Getting all 25g of fiber on keto (without relying on supplements)

AmZam05
AmZam05 Posts: 130 Member
Hey everyone! Looking for some tips on fiber. I have been eating low carb for probably 6-7 months but not keto. I carb cycle since I lift heavy and eat higher carb pre-workout on my lifting days, but all other days I keep carbs as low as I can while still getting 25g fiber. I've found that for me personally, if I don't get that fiber, I'm in trouble...if you know what I mean.

Right now I get a lot of fiber from Quest bars as a post-lifting snack, but they're taking a toll on my wallet. I also have powdered fiber supplement (each serving is 6g carbs, 5g fiber for 1 net carb/serving) that I use as a backup to reach my fiber goal at the end of the day if I need it, but it's also expensive and I would rather get fiber from whole food sources.

I plan to do full on keto starting in January to cut for my wedding on March 19th. I would like to start at 30g net carbs daily, 55g total. I am looking for suggestions from people who watch their fiber goal closely and have some good recommendations of foods with low net carbs that help them reach it. I already eat a lot of broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, almonds, flax seed, etc. I am going to experiment more with making keto baked goods with psyllium husk as well. I just like to hear personal testimonies in case there is something I've missed.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Sunny_Bunny_
    Sunny_Bunny_ Posts: 7,140 Member
    Is there a reason fiber is important to you because it's not really necessary to get that much when eating low carb as I understand.
    I am someone that was always told to watch fiber and take supplements because of IBS, but I've found that eating Keto has pretty much made IBS a subject of ancient history. I no longer have any digestive issues even without the probiotics I couldn't live without before. I only get from 3-12 grams of fiber on any given day and I don't track it at all.
  • knackeredat34
    knackeredat34 Posts: 66 Member
    I add chia seeds to my smoothies but i have found that its the coconut oil that helps in that department more than the fiber
  • sweetteadrinker2
    sweetteadrinker2 Posts: 1,026 Member
    I'd look at your fat content first, then fiber. It's fat that should keep us regular on this diet.
  • KarlaYP
    KarlaYP Posts: 4,436 Member
    Most days I have zero fiber and have no problems with elimination. I've been this way since May.
  • ladipoet
    ladipoet Posts: 4,180 Member
    I add chia seeds to my smoothies
    .

    I second the chia seeds!

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    Black soybeans. An amazing protein, carb, fat, fiber profile.
  • monikker
    monikker Posts: 322 Member
    Coffee, magnesium, oil seem to help me.
  • FIT_Goat
    FIT_Goat Posts: 4,224 Member
    AmZam05 wrote: »
    I am looking for suggestions from people who watch their fiber goal closely and have some good recommendations of foods with low net carbs that help them reach it.

    Everyone, let's remember that this person is looking for suggestions to help them hit their fiber goal and not looking to be told they don't need fiber. While I am well known for my anti-fiber stance, this thread is probably not the place for me to vocalize it. If this thread was about hitting XX grams of carbs, you wouldn't want to post advice about how someone doesn't "need" that many carbs and should do something else instead.

    Now, the points about coconut oil and fat are very valid. Those will help a lot if you're suffering from slow-down. As for low net-carb foods with lots of fiber, I think you've got most of them covered. Chia seeds, flax meal, and other similar things. There's always the fiber powders, in a pinch. The leafy green veggies (spinach and such) tend to be pretty good on the fiber/carb ratio. I don't really know, as I said I avoid fiber entirely.

    Another point to note, as you get lower and lower on the fiber, you'll eliminate less waste overall. So, you'll go less often without really being constipated. A lot of fiber just passes through and provides bulk to the outgoing waste. If you remove that bulking agent, there's less stuff that's not being absorbed. That means there is less to pass. So, don't stress too much if things slow down on low-carb. You are absorbing more of the stuff you eat.
  • nvmomketo
    nvmomketo Posts: 12,019 Member
    I too find that coconut oil is a good substitute for fibre. Nuts are helpful too.

    Keeping my sodium up seems to help too, strangely enough.

    Otherwise I would stick with green leafy veggies and things like broccoli to get fibre up.
  • lodro
    lodro Posts: 982 Member
    edited October 2015
    I learned (for me) the hard way to avoid "fibre". Instead, getting sufficient water into your gut and keeping volume down, is important. All fibre does is bulk your stool, increasing the risk of compaction. Compaction and constipation also occur when there is not enough bacterial activity. I supplement with Magnesium Ascorbate, more magnesium and Sodium Ascorbate and I take a very potent probiotic, with a very high bacterial count. Since then: no issues. Before that: hell. If you want to listen to a left field voice on this, check out the work of Konstantin Monastyrsky
  • TBeverly49
    TBeverly49 Posts: 322 Member
    FIT-GOAT
    Another point to note, as you get lower and lower on the fiber, you'll eliminate less waste overall. So, you'll go less often without really being constipated. A lot of fiber just passes through and provides bulk to the outgoing waste. If you remove that bulking agent, there's less stuff that's not being absorbed. That means there is less to pass. So, don't stress too much if things slow down on low-carb. You are absorbing more of the stuff you eat.[/quote]

    Hi, I have been wondering if my system is out of whack or not. You have explain a lot to me, because I have not felt constipated in the least so I thought it had something to do with the low-carb plan. Thanks a bunch Fit-Goat
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    Any less than a gallon of water a day causes any issue for me but eating a lot of coconut flakes each day helps too.

    We can be all different in our need for fiber for many different reasons.
  • Unknown
    edited October 2015
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  • CJ0821
    CJ0821 Posts: 51 Member
    I eat at least half an avocado a day to assist so that I do not "get in trouble" gut wise... it is not pleasant. Since I started doing that, I haven't had fiber goal issues or bathroom issues. I know it has a lot to do with the Fat content..
  • radiii
    radiii Posts: 422 Member
    When I was counting fiber religiously I was making a chia seed pudding daily. Quarter cup chia seeds, almond milk, cocoa, heavy cream, artificial sweetener, put in fridge for awhile and the seeds absorb a lot of the almond milk.
  • sweetteadrinker2
    sweetteadrinker2 Posts: 1,026 Member
    I just realized that you could easily get 25 grams of fiber in eating homemade quest bars or using the imo syrup to sweeten things like your coffee or tea. I tsp has 5 carbs, all fiber. That ratio doesn't hold true for larger amounts necessarily, but it's a good tool.
  • gsp90x
    gsp90x Posts: 416 Member
    I don't use them anymore but psyllium husks are super cheap and all fiber. Taste like... you know what, but it's cheap fiber.
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  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    I gathered from Dr. Jack Kruse' EPI-PALEO RX there is not science behind the 25 grams of fiber recommendation.
  • ndvoice
    ndvoice Posts: 161 Member
    I eat 1 veggie with breakfast, (peppers & onions w/eggs) 2 with lunch (huge salad usually) & 2 with dinner (broc, asparagus, spinach, salad, Brussels sprouts). I get flax or chia my snacks where I can. Between these & my love of almond butter, things are moving lol. I get 25 grams of fiber, or close to it daily.
  • AmZam05
    AmZam05 Posts: 130 Member
    Thanks for your input everyone! I always like to hear personal experiences. I've since done more research on how we don't need fiber on LC/Keto. Somehow I missed that tidbit in my extensive research in the past. For the time being I still need my 25g since I'm carb cycling for another couple months, and in my experience I need the extra fiber if I'm cycling in carbs, even in the small amounts I consume them.

    It's actually a huge relief that I don't need to worry about fiber after my macros are set to keto (70% F/25% P/5% C) which will be in January. For the rest of the year I am focusing on recomp and setting new strength gain records, and even in my wildest dreams I can't do that level of lifting intensity on keto, I've tried lol. But on a side note I'm really excited about doing full keto and becoming legit fat adapted.