Fiber Question,,,

anj1030 · March 2013

Can anyone tell me the risk of going OVER my suggested fiber intake per day?

sweetzoejane · March 2013

Healthy colon. Healthy poops.

anj1030 · March 2013

Understood...but that doesn't happen for me! Ha Ha. Never has...

But on my daily food diary...it turns to this scary red when I go over...and it makes me think it's a bad thing.

sweetzoejane · March 2013

The recommendation for fiber on MFP is too low, in my opinion. 25-30g is the general recommendation. Some nutrients are based on a minimum requirement, not a maximum. Fiber is one of those. Do you freak out if you go over on vitamin C? No. It's good for you. Now, if you are actually eating something like 60g a day (which is doubtful on a calorie deficit, unless you are only eating fiber one bars and oatmeal).

Staying hydrated and eating enough fat helps too. With healthy poops and colon, I mean.

Lauramh31 · March 2013

I agree w/ the previous poster. I've never heard of it being a problem. The only problem I've heard of is that if you make a huge sudden increase in your fiber you may have diarrhea

I was also noticing that the fiber number seemed low as I thought you were supposed to get more becuase fiber helps you feel full and makes you poops and colon healthy.

BlackKat75 · March 2013

I agree with the others that MFP's recommendation for fiber is too low. I personally aim for between 30 to 35 grams a day, which is close to double what MFP would recommend. No issues for me, although you want to build up slowly if your increasing your fiber intake in order to avoid intestinal distress!

concordancia · March 2013

I agree that the MFP suggestion is really low.

However, eating the MFP recommendation or less every day, then suddenly eating 30g can result in abdominal discomfort.

Also, drink lots of water as you are increasing your fiber intake.

AtwaterD · March 2013

I suggest displaying other stats and hiding fiber if it stresses you out to see red numbers. Just pick different stats to look at.

Bagelsan · March 2013

I track fiber and I *aim* for a red number. It means I'm getting a decent amount.

(I also take fiber supplements to make sure I get enough. But be careful with those, and work your way up slowly to avoid GI tract problems and gas.)

bizco · March 2013

MFP's default for fiber is too low so don't worry about going over. Try to get at least 25g per day.

You can customize your food diary (macros, fiber, etc.) by going to:

My Home>>Goals>>Change Goals>>Custom. Save your changes.

_noob_ · March 2013

there are levels where it inhibits nutrient absorption.

Also whether you reach your fiber goals from whole foods or not is decent indication of whether you should add more whole foods to your diet.

It's my second target in my diet after protein.