So Discouraged. Feel Like CRYING! Fiber is BAD for you?

bcattoes

How do I get past the feeling that eating more meat than fruits and veggies is what is healthy?

I don't. While you might find websites and mass media publications that say this, I doubt you will find any medical or nutrition scientists that will. It's ridiculous.

What in the HELL am I supposed to eat???

I would let these professionals answer that question: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/

How to you guys get past the back and forth, lies, and myths?

I don't take nutrition advice from open forums, mass media, or anyone else who can't prove to me that there is a reason I should take their advice.

Akimajuktuq

There are a lot of nutritional lies out there that we have come to accept as fact. Also, everyone is different to some degree.

I cannot tolerate much insoluble fibre. I eat a fat based diet (animals and coconut primarily) in regards to calories but vegetables make up most of my plate. I do not eat grains or legumes because they are not healthy for ME. I get plenty of fibre from my vegetables, especially the soluble kind, which is healthiest for me.

Stop crying and try different ways of eating and find what works for YOU. You can trust your body and your own experiences far more than anything else. The best advice I can give is that natural saturated fats are actually very good for human health, yet we've been brainwashed into believing the complete opposite. We've also been pushed on the benefits of insoluble fibre which has NEVER been proven to prevent cancer. Things are announced in the media, the government is lobbied by certain special interest groups, and then it becomes "accepted fact" regardless of the real effects on the human body.

Do your own research. Try different things. Trust your own body/experience.

_HeartsOnFire_

If mango is bad for me, then I don't want what's good...

onmyweightohappiness

When you increase your fiber intake you will bloat and possibly gain, your suppose to increase your fiber slowly, if I don't get a min of 25 grams a day I notice the difference. The first 2-4 weeks of increasing your fiber you might experiencing bloating, weight gain and not a lot of movements in the relief department and also you might fart a lot more. Its all very very normal. Just stick with it and you will see a difference. Its making sure you get X amount everyday that can be a challenge. I do use benefiber in my coffee in the morning to help get more fiber daily but eat a ton of fruit or veggies or other fiber foods.

Wade406

I would suggest drinking more water/fluids, for one.

Have you heard of a man named Dennis Burkitt? He discovered a type of lymphoma that is named after him. He was also the medical director in Uganda for many years. He has some interesting things to say about fiber. He was known in the 70's as the fiber man.

You can watch an extensive interview with him here: http://youtu.be/GA1fkVLqhmE

I trust his point of view because of his perspective and observations from his experiences in Africa.

AngieCook09

Chinese food or taco bell... works every time.

EllieB_5

Fiber can plug you up if you don't have enough fluids with it. Is this what you're talking about?

SueInAz

Also, I know plenty overweight vegans and vegetarians...

I know plenty of them, too, who subsist on corn chips and salsa, french fries and sweets. I call them "junkfoodtarians."

On the original subject, I have to avoid fiber in anything but very small amounts but that's because I have the opposite problem of the OP and more than a few grams of fiber each day just makes things worse. So while fiber might be bad for ME, it's certainly not bad for most people and shouldn't be avoided.

likitisplit

Well, if you google it, you would be surprised what information comes up. I don't know. A lot of people sing its praises, and the same with the clean "raw vegan" thing...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1325453/Everything-thought-knew-food-WRONG.html

Before joining MFP, I had always thought losing weight was this convoluted process and that you had to be overly strict to get anywhere. You are always going to see new "studies" and opinions pop up about what works to lose weight and what's healthy to consume. With changing opinions its hard to keep up and it becomes overwhelming and it's easy to get lost.


I've tried the low carb thing, weight watchers, among other things and I felt miserable and couldn't stick with it long enough to get anywhere. On a whim I decided to just try to count calories just to see what might happen. To my surprise after a week of counting calories I actually lost weight. I eat "whatever" I want just as long as I'm getting enough protein (to minimize muscle loss) and don't go over my caloric total for the day.

Also, I know plenty overweight vegans and vegetarians...

^^^ This. It's stupid simple. Eat food. Meet your calorie goal. Get enough protein and fat.

And, most importantly, move. Health is 90% exercise. The purpose of food is to fuel movement.

JoRocka

dietary fat is often most over looked.

go to white castle- clear you right up.

Exactly. For me it's fried chicken. Whoo!

I personally do not like white castle- but it WILL do that to me.

Five guys or In and Out- similar effect by white castle is more pronounced- probably because you eat more since there are fewer of them.

You know what does it for me?- sushi- I'm GREAT after I have a solid sushi dinner.

Sedna_51

Gonna second everyone here saying that you need to look very carefully at the source of your information. Any schmuck can set up a website; look for information from reputable government organizations, universities, or peer-reviewed journals. A good rule of thumb is to ignore anyone who says something too extreme ("never eat X", "always eat Y")- there's almost never a good well-researched justification to cut something entirely out of your diet, barring serious medical issues (in which case you should be talking to a doctor!). Moderation is generally the best choice. I like stuff from NIH or the Mayo Clinic- they tend to present thoughtful, well-supported information.

And for the constipation, fat will definitely, uh, speed things up, as will berries, dried fruit, popcorn, beans, apples...all kinds of stuff. And FWIW, my sensitive tummy (though I have the opposite problem you do) seems much happier when I have a container of yogurt every day. Gotta get them tasty probiotics.

deksgrl

Eat a normal balanced diet including fruits, veggies and meats. Drink prune juice for the constipation problem.