If you want to lose weight, the key is to create an imbalance in the calories you burn vs. the calories you eat. Consuming fewer calories than you burn through daily activity will ultimately lead to weight loss. However, other factors such as sodium intake might artificially raise the number on the scale and might even lead to other negative health problems.
Salt and Weight
When you want to lose weight, you might consider reducing your salt intake. Sodium causes your body to retain fluid, mostly water. When you eat too much sodium, you might be able to feel it in your hands, feet and face. Though this water retention is generally short-term, it can still cause the number on the scale to increase.
Sodium Recommendations
Sodium is a necessary component of a healthy diet, but too much sodium can cause problems. The adequate intake limit is the lowest amount of sodium you should get on a daily basis to keep your body healthy. The upper tolerable intake level is the maximum amount of sodium you can consume while still staying healthy. According to the USDA, optimal sodium intake is 1,500 to 2,300 mg per day.
Low Sodium Diets
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet, is a popular low sodium diet aimed at improving health through restricting sodium, fat and cholesterol while emphasizing other healthier foods. A low sodium diet can help improve your cardiovascular health, as well as help you lose weight. To follow the DASH diet, limit sodium to 2,300 mg per day and saturated fat to 6 percent of calories or less, and cholesterol to 150 mg per day. Low-fat dairy, whole-grain carbs, fruits, vegetables, unsaturated fats and lean proteins should make up the bulk of your diet. To add a weight-loss aspect to this diet, monitor your calories. The website MayoClinic.com suggests limiting calories to 1,600 per day while on the DASH diet to trigger weight loss.
How To Reduce Sodium
Most of the foods Americans eat on a regular basis contain more than enough sodium to meet your daily requirements. It will take an effort on your part to reduce the amount of sodium you are eating on a daily basis. Most of the sodium you eat comes from processed and prepackaged foods. To control sodium intake, limit the amount of processed foods you eat. Instead, opt to cook for yourself, but if you must eat packaged food, compare sodium content on nutrition labels.
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