Fiber ?

MaryBLee
MaryBLee Posts: 31 Member
in Food and Nutrition
After logging my foods I noticed that my fiber has a negative in the remainder. It tells me my daily goal is to get 18. My total fiber today is at 42, so it has me as a negative 24 for remainder.

I know you can eat too little fiber. But I was wondering, is eating too much fiber bad?

Replies

  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    18 is a pretty low fiber goal. The USDA recommends about 14 grams of fiber per 1000 calories consumed. That'll put pretty much everyone in the range of 21-42 grams per day minimum. It's fine to go over, but not by a ton. You don't want 40-50 grams of fiber if you're eating 1700 calories in a day, for instance.

    Too much fiber can cause constipation and gas, prevent absorption of nutrients, etc.
  • MaryBLee
    MaryBLee Posts: 31 Member
    MFP has 18 as my daily fiber. I usually end up eating between 25-40, so I was wondering if it could be a problem.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    MFP is notorious for setting fiber recommendations quite low. 25-35 is a better target zone, IMO. Personally, more than 40 puts me in the danger zone for unpleasant experiences in the bathroom.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    MFP has 18 as my daily fiber. I usually end up eating between 25-40, so I was wondering if it could be a problem.

    I have no idea how much you're eating, but it's entirely possible that's too much. You may want to adjust your goal, or try to eat a little less of it.
  • MaryBLee
    MaryBLee Posts: 31 Member
    MFP has my calories at 1200. I'm 5'4" and 207. It hasn't caused any bathroom issues, and I drink a ton of water. But I was wondering because I keep getting the negative.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    18g is ridiculously low. I aim for 30-40. As long as you drink large amounts of water and it doesn't give you tummy issues then don't worry about it.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    Don't worry about the negative. It just means you went beyond what the site thinks you need. But now you know that it's a ridiculously low number. So you can disregard it. It's just a number written in red. They think you need to be alerted. You can just look at the number and assess it for yourself. If you don't like seeing the negative sign or the red print, go into your settings and change your fiber goal.
  • MaryBLee
    MaryBLee Posts: 31 Member
    Thanks for the input every one. Honestly I feel good, and no issues in the ladies room. I drink a ton of water and iced tea.

    I thought the number was odd, but wasn't sure so I posted. I usually hit between 25-40.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    That sounds healthy.

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