Sodium and weight gain

gertieblueboots
gertieblueboots Posts: 46
edited October 2024 in Food and Nutrition
Does sodium cause weight gain? I've noticed when I go way over in my sodium allowance for the day, weight ticks up a bit. And if it does, can this be counteracted with large quantities or water, cranberry juice, etc.?

Replies

  • TMcBooty
    TMcBooty Posts: 780 Member
    yes
  • oneoddsock
    oneoddsock Posts: 321 Member
    If you have too much salt, your body retains water, which is why your weight goes up. Drinking plenty of water will flush the excess salt out of your system, so you won't retain water and your weight should go down again.
  • demery12371
    demery12371 Posts: 253 Member
    It does for me. :(
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I would stick with the water and lots of it if you are getting too much sodium. Cranberry juice has a lot of calories.
  • rockylucas
    rockylucas Posts: 343 Member
    It does, but keep in mind it IS just water weight, so no need to freak out.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
    Does sodium cause weight gain? I've noticed when I go way over in my sodium allowance for the day, weight ticks up a bit. And if it does, can this be counteracted with large quantities or water, cranberry juice, etc.?

    Sodium causes you to retain water, which in turn causes you to very temporarily gain weight.

    Suggestions:
    1. Weigh every other day, instead of daily.
    2. On days when you've consumed a lot of sodium, take a diuretic, like diurex. I have had continuous problems with swelling since my pregnancy and have to do this occassionally. My feet really tend to swell easily.
  • rrrbecca11
    rrrbecca11 Posts: 477
    Yes, and just as bad, when it causes your tissue to retain water, one of those tissues is your blood vessels...which makes them swell, which makes it harder for your heart to pump blood through them, leading to high blood pressure. The best thing you can do is monitor your potassium intake. Your potassium intake needs to be roughly twice what your sodium intake is. You can monitor those on here. Google for a list of potassium rich foods...i.e. tomatoes, bananas, dried apricots, many many foods. Potassium serves to regulate blood pressure and water retention by flushing the sodium on a cellular level. You can find this information online. Diuretics are not healthy, for the most part, especially when you can handle the problem by watching what you eat and monitoring your levels.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
    It does, but keep in mind it IS just water weight, so no need to freak out.

    Very temporary! :)
  • CJK1959
    CJK1959 Posts: 279 Member
    Water, water, water....I never thought that I would advocate lots of water, but it works and the more I drink, the better a I feel, although I spend oodles of time in the restroom!
  • Gennawest
    Gennawest Posts: 171
    sodium/ satan. both start with "s('s). both part of the same family. :-}
  • TubbsMcGee
    TubbsMcGee Posts: 1,058 Member
    If you have too much salt, your body retains water, which is why your weight goes up. Drinking plenty of water will flush the excess salt out of your system, so you won't retain water and your weight should go down again.

    Exactly.

    I noticed a lot of people here have their sodium intake set really high for some reason...
    Food Guide says not to go above 1500mg, but most people have theirs set for over 2500mg!
  • Forensic
    Forensic Posts: 468 Member
    1500 is a low sodium diet. You do need sodium to live, remember.
  • gertieblueboots
    gertieblueboots Posts: 46
    I'm usually able to stick within the 2500 limit, but sometimes its difficult. I went to lunch with a friend for her birthday the other day, and the restaurant did not have much in the way of healthy stuff. I had a turkey sandwich thinking I was pretty safe, only to find out I'd just consumed 3,000+ mg of sodium when I put it into MFP on the ole droid!

    This is all what I expected to hear though...I know it causes water retention, I just wanted to make sure it was a temporary thing! I do weigh every day, but when I go up 1.5 lbs after having 4,000mg of sodium in a day, I don't freak out; I know it's coming down again. By the next day I'd already dropped a pound of that, thanks to a LOT of water. Let's just say the people in my little town woke up the next day wondering why the lake was so low...

    Thanks for the answers! I had no idea this forum was so dang active.
  • me1howard
    me1howard Posts: 45 Member
    I'm doing good to stick to my calories. Should I worry about sodium now or just get the 'eating better' situation under control?
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