too much fiber? too much sugar? (new here)

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ruffledviolet
ruffledviolet Posts: 260
in Food and Nutrition
First of all, I'm a vegetarian (not vegan, but I stay away from most dairy products) and I'm 20.

My weight has gone up and down from my eating disorder, and I am trying to go back to my LW by diet and moderate exercise, not by fasting and spending more time at the gym than in bed.

I pretty much eat: fruit, veggies, cereal, oatmeal, nuts, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Every day.
It's easy for me to stay under my calorie limit (1400), but I'm always over on fiber, and wayyyyyyy over on sugar.

Q1. Can too much fiber be a bad thing? Should I try to decrease my intake?

Q2. Should I ignore the fact that I am going over my sugar limit (50g) because most of my sugar is from fruit and veggies or my sources of protein? Or should I eat less fruit?

I'll tell you right now, I am not cutting out the oatmeal (half regular, half random flavor with sugar). I swear to xxx oatmeal is an antidepressant in disguise. I am going to try to switch from Wegmans random fruity cereal to Kashi Go Lean High Protein & High Fiber because of it's glorious nutrition label, but my mom pays the grocery bills and she's not a big fan of Kashi prices. I'll also remind my mom to get the unsweetened almond milk, but again, I think she gets the original because it comes in a larger container which is comparably cheaper than the lesser amount of unsweetened.

For the record, the almond milk is for the cereal. I only drink water and plain tea. No soda. No coffee. No juice. (Just saying this so you know that's not where the sugar is coming from.)

Any other suggestions to a cheap, lazy-when-it-comes-to-cooking, vegetarian are welcome.

Thanks. :)
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Replies

  • ablueskier
    ablueskier Posts: 104
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    The fiber "goal" on here should be looked at as a minimum amount of fiber intake. More won't hurt you at all. It can make you gassy if your system isn't used to it but it's a good thing.
  • lsd007
    lsd007 Posts: 435
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    Recommended fiber intake for weight loss is actually around 30-35 g, I have no idea why this site has it set so low. And more of it won't hurt you so I wouldn't worry about that. I'm guessing the majority of your sugar is non-refined from fruits...wouldn't worry about that either:smile:
  • cupfanncbms
    cupfanncbms Posts: 101
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    I am always way over on fiber, but that's because I only eat brown breads, whole grains, etc. I also eat a lot of fruit and I'm always "over" on sugars. I don't really care what it says. Fresh fruit sugars are not like putting a TBSP of sugar on my cheerios. I don't really pay much attention to the sugars on the days I have a lot of fruits and go over (which is usually when I make my smoothies, about three days a week).
  • biggerpix
    biggerpix Posts: 96
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    I try to increase my fiber in spurts. I've heard that fruit is good, but not after 2 pm.
  • Edestiny7
    Edestiny7 Posts: 730 Member
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    I eat vegan and get about 60 grams of fiber each day. The only thing I have read about eating a lot of fiber is you need to drink enough water. I do not have any problems with it. As far as sugar goes, as long as the majority is from fruit and vegetables, that is fine. The limit is really about added sugar.
  • Seanrach
    Seanrach Posts: 3
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    I say too much fiber is a good thing and as far as the sugar goes as long as it is coming from mostly from whole foods you're good there too. Sounds like you have very healthy diet and I wouldn't worry about it. I've recently gone vegetarian too (I still eat fish) and I love it!
  • carolynmittens
    carolynmittens Posts: 344
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    the fiber shouldn't be a problem, but all that natural sugar might make it difficult for you to lose weight.... sugar affects each person differently though, so see if you are able to lose weight this way, and if so then keep doing what you're doing! if you find the weight just isn't coming off then yeah you'll need to change up your diet a bit. i love fruit too but i find i just can't lose weight while eating a lot of it. specifically dates, and bananas too. berries are a lot lower in sugar so you could get away with eating more of those. sugar from fruit most likely won't give you health problems like cardiovascular disease or diabetes; you're probably not eating so much that your insulin and glucagon levels will be affected. just please eat organic fruit! :) pesticides are the devil!
  • biggerpix
    biggerpix Posts: 96
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    You're right about each body being different. I find that lots of fruit holds up the weight loss. I eat it in moderation. The veggies and the whole wheats don't bother me at all. It's weird, isn't it?
  • ChessRonin
    ChessRonin Posts: 160 Member
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    Too much fiber can result in gastrointestinal problems, but we're talking about a LOT of fiber.

    Don't worry about the sugar intake as long as you are not eating refined and added sugar products copiously, and are getting a balanced carbohydrate profile (at least half of your carbohydrate intake should be from longer chain carbohydrates, not simple sugars).
  • ♥_Ellybean_♥
    ♥_Ellybean_♥ Posts: 1,646 Member
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    Really MFP's setting is low, you should get anywhere from 28-30g of fiber a day.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    The fiber "goal" on here should be looked at as a minimum amount of fiber intake. More won't hurt you at all. It can make you gassy if your system isn't used to it but it's a good thing.

    Great, thanks. I believe I am used to it. I think I already went through that phase two years ago. Thanks!
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    Recommended fiber intake for weight loss is actually around 30-35 g, I have no idea why this site has it set so low. And more of it won't hurt you so I wouldn't worry about that. I'm guessing the majority of your sugar is non-refined from fruits...wouldn't worry about that either:smile:

    Thanks, I'll change my goal. The negative red numbers scare me haha.
    Most of the sugar is from fruits/veggies/natural peanut butter, but some is from oatmeal and pb&j sandwiches (1 for lunch at work). Thing is I'm not willing to give up the oatmeal and pb&j because I get protein and happiness from both. I can eat less fruit in the morning, but then I would replace it with empty calories of pretzels or rice cakes.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    I am always way over on fiber, but that's because I only eat brown breads, whole grains, etc. I also eat a lot of fruit and I'm always "over" on sugars. I don't really care what it says. Fresh fruit sugars are not like putting a TBSP of sugar on my cheerios. I don't really pay much attention to the sugars on the days I have a lot of fruits and go over (which is usually when I make my smoothies, about three days a week).

    So we're in the same boat. :) I wish MFP would separate the sugars to make it more clear for noobs who are only used to counting calories.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    I try to increase my fiber in spurts. I've heard that fruit is good, but not after 2 pm.

    I eat 2-3 (but usually 3) pieces of fruit (grapes, orange, apple, pear, or banana) between 8am and 11am.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    I eat vegan and get about 60 grams of fiber each day. The only thing I have read about eating a lot of fiber is you need to drink enough water. I do not have any problems with it. As far as sugar goes, as long as the majority is from fruit and vegetables, that is fine. The limit is really about added sugar.

    I drink tea/water all day at work, and a few glasses more at the gym. :)
    Again, I wish MFP separated the sugars.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    I say too much fiber is a good thing and as far as the sugar goes as long as it is coming from mostly from whole foods you're good there too. Sounds like you have very healthy diet and I wouldn't worry about it. I've recently gone vegetarian too (I still eat fish) and I love it!
    Good to hear my diet is healthy. I find it hard to tell about my own diet. I can pick out everyone elses unhealthy choices and avoid them, but I feel like I am never eating healthy enough becaue every food has it's pros and cons.
    Glad you love being a sort of vegetarian. :) I started it as a prom diet, but found myself feeling so much better that I gave it up entirely.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    the fiber shouldn't be a problem, but all that natural sugar might make it difficult for you to lose weight.... sugar affects each person differently though, so see if you are able to lose weight this way, and if so then keep doing what you're doing! if you find the weight just isn't coming off then yeah you'll need to change up your diet a bit. i love fruit too but i find i just can't lose weight while eating a lot of it. specifically dates, and bananas too. berries are a lot lower in sugar so you could get away with eating more of those. sugar from fruit most likely won't give you health problems like cardiovascular disease or diabetes; you're probably not eating so much that your insulin and glucagon levels will be affected. just please eat organic fruit! :) pesticides are the devil!
    Ah, but berries are expensive and bananas are cheap.
    I am trying to lose weight, and I am sort of losing. I am used to losing quickly from my ED, but I am trying to lose the right way. (TBH I don't care about the health benefits because I'm 20 and ignorant, but I want to keep the weight off after I lose it.) So, I think I lost about 6lbs when I started my diet within maybe a week and a half - which is quick but I was also just finishing my period. Now I have been stuck at the same weight for the past 5 days, but my clothes are fitting better. Overall, I'd say that is good and I am still losing. I'll give it another week and decide if I should tell my mom to buy less fruit for me.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    You're right about each body being different. I find that lots of fruit holds up the weight loss. I eat it in moderation. The veggies and the whole wheats don't bother me at all. It's weird, isn't it?
    That is strange. I don't really know what effects me. I think my main problem was overeating, not eating the wrong things. It's hard to tell, but I just feel like fruit should be healthy. It's natural and so easy to eat. It's always been around. It's pretty. Haha.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    Too much fiber can result in gastrointestinal problems, but we're talking about a LOT of fiber.

    Don't worry about the sugar intake as long as you are not eating refined and added sugar products copiously, and are getting a balanced carbohydrate profile (at least half of your carbohydrate intake should be from longer chain carbohydrates, not simple sugars).

    Don't think my fiber is that bad. Not sure about my "carbohydrate profile." I eat whole wheat/whole grain bread and oatmeal and fruits and veggies. I believe my carbs are always under my goal as well.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    Really MFP's setting is low, you should get anywhere from 28-30g of fiber a day.

    Thanks for letting me know. :) I'll def change that because I hate the red negative numbers.

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