Could More Fiber Help You Lose Weight?

As I was Stumbling through websites the other night I came across the video below. I found it interesting and thought a little about the amount of fiber I eat in a day. Strangely, just a couple of days later I read the experience of Shon Gables in the May 2008 issue of Fitness magazine. She took the challenge to make one small change to her diet, which was to eat more fiber at every meal, consuming at least 30 grams of fiber a day. The result? She lost 5 pounds in a month! Tanya Zuckerbrot, R.D., author of The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss, says it's because "fiber-packed foods tend to be low in calories, yet they're dense, so you can eat until you're full and still barely make a dent in your daily calorie count. And fiber will also keep your blood-sugar levels even, staving off hunger and energy lulls." With all this information in hand, I decided to make 30+ grams of fiber a day my goal. Today was day one. The verdict regarding difficulty? I thought it was quite easy! I actually ate more than usual, but what I ate was better for me than what I eat many days. I will admit that figuring out a high fiber dinner was the hardest part. I had already had 24 grams before that meal though, so with the broccoli and whole grain rice I had, I ended up right at 30 grams. To do this yourself, you'll need to record the fiber content of everything you eat. Packaged items have the fiber content on them, for other items, you can refer to a fiber chart such as the one I used at http://www.wehealny.org/healthinfo/dietaryfiber/fibercontentchart.html#fiber. I found sugar snap peas to be a great source of fiber and they made it easy for me to reach my lunch-time goal. Also fruits such as apples and pears are high in fiber. And when produce is nowhere to be found, at the recommendation of a friend, I purchased Fiber One Bars - Oats & Chocolate. These easy-to-take-with-you bars have a whopping 9 grams of fiber packed into them and are great for breakfast on-the-run! Shon says she will stick with the plan and that she has more energy, is now regular, and doesn't feel bloated the way she used to. As for me, I'll let you know at the end of two weeks what (if any) difference it has made. If you try it, or already eat the recommended amount of fiber a day, let me know if you think it made a difference in your health and/or weight and how you feel and also any favorite high-fiber foods you would recommend.