Okay this is my first week tracking my food and I find I am having a really hard time staying low sodium. My family has a history of high blood pressuare, plus I just know salt isn't that great for you anyway. I am eating Lean Cuisine's for lunch and dinner, and I am not going to give those up. They work the best for me. I know they take up about 60% of my sodium intake daily. But what other low/no sodium foods/snacks do you eat?
Also, I am having *achoo* problems in the bathroom, which leads me to believe I am not getting enough fiber. I have taken pills stuff before, but it hurts my stomach. Like cramps and stuff. So how do you get more fiber in? Any advice would be appreciated!

Not sure what you're eating besides Lean Cuisines, but make sure you're eating lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains. Fiber One is a great source of fiber--I add it as a topping to cottage cheese and yogurt. Be sure to drink more water as you increase your fiber.

I do eat veggies twice a day. But even those have some sodium in them. I am going to try to by more fresh stuff this week, because most of the veggies I buy are frozen. I just have a hard time finding snacks. Especially ones that aren't high in sodium. I love salsa and chips, but that is a big pitt of sodium....just trying to find some alternatives! Thanks for the idea about Fiber one though!

Hi Pink!
Fiber, Fiber, Fiber...I can't say enough about it It is sooooo important to our digestive systems. I didn't always think about this, but after some very painful digestive issues (diverticulitis) in a very short amount of time, and ending up with colon surgery, I take my fiber very seriously. The med. world recommends we get 28+ grams of fiber a day. You do have to work on this. Besides eating fruits and vegetables here are some other suggestions:
Fiber supplements may give you 2-3 gr. (pills/capsules) I have used w/ much success the FiberSure powder that dissolves completely. It gives you a whopping 5 g. per tsp. You can do 2 tsp. a day. I use it in all my drinks, oatmeal, jello etc...it really does dissolve completely. Fiber One cereal is a life saver...1/2 cup gives you 14 gr. of fiber. that's half what you need a day!! It's tasty...add some raspberries to it, and you could almost have your daily needs met at breakfast. I LOVE the new Fiber One granola bars that are on the market. They pack 9g per bar...the peanut butter ones taste like scotcharoos!! There are some tortillas (I get mine at Sam's) that carry 12 g. of fiber...soft, and taste great. Some Aunt Millie 12 grain breads carry 6 g. per slice...that's 12 in a sandwich. I'd definitely supplement your Lean Cuisine's with fresh veggies and fruit and then try some of these other things to round out your numbers. And do drink your 8 glasses of water a day. that can really keep things moving too...and aides if you start eating more fiber.
Caution: Start slowly. If you aren't getting your fiber in now, just start adding a little more each day until you are consistently eating 28+ gr. a day. Don't add it all at once or you will cramp/bloat and be very unhappy...not to mention stinky (GAS!!!)
Great success to you!!

Hey Pink,
I just noticed you were "walking away the pounds w/ Leslie Sansone"... I love her workouts. I just bought the new set out where she has her power band for toning. I haven't used the DVD's yet...my goal is to start this Monday and get to her 4 mile walk by my birthday in October. I've done her 2 mile walk for some time...prior to surgery. I took some time off for recovery, but am now ready to get serious again about my weight and exercise. These new DVD's have something to do w/ integral training...I'm anxious to try them, but they look like they may be a bit more strenuous than what i'm used to doing, so i'm starting out w/ 1 mile, then working my way up to 4!!
What are you using??

I love WATP too! She motivates me everyday to keep moving. What is the name of the one you have? Is it Walk Slim? I really want to get those ones. I need to get more to rotate.
I have the 1,2,3 mile Express DVDs that use the stretchie band, and then I have a 1,2,3 mile dvd that uses her walk away weights (I just use 3 lb free weights) and then I have her Walk Kick (My favorite!!)
So right now, I am doing 2 miles Express with a 1 or 2 mile later in the day with weights. And then I rotate that every other day with Walk Kick, then maybe a 1 or 2 mile and I don't use the weights. Does that make sense? lol sometimes I don't explain things to well....
I used to have her Walk Jog DVD, but got rid of it, because it was just to hard. It got my heart rate up way to much, and I like walking better anyway. But I really do want to get more of hers. I might end up getting some next week when we have more money!

I understand not wanting to give up something that has worked for you. Maybe, though, it would help to cut back on the Lean Cuisines a bit. I don't know what your plan is, but there are so many whole food options that are healthy, tasty, and easy to prepare. For example, I make a big pot of brown rice, and that will last me for about a week. Then, I use that as a base for many of my meals that week. You say that you love salsa. If you have a food processor, it is an easy thing to buy the fresh veggies and make a quick and easy salsa to last you for the week. Just search online for a recipe that you would enjoy. Use the salsa to top the brown rice, and you have a low-calorie, low-fat, high-fiber, relatively low-sodium meal. Plus, it's much less expensive than the Lean Cuisine. Just add a new recipe once a week or so, and maybe you won't feel as attached to the Lean Cuisine and its high sodium content after a while. Just a thought.

Definitely up your fruit and vegie intake, Tami. Also, I'd suggest you eat whole grains - brown rice rather than white, wholewheat pasta, multi grain bread etc, that sort of thing.

I'm assuming that Lean Cuisine is the same in the States as it is here - frozen meals you reheat in the microwave. Here, that sort of thing is very high in sodium and I limit myself to one of those a week. Perhaps you could look at preparing your own meals. I know time can be an issue, but there are a lot of things that you can cook in less than an hour, and if you have a deep freeze, you can cook double one night, freeze the leftovers and have your own Lean Cuisine. It actually works out cheaper to prepare your own meals than to buy meals that someone else has prepared, so that's worth thinking about...

I don't have a problem with frozen vegies, simply because they can often be far more nutritious than the "fresh" kind. They're frozen a matter of hours after they're picked, whereas fresh may sit for a couple of days in transport or in the shop before you buy them and then have another couple of days in the fridge before you get to cooking them...

Definitely make changes slowly - if you don't your digestive system will certainly let you know. Maybe just make one change a week or fortnight and go from there.