High sodium foods cause
weight gain. You would be amazed at how much weight you could lose
just by keeping your sodium consumption much lower than you are use to. If you are gaining weight
quickly I would bet you eat a lot of high sodium foods. High sodium
foods makes the body retain water and therefore the scale goes up on a daily
basis. If the sodium is not released then the weight gain has an
accumulative affect and you could gain at least 10 pounds in just 3 days.
Many processed foods are high in sodium, as well as fast food restaurant
items.
Some high sodium foods: soups, pastries, canned foods, fast foods, salty
foods, olives, pickles, processed meats, frozen dinners/entrees,
bread, some sodas, some cereals, many
cheeses, soy sauce, Chinese food, Mexican food, Italian food, most condiments
like mustard and ketchup, bbq sauce to name
a few. Check the labels of foods for the sodium content.
Some low sodium foods: fresh
or frozen fruits, raw or frozen vegetables, ice cream, candy, fruit juice, water, unsalted
or raw nuts, eggs, oil, vinegar, shredded wheat, Kashi Bars, Part Skim Ricotta Cheese, many spices, and air popped popcorn to name
a few.
If you want to lose weight
quickly - several pounds in just a few days then cut way
back on the sodium intake for the day. I find if I keep my total
sodium consumption for a day under 700 milligrams then I lose weight
quickly. Experiment with how low you need it to lose weight quickly.
Start by keeping your sodium consumption no higher than 1200 milligrams a
day and then cut back from there. Weigh yourself every day to see what
affect the sodium has on your weight and make adjustments from there.
You will lose weight if you
keep your sodium intake low on a daily basis.
Also your blood pressure may improve while
keeping your sodium consumption to no higher that 1800 milligrams a day.