Is sodium an important factor in weight loss?

2011EP
2011EP Posts: 95 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, my trainer stresses that I eat foods low in fat, sugar and sodium. I understand the first two, but does it really make a big difference if I'm eating higher amounts of sodium versus lower amounts. Obviously, the less is better. but will it really slow me down if I'm eating higher amounts of sodium?

I ask because I'm in korea and there are plenty of dishes that are okay calorie-wise but are quite high in sodium, especially soups and broth-based dishes. What do you all say?

Replies

  • jryan83
    jryan83 Posts: 72 Member
    I'd be really interested to know also. I track my sodium counts on MFP, and am usually way over recommended levels.

    I do know that usually more processed foods have higher sodium, and the less you eat of those the better (so they say...).
    Other thing is sodium can cause fluid retention and increase hypertension (if you have a problem with it).

    That's all I know on sodium. Don't know if that helps any.
  • 2011EP
    2011EP Posts: 95 Member
    Yes, I agree about water retention and how that makes people bloated, but that doesn't exactly correlate to weight gain does it? Since when you lose weight, we're talking about losing fat... Ugh I'm so confused!
  • MrsRawwwr
    MrsRawwwr Posts: 166 Member
    Higher sodium will reflect on the scale, which can be a real buzz kill.
  • Christine1110
    Christine1110 Posts: 1,786 Member
    You should keep the sodium low....and drink lots of water!
  • ryanbastiencpga
    ryanbastiencpga Posts: 1
    Sodium retains water, water retention is a huge factor in not being able to lose weight. Soups and broths are bad... If you are going to eat them, you need to be careful which ones you eat. Less sodium in your system the better, weight loss is all about trips to the bathroom, the more sodium, the less trips to the bathroom!!
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
    High sodium generally means you will retain water. That can either show as a gain or as no loss. It also makes you bloated, which makes your clothes fit tighter. All that can be very demotivating.

    Also, you don't need to eat low fat foods. Consuming healthy fats can actually make it easier for your body to burn fat.
  • katenmills
    katenmills Posts: 113 Member
    Well unlike sugar and fat, sodium has no calories. So you can't gain actual weight from eating it (someone will correct me if i'm wrong, i'm sure :) ). However, having too much sodium in your diet causes fluid retention (water weight) which will reflect on the scale and can make you look 'puffy'. Consuming too much sodium can also be detrimental to your health; it can cause high blood pressure which increases your likelihood of having a stroke etc.

    *edit for typos*
  • Cambrendle
    Cambrendle Posts: 104 Member
    See my ticker below for going from 5000 mg of sodium per day to less than 2500 mg of sodium per day (over 10 days). Too much sodium causes water retention, as well as constant high intake sets your body up for sodium retention syndrome. It's a nasty cycle and leads to high blood pressure, and unbalanced electrolytes and chemistry in your body, and eventually decreased kidney function. If you aren't careful with your sodium intake, weight loss will be the least of your concerns. :wink:
  • ArtemisMoon
    ArtemisMoon Posts: 144
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/opinion/sunday/we-only-think-we-know-the-truth-about-salt.html?pagewanted=all

    This was a very interesting read on salt. It makes me want to read the research about the negative impacts of sodium.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    sodium will not affect fat loss. I think that is what you really want to know.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/opinion/sunday/we-only-think-we-know-the-truth-about-salt.html?pagewanted=all

    This was a very interesting read on salt. It makes me want to read the research about the negative impacts of sodium.

    I went to read this.......and then I saw the author was Gary Taubes. I decided not to waste my time.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    sodium will not affect fat loss. I think that is what you really want to know.

    Agreed.

    It affects weight loss but fat loss? No.
  • Natty0506
    Natty0506 Posts: 103 Member
    Sodium doesn't affect fat loss, but it will keep you feeling bloated (and being bloated). I try to eat between 1500 and 2000 mg of sodium per day. most days it's a lot less. But I also don't eat a lot of gravy or sauce with anything and I don't add salt to what I make.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Yep, doesn't affect "weight loss" but can mask it with water retention.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
    I used to hardly drink water and ate probably around 1500-2000 mg a day. I then started drinking 8+ cups a day and have tried to keep my sodium under 1500 and lost 5 pounds just from that. No, it doesn't affect fat loss, but you could be a few less pounds than you think.
  • Spice_4_Life
    Spice_4_Life Posts: 225
    I've noticed that cutting my sodium to under 2000 a day (usually I'm around 1500) I feel much better, and a lot less slugish. Also, fat cells collect water (cellulite) so the more water you drink along with low sodium diet, the more your body flushes out. Which in turn actually makes the cellulite less noticable (doesn't get rid of it, but it does makes a big difference) :) At least that's what I noticed :))) Good luck hun!
  • melb2003
    melb2003 Posts: 198
    I agree with the others. When my sodium was WAYYYYY over, I was always at a plateu every other week. Now that I track my sodium, I haven't hit a plateau yet. Sodium = bad for weight loss!!
  • Carolyn_79
    Carolyn_79 Posts: 935 Member
    For two weeks I ate poorly and my sodium intake was a lot higher. I stepped on the scale and it said I gained 7 pounds. I got back on track and ate well with lower sodium foods and within 3 days those 7 pounds were gone. I didn't actually gain 7 pounds obviously so I was retaining water. My clothes did feel tighter because I was bloated.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    It doesn't affect fat loss-but do a search for threads with titles along the lines of "HELP!!! I gained 2/4/6 lbs overnight/after a binge/after a bad day". So while it doesn't affect fat loss, at least 500 posts appear every day from people who have "gained" weight after consuming more sodium than their bodies were able to handle. Plus-the previously mentioned impacts to the cardiovascular system make keeping your sodium consumption low a win-win.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/opinion/sunday/we-only-think-we-know-the-truth-about-salt.html?pagewanted=all

    This was a very interesting read on salt. It makes me want to read the research about the negative impacts of sodium.

    I went to read this.......and then I saw the author was Gary Taubes. I decided not to waste my time.

    Here's a study:

    http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(97)09092-2/fulltext

    Starting to question my own relationship with sodium.
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
    Hi, my trainer stresses that I eat foods low in fat, sugar and sodium. I understand the first two, but does it really make a big difference if I'm eating higher amounts of sodium versus lower amounts. Obviously, the less is better. but will it really slow me down if I'm eating higher amounts of sodium?

    I ask because I'm in korea and there are plenty of dishes that are okay calorie-wise but are quite high in sodium, especially soups and broth-based dishes. What do you all say?

    Weight loss, yes.. Fat loss, no.
  • LillysGranny
    LillysGranny Posts: 431
    Many medical experts beleive that long-term excessive sodium consumption is what causes our blood pressure to creep up over the years, resulting in a huge number of Americans ending up on blood pressure meds. Additionally, excessive sodium is hard on your kidneys. As far as weight loss, I do not think sodium will prevent you from losing fat, but the associated water retention can prevent you from seeing results on the scale and from achieving a "cut" appearance when you look in the mirror. Listen to your trainer!
  • ArtemisMoon
    ArtemisMoon Posts: 144
    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/opinion/sunday/we-only-think-we-know-the-truth-about-salt.html?pagewanted=all

    This was a very interesting read on salt. It makes me want to read the research about the negative impacts of sodium.

    I went to read this.......and then I saw the author was Gary Taubes. I decided not to waste my time.

    Here's a study:

    http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(97)09092-2/fulltext

    Starting to question my own relationship with sodium.

    Dunno much about Taubes so I can't say much about his opinion, but I am certainly interested in the studies. Thanks for providing a link! I have an acct with the University library to read a lot of professional journals for free so I'll have to go check around and see what other studies are out there and available to me.

    I think a lot of conventional wisdom is being questioned more and more these days, and it is a good thing. I want to get down to the heart of the matter and be able to examine the evidence for myself. Not just do what everyone else says to do or accept something as healthy just because the general population is told to by a few people.
  • Cliffslosinit
    Cliffslosinit Posts: 5,044 Member
    sodium will not affect fat loss.
  • jjelizalde
    jjelizalde Posts: 377 Member
    I went way over on my sodium intake the past few days and it shows on the scale. Although I stayed within my calories, the excess sodium caused water retention. Yuck! Today I'm drinking tons of water to flush out the sodium and staying below my sodium goal and that will also be reflected on the scale.
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    It never made any difference to me.

    I've always heard that sodium doesn't slow fat loss, but it may slow weight loss (as in, the number on the scale) because high sodium makes people retain water.

    Maybe it's just the way my body works (I'm a heavy sweater) or the fact that I drink a lot of water, but I've never had a problem with water retention or bloating.

    In fact, when I eat too little sodium, my blood pressure gets too low and I get dizzy.
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    I don't worry about it too much. Sodium causes water retention, but you truly don't care, you want to lose fat anyway like you said.

    In excess though, it can cause nasty things in your body, so make sure you actually drink plenty of water on days you go over sodium.

    But yeah, Soy Sauce, which is in like every Asian sauce, has 1k+ mg of sodium per table spoon! People there have been eating this for millennia and they outlive people in America, so I don't worry too much about pure sodium. I worry when I get it from processed craps...
  • kalynn06
    kalynn06 Posts: 368 Member
    As others have said, weight loss- probably yes, fat loss no.

    For most purposes, total sodium consumed may be less important than sodium potassium ratio. Potassium often gets overlooked when people talk about sodium, but physiologically they are pretty much joined at the hip.

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