Is this what sodium does?

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OAS5
OAS5 Posts: 374 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I should know all these answers after losing 72-73 pounds but sodium is a strange one. On Friday I was happy to see 200.2 on the scale. Saturday is a bit of a cheat day for me, not a go bananas day but just let off the gas a bit. I was WAY over on sodium. On Monday I was 203.6. That is all normal and what sodium does right? I was 203.0 exactly today, most likely 202 something tomorrow. 190-185 is the goal. Thanks for any help.

Replies

  • LyndaBSS
    LyndaBSS Posts: 6,964 Member
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    High sodium foods are evil! 😈
  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 374 Member
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    CSARdiver wrote: »
    Yup - water retention. Should even out with proper hydration in 5-7 days.

    I once put on ~12 lbs following a high sodium meal and back to back Spartan Races - glycogen + sodium.

    Thanks, my next question was gonna be how long before its out of the system. You answered that. Sodium really sucks.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    Yup it can definitely cause water retention. For me it's about a lb on the scale after a high sodium take-out meal, it goes down about two days later.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    Carbs retain water at the ratio of 3 grams water per 1 gram carb.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,083 Member
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    Yeah, sodium, plus the extra water grams for each extra carb gram, plus possibly a little more weight of food in transit in your digestive system, depending on what you ate.

    Depending on how much of the scale gain is which, the time until it drops off may differ. Balancing out the sodium might be quick-ish, if you're well (not excessively) hydrated after. Full digestive transit can potentially take 50+ hours, so a couple of days or so. I suspect individuals differ, too.

    You can learn a lot about how this works for you by weighing daily, and paying attention. ;)

    Get used to it: The effect is larger in maintenance, because the jumps happen against a background of more-or-less steady body fat levels, rather than against a background of gradually dropping body fat levels. :drinker:
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    edited November 2019
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    Sodium is the devil.

    When retaining water drink lots of water and eat foods high in potassium. Bananas and spinach are great for helping get it out of your system.

    I researched it one day after I was bloated from a pizza night and had a skating dress fitting in a couple if days. Also just be patient. It's temporary

    Also congrats you are so close to your goal.
  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 374 Member
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    And this morning 201.8 so I guess the sodium effect is going down. That sodium is a weird one that can annoy with the scale.
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    What were you doing during the 70ish pounds of weight loss that this is just now becoming noticeable for you? Were you weighing less frequently or eating the same basic food all the time?

  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 374 Member
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    NovusDies wrote: »
    What were you doing during the 70ish pounds of weight loss that this is just now becoming noticeable for you? Were you weighing less frequently or eating the same basic food all the time?

    Yes, when I started weighing every day and when I started to notice so this crazy stuff. I didn't start weighing every day till I was down 60 pounds down.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,083 Member
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    Cavallaro65 wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    What were you doing during the 70ish pounds of weight loss that this is just now becoming noticeable for you? Were you weighing less frequently or eating the same basic food all the time?

    Yes, when I started weighing every day and when I started to notice so this crazy stuff. I didn't start weighing every day till I was down 60 pounds down.

    In that case, you might like to read this:

    https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
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    Cavallaro65 wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    What were you doing during the 70ish pounds of weight loss that this is just now becoming noticeable for you? Were you weighing less frequently or eating the same basic food all the time?

    Yes, when I started weighing every day and when I started to notice so this crazy stuff. I didn't start weighing every day till I was down 60 pounds down.

    That makes sense. Read the article that @AnnPT77 posted. A simple rule is that sudden 24 hour weight changes are almost always mostly unrelated to fat.
  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 374 Member
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    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Cavallaro65 wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    What were you doing during the 70ish pounds of weight loss that this is just now becoming noticeable for you? Were you weighing less frequently or eating the same basic food all the time?

    Yes, when I started weighing every day and when I started to notice so this crazy stuff. I didn't start weighing every day till I was down 60 pounds down.

    In that case, you might like to read this:

    https://physiqonomics.com/the-weird-and-highly-annoying-world-of-scale-weight-and-fluctuations/

    Thanks, I will read that. I started reading it and will finish it. Very interesting subject.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,345 Member
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    yep that is what sodium does.
  • OAS5
    OAS5 Posts: 374 Member
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    Today back down to 200.8 and I hate to say it, I like that much better than seeing 203.2. 😁 I really have to make an effort to take in less sodium on the weekends. That's where your all happens, I watch what I eat but it seems I take in more sodium which messes with the numbers.

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