[CountryGirl18]

If you consume alot of sodium, but drink tons of water, will this hinder my weight loss efforts. Im young so I dont believe I retain sodium as some older people would. I was just curious about this because it seems that I can only stick to a diet plan that contains Lean Cuisine's and 0 point soups. And I know that they both contain alot of sodium. The only veggies I eat seem to be the can ones, and frozen ones. There never they fresh ones because I just dont have the time for that. This is a diet plan I can stick with, I just dont want to be doing it for nothing because of all this sodium.

[JayEll]

Hey CountryGirl18,

Sodium causes the body to retain water, and drinking enough water flushes the sodium out. This has nothing to do with fat, however, and what you want to lose is the fat.

There is nothing wrong with sodium for most people, unless they already have high blood pressure or other health issues. Don't let this distract you from your food plan. Yes, it makes sense to eat foods that don't contain a lot of added sodium--and Lean Cuisines do have sodium in them, but not a terrifically high amount. You can get as much sodium from 1 piece of pizza, I believe, as from a Lean Cuisine dinner.

Just make sure that you are drinking enough water--not too much, just enough. Try for 8 to 10 8-oz. glasses a day. Some people count other beverages as well, and some don't.

Good luck!
Jay

[nylisa]

Also, in addition to the water, can you eat fresh fruit & fresh veggies like baby carrots? I try to limit sodium, but sometimes it is difficult & I have too much. I find the combo of water and fresh fruits/veggies seems to help.

[Erika79]

Never hinders my weight loss efforts! This is the 2nd time I've lost weight (several years ago I lost 90 pounds, then I got married, had a baby, etc) and now I'm working off what I gained.. and I don't really pay attention to sodium. I eat LOTS of lean cuisines and soups- yum! I love me a yummy bowl of soup. I drink 100+ ounces of water, daily, though.

[trekkiegirl]

I eat LC's and other frozen brands as well. They're not solely what my diet consists of...at the start of the year I was eating them more frequently than I am now but I would definitely count them as a significant factor to what has helped me lose weight. I don't have a problem with sodium, my blood pressure is low (it's not uncommon for me to get readings of 85/55, for instance, even when I was eating McDonald's back in the day). I also manage about one bottle (20 oz) of plain water a day, plus another flavored water bottle plus a glass or two of Crystal Light iced tea, and a can of diet soda.