evil evil sodium!

Evil sodium.....dangerous carbs.....we just can't win!

cook your own food and that pretty much solves the problem. I cook my own meals and unless I add a crap ton of adobo I am normally way under on sodium....then again, I did just eat some ramen noodles so today I'm sure I'll be over!

You may be undereating.

You goal should be to "meet" your calorie numbers, not be "under". Especially if you're working out that much, your body needs fuel. Are you replacing the energy used in the workouts with higher intake?

Evil sodium.....dangerous carbs.....we just can't win!

cook your own food and that pretty much solves the problem. I cook my own meals and unless I add a

best advice ^^^^ I totally notice I have NO problem staying under sodium if I stay away from prepackaged, premade, canned foods without even trying!

Sodium is not going to kill you. You need some in your diet to live. and you need more if you are sweating a lot. And honestly, the way MFP encourages people to guzzle water beyond what is needed, many folks are probably not getting enough sodium.

The only people who need to worry about sodium are those with medical issues like kidney problems or high blood pressure.

Sodium stole my lunch and two-timed my sister.

Sodium stole my lunch and two-timed my sister.

This^^

Anyone else feeling like they can't escape sodium in their diet? It is honestly the hardest for me to cut out. Mostly because it's delicious, but it's also hidden in lower calorie and sugar foods. Any good tips/foods in particular to avoid/attract?

I looked through your diary for a few days - egg rolls, Panera, etc. These are going to be higher in sodium. If you are looking for lower sodium in your diet, make your own food. It will naturally have less sodium. Anything packaged or from a fast food restaurant is likely to have more than you would put in on your own.

I don't believe sodium is as bad for us as it's made out to be...it's one of the few substances (other than vitamins B & C) that can be easily flushed out with water. Not a single enzymatic, hormonal process required. Your body will hang on to water if you can't get it flushed out and maintain a minimum water level. No proof, just conjecture here...drink lots of water with high-sodium foods and I'd like to think you're OK...excess sugar on the other hand is far more dangerous...add more fruits/veggies to your diet and don't salt either. They're filling, low-calorie and low-sodium. Also, start weighing your foods and eat smaller portions of full-fat versions. They don't need the sodium/corn syrup to bring back flavor and bulk...part of MFP is getting used to a new normal on portion size. When restaruants only marketing tool is an enormous pile of food (and this has been the case for the past 30 years) it's no wonder our perception is skewed. 400-500 calories per meal at 3 per day is all we need, plus throw in a drink or snack or two and we're at our daily limit.

As an industry insider, I'd like to also warn folks that sodium chloride (table salt) in many cases is being replaced with potassium chloride, a bitter/metallic salt (sic) replacer. Ask yourself this question: "what happens when the FDA or Centers for Science in the Public Interest discovers that (maybe) chloride is the actual danger in salt, not the SODIUM?!?" We've seen this with their flag waving about eggs, butter, etc. No reason to believe they're any more right on salt than on any other fals alarms they've sounded.

I do have hypertension, so I watch the salt. What's helped me is eliminating deli meats, using dried beans rather than canned (although the lower sodium types are okay), and fresh or frozen vegetables instead of canned.

Not giving up my full-fat, fully salted cheese, though. Ain't happenin'.

In most of my note sections in my diary, I have "damn sodium!!" . It is hidden in alot of food we eat. You really have to prepare your own food these days and use Mrs. Dash or some other no-sodium spice or seasoning. When I had heart problems, I could not have any salt. So, I need to go back to that same discipline.

If you're hydrated, if your urine is light, if you get sweaty often, you do not need to obsess over this.

If you already have hypertension, if your doctor has instructed you to keep it below a certain number, I'm not addressing you.

Everyone else, relax, sodium is ok. It's an electrolyte, which you need.

Spot on reply. As a busy professional I eat out a lot and therefore face this issue more often than I wish. While advice here is absolutely correct it can't hurt to try to minimize intake of processed foods. While sodium may be needed too much of anything is never good for you. Moderation is the key.

Sodium is not going to kill you. You need some in your diet to live. and you need more if you are sweating a lot. And honestly, the way MFP encourages people to guzzle water beyond what is needed, many folks are probably not getting enough sodium.

The only people who need to worry about sodium are those with medical issues like kidney problems or high blood pressure.

my concern is water retention, though...does that not matter?

water retention shouldn't completely halt your weight loss.

That said, I peeked at your diary, and you are actually eating a lot of high sodium foods. Mostly takeout and prepared foods like ramen. There's plenty of sodium you can eliminate.