Getting healthy: Ties in with Lil's weight loss thread.
- Thread starter Jabberwockey
- Start date
Jabberwockey
Well-Known Member
The my fitness pal website takes this into consideration. Well, if you input it anyway!
Lil
Well-Known Member
Yes, and we've had way too much salt. Heck, after lunch today I will have exceeded the daily recommended - yesterday I think I doubled it. My chili recipe is WAY high.
Although as much as I have to go in the middle of the night you'd think I'd be bone dry the next morning! (too much information?) I changed my blood pressure medications to the evening instead of the morning and one has a diuretic in it...I wonder if that's what's causing me to get up every night? Or just age.
Although as much as I have to go in the middle of the night you'd think I'd be bone dry the next morning! (too much information?) I changed my blood pressure medications to the evening instead of the morning and one has a diuretic in it...I wonder if that's what's causing me to get up every night? Or just age.
Lil
Well-Known Member
I don't think I get that much salt every day! I seldom salt my food other than cooking and I added no salt to the chili, it's just that the tomatoes and beans have a lot of salt in them. Going to have to watch that. But on a normal day, I doubt I get that much sodium. I have never had my doctor tell me to watch the salt intake either, although I do know it's important.
Of course several years ago when I had an actual cardiologist I was seeing, I asked him, "Should I lose weight?" and he said, "Shouldn't we all?" He was a BIG man!
On the up side, I think I might have misread the office scale because I popped on it again, just because I was standing next to it with nothing else to do, and it says a whole pound less than it did an hour and a half ago.
Of course several years ago when I had an actual cardiologist I was seeing, I asked him, "Should I lose weight?" and he said, "Shouldn't we all?" He was a BIG man!
On the up side, I think I might have misread the office scale because I popped on it again, just because I was standing next to it with nothing else to do, and it says a whole pound less than it did an hour and a half ago.
Weigh yourself on the same scale, ideally first thing in the morning. Weight fluctuates during the day, for all of us.
As far as salt goes? I challenge you to make the leap to salt-free. Find the salt-free versions of the ingredients you use. Put away the salt shaker. (Yes, Jabber... do this for your dear Lil) You can use all the other flavorings you want - herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, etc.
Try it for the rest of February.
Ideally, get a blood pressure cuff and keep track of that, too. Or use the one at your pharmacy if they have a good one (ours does). Track it over time.
Salt is hidden in SO many prepared foods and prepared ingredients. And it adds up REALLY fast.
After then end of Feb, you can decide if you want to add PINCHES of salt back in to certain dishes. You might not even miss it. Once we kicked the salt habit, my hubby found that just a pinch in cooking made a huge difference, so we use that pinch. A box of salt lasts a LONG time.
As far as salt goes? I challenge you to make the leap to salt-free. Find the salt-free versions of the ingredients you use. Put away the salt shaker. (Yes, Jabber... do this for your dear Lil) You can use all the other flavorings you want - herbs, spices, garlic, ginger, etc.
Try it for the rest of February.
Ideally, get a blood pressure cuff and keep track of that, too. Or use the one at your pharmacy if they have a good one (ours does). Track it over time.
Salt is hidden in SO many prepared foods and prepared ingredients. And it adds up REALLY fast.
After then end of Feb, you can decide if you want to add PINCHES of salt back in to certain dishes. You might not even miss it. Once we kicked the salt habit, my hubby found that just a pinch in cooking made a huge difference, so we use that pinch. A box of salt lasts a LONG time.
Jabberwockey
Well-Known Member
It doesn't have to be first thing in the morning as long as its the same time of day every time. As far as salt goes, I'm definitely going to start making a SERIOUS effort to cut sodium significantly in my diet. The last few days using my fitness pal has shocked me, not only on how much sodium I was consuming, but as to how truly easy it is to stay within my daily calorie limit and NOT feel hungry. I've always been bad about "I'm hungry, I eat" and it obviously isn't a good idea.
Lil
Well-Known Member
Let me point out I JUST went shopping Sunday, and I will NOT be throwing out several dozen cans of vegetables/beans/tomatoes/etc., just because they're salt heavy.
But seriously, I don't know whether it was Jabber thinking he used a tablespoon of salt in the potatoes, or my chili having so much, that got everyone thinking we're salt fiends, but we're truly not! LOL
I just went back over the week I journaled on Myfitnesspal.com and I was under on my sodium allowance twice (once significantly) over three times (but only once significantly) and just about right the other times by that I mean either over or under by at most double digits.
Unfortunately, we do eat a lot of tomato based foods. I may have to learn to can!
But seriously, I don't know whether it was Jabber thinking he used a tablespoon of salt in the potatoes
, or my chili having so much, that got everyone thinking we're salt fiends, but we're truly not! LOL I just went back over the week I journaled on Myfitnesspal.com and I was under on my sodium allowance twice (once significantly) over three times (but only once significantly) and just about right the other times by that I mean either over or under by at most double digits.
Honey, you've been doing this two days. Yes, it's something to watch, but I think you'll find on a regular basis, the sodium isn't that bad when we're actually cooking!
Unfortunately, we do eat a lot of tomato based foods. I may have to learn to can!
Lil... the sodium in our diet was about half the "recommended limit" when we cut out salt. Salt is everywhere. And there is growing discussion out there about just how much too high the "recommended limit" really is.
Canned beans - like kidney beans - if they come with salt, don't use the liquid, and rinse the beans. Same thing works for canned vegetables... except... You can't do that with stewed tomatoes, of course.
Use up what you have, but start getting the LOW (not "lower", because a lot of those are 5% lower, which isn't significant) sodium versions. Maybe make March your no-salt test?
Canned beans - like kidney beans - if they come with salt, don't use the liquid, and rinse the beans. Same thing works for canned vegetables... except... You can't do that with stewed tomatoes, of course.
Use up what you have, but start getting the LOW (not "lower", because a lot of those are 5% lower, which isn't significant) sodium versions. Maybe make March your no-salt test?
Jabberwockey
Well-Known Member
A couple of summers ago we had a bumper crop of tomato's. I learned you can freeze them whole. All you do is wash them, core them, and freeze them. I use a food saver that sucked all the air out. When you thaw them out the skin peels off so easy. I use them in chili, stews, really anywhere you would use a canned tomato.
Lil
Well-Known Member
LOL I wish! I didn't even pee!
I did freeze some last year...but I hadn't thought to thaw them so I used canned in the chili.
Lil
Well-Known Member
No, we're not. Not tossing $50 worth of veggies to buy $100 more - because the low salt is twice as high at the store as what I bought at Aldi. No, nope, nuh-uh. I do NOT waste money like that.
I guess you'd like to throw out the remaining four servings of chili while you're at it?
Choose your words carefully!
Jabber... here's one way to really cut your sodium and still keep Lil happy: eat half portions of chili or whatever... and fill up on salad or raw veggies of some sort... (note on salad: NO typical pre-made dressings, too high in sodium... try plain oil and vinegar or something like that)
Lil
Well-Known Member
It's not going to kill us to wait and start buying low-salt versions when the other runs out...or to buy a few low-salt versions and when a recipe calls for two cans of tomatoes to use one regular and one low-salt. It's the waste I have a problem with.
I THINK he was just joking.
I THINK he was just joking.
Jabberwockey
Well-Known Member
While I am serious about cutting back on the sodium, I was actually joking. Although we can donate some of the leftover canned goods to Salvation Army when we get serious about it.
We use to talk about this in our WW meetings. Donate most of your canned goods (any that are high in salt, which could end up being most of them) to any charity that will take them and most, if not all, of any sweets you get as a gift to some family with loads of kids or older folks or a family of skinny people.,,LOL! I had it made as down the block was a family with seven adopted skinny kids!
