I need help with my sodium intake!

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megamoo04
megamoo04 Posts: 269
in Health and Weight Loss
I am new to all this stuff and i am starting to see that i go over in my sodium, i open to all kinds of help!!

thank you !

Replies

  • peanut613
    peanut613 Posts: 438 Member
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    Restaurants and processed foods are loaded with sodium. Stick with fresh fruits/veggies, lean meat, etc. I've been told that you should shop around the grocery store (ie produce, meat, dairy) and a skip all the boxed and canned junk in the aisles.
  • megamoo04
    megamoo04 Posts: 269
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    I have been to a resturant since i started this or ate much processed food but i somehow always go over my sodium not by much usually and i like how do i stop it lol

    Thanks for your advice :)
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    If you open your diary we can see waht you are eating and make suggestions otherwise you will just get generic comments you can look up in the older "too much sodium" threads. MFP is actually very generous on the amount of sodium it gives you, so if you are not willing to change the foods you are eating you will need to increase your water intake above the 8-8oz glasses a day.
  • megamoo04
    megamoo04 Posts: 269
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    If you open your diary we can see waht you are eating and make suggestions otherwise you will just get generic comments you can look up in the older "too much sodium" threads. MFP is actually very generous on the amount of sodium it gives you, so if you are not willing to change the foods you are eating you will need to increase your water intake above the 8-8oz glasses a day.

    I just open it and i am very willing to change my foods i just dont no what to change, i no a couple of things that i can change and i am working on that now and as far as the water i drink more then 8 glasses a day that is all i drink all day long...

    so if i go over my sodium my extra water intake will wash some of that out?
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I'm in the same boat... WAAAAY over on my sodium most days. Most of mine is from lunch meats and prepared foods. Just gotta find some alternatives that are easy and taste reasonably decent.
  • megamoo04
    megamoo04 Posts: 269
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    I am fine with my calories it the damn sodium that gets me ugh!
  • mandahq
    mandahq Posts: 88 Member
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    My sodium was kicking my butt till this week. Im not sure if you can see my diary. If not add me as a friend and take a look. This week is the only week Ive been doing really good at it. maybe it will give you an idea. Also plan meals ahead! I plan the night before so I can change things if i have to much of things. my numbers for sugar and protein are over to. First I tackled my sodium then im gonna work on sugar then protein. its a slow process but im getting there. its hard to do if you dont plan ahead.
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Ok pretty much everything you eat most days is processed in some way. Stop having all the crackers, cereal, and cereal/granola bars for snacks and try some whole fruits and veggies.

    I dont know if the crockpot dinners are ones you entered yourself or found in the log, if they are your own recipes you REALLY need to look up low-sodium crockpot options. I season all of my crockpot items myself and its much lower sodium per serving (unless I do pulled BBQ chicken in the crockpot, then I just go over)

    You eat oatmeal every day for breakfast, save yourself money and sodium and just get regular oatmeal and flavor it yourself.

    Overall you just need more natural foods in your diet vs all the packaged stuff. Avoid lunch meats, sour cream and cottage cheese. If you want them then just watch your sodium at other meals for the day.

    The bright side is you arent as bad as some others I have seen!

    And yes I cant remember the exact water amount vs excess sodium but extra water helps flush out the excess sodium preventing water retention (and a false weight gain)

    Your body only needs 800-1200 mg of sodium for normal function (the 1200 is with excercise unless its extreme) the guideline of 2500mg is for a 2200 calorie a day diet per the FDA.
  • megamoo04
    megamoo04 Posts: 269
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    My sodium was kicking my butt till this week. Im not sure if you can see my diary. If not add me as a friend and take a look. This week is the only week Ive been doing really good at it. maybe it will give you an idea. Also plan meals ahead! I plan the night before so I can change things if i have to much of things. my numbers for sugar and protein are over to. First I tackled my sodium then im gonna work on sugar then protein. its a slow process but im getting there. its hard to do if you dont plan ahead.

    thanks :) i may have got it down today i have 638 left in sodium and i just need to add a side to my dinner and i am done...i try to plan ahead with meals but i can never decide lol
  • megamoo04
    megamoo04 Posts: 269
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    Ok pretty much everything you eat most days is processed in some way. Stop having all the crackers, cereal, and cereal/granola bars for snacks and try some whole fruits and veggies.

    I dont know if the crockpot dinners are ones you entered yourself or found in the log, if they are your own recipes you REALLY need to look up low-sodium crockpot options. I season all of my crockpot items myself and its much lower sodium per serving (unless I do pulled BBQ chicken in the crockpot, then I just go over)

    You eat oatmeal every day for breakfast, save yourself money and sodium and just get regular oatmeal and flavor it yourself.

    Overall you just need more natural foods in your diet vs all the packaged stuff. Avoid lunch meats, sour cream and cottage cheese. If you want them then just watch your sodium at other meals for the day.

    The bright side is you arent as bad as some others I have seen!

    And yes I cant remember the exact water amount vs excess sodium but extra water helps flush out the excess sodium preventing water retention (and a false weight gain)

    Your body only needs 800-1200 mg of sodium for normal function (the 1200 is with excercise unless its extreme) the guideline of 2500mg is for a 2200 calorie a day diet per the FDA.

    great! thank you so much, i will finish with what i have at home and start that way...i am going to the market tonight and that means a whole new list....

    I am going to keep drinking that extra water so it can help me out

    thank you again :)
  • poesch77
    poesch77 Posts: 1,005 Member
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    I struggle with this too and am always checking sodium on things! Unfortunately sodium is in almost everything especially the tasty stuff....cheese, meats, soups!! Best to stick with whole foods, fruits and veggies. I have found low sodium lunchmeat, Sargento makes low sodium cheese.....they have low sodium soups and no salt canned veggies. Watch with tuna and frozen meals...very high!! Also I have found that regular cottage cheese has less than fatfree or lowfat....I LOVE cottage cheese so I buy the regular large curd. You just gotta do a little comparing. It also helps to plan ahead your diary...you can always alter it!
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
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    I have high blood pressure and had to cut my sodium to 1200mg/day (some days I am more successful than others!)

    First thing to go has to be ALL fast food. No exceptions! (And most restaurant food)

    Second is junk food. Chips, dips, soft drinks. All contain sodium & refined sugars.

    Third is almost all processed foods. Frozen Foods - Canned food - Prepared Sauces - Deli Meats - Pickles - Breads - Most Cereals - Etc.

    Now on to what you CAN eat. Pretty much everything else! Ha Ha!

    I eat lots of Oatmeal, fruits & veggies. Along with non-salted nuts. Lots of beans, chickpeas & lentils. Meat of all kinds but lean cuts and small portions. As I continue to adjust my diet, meat will probably disappear.

    If you have no heart or blood pressure issues you should be OK at 2500mg/day. If you have any health issues, like I do, the count will be 1200mg/day, or less.

    Start by checking the serving size and sodium count on everything you eat. MFP is a great help for this! (Note that you can make sure that sodium shows up when you load your food everyday, a great way to keep track).

    For some interesting recipe ideas check out: http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/

    Not sure about where you live? But in my grocery store I am seeing more and more "No Salt" added produce. Tuna, salmon & canned tomatoes are the best example of no salt added food I am able to buy.

    The hardest work is making the initial change. Once you are used to keeping track of your sodium intake it gets easier and it does not take long before you will lose the taste for anything salty.

    Last though, MFP suggests that you drink 8 glasses of water per day. If you have not already, I would suggest that make this a must in your daily routine.

    Best of luck!
  • megamoo04
    megamoo04 Posts: 269
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    I have high blood pressure and had to cut my sodium to 1200mg/day (some days I am more successful than others!)

    First thing to go has to be ALL fast food. No exceptions! (And most restaurant food)

    Second is junk food. Chips, dips, soft drinks. All contain sodium & refined sugars.

    Third is almost all processed foods. Frozen Foods - Canned food - Prepared Sauces - Deli Meats - Pickles - Breads - Most Cereals - Etc.

    Now on to what you CAN eat. Pretty much everything else! Ha Ha!

    thank you have i have stoped going to resturant i have cut out all junk and all sodas and juices i drink water lots of water every day...i just need to now cut out the process snack n oatmeal n just make my own i am not the type of person that has to have salt i can live with out so that is why i dont understand how i keep going over it, I read labels and compare the grocery store takes me forever to go thru anymore. I am sure once i figure my plan out i will be able to do it :)

    I eat lots of Oatmeal, fruits & veggies. Along with non-salted nuts. Lots of beans, chickpeas & lentils. Meat of all kinds but lean cuts and small portions. As I continue to adjust my diet, meat will probably disappear.

    If you have no heart or blood pressure issues you should be OK at 2500mg/day. If you have any health issues, like I do, the count will be 1200mg/day, or less.

    Start by checking the serving size and sodium count on everything you eat. MFP is a great help for this! (Note that you can make sure that sodium shows up when you load your food everyday, a great way to keep track).

    For some interesting recipe ideas check out: http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/

    Not sure about where you live? But in my grocery store I am seeing more and more "No Salt" added produce. Tuna, salmon & canned tomatoes are the best example of no salt added food I am able to buy.

    The hardest work is making the initial change. Once you are used to keeping track of your sodium intake it gets easier and it does not take long before you will lose the taste for anything salty.

    Last though, MFP suggests that you drink 8 glasses of water per day. If you have not already, I would suggest that make this a must in your daily routine.

    Best of luck!
  • reddingaz
    reddingaz Posts: 39 Member
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    Has anyone noticed any "side effects" while cutting their sodium? I'm not terribly over but have been making an effort to stay in the guidlines set by MFP & I've been having headaches for the last week - Just wondering if they're related?
  • chris0912
    chris0912 Posts: 242 Member
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    I was in the same boat for a long time. But then I started shopping around and REALLY looking at labels. Most of my veg is fresh, but when I do buy canned I look for and buy only those that say No Added Salt. Lunch meat is a killer. I have found one kind of turkey breast at Costco called Dietz and Watson (under 200 for 2 slices) that I live by for lunches. And there's a line of broth/stock called Kitchen Basics (if you can find it) that has chicken, beef and vegetable flavors with no added salt. Cheese is notoriously high, but Sargento reduced fat swiss is very low in comparison to their other cheeses. I'm not a huge swiss fan, but I'm trying to adjust to it just for the lower sodium level. You said you haven't eaten out since starting this, but at some point you will. Just be aware that when you do, you will exceed your sodium for the day and plan accordingly with the rest of your food. And don't buy into the hype on foods that say sea salt. Although they tend to be lower than their table salt equivalents, it's not by much. Also, by law, foods that say reduced sodium only have to have 30% less sodium than the full salt version so look for the no added salt.
  • megamoo04
    megamoo04 Posts: 269
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    Thank you everyone!


    I was under my sodium yesterday by 680 :) woohoo!

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