Sodium ???

tinalatina
tinalatina Posts: 499 Member
edited November 7 in Food and Nutrition
So I saw a thread that talked about Jillian Michaels Tips to loosing and it said.

Limit Sodium intake to less than 1000mg.

I am trying to do this but its soooooo hard!

Is there anyone out there that stays under 1000 mg a day????

Any food tips to controlling this would be GREATLY apprecitated.

Thank you...<3 ya'll!!
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Replies

  • trhops
    trhops Posts: 295 Member
    Funny, I was just looking on the forum to get info on what our sodium intake should be! :smile:
  • tinalatina
    tinalatina Posts: 499 Member
    Funny, I was just looking on the forum to get info on what our sodium intake should be! :smile:

    I have upped my water intake to 80 ounces and tried lowering the sodium but I cant seem to get back 1900 mg! hahaha
  • busyPK
    busyPK Posts: 3,788 Member
    No help here, I have a hard time getting close to 2500. lol
  • hounds726
    hounds726 Posts: 63
    I just read the same thread a few days ago and you are right on! There is so much sodium in EVERYTHING!
  • cattracy0829
    cattracy0829 Posts: 177 Member
    I go over every day it seems...everything is loaded with sodium so unless you can eat all natural and all fresh food, it would be really hard.
  • fab50G
    fab50G Posts: 384 Member
    I've tried to limit mine to 1500. Some days I can do it, but it's really hard. No help here. Sorry!
  • jsmjboertlein
    jsmjboertlein Posts: 267
    I had to cook this way for my dd while she was in kidney failure. We used a lot of Mrs. dash no salt seasonings. They are delicious. You will be forced to prepare all of your own foods. It is definately hard but you get used to it after a while. I made chili, tacos, fish, even blts on occasion
  • MadeToCraveHIM
    MadeToCraveHIM Posts: 213 Member
    You can limit a lot of sodium from your diet by simply using non-canned ingredients such as fresh or fresh frozen vegetables and dry beans instead of canned ones. It may take some planning at first, but you'll begin to see the difference in how your body feels and your clothes fit.
  • jsmjboertlein
    jsmjboertlein Posts: 267
    You can limit a lot of sodium from your diet by simply using non-canned ingredients such as fresh or fresh frozen vegetables and dry beans instead of canned ones. It may take some planning at first, but you'll begin to see the difference in how your body feels and your clothes fit.
    I agree. Nothing canned, boxed, or otherwise processed. I used all raw ingredients
  • nashtyone
    nashtyone Posts: 36
    I try to stay around 1500 on average, but man is it easy to get up to 2k in a heartbeat.. Haven't tried going down to 1k. I guess the places to look to cut are in your protein bars, which usually have a lot. Also, salad dressings. I'd say you pretty much have to make all of your own food. Try to get your protein from chicken and beef as opposed to cottage cheese, etc.
  • jsmjboertlein
    jsmjboertlein Posts: 267
    I try to stay around 1500 on average, but man is it easy to get up to 2k in a heartbeat.. Haven't tried going down to 1k. I guess the places to look to cut are in your protein bars, which usually have a lot. Also, salad dressings. I'd say you pretty much have to make all of your own food. Try to get your protein from chicken and beef as opposed to cottage cheese, etc.

    I'm not a fan of salad dressing but my dd is. To replace it, I would squeeze a tomato into a bowl, add chives, and some Mrs. Dash seasonings. then pour that on her salad. She loved it. Turkey is low and a lot of fish is also low.
  • nashtyone
    nashtyone Posts: 36
    If you want, you could look in my diary. I have some high days in there, but there are also a few in the 1200 range that might serve as a good example for you.

    Here is a day where I was at 1279 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/nashtyone?date=2012-01-16

    Another one at 1294 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/nashtyone?date=2012-01-10

    Basically, if I would cut out the protein bar and replace it with a chicken breast, I'd be at 1k on these days.
  • bonnynblithe04
    bonnynblithe04 Posts: 123 Member
    Based on my own history, the things that get me close to/above the mark are:

    -- soda, regular and diet (I ditched reg soda a long time but still have diet now and then)
    -- green tea
    -- processed snacks
    -- puddings
    -- microwave popcorn (I recently ran out of my fav brand which is 95 mg/serving and bought something else -- never again)
    -- salad dressings
    -- canned beans (I rinse them pretty thoroughly before using)
    -- some seasonings (anything meant to complement meat)

    I recently cut my allowance to 1,750 but bumped it up to 2,000 mg after investing in this substitute popcorn. Will see how it goes since it's been a few days since I had any.
  • KyleB65
    KyleB65 Posts: 1,196 Member
    I try to stay below 1500mg but it is like flapping my arms in an attempt to fly!

    Most days I am content to hit between 1500 and 2000mg.

    However, 1 piece of pizza or any moment of fast food weakness and I am done!

    One piece of advice I have received here on MFP is that when I go over my sodium I should drink extra water to help flush it out. Not sure if it works but I try and drink at least and extra couple of glasses if U have a high sodium day.
  • katsmit2
    katsmit2 Posts: 54
    i saw that too and just added the sodium tab yesterday. 2500g seems so high to me, but 1000g is pretty low, too.
  • tinalatina
    tinalatina Posts: 499 Member
    I had to cook this way for my dd while she was in kidney failure. We used a lot of Mrs. dash no salt seasonings. They are delicious. You will be forced to prepare all of your own foods. It is definately hard but you get used to it after a while. I made chili, tacos, fish, even blts on occasion

    Thanks for the info....I have started cooking more at home so maybe I will try the Mrs Dash no seasoning.... and more in the raw....Gosh never realized how hard that is...glad im not the only one having difficulties.
  • tinalatina
    tinalatina Posts: 499 Member
    If you want, you could look in my diary. I have some high days in there, but there are also a few in the 1200 range that might serve as a good example for you.

    Here is a day where I was at 1279 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/nashtyone?date=2012-01-16

    Another one at 1294 http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/nashtyone?date=2012-01-10

    Basically, if I would cut out the protein bar and replace it with a chicken breast, I'd be at 1k on these days.

    Thank you!! Ill check it out! :)
  • tinalatina
    tinalatina Posts: 499 Member
    I think 1500 sounds like a resonable goal....aiming for 100 is tooo difficult. So to re-cap

    No boxed, canned or processed foods!
    More home cooking use -Mrs dash no sodium seasoning
    Cook and eat more raw/fresh vegitables!!!

    Good luck you all and thanks for the input! This is why I <3(love) you all!!!!
  • LeanMeanFitnessMachine
    LeanMeanFitnessMachine Posts: 659
    It is really, really hard. You basically have to have 75-90% of your diet consist of fresh fruits and vegetables (at least in my experience). I have a hard enough time keeping my sodium under 2500, let alone 1000!
  • Freeapollo
    Freeapollo Posts: 25
    I know what you mean I am limiting my diet to 1400 calories a day and even then I am hitting my sodium intake and going above 2500mg eating healthy. I cant imagine my sodium count if I ate my full calories.
  • trainguy917
    trainguy917 Posts: 366 Member
    The reality is that blanket statements that you should lower your sodium are simply out of date. The amount of sodium you take in is much less important than the ratio of sodium to potassium. If you get plenty of potassium, sodium will not affect you. And the fact is, much like caffeine, unless you have a known sensitivity to it, it's pretty much a non-issue.
  • nashtyone
    nashtyone Posts: 36
    I think I am going to give this a try today, just to see how hard it is, I'll post my results tonight or tomorrow am. BTW, I think that G Michaels says that this is for losing those last few difficult pounds, I don't think it is recommended for "normal" weight loss.
  • aregensb
    aregensb Posts: 239 Member
    I limit my sodium consumption to 2500mg and usually I don't hit that.

    If you want to cut down on sodium, stop eating so much prepackaged food. There is SO MUCH sodium in those foods! I realize that the convenience of those foods (and often the low cost) makes it really difficult to give them up, but you can do it!

    Fresh veggies, fruit, meat... If you eat legumes, get dried legumes and cook them yourself. You can cook a whole package all at once and then portion it out and freeze it. That way, you don't have to cook beans for 1.5-2 hrs whenever you need some. There's no sodium in dried beans or chickpeas, yet if you buy them in a can, there's something ridiculous like 30-40% your daily recommended intake of sodium.
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    I watch my sodium, and when I keep to my calorie budget of 1200, I tend to have less than 1200 mgs of sodium. I try to match my numbers: calories about the same as sodium.

    Some suggestions:

    1. Eat lots of fresh fruit.
    2. Use a nice low-acidic thick balsamic on salads (Napa Grand Reserve is great).
    3. No prepared foods in cans, unless they are salt-free.
    4. Frozen vegetables are fine, but read the labels.
    5. Dairy products can have a lot of sodium, so use them sparingly.
    6. I'm vegetarian, but if you aren't, don't use processed meats.
    7. Use low-sodium broths, cubes or powder for soups, sauces, etc.
    8. Obviously, train yourself to not salt food at the table.

    I've been doing this for years, and my palate is well-adapted to it. Everything tastes bland at first, but eventually you start tasting the food itself and you don't need the salt.
  • marilu3
    marilu3 Posts: 18 Member
    Hi,
    I've been starting to think a lot about this too. Health Canada says that adults should have about 1500mgs/day, and no more than 2300 (though MFP sets the rate at 2400 for me... ). I've been working on this. On the days I've been under 1000, I've had lots of crunchy greens and veggies. Fruit is very low in sodium. THings like lean protein, (chicken), and not using sauces and the such. I found out yesterday to my horror that though I LOVE feta cheese, the type I had (soaked in brine, which should have been my clue), a 3cm cube had 520 mg of sodium... so it's low in fat, but high in sodium. Soups are extremely high--even homemade ones, if you use any type of oxo cube or anything.
    I am going to be working very hard to minimize the sodium---just starting to realize what an issue it is.
  • JayneWilson1963
    JayneWilson1963 Posts: 543 Member
    bump for later
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    I limit my sodium consumption to 2500mg and usually I don't hit that.

    If you want to cut down on sodium, stop eating so much prepackaged food. There is SO MUCH sodium in those foods! I realize that the convenience of those foods (and often the low cost) makes it really difficult to give them up, but you can do it!

    Fresh veggies, fruit, meat... If you eat legumes, get dried legumes and cook them yourself. You can cook a whole package all at once and then portion it out and freeze it. That way, you don't have to cook beans for 1.5-2 hrs whenever you need some. There's no sodium in dried beans or chickpeas, yet if you buy them in a can, there's something ridiculous like 30-40% your daily recommended intake of sodium.

    My lazy canned bean choice is a brand called Eden. No BPA in the lining, no sodium, and good if you want fast results. When I'm organized, I cook my beans from scratch, but I'm not always that good!
  • mizjohnston
    mizjohnston Posts: 196 Member
    I buy canned vegetables a lot. My favorite is Del Monte's French Cut Green beans. look for the cans that say "no salt added". They have 10 mg per serving. The whole can is about 30 calories and 30 mg of sodium. Very filling as well. There are a lot of canned and frozen vegetables like this if you are in a hurry. For flavor, I add Mrs. Dash Seasonings. I use the onion flavored and garlic its really good. Good luck. =)
  • aregensb
    aregensb Posts: 239 Member
    I find it best to prepare my food during the weekend. This ensures that I don't go for the processed/packaged food during the week because I'm pressed for time. I'll make a healthy recipe for lunch that usually has 4 servings. I eat that all week and then have one day where I bring leftovers or I eat out. That way, all I have to do is portion out my food for the next day the night before. It takes about 10 minutes and I have a day of healthy meals and snacks.

    You can prepare so much in advance and freeze it, it's really very helpful. I hate having to spend a lot of time preparing food during the week, it's such a hassle. I try to keep the dinner preparations to 30 minutes or less of active cooking (I don't really mind putting something in the oven and letting it cook for an hour or two, it's not like I have to watch it the whole time).
  • shellywheeler05
    shellywheeler05 Posts: 3
    It is really hard. Read labels, make homemade food, and fresh fresh fresh! My dad is diabetic and so sodium is a big no, no for him, our nutritionist suggested to try and stay around 1500mg per day, it is hard but if you read labels and try to figure ways to season with out salt and such, such as fresh herbs, yum!, it gets easier and will possibly save your life. Sodium is a huge contributor to diabetes.
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