Should sodium be a priority when I need to lose weight?

Just lately I've gotten really concerned about my sodium intake, which is 4-5 grams per day. This is around twice what it should be. I eat far too many processed foods and am free with the saltcellar.

But soup, for instance, has been part of my weigh loss plan: it's very filling for the number of calories and makes a good substantial snack. And soup has a shocking amount of sodium.

I'm diabetic and at 221 pounds I have a BMI of 32 which is No Good. Weight loss is a huge health priority with me. I have a minor problem with high blood pressure which is well-controlled with medication. Today at dinner my Dad said I should focus on my weight and that the sodium was a much smaller priority. Was he right?

They're both important (a healthy weight and a lowered sodium intake) when you need to reduce your blood-pressure, as is getting regular exercise.  And exercise and a lower weight will also help control your (Type II?) diabetes.

Lowering your sodium intake to sub 2400mg a day will help you lose weight because naturally low sodium foods tend to be quite healthy.  All natural/whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, lean meat/fish, pulses/legumes.... have a very low sodium content and they also happen to be quite nourishing, satisfying and relatively low in calories.  The foods with the highest sodium content, by contrast tend to be the ones that are processed and in a tin/packet requiring a longer shelf-life, or on sale in a food outlet.....

You need to cook a lot more of your food from fresh to lower your sodium intake but I think you'll find that's also a good move.  Even if you add a pinch of salt here and there in your cooking you'd still be reducing your salt intake by about 2/3.

I can understand that as a diabetic you can see your high blood pressure problem as a minor one, but far from it. High blood pressure is one of those things that the doctors know why occur in less than 10% off population with this problem. And because it is so enigmatic, it shouldn't be taken lightly.

Salt plays a major part in high pressure. It also plays a major part in loosing weight - it retains water.

I understand the soup reasoning and I agree with it. Not so much the processed foods or why shouldn't you cook the soup instead of using a (no, idea, guessing here) can? A powdered soup? The powdered soups we get in Europe are invariably too salty. A vegetable soup is a quick thing to cook, if you use celery and parsley in it, it's mildly diuretic, and you can controll the amount of salt you put in it. Half a teaspoon per app. 2 cups is usually enough in my cookbook, specially if you use some other seasoning as well.

Weight-loss-wise, it's just water weight, nothing to be concerned about.  But if you have high BP, you should probly cut back.  Usually, as you cook your own food, your salt intake should go down.  Also, I've found that adding salt from a shaker adds more sodium than adding in while cooking, where it has a chance to sort of cook into the food and spread it's taste.  The shaker, you just toss some in and it's often more than you need. 

If you're cooking your own soup, remember that chicken broth is obscenely high in sodium, and you can dilute that out with plain water for a lower-sodium content. 

I think of high sodium as a flag for a diet that is too high in processed food.  I believe that processed food is ultimately less wholesome, and that we can all be healthier (at any weight) if we minimize how much prepared food we eat.

I, too, am a big believer in soup as part of my weight control strategy.  Every few weeks I make a big pot of vegetable soup with whatever is in season (or in my garden, I am big on Zucchini right now).  I use homemade chicken stock to avoid the high sodium canned stock, or sometimes just water.  There are lots of recipes for low calorie soups all over the internet.  I freeze the soup in one cup portions, then I can pull it out of the freezer for lunch or a snack.  It usually only has about 50-100 calories (depending on the ingredients) per cup, and is very satisfying.  It might take you a little while to get used to the lower salt content, but you can always wean yourself gradually down from the incredible amounts in prepared soup.

I used to be very very free with the salt pot - I'm guessing I went well over the recommended max amount (which is 6g in the UK, though lower is obviously better better) - it was about a week of not putting it on that i stopped wanting it as much, and now it's been about a month and I only put it on perhaps 1 meal a week, and then very tiny amounts.

I'm a lot less bloated since cutting back, so for that alone I'd say it's worth it.

I've been eating too much salt the last week, and I see it.  Water weight is not fun.

If you like soup, try making your own stock at home.  My husband and I eat roast chicken about once a week (sometimes the pre-cooked ones you can get at the store), and I use that to make chicken stock - just toss the bones/leftovers in a pot with a lot of water, some vegetables (save scraps in the freezer through the week - anything with too many bad spots (cut them out) or small pieces that don't get used), and any seasonings you like, and simmer it with a lid on for a while for a while (I usually leave it on the stove for a couple of hours).  Strain it through cheesecloth, and pour it into containers.  You can freeze it in small containers so you can just use what you need at the time. 

Most soups you make with it can be frozen, too, so you can make a lot of meals ahead.  This way, you control the sodium content.  It does make it harder to track it calorically, so I just usually use the calorie content from a low sodium broth.

Of course, you can also make your own soups without this step by just buying low sodium broth  I just like the taste and cheaper cost of making my own.  Either way, make big batches to freeze, freeze in single use portions, and you can just make it once a week and have plenty of soup to eat.