Whats more important Calorie or Sodium Count?

karenhs2 · January 2012

Yes, calories are way more important to weight loss. Eventually making better food choices will help you in so many ways. Processed food or eating out is always really high in sodium even when you make the best possible choice.

Baby steps like several have said. Don't overwhelm yourself all at one time. Find a substitution for one food and go from there. The high sodium on its own won't stop you from losing weight so don't lose sight of the main goal.

I have a suggestion if you are not into cooking, find a friend or family member who is and enlist their help. For example, they could help you find a healthy soup recipe you like and make up a large batch. Nearly any kind of soup freezes well. Having a low calorie soup is one of my go to tricks for not being hungry and getting in enough fiber and veggies. I love a vegetable beef that I make with tomato juice. Now, it still has sodium in it but much less than canned.

Whatever recipe they use, here is how you use it in MFP:

Premeasure the pot that they are using. You can take measuring cups of water to pour in and figure out how much the pot holds at various levels.

Write down everything as they are adding it. Measure in cups or by weight. Estimate the final total volume.
Input the recipe into the Recipes tab under Food. You find each ingredient just like a regular food. Just do the best you can as always.

Once you have all the ingredients in, then figure the servings. I use a 6 quart pot and it is full of soup. So I know that there are about 24 cups of soup. I like 2 cup servings so I input 12 servings for the pot of soup and voila! I can easily log the soup when I eat it.

formersec · January 2012

Sodium intake is important for reasons other than weight. Excess sodium can cause or contribute to high blood pressure which can over time damage your heart and/or kidneys, among other things. Many people have high blood pressure, but don't know if. Often there are NI symptoms and victims don't find out they have it until it's too late.

Adding salt to food is a major contributor. There are herbs and spices you can use in place of salt. For example, Mrs. Dash majesty various seasoning blends to use with different foods. These seasonings have no salt added. Also, I place of garlic salt if onion sale, you cab use garlic powder or onion powder. These have no salt.

Get rid of the packaged, processed and most canned foods (except those that say low sodium or noi salt added on the label). Cut back on eating out. Keep frozen meals to a minimum. An occasional meal out is ok, but eating 2 or 3 meals out per day will bring you way over the recommended sodium limit. Preparing your own meals nor only allow you to control calories, fat sodium and the other things, but it saves you money too.

By the way, I know the damage too much sodium can do. I had a cardiac arrest in 2008 and my kidneys were damaged. Get a handle on your sodium, calories and the rest now and you may avoid what happened to me.

gazz777 · January 2012

The science behind nutrition is a very good read - I just need to read more.

What I have learned so far (and I am proof of the science).....

Calories = Energy

Breathing, Eating, Sleeping, Walking, Running, etc. all 'burn' calories.

Sodium, Sugars, Protein, Fats, etc. all decide what the body does with the calories. There are different sugars, fats, etc. too

March last year, I stopped the sugary habits and walked a bit more (total only up to about 20 miles per week) and lost 1-2 pound per week (over most of last year I shed over 70 pounds, even when unable to walk). I never concerned myself with food choices for most of that - if I did that would have been important as far as other health aspects.

That said, fat stores up in the body and used up when the body does work (any kind of work, breathing, running, etc) - that work = energy = calories. A calorie deficit is what is responsible for fat loss.

Lose too much fat and your body will 'burn' it's own muscle for energy (I read that).

Others have commented on Sodium, so I wont other than to say not enough sodium is a bad thing ... I read it flushes from the body with water - too much or not enough water disturbs the sodium balance.

Back to sugars ... if nothing else, they make you crave unhealthy food choices. Diet soda's are low in calories but high in 'sugar impersonators' - hence you don't get enough calories (energy). If you have a sweet tooth, fruit is a better substitute.

To answer your question in summary ... CALORIE COUNT IS KING for weight (fat) loss.

monst76 · January 2012

Thank you everyone that was very helpful. I really never have been a cooker of healthy food before, my wife works late and most night's I'm running to soccer, baseball or tutoring with the kids. I liked the idea of cooking a big pot of soup on Sunday for the week and will probably do that for the week coming up. Thanks everyone for the support and good suggesting you guys are help to save my life, so thank you.

trhops · January 2012

2 weeks ago I went to clean eating and watching my sodium. I wasn't losing and cut out the processed and the first week I was down 3.2 pounds, but the 2nd week up 2 ozs. Before I started the clean eating I was eating alot of processed foods and just didnt realize it was bad. I thought I was good watching calories, but this site has taught me alot in last 2 weeks. Although my last week was disappointing I know I was good and kept out alot of processed (had protein bars/shakes).

You are doing good. You have made the commitment to make a change in your life and that is incredible! Keep it up!

junyr · January 2012

Not really sure what I can do to change my diet any further or if I should just stick with whats been working so far.

Really? You can't figure out what you could do to cut your sodium? You eat Dunkin Donuts, Olive Garden, high-sodium turkey-and-cheese wraps, and canned soup every single day.

I eat junk food almost daily, i lost over 100lbs, so what's your point?!?!?!

Sodium isn't bad, it's just misunderstood. Remember when Fat, and carbs were bad?

Sodium helps maintain electrolyte balance in the body, it's very beneficial and important. I do consume higher levels of sodium on purpose for this reason.

Your body only NEEDS 500mg of sodium a day to maintain correct body function...

jen0731 · January 2012

I have found that sparkpeople.com has some really great articles to educate yourself. Me personally have to watch my sodium intake and calories. Definitely change one thing at a time so you aren't so overwhelmed. It's hard for me to stick with something when I feel like everything changes all at once. Good luck!

StatutoryGrape · January 2012

I watch both, since I tend to retain water very easily and I have a family history of high blood pressure and other heart problems. But I don't stress if I go over on sodium some days--I just drink a ton of water to flush it out and try harder the next day. I always stay under on calories, though.

rochelly_belly · January 2012

Calories are more important by far! Just make sure to drink lots of water to flush that sodium. You are doing great. You have started making small changes that have made a big difference for you. Just keep going one step at a time. Try cutting out a trip for fast food once a day at first and then go from there. Try making your own yummy breakfast sandwhich at home. Ignore the haters and the criticism. If what is working for you is working for you then keep on going! Good luck.

This!!! A small change here and there and you will be eating more balanced in no time. You are doing great, keep it up.

scubahsteve69 · January 2012

Really? You can't figure out what you could do to cut your sodium? You eat Dunkin Donuts, Olive Garden, high-sodium turkey-and-cheese wraps, and canned soup every single day.

Fine:

Instead of going to Dunkin Donuts every day, try eating some cereal or scrambled eggs.

Instead of eating canned soup every day, try making some from scratch.

Instead of eating processed food, try cooking.

Hmmm...for responses such as yours ElizabethRoad, you must be perfect. Other than the rudeness, insensitivity, lack of grace or refinement, ill mannered, discourteous & overall lack of good manners, that is.

Monst - Obviously calorie deficits are important for weight loss, but keep an eye on the sodium as well. Given your desire to cut the pounds and start exercising, there is already going to be strains on the heart. High sodium is a factor in high BP, so now that you're putting strain on the heart with exercise, a BP count isn't good. Please, have your BP checked before getting too rowdy with working out.

MISSMILL3405 · January 2012

Really? You can't figure out what you could do to cut your sodium? You eat Dunkin Donuts, Olive Garden, high-sodium turkey-and-cheese wraps, and canned soup every single day.

Fine:

Instead of going to Dunkin Donuts every day, try eating some cereal or scrambled eggs.

Instead of eating canned soup every day, try making some from scratch.

Instead of eating processed food, try cooking.

Hmmm...for responses such as yours ElizabethRoad, you must be perfect. Other than the rudeness, insensitivity, lack of grace or refinement, ill mannered, discourteous & overall lack of good manners, that is.

Monst - Obviously calorie deficits are important for weight loss, but keep an eye on the sodium as well. Given your desire to cut the pounds and start exercising, there is already going to be strains on the heart. High sodium is a factor in high BP, so now that you're putting strain on the heart with exercise, a BP count isn't good. Please, have your BP checked before getting too rowdy with working out.

I have never felt so disgusted after reading someone's post as I have yours ElizabethRoad! You must be able to walk on water when it comes to working out and eating right however you seem to be drowning in the tact and rudeness area. Wait a minute if you can walk on water from working out and eating right, why are you even on here?????

Monst - Please do not listen to anything this.............thing (ElizabethRoad) has to say. I have a problem with sodium myself and have been working hard to try to correct it. The processed foods are the worse so I try to limit myself to one every other day. Their just so easy and fast to use it is hard not to eat them. I also try to drink a TON of water to flush my system. All I can say is DON'T GIVE UP AND NEVER QUIT!!!! As a matter of fact use this VERY rude comment as motivation if nothing else. Like I said in my private message to you, we are all in the same boat and by sticking together we can all hit our goals.

monst76 · February 2012

Really? You can't figure out what you could do to cut your sodium? You eat Dunkin Donuts, Olive Garden, high-sodium turkey-and-cheese wraps, and canned soup every single day.

Fine:

Instead of going to Dunkin Donuts every day, try eating some cereal or scrambled eggs.

Instead of eating canned soup every day, try making some from scratch.

Instead of eating processed food, try cooking.

Hmmm...for responses such as yours ElizabethRoad, you must be perfect. Other than the rudeness, insensitivity, lack of grace or refinement, ill mannered, discourteous & overall lack of good manners, that is.

Monst - Obviously calorie deficits are important for weight loss, but keep an eye on the sodium as well. Given your desire to cut the pounds and start exercising, there is already going to be strains on the heart. High sodium is a factor in high BP, so now that you're putting strain on the heart with exercise, a BP count isn't good. Please, have your BP checked before getting too rowdy with working out.

I have never felt so disgusted after reading someone's post as I have yours ElizabethRoad! You must be able to walk on water when it comes to working out and eating right however you seem to be drowning in the tact and rudeness area. Wait a minute if you can walk on water from working out and eating right, why are you even on here?????

Monst - Please do not listen to anything this.............thing (ElizabethRoad) has to say. I have a problem with sodium myself and have been working hard to try to correct it. The processed foods are the worse so I try to limit myself to one every other day. Their just so easy and fast to use it is hard not to eat them. I also try to drink a TON of water to flush my system. All I can say is DON'T GIVE UP AND NEVER QUIT!!!! As a matter of fact use this VERY rude comment as motivation if nothing else. Like I said in my private message to you, we are all in the same boat and by sticking together we can all hit our goals.

Ah heck I'm not going anywhere till I lose the weight I set out to lose, and as far as one rude Knuckle Head. I don't worry about that she might have been having a bad day and what to her seemed like a stupid question was something I had to reevaluate in my own diet. I did gain alot of knowledge about process foods as I didn't know what they even were till last week. I just figured you kick burgers, pizza and every other Junk food and put in Turkey, Veggie patty and salad and everything would work out...lol Not to be as I see. I did get a 400 calorie low sodium cook book and have made my dinner for the past 3 days. I would like to report that doing that and taking left overs the next day I have made my sodium goals every day this week. I'm still getting my Dunkin Donut in the morning but only get the Veggie egg white and coffee.

purpleipod · February 2012

Try using the websites skinnytaste.com or emilybites.com

I would say I make about 60% of my food and eat out / eat mostly pre made food 40% of the time. I am not one of those people that will hand make EVERY single thing I eat. I do not want to exert that much effort into my nutrition, so I try to find a balance that works for me. I usually make one or two things a week and eat that for lunch or dinner throughout the week. Rinse and repeat.

monst76 · February 2012

Good tip I'll check it out...TY

Whats more important Calorie or Sodium Count?

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