Are you hitting your fiber macros and how important is it?

Soopatt

I added fiber as a macro about two weeks ago and I am finding hitting my daily fiber number almost impossible.

I did it for the first time today adding chia seeds to all three of my meals in addition to a day which included oats and veggies. This doesn't really feel sustainable, particularly for someone like me who likes to add treats and yummy things to my day. Hitting the fiber number means zero chance at any treat on that day. High fiber diet is starting to look rather fun free.

Unless I am doing it wrong.

Any tips? My diary is open. Any recipes you see (the overnight oats for example) I have built myself and have been carefully measured.

I have struggled with an irregular tummy for many years and a higher fiber content has definitely helped in this regard. Not sure how much is enough though, to get the health perks, or even if the pursuit of that number is even desirable.

arditarose

I'm always above on fiber. A little too much considering I'm too low on fat (my macros are a mess sometimes). I eat quest bars and lots of veggies. You can look at my diary if you'd like.

barbecuesauce

More beans. They're a filling addition to salads. But really, if 20 cals' worth of chia seeds are upsetting you, you're doing it wrong. I don't know how large your deficit is, but you should be able to eat more than 1220 and lose steadily. Are you in a hurry for a reason? The faster you go, the more muscle mass you lose (I am speaking from experience).

LolBroScience

Eat more fiber dense foods....

Fruit (berries in particular)
Green Veggies
Beans
Legumes
Whole Grains (cereal, bread)
Sweet Potato

etc...

Francl27

I wouldn't even worry about it with such a small goal. Do you exercise at all? You need to eat some of those calories back. 1200 calories is unnecessary for 95% of people who want to lose wait (unless you're 60+ and sedentary, pretty much).

Heck I'd never be able to eat any treat without starving with such a low goal (and I'd probably starve even without treats, frankly).

ald783

I just recently started focusing on fiber, and I agree with you- it's tough! My daily goal is 25 grams but I've been trying to hit 30/day. I try to get it from more natural sources like beans, legumes, and produce, but I do have a Fiber One bar or some All Bran now and then.

Lentils are a really good source of fiber. I've started substituting lentils in lieu of pasta or other grains in recipes (or do half and half). Blackberries have a ton of fiber for very low calories. Sweet potatoes are also a decent source, and whole grains instead of white flour grains will help boost it also.

Lonestar5775

I try to do an apple a day and almonds too but I know they are high-calorie and may not fit your diary. Sometimes you can sneak in a little more by eating things like a high-fiber English muffin over a standard English muffin. And just as important to the fiber is keeping hydrated which aids all things intestinal :-) Best of luck....

cbelc2

I go above every day, but I also go above sometimes in fat. I like chia and flax seeds and nuts. Try to eat your fruits and veggies as whole as possible. Beans are high fiber. Eat skins when feasible. Have a little treat every day, of course, if it keeps you motivated. I made 6 calorie sorbet bites with sugar. I look forward to them.

abatonfan

Fiber is fairly easy for me to get (my average is around 27-32g, though today I'm in the 50s. Looks like I better give everyone around me a gas mask) while keeping to a 1300-1400 calorie goal. Some of my go-to high-fiber foods include:

• Dry roasted edamame - 10g fiber for 40g serving
• Black beans - 11g fiber per 130g serving
• Strawberries - 3g fiber per 150g serving
• Blueberries - 3g fiber per 140g serving
• Broccoli - 5g fiber per 150g serving. Cauliflower and asparagus are also fairly high in fiber.
• Raw spinach -2g fiber per 70g serving
• Atkins products - 5-12g fiber (depending on what I'm eating -I like the pizzas and breakfast sandwiches for whenever my blood sugars are making me eat low-carb)
• Super dark (85-90%) chocolate - 2g fiber per 12-13g serving
• Bran flakes - 5g fiber per 30g serving

T1DCarnivoreRunner

At this point, I'm primarily interested in making sure I get enough protein to maintain or build muscle. But I've also been interested recently in fiber. Chia seeds are too calorie dense for me (and they are messy), and it is tough to get both fiber and 150g protein without getting too many calories (beans just aren't going to do it for me, sorry). So I often use fiber supplements / powders.

earlnabby

I am really good at hitting my fiber macro and am usually over. It is extremely important because it helps control blood sugar and the insoluble fiber is needed for proper intestinal function. Low fiber high fat diets are one of the risk factors for colon cancer and my father died of colon cancer so it is doubly important to me.

Krystle1984

I'm always way over my fibre goal, I average 35-40g a day easily. Beans and veggies are key, I also add flaxseed to my porridge every morning to boost the iron, magnesium etc but it adds fibre too. Have a look at what your intake generally averages then try to up it by a few grams each week.

cld111

I feel like fiber is the most important goal to hit. I don't have any issues with that one. I eat a mostly plant-based diet though. Lots of greens, veggies, legumes, potatoes, rice, fruit, etc. Eat more plants and you'll have no problem.

galgenstrick

I just realized yesterday that quest bars have an insane amount of fiber. 68% of daily value. 20 grams of protein and only 150-190 calories depending on the flavor.

Need2Exerc1se

I found losing weight much easier when I went high fiber at my doctor's suggestion. She suggested I strive for 45g per day. I don't alway hit that but most days I do or come close. The best find for me was Fiber Gourmet brand pasta. It's 1/2 the calories of regular pasta, isn't a vegetable I'm pretending is pasta, and has 20g of fiber per 2 oz serving. I now eat a big plate of pasta 3-4 times a week. It's a bit more expensive, but worth it to me.

Bran Buds cereal is also something I eat pretty often. I make parfaits with greek yogurt, fruit and Bran Buds. Sweet and high in fiber and protein.

Other things that bring my fiber up are beans, fruits, vegetables. I add beans to salads, soups, nachos, burritos, etc.

Some days I get more than 50g of sugar on 1300 calories. I tried chia seeds but they are so high calorie and not very tasty. Plus, they are very expensive. I like ground flax seen better. I make high fiber buckwheat flax pancakes every weekend.

Snow3y

well Fibre is a micro, not a macro.. But one thing's for certain, if I don't have enough, my body and my toilet sure know it.
If I have enough, and actually have 'too much' I don't really have issues though. So I try stick to having all my fibre rich foods I can throughout the day.

earlnabby

Snow3y wrote: »

well Fibre is a micro, not a macro.. But one thing's for certain, if I don't have enough, my body and my toilet sure know it.
If I have enough, and actually have 'too much' I don't really have issues though. So I try stick to having all my fibre rich foods I can throughout the day.

The only thing that I noticed was when I first started paying attention and eating more fiber. I had a couple of days "adjustment". I also have some effects if I eat more than one Quest bar in a day.

Need2Exerc1se

Snow3y wrote: »

well Fibre is a micro, not a macro.. But one thing's for certain, if I don't have enough, my body and my toilet sure know it.
If I have enough, and actually have 'too much' I don't really have issues though. So I try stick to having all my fibre rich foods I can throughout the day.

Is fiber a micronutrient? It's a type of carb, which is a macronutrient, but obviously not the only type.

chriskangell

I think the foods on your diary are wrong. How does "Woolworths - Fresh Cauliflowet & Gruyere Soup, 305 g" have 0g fiber but "Woolworths - Smoked pork fillet with mozzarella and spring onion, 250 g" have 9g of fiber? Surely the "Cauliflowet" (sic) soup should have *some* fiber.

I'd add more chia seeds; 5g/20 calories a pop isn't going to cut it (though I see sometimes you do that multiple times a day, which seems good).

As for myself, I blow through my fiber goal every day (I don't even need to pay attention to it) by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and by not eating much meat (sometimes I eat fish). It's going to be harder for you because your goal is 1200 calories a day (mine is 1900, and I'll eat 2500+ if I burn 1000+ calories working out).

galgenstrick

earlnabby wrote: »

Snow3y wrote: »

well Fibre is a micro, not a macro.. But one thing's for certain, if I don't have enough, my body and my toilet sure know it.
If I have enough, and actually have 'too much' I don't really have issues though. So I try stick to having all my fibre rich foods I can throughout the day.

The only thing that I noticed was when I first started paying attention and eating more fiber. I had a couple of days "adjustment". I also have some effects if I eat more than one Quest bar in a day.

I actually wish there was less fiber in quest bars. I've been eating them for a while and had no idea they had so much. I get plenty of fiber in my diet and don't need an extra 34 grams if I eat an extra couple for the protein.

Need2Exerc1se

galgenstrick wrote: »

I just realized yesterday that quest bars have an insane amount of fiber. 68% of daily value. 20 grams of protein and only 150-190 calories depending on the flavor.

Interesting. I rarely eat bars of any kind, but I may check these out.

chriskangell

I would also recommend eating more nutrient dense, calorically sparse foods. For example, for lunch today I'm having this ridiculously huge kale salad that will likely give me all of the fiber I need for today and then some, all in 500 calories.

rosebarnalice

I'm usually over my fiber goal. I oatmeal or multigrain cereal for breakfast (high protein, too!) about 4 days a week, and then most days I take a "pick salad" of celery and carrot sticks in my lunch. I can really feel the difference on those days when my fiber is low!

nvmomketo

I've been quite far under lately but it hasn't affected my bathroom habits. Perhaps the meats and oils are keeping things moving smoothly. No issues with satiety either.

Soopatt

Thanks for all the tips, you are giving me some great ideas. I think my daily diet has come a long way, I was living off a couple of biscuits and a bite of chocolate a few months ago, so I have made huge progress in eating a lot fresher and on most days I hit my protein and fat targets, which I view as a minimum.

A little while back I logged about being hungry a lot and got the advice to try to eat more protein, fats and veggies which I have been doing and it really has helped. I started to wonder about my fiber, which is why I am now focusing on that.

For those interested, yeah, I eat at 1200 and have done so for 4 months, with only 4 days when I went over that (two of them significantly, but planned on both occasions). I do exercise, but seldom log it and view those calories as a bonus deficit. I ride a stationary bike most days.

I lose on average 0.5kg a week - hardly racing along and I am not very overweight (71kgs presently and 1.7m tall), so I wouldn't want to slow down much more than this by upping my calories. I weigh everything I consume to the gram and create my own recipes.

I know the chia seeds are not for everyone, but I find them easy to handle as you just toss them into food. At 1200 calories, when you add something, you have to take something away, so beans are difficult to add in on my plan and wholewheat pasta is a huge challenge because of the calories required although I find both items delicious.

The problem is not that I am a veggie hater - I am a veggie lover that still needs variety in her life. I am leaning into the fruit and veggies, but I don't just want to eat fruit and veggies all day, I feel pretty sorry for myself if I don't keep my beloved coffee and the few carbs I do have, I also need to save a fair amount of calories for protein, to maintain the balance I am after. For example, I would have happily added a whole lot of other veggies to my dinner today (pumpkin, some green beans perhaps), but that would have meant cutting back on the pork.. or something. I already skipped my dinner coffee.

Soopatt

chriskangell wrote: »

I think the foods on your diary are wrong. How does "Woolworths - Fresh Cauliflowet & Gruyere Soup, 305 g" have 0g fiber but "Woolworths - Smoked pork fillet with mozzarella and spring onion, 250 g" have 9g of fiber? Surely the "Cauliflowet" (sic) soup should have *some* fiber.

I'd add more chia seeds; 5g/20 calories a pop isn't going to cut it (though I see sometimes you do that multiple times a day, which seems good).

As for myself, I blow through my fiber goal every day (I don't even need to pay attention to it) by eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and by not eating much meat (sometimes I eat fish). It's going to be harder for you because your goal is 1200 calories a day (mine is 1900, and I'll eat 2500+ if I burn 1000+ calories working out).

Yeah, you have made me wonder about the soup - I scanned the barcode but that does not guarantee it is right I suppose and I don't always pick up problems. I think I already threw away the pouch it came in. I will check next time I am at the store. Woolworths in South Africa makes great veggie soups with loads of fresh ingredients and they are a great stand-by for me when I don't feel like doing my own prep.

http://www.woolworths.co.za/store/cat/Food/Food/Ready-Prepared-Meals/Soups/_/N-1z13saj?gclid=Cj0KEQjw_rytBRDVhZeQrbzn_q0BEiQAjnbSHA6Iwbseo8fE4hSfTDa6HyR3yCmeN7sANsxBCsRxY14aAn-l8P8HAQ

I pretty much lived off Woolworths food until I found the courage recently to start making my own stuff.

Soopatt

Update - I found the soup on the site and apparently it has 01g of fiber per 100g and 0.3 in the serving I had, so I suppose too little to show up on MFP.

earlnabby

galgenstrick wrote: »

earlnabby wrote: »

Snow3y wrote: »

well Fibre is a micro, not a macro.. But one thing's for certain, if I don't have enough, my body and my toilet sure know it.
If I have enough, and actually have 'too much' I don't really have issues though. So I try stick to having all my fibre rich foods I can throughout the day.

The only thing that I noticed was when I first started paying attention and eating more fiber. I had a couple of days "adjustment". I also have some effects if I eat more than one Quest bar in a day.

I actually wish there was less fiber in quest bars. I've been eating them for a while and had no idea they had so much. I get plenty of fiber in my diet and don't need an extra 34 grams if I eat an extra couple for the protein.

Most quality protein bars are much less in fiber but still high in protein. I eat Quest because of both, but have been tempted by some other brands. Just can't get over the difference in fiber: 15-20 g instead of the 3-6 g. in other brands.

ffbrown25

Oh lord I almost double my fiber requirement most days. Gonna echo what people have said about quest bars and veggies! Also, if you make protein shakes, try switching to hemp protein powder. It's got a bunch of fiber. Have some fruit with your breakfast. Try things like tempeh. Rice noodles are also delicious. There are a bunch of options.

ffbrown25

Soopatt wrote: »

A little while back I logged about being hungry a lot and got the advice to try to eat more protein, fats and veggies which I have been doing and it really has helped. I started to wonder about my fiber, which is why I am now focusing on that.

One of my first posts here was about how filling I found a high-protein diet - I was going to bed most nights feeling someone had inflated a balloon in my belly! Then someone pointed out how high my daily fiber intake was, and since then I've been trying not to go over so much. It's done WONDERS for my appetite. So! I think upping your fiber intake along with your protein intake will also help you with hunger.

My all-time favorite dinner is stir-fried tempeh and vegetables in General Tso's sauce over rice noodles. YUUUM. And loaded with protein and fiber.

WBB55

Here's the list I made for myself of foods I enjoy, but also with more than their share of fiber:

FIBER:
Raspberries
Pear
Apple
Banana
Raisins
WW spaghetti
Barley
Bran flakes
Popcorn
Rye bread
Split peas
Lentils
Black beans
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Pistachios
Artichoke
Peas
Broccoli
Turnip greens
Brussels sprouts
Sweet corn
Potato with skin
Tomato paste
Carrot

I can make a lentil salad with carrots, celery and sunflower seeds and dressing for not a lot of calories, but 15g of fiber. EASILY under 400 calories for a lunch (depending on the dressing, and what else you put on it).