How Much Fiber is Needed to Lose Weight?

The general consensus is that you need to consume 15 to 25 grams of fiber per day. Fiber is not only good for preventing colon cancer, it is good for weight loss. Fiber can help with regularity, as well as benefit your health in terms of lowering your cholesterol. This in turn, helps with your heart health.

How Much?

My nurse at my weight loss program says, 15 grams per day will help with your weight loss program. According to Lean for Life, 25 grams of fiber helps you lose weight, combined with a low-carbohydrate diet, 80 ounces of water per day, and moderate exercise.

Sources

You can get fiber in unprocessed fruits and vegetables and whole wheat products. Fiber also is in legumes such as beans and garbanzo beans. Metamucil mixed in water or fiber pills as dietary supplements also will boost your fiber levels.

Why Fiber?

Fiber makes you feel fuller, which helps you eat less. The less you eat, the fewer calories you consume. In order to lose weight, you have to decrease your caloric intake. In addition, fiber helps you eliminate waste products out of your colon, which could, through constipation, hold from five to twenty pounds of weight. Fiber also can help control cravings and hunger pains.

Tips

Eat bran cereal, shredded wheat, or a bran muffin with your breakfast to start your day. Also fill up on fresh fruit such as apples, oranges, bananas, blueberries, raspberries and dried fruit.

Use wheat bread or wheat-based pasta, if you like to eat bread or pasta. Eat fresh vegetables such as broccoli, peas, and carrots, which are high in fiber. Try lentils, beans, and brown rice versus a meat-based meal. Snack on air-blown popcorn without butter.