    Me too. I crave lemons and I mean really crave them the problem is I can not eat them without salt. I know it isn't good for me but I still eat them. I would love to know how this affects my weight loss.
  • bean8378
    bean8378 Posts: 1 Member
    By cutting out the sodium you can initially expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds, depending on your body size. But once you reintroduce the sodium, some or all of the water weight will return. While reducing your sodium intake is a major factor in maintaining metabolism and eliminating water weight, reducing calories, exercising, and drinking plenty of water will still be your best strategy for long-term weight loss.
  • Maya129
    Maya129 Posts: 3
    I'm a salt fanatic, I've never worried about sodium... Sodium does make you retain water, but the offset for sodium is potassium. You don't want to exceed your potassium goals because going overboard on potassium is dangerous, but I've found that I never even come close to meeting the daily goals, even if I take a supplement. If you make sure to eat foods high in potassium (bananas, kiwis, avocados), then it'll help flush out some of the sodium. Also a great way to get rid of extra water and slim down just a little bit before a big date or a vacation. :-)
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    Basically, if you eat a lot of sodium, you're holding extra water that your body doesn't need... so like, for a few weeks I've been up 2 lbs. I know I didn't eat 7000 extra calories to gain weight but it's frustrating knowing that I'm up 2 lbs even though I know it's water weight. Hope that make sense.
  • sarahazelnut99
    sarahazelnut99 Posts: 307 Member
    all of what your saying makes sense but its still only short time weight loss right?
    and my mom always eats her lemons with salt! :-)
  • tam120
    tam120 Posts: 444 Member
    I read that sodium in moderation (just like anything else) is fine as long as you don't have a history of hypertension (High BP) or heart disease. I think that reducing sodium intake should be a general health choice not a diet/weight loss choice, losing weight by reducing sodium means nothing to me.
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