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Eat Fiber to Lose Weight?

Dear Heather:

Is it true that eating a lot of fiber can help you lose weight? Ever since I read an article on the benefits of fiber and weight loss I’ve been eating tons of fiber. Is there any truth to this or am I just wasting my time?

Sincerely,

Joanne L., Colorado

Dear Joanne:

Fiber has a number of great benefits and weight loss has recently being promoted as one of them.

The reason why studies are showing that eating more fiber can help you lose weight is because foods containing fiber take longer to digest, satisfy you longer and ultimately cause you to eat less. Focusing on high fiber foods will help cut your calorie intake by giving you a feeling of fullness. Also, because fiber is digested slower you don’t experience dramatic blood sugar drops - which can be responsible for your late afternoon sugary snack needed to boost energy. It’s really easy to add fiber to your diet. Check out the difference between a low fiber and high fiber day.

	*Low Fiber Day*	*High Fiber Day*
*Breakfast*	1 Cup Rice Krispies	1 Cup Cooked Oatmeal
	1 Cup Skim Milk	1 Cup Skim Milk
	8 oz Orange Juice	Whole Orange
*Lunch*	½ Turkey on White Bread	½ Turkey on Whole Grain Bread
	1 Cup Chicken Rice Soup	1 Cup Lentil Soup
*Snack*	Small Bag Pretzel Twists	Nature Valley Granola Bar

*Dinner*	Roasted Chicken Chicken Stir Fry w/ Broccoli	Baked Potato Brown Rice
	Carrots	Mixed Green Salad

It’s really easy to add fiber to your day if you focus on one meal at a time. Aim for 25-35 grams a day to get the health benefits as well as weight loss benefits of fiber. To meet your daily requirement, look for foods with 2 grams of fiber or more per serving.

Thanks for another great question! We love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Heather Campanile, RD.

October 23, 2005 in Weight Loss Q&A | Permalink