Sodium Intake: Do u care?

JaenaM
JaenaM Posts: 251 Member
edited October 3 in Food and Nutrition
I don't pay one bit of attention to my sodium intake. I keep my calories down and my protein up and that's about all I really care about. I know sodium makes you retain water but it doesn't make you gain fat. I drink tons of water and sweat as though there were an entire lake inside of me so again, I don't worry about sodium as I like my flavor too much. But how about you?

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    i don't suffer from hypertension so i don't give sodium too much of a thought
  • rockylucas
    rockylucas Posts: 343 Member
    I grumble about it when I retain water, but my blood pressure is fine so I dont really care. Salt is yummy :)
  • GymRatRaceRunner
    GymRatRaceRunner Posts: 160 Member
    I watch it a little bit, but if I go over, I'm not too worried about it. I just try to make sure I don't double my limit. I drink tons of water and I sweat a lot, too. Plus I heard that sodium only makes you retain about 2lbs of water max. Extra water flushes extra sodium out. I pee about 10 times a day anymore. lol
  • SergeantSunshine_reused
    SergeantSunshine_reused Posts: 5,382 Member
    Yea I took it off my list of things to track. I watch it maybe a couple of days before my weigh in just so im not as puffy xD
  • Sadie98072
    Sadie98072 Posts: 212 Member
    Nup not too concerned. I dont add salt to any food except poached eggs (and I dont have them every day) and I hardly have any pre-packaged foods. I also have no health issues that are effected by salt intake.
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
    I eat less than 1500 mg. per day because I have kidney stones. I have to limit my protein to 15% of my calories as well. I passed my first stone at age 30, and have passed three since, each requiring an ER visit. I have one to go, so I manage my diet very strictly.
  • mariapuhl
    mariapuhl Posts: 529 Member
    I don't worry about it, because I figure as long as I'm always having the same amount of sodium, I'm always retaining the same amount of water so it doesn't affect my weight week to week. But I also don't go extremely over it, I'm always around 1500 - 2000 anyway.
  • hajjcomb
    hajjcomb Posts: 118 Member
    I exercise a lot, have low blood pressure, and don't use salt excessively. I am mindful of it, I suppose, but I don't worry about it. Harvard School of Public Health says in general people have too much sodium in their diets, but what do they know? Where'd they go to school, Har....oh, wait.
  • monkeydharma
    monkeydharma Posts: 599 Member
    It's worth tracking. Sodium is poisonous, yet we need a little for our bodies to work. When we take in more sodium than we need, the body retains water to dilute it to a non-dangerous strength. Water retention is an indication that you're intaking too much.

    Once I started watching salt, and got used to not using so much, I found out that food actually has a LOTS of flavors. Salt is just one of them - but it can drown out the subtlety of other flavors. Salt isn't the flavor of food - it's just the flavor of salt.
  • skateboardstef
    skateboardstef Posts: 164 Member
    I watch it, I am salt sensitive so eating too much of it causes my blood pressure to raise.

    In the past when I was eating horribly my blood pressure was elevated every time I went to the doctor (not by much, but I'm only 24 so it shouldn't be elevated at all). After I started eating right and cut out processed foods, I went to the doctor absolutely freaking out because I was having a severe allergic reaction expecting my blood pressure to be through the roof, but it was actually great!
  • rhiannonchallans
    rhiannonchallans Posts: 42
    I do, but only because I retain water like a sponge.
  • RuthAne
    RuthAne Posts: 130
    I don't pay attention to my intake, I rarely add salt to food and I don't buy packaged/processed food.
  • yanicka
    yanicka Posts: 1,004 Member
    I try to keep it under 2000g because it really make me feel yucky.
  • katapple
    katapple Posts: 1,108 Member
    I'm constantly over in salt, so yes, I pay attention to it. I've never had high blood pressure though so maybe I shouldn't. I'm regularly between 2400-3000mg a day. Before coming here I'd eat soup all the time, not realizing how terrible it was for you...ack! I make my own now :)
  • staceyseeger
    staceyseeger Posts: 778 Member
    I end up with 3500-4000mg sodium a day. It doesn't bother me. We salt our food before we even taste it. Our bodies crave the sodium. I sweat it out during my runs. He loses all of his welding in the South Texas heat. It drives my boss nuts when I salt my soup & frozen meals. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    I have very very low blood pressure & do not have trouble with water retention. :wink:
  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
    I watching it on and off. I've made some changes and have started putting less salt in food, as well as switching from canned foods to fresh or frozen. I also add very little when cooking, so much so that my dad complained about the lack of salt in my spaghetti! That's a first for a sodium addict like myself!

    Otherwise, I love salt! I love foods to have a TASTE, and no amount of Ms. Dash will make up for the TASTE that salt adds.
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