Lower the sodium or lower the calories?

Okay, i've been trying to do both and I find it EXTREMLY difficult and stressful to try and get both a low sodium AND low calorie meal.  I don't want to eat like a rabbit just to accomplish that goal.  Usually I can find low calorie options just fine, but they usually have a lot of sodium.  My question is, should I be worrying SO much about my sodium intake?  Does it actually help you lose weight?  I know that a lot of Sodium contributes to water weight gain, but that's not true weight gain because you eventually just urinate it out of your system.  However, should I be focusing more on keeping the calories low as a true way to lose weight?  I don't have any problems with blood pressure or my heart, but I just tried to cut down the sodium intake anyway to eliminate the water weight factor.  Mainly just so i'd get true readings on the scale I guess, but I don't really know if that aids in actual weight loss.  I could eat something very high in calories and very low in sodium and it'd probably cause me to gain weight due to the calorie content.  It's just, I don't know if I can do this whole low sodium AND low calorie thing, it's cutting way too harshly into my food options and making life rather unenjoyable.  I don't even know if the low sodium is really helping with the weight loss, it's probably the low calories that are helping.   The other thing that's helping is i'm just not eating a whole lot because I can't find enough options to eat on a regular basis.  I eat maybe once a day just because my options are so limited. Either way, any input is welcome, thanks.

Would recommend cooking your meals instead of buying pre-packaged low calorie food. You naturally use a lot less salt, and have much better control over the quality of the food.

Well see, I was going about that, but it's really difficult to find the components to make a low sodium meal, plus i'm not the best cook in the world.  But the other problem is, if I want to go out somewhere like a restaurant there are a lot of low calorie options but not very many low calorie AND low sodium options available.  So even my restaurant choices are severly limited.   I also don't want to eat the same exact thing every single day due to the fact that it's the only thing I really know how to cook.  

The problem, I suspect, is that you're eating pre-packaged diet foods which tend to be very high in sodium.  If you eat whole foods, your meal will naturally be low sodium and can easily be low calorie as well.

e.g.  A Lean Cuisine stir fry will have about 350 calories and between 600 and 1200 mg of sodium (and be teeny tiny).  A homemade stir-fry of 4 oz. lean meat (chicken breast, lean beef, lean pork, etc.) and 8 oz. of mixed veggies cooked in 1 tsp. oil will have about 250 calories.  Serve it over 1/2 cup cooked rice or pasta and you add another 100 calories.  It's twice the size of the Lean Cuisine, the same calories and will only have about 100 mg of sodium.  If you want to add some more flavour, toss in a tablespoon of hoisin or black bean sauce or similar for about 30 extra calories and 100-200 mg more sodium.  As you get used to cooking this way, you'll find you get more sensitive to the flavour of the sauce and need to use less and less for the same effect.

Original Post by fitandfree:

I also don't want to eat the same exact thing every single day due to the fact that it's the only thing I really know how to cook.  

I would strongly recommend you invest in a George Foreman grill or similar then.  Pick whatever meat/fish you want to cook and it tells you how long to cook it for.  All you have to do is preheat it, put the meat on and leave it for as long as the book says.  Meanwhile, toss some veggies in a bowl with a little water, cover with cling film and microwave for a few minutes.  Instant grilled meat with steamed veggies that can be mixed and matched in a ton of combinations.

Or, if you can't do that, stir fries are equally mix-and-matchable to make them different every time.  They're my favourite quick and easy way to make dinner.

Or boil a pot of water, toss in 2 oz. whole wheat pasta (dry weight) and 8 oz. green vegetable.  Cook for 10 minutes, drain and sprinkle with 1 oz. grated cheese.

You don't need to be a great cook to eat healthy.  You just need to learn two or three basic techniques that can have all different foods swapped in.

For eating out, I'd recommend not doing it too often and, when you do, order something you'll enjoy that fits the general description of lean protein with vegetables (a starchy side is fine too; you just likely won't want to eat all of it so make sure there's veggies there too).  You'll get way too much sodium, but that's relatively unavoidable when eating out.

Get the cals under control first, then worry about the sodium.

Sodium is important, but doesn't matter in the long run with weight loss. Yes, it makes you bloat, and yes, it makes you retain water, but ultimately, it's going to be the calorie reduction that contributes to significant loss.

Once you're learned proper portions and your body has adjusted to the amount of food it SHOULD have, you can work on transitioning in low-sodium options.

Some of my favorites...baked potatoes or baked sweet potatoes (just poke a few holes with a fork and microwave them till soft), steamed veggies, scrambled eggs and toast, low-sodium soups, fruit dipped in nonfat yogurt...yum!

To combat sodium intake increase your potassium intake (most people are deficient), drink a lot of water, and do cardio exercises.  The more you sweat the more salt you lose naturally.

As for prepackaged meals, steer clear of them.  They're generally not good for you all around.  I know it's a "lot of work" to make your food yourself, but doing things the right way is hard work no matter what the project.  If you want to lose weight there are no shortcuts.

Sodium really isn't a big deal unless you have high blood pressure or something. If it's important to you, then cooking with fresh ingredients will automatically cut your sodium intake, since salt is needed to preserve processed foods.

Sodium is really bad for you if you get too much, and VIA your post i assume you already know this but yea I just learned about all my LOW calorie sodium killers... if you havent already check out www.sodium101.com and check out my journal entry i just did about Sodium and my suprize at: http://caloriecount.about.com/users/ashley171 /329002.html

You are right that cutting sodium does not aid weight loss, aside from helping with water retention. The real reason you should watch sodium levels is because it helps to keep your blood pressure down. But, because it is less important than calories, choose a lower calorie meal at a restaurant rather than a low-sodium one.

I don't understand how your options are so limited that you can only eat once a day. Remember that even while watching your sodium you can eat around 2000mg/day. Your current eating patterns are really hard on your body and can slow down your metabolism - eating small meals and snacks regularly is the way to lose weight consistently. What about fruit, vegetables, yoghurt, unsalted nuts, cereals, eggs, cheese, low-sodium baked beans, bean salads, sandwiches, wraps, stir fries, soups, pasta? Pretty much every meal you can think of can be low sodium if you make it yourself. Bear in mind that your body does need some sodium every day - and if you have normal blood pressure and are active, chances are you don't need a very low sodium diet, as you lose sodium when you sweat.

I know you say you aren't much of a cook, but what is stopping you from trying? Probably you weren't much good at losing weight until you started thinking about it and making an effort. Probably you weren't very fit until you started exercising regularly - then you found that you improved over time. Cooking is really no different than any other skill; it becomes easier the more you do it, you just have to commit to cooking regularly. Buy a recipe book or look online and all you have to do is follow a recipe - most cooking just requires assembling a few ingredients rather than a lot of skill. It's cheaper, healthier, and a lot easier to come up with low calorie and low sodium meals. I'd recommend http://www.healthyfood.co.nz/ as a website with lots of tasty, easy to make and healthy recipes :)

Funny as when I first read I wondered how on earth you could have a problem with sodium if you are eating low cal meals but tapped my forehead when I read the comments about ready made meals.

I make just about everything from scratch and have no problems whatsoever with sodium as I don't add salt to meals must anymore whilst cooking and never after and the only time my salt goes up is when I am naughty and have crisps.

You don't have to be a good cook to make your meals from scratch, lots of one dish wonders like lasagne, bolognaise, stews, casseroles, pasta bakes etc.  Basic meat and veg, or stirfries.

If you want any help let me know as we don't eat extravagantly or difficult meals.  But as others have said lots of recipe websites and you can easily home make a meal from scratch in about 45 minutes including prep and cooking time!  Its no real hassle when you get used to it.

I first started watching my cals, then fiber and protein. Now that I've got those down pretty good, I am making my way to cutting down the sodium. Honeslty, I haven't found this to be too difficult, because I make almost all of my food. I can't stand fast food (it never statifies) and although I haven't been such a great cook in the past, with a little effort I've become quite good at it.

If you're too overwhelmed by counting cals and the mentioned above, I would focus to get that down first, however, if you're eating a healthy diet (not like a rabbit...just healthy) you'll notice that your sodium will not be as high as it is now.  My staples:

• Fruits and veggies
• whole grains: pasta, rice, cereal, breads
• the less processed the better. I buy lunch meat from the deli. Sure it has sodium, but it's better than that packaged stuff that sits in your fridge for months bc of all the sodium to preserve it.
• water, water, water
• recipes online.

To know items are less processed, look at the fiber and protein portion of the nutrition label...usually of whole grain items and compare them to flour-made  items...the fiber and protein is WAY higher.

It'll help you digest. Food today is hurting us so much, we need to pay attention to all of this.