Too much fibre?

paleojamie
paleojamie Posts: 191
edited November 10 in Health and Weight Loss
I am taking in 45g daily

But am still under my calorie goal .. so need more food i.e pasta (wholemeal) which will take me over the 50g mark!
«1

Replies

  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    anyone?
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    It's not a limit, it's just a suggestion.
  • ImaSongbird
    ImaSongbird Posts: 126 Member
    um... WHY exactly are you trying to get 45g of fiber into your diet?

    And also, if you want more fiber, eat more veggies; not pasta! Pasta is basically empty calories.
  • lizard053
    lizard053 Posts: 2,344 Member
    Too much fiber? No such thing! Just be sure to drink plenty of water with it.
  • BigPapaGato
    BigPapaGato Posts: 96 Member
    Fiber is awesome in my opinion there really is no such thing as too much of it.
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    um... WHY exactly are you trying to get 45g of fiber into your diet?

    And also, if you want more fiber, eat more veggies; not pasta! Pasta is basically empty calories.

    i'm not trying to, I am just gettung 45g through my diet
  • marquesajen
    marquesajen Posts: 641
    I don't *think* that's a problem, but I don't really know. What about adding in a banana to boost your calories? I'm not sure if you have any restrictions otherwise, but judging by what you have eaten in the last couple of days (looks great!) a little pasta would be fine or some more fruit maybe.
  • ImaSongbird
    ImaSongbird Posts: 126 Member
    Too much fiber? No such thing! Just be sure to drink plenty of water with it.
    ...too much fiber and not enough liquid can cause abdominal distention, cramps, and flatulence.
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    I don't *think* that's a problem, but I don't really know. What about adding in a banana to boost your calories? I'm not sure if you have any restrictions otherwise, but judging by what you have eaten in the last couple of days (looks great!) a little pasta would be fine or some more fruit maybe.


    just not sure really .. I hear too much fibre isn't good for you :)
  • ImaSongbird
    ImaSongbird Posts: 126 Member
    I am taking in 45g daily

    But am still under my calorie goal .. so need more food i.e pasta (wholemeal) which will take me over the 50g mark!
    Still don't know why you're aiming for 50 g of fiber, which is 2X most recommendations. But if you are not getting sufficient calories, you would be better off getting them from nutrient-dense foods, rather than calorie-dense foods.

    For example, raw nuts, avocado, seeds, sardines, anchovies, coconut are all high in calories and excellent sources of healthy fats.
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    Too much fiber? No such thing! Just be sure to drink plenty of water with it.
    ...too much fiber and not enough liquid can cause abdominal distention, cramps, and flatulence.

    think i'm experiencing a bit of that distention to be honest
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    I am taking in 45g daily

    But am still under my calorie goal .. so need more food i.e pasta (wholemeal) which will take me over the 50g mark!
    Still don't know why you're aiming for 50 g of fiber, which is 2X most recommendations. But if you are not getting sufficient calories, you would be better off getting them from nutrient-dense foods, rather than calorie-dense foods.

    For example, raw nuts, avocado, seeds, sardines, anchovies, coconut are all high in calories and excellent sources of healthy fats.

    lol please .. I said i'm not AIMING for it .. just what my daily foods add up to
  • melissa_e
    melissa_e Posts: 13
    It looks like you get a lot of fiber from two sources daily - your breakfast oats and sandwich bread. If you feel like you're getting too much fiber and it's uncomfortable, you could try swapping out a couple of those sources - a smaller portion of oats with nuts mixed in to help you feel full, maybe.
  • byHISstrength
    byHISstrength Posts: 984 Member
    "And also, if you want more fiber, eat more veggies; not pasta! Pasta is basically empty calories."
    [/quote]

    Maybe with white pasta, but whole wheat pasta has a good amount of fiber and protein. :bigsmile:
  • ImaSongbird
    ImaSongbird Posts: 126 Member

    lol please .. I said i'm not AIMING for it .. just what my daily foods add up to

    OOOOooooh! When you said " .. so need more food i.e pasta (wholemeal) which will take me over the 50g mark" I thought you meant that you were TRYING to get 50 g in your diet!! oops.

    Still, I think you will be better served to add nutrient-dense foods, rather than foods like pasta, which are basically emply calories. Get your calories from single-ingredient foods like nuts, avocado, oily fish, etc.
  • SkinnyShadow
    SkinnyShadow Posts: 106 Member
    The daily recommendation is what you need to just function properly. Dr.Oz said you should actually be having 56 grams of fiber daily.. and if you're eating whole grains, and all the fruits and veggies you're SUPPOSED to eat in a day, I'd say that's about right! ;)
    It's like that with all the "daily recommendations", you generally should be taking more - ie vitamin C - 500 a day is nothing.. if you have a cold you should be taking 1000-2000 every few hours.
    My mother was an RN for years and then was a nutritionist and got into homeopathy, so I'm not just talking out of my rear here :P
    ..you think I'd be healthier with all this ingrained knowledge?? Bah, I'm a rebel it seems lol

    Honestly, In My Opinion, I would just focus on eating healthy food, and not worry about the "recommended" anything.
  • katharos3
    katharos3 Posts: 154 Member
    I think your fiber amounts look fine, and your diary overall seems great (full of fruits & veggies). So if you need to up your calories, I'd suggest adding a bit more protein. As long as you are drinking enough water, you aren't going to eat too much fiber. And I personally think the "experts's" recommendations for 25-30g per day is way too low. I aim for 40-50g myself.
  • hpsnickers1
    hpsnickers1 Posts: 2,783 Member
    Yes, there is such a thing as too much fiber. And the insoluble fiber from grains scrapes at your intestinal walls - damaging the walls and creating lots of mucus - not a good thing.

    When I went Primal and ditched the grains I also backed off the fiber (I get very little and what I do get comes from fibrous veggies and the occasional berry and coconut and my Lindt 85% dark cocoa bars - 6g per serving!) my IBS, hiatal hernia, indigestion, flatulence, bloating (my belly went flat for the first time in my life!!)

    I find that getting plenty of fat in my diet (I get probably around 60%-70% of my calories from fat and mainly saturated fat) is what keeps my insides moving along.

    The whole fiber thing is crap (excuse the pun). I don't want my poop to be big and bulky and heavy. I want it to be light and fluffy and easy to move along. A high-fat diet does this.

    http://www.gutsense.org/fibermenace/about_fm.html
    The site is very gimmicky. I have no interest in buying the book. But the site is full of information. And just ditching the grains has done wonders for healing my gut. I had a doctor tell me to eat more whole grains and take this pill for my Fibromyalgia and my IBS would regulate within a year. Going Primal - it took about a month - lost 4" off the belly in about 6 weeks and this was with less exercise. the healing wasn't immediate and all the protein and fat stopped me up at first. But digestive enzymes and probiotics will help the body digest proteins/fats while the gut heals.

    I function just fine on a few grams (more or less) a day. In fact, my digestive system functions better than ever (I've had digestive issues pretty much my whole life).
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191

    lol please .. I said i'm not AIMING for it .. just what my daily foods add up to

    OOOOooooh! When you said " .. so need more food i.e pasta (wholemeal) which will take me over the 50g mark" I thought you meant that you were TRYING to get 50 g in your diet!! oops.

    Still, I think you will be better served to add nutrient-dense foods, rather than foods like pasta, which are basically emply calories. Get your calories from single-ingredient foods like nuts, avocado, oily fish, etc.

    basically meaning I need more food and only have the healthy options
  • katharos3
    katharos3 Posts: 154 Member
    Yes, there is such a thing as too much fiber. And the insoluble fiber from grains scrapes at your intestinal walls - damaging the walls and creating lots of mucus - not a good thing.

    When I went Primal and ditched the grains I also backed off the fiber (I get very little and what I do get comes from fibrous veggies and the occasional berry and coconut and my Lindt 85% dark cocoa bars - 6g per serving!) my IBS, hiatal hernia, indigestion, flatulence, bloating (my belly went flat for the first time in my life!!)

    I find that getting plenty of fat in my diet (I get probably around 60%-70% of my calories from fat and mainly saturated fat) is what keeps my insides moving along.

    The whole fiber thing is crap (excuse the pun). I don't want my poop to be big and bulky and heavy. I want it to be light and fluffy and easy to move along. A high-fat diet does this.

    http://www.gutsense.org/fibermenace/about_fm.html
    The site is very gimmicky. I have no interest in buying the book. But the site is full of information. And just ditching the grains has done wonders for healing my gut. I had a doctor tell me to eat more whole grains and take this pill for my Fibromyalgia and my IBS would regulate within a year. Going Primal - it took about a month - lost 4" off the belly in about 6 weeks and this was with less exercise. the healing wasn't immediate and all the protein and fat stopped me up at first. But digestive enzymes and probiotics will help the body digest proteins/fats while the gut heals.

    I function just fine on a few grams (more or less) a day. In fact, my digestive system functions better than ever (I've had digestive issues pretty much my whole life).

    This is a great example of how different people need different diets. I was wrong in assuming OP couldn't eat too much fiber. The reason I aim to eat 40-50g of fiber per day is because I was diagnosed with diverticulosis last year. I have always had a very slow digestive system, and it was normal to go 3 days without a BM. Since changing my diet, my digestive system has improved dramatically, and I can now go everyday. And it's not big, bulky and heavy, but light and fluffy now. lol But that's just me. My husband has similar problems to what you've described, and if he eats even close to the amount of fiber I eat, he's backed up for days.

    For the OP, if eating that much fiber is causing you digestive issues, try tweaking your diet to increase fat and lower grains. Or drink more water. But there are healthy foods that aren't high in fiber. It's all about finding the best balance for your body.
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    Yes, there is such a thing as too much fiber. And the insoluble fiber from grains scrapes at your intestinal walls - damaging the walls and creating lots of mucus - not a good thing.

    When I went Primal and ditched the grains I also backed off the fiber (I get very little and what I do get comes from fibrous veggies and the occasional berry and coconut and my Lindt 85% dark cocoa bars - 6g per serving!) my IBS, hiatal hernia, indigestion, flatulence, bloating (my belly went flat for the first time in my life!!)

    I find that getting plenty of fat in my diet (I get probably around 60%-70% of my calories from fat and mainly saturated fat) is what keeps my insides moving along.

    The whole fiber thing is crap (excuse the pun). I don't want my poop to be big and bulky and heavy. I want it to be light and fluffy and easy to move along. A high-fat diet does this.

    http://www.gutsense.org/fibermenace/about_fm.html
    The site is very gimmicky. I have no interest in buying the book. But the site is full of information. And just ditching the grains has done wonders for healing my gut. I had a doctor tell me to eat more whole grains and take this pill for my Fibromyalgia and my IBS would regulate within a year. Going Primal - it took about a month - lost 4" off the belly in about 6 weeks and this was with less exercise. the healing wasn't immediate and all the protein and fat stopped me up at first. But digestive enzymes and probiotics will help the body digest proteins/fats while the gut heals.

    I function just fine on a few grams (more or less) a day. In fact, my digestive system functions better than ever (I've had digestive issues pretty much my whole life).

    This is a great example of how different people need different diets. I was wrong in assuming OP couldn't eat too much fiber. The reason I aim to eat 40-50g of fiber per day is because I was diagnosed with diverticulosis last year. I have always had a very slow digestive system, and it was normal to go 3 days without a BM. Since changing my diet, my digestive system has improved dramatically, and I can now go everyday. And it's not big, bulky and heavy, but light and fluffy now. lol But that's just me. My husband has similar problems to what you've described, and if he eats even close to the amount of fiber I eat, he's backed up for days.

    For the OP, if eating that much fiber is causing you digestive issues, try tweaking your diet to increase fat and lower grains. Or drink more water. But there are healthy foods that aren't high in fiber. It's all about finding the best balance for your body.

    please give some examples of healthy foods not high in fibre :)
  • katharos3
    katharos3 Posts: 154 Member






    please give some examples of healthy foods not high in fibre :)


    eggs, yogurt, milk (cow's, almond, whatever), meats, fish... I don't think you should cut out all foods with fiber in them, but eat smaller amounts of fiber-rich foods at a time. So instead of having fruit and porridge for breakfast, you could eat fruit and eggs. You're still getting some fiber, and it would be close to the same amount of fat & protein.
  • snaus70
    snaus70 Posts: 39
    I usually eat about 50g of fiber each day and that seems to be perfect for my body. If my fiber intake drops to around 30g I get constipated! It is probably one of those things that has general recommended guidelines but is different for different people depending on their digestive systems. :ohwell:
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    think my stomach hurts a tiny bit though, that's why i'm thinking maybe it is a bit too much fibre...
  • dfborders
    dfborders Posts: 474 Member
    If you feel like your tummy isn't feeling very good I would suggest backing off the fiber a bit. Most people need to gradually increase their fiber intake or they risk the chance of causing bloating, flatulance and sometimes even feelings of heart burn or indegestion. Once you get to a comfortable fiber intake stay there for a few days (or weeks if everything is moving smoothly) and then gradually reincorporate high fiber foods. Good Luck!!
  • SassyStef
    SassyStef Posts: 413
    Yes, there is such a thing as too much fiber. And the insoluble fiber from grains scrapes at your intestinal walls - damaging the walls and creating lots of mucus - not a good thing.

    When I went Primal and ditched the grains I also backed off the fiber (I get very little and what I do get comes from fibrous veggies and the occasional berry and coconut and my Lindt 85% dark cocoa bars - 6g per serving!) my IBS, hiatal hernia, indigestion, flatulence, bloating (my belly went flat for the first time in my life!!)

    I find that getting plenty of fat in my diet (I get probably around 60%-70% of my calories from fat and mainly saturated fat) is what keeps my insides moving along.

    The whole fiber thing is crap (excuse the pun). I don't want my poop to be big and bulky and heavy. I want it to be light and fluffy and easy to move along. A high-fat diet does this.

    http://www.gutsense.org/fibermenace/about_fm.html
    The site is very gimmicky. I have no interest in buying the book. But the site is full of information. And just ditching the grains has done wonders for healing my gut. I had a doctor tell me to eat more whole grains and take this pill for my Fibromyalgia and my IBS would regulate within a year. Going Primal - it took about a month - lost 4" off the belly in about 6 weeks and this was with less exercise. the healing wasn't immediate and all the protein and fat stopped me up at first. But digestive enzymes and probiotics will help the body digest proteins/fats while the gut heals.

    I function just fine on a few grams (more or less) a day. In fact, my digestive system functions better than ever (I've had digestive issues pretty much my whole life).

    What she said LOL I too struggle with digestive issues and IBS, I was told more fiber, ur tummy hurts your not pooping enough, eat more fiber, all it did was make me hurt more and oh the gas pains and visits to the ER

    I too eat Primal and havent had any IBS symptoms since changing my diet, the veggie fibers in my opinion out weight any grains, breads pasts junk! Just focus on eating REAL and WHOLE FOODS and I think your tummy issues will improve :)
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    Yes, there is such a thing as too much fiber. And the insoluble fiber from grains scrapes at your intestinal walls - damaging the walls and creating lots of mucus - not a good thing.

    When I went Primal and ditched the grains I also backed off the fiber (I get very little and what I do get comes from fibrous veggies and the occasional berry and coconut and my Lindt 85% dark cocoa bars - 6g per serving!) my IBS, hiatal hernia, indigestion, flatulence, bloating (my belly went flat for the first time in my life!!)

    I find that getting plenty of fat in my diet (I get probably around 60%-70% of my calories from fat and mainly saturated fat) is what keeps my insides moving along.

    The whole fiber thing is crap (excuse the pun). I don't want my poop to be big and bulky and heavy. I want it to be light and fluffy and easy to move along. A high-fat diet does this.

    http://www.gutsense.org/fibermenace/about_fm.html
    The site is very gimmicky. I have no interest in buying the book. But the site is full of information. And just ditching the grains has done wonders for healing my gut. I had a doctor tell me to eat more whole grains and take this pill for my Fibromyalgia and my IBS would regulate within a year. Going Primal - it took about a month - lost 4" off the belly in about 6 weeks and this was with less exercise. the healing wasn't immediate and all the protein and fat stopped me up at first. But digestive enzymes and probiotics will help the body digest proteins/fats while the gut heals.

    I function just fine on a few grams (more or less) a day. In fact, my digestive system functions better than ever (I've had digestive issues pretty much my whole life).

    What she said LOL I too struggle with digestive issues and IBS, I was told more fiber, ur tummy hurts your not pooping enough, eat more fiber, all it did was make me hurt more and oh the gas pains and visits to the ER

    I too eat Primal and havent had any IBS symptoms since changing my diet, the veggie fibers in my opinion out weight any grains, breads pasts junk! Just focus on eating REAL and WHOLE FOODS and I think your tummy issues will improve :)

    can you do me a favour and look at my diary to see what you think :)
  • SassyStef
    SassyStef Posts: 413
    [/quote]

    can you do me a favour and look at my diary to see what you think :)
    [/quote]

    Looking at your diary something I notice was the cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts........those are night shades and I know all this eat your veggies talk but for some who have tummy problems night shades can be the culprate too. I cannot eat those types of veggies either LOL
    It is gonna take some time to weed the foods out that cause you tummy problems, but if you are willing to listen to your body and make the changes it is so worth it. I would also stay away from bread or fried foods.........I use coconut oil now instead of corn and other oils, olive oil is a great one too. You can also use coconut flour or almond meal......so many alternative :)
  • pdworkman
    pdworkman Posts: 1,342 Member
    Umm, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts are crucifers, part of the cabbage family, not night shades. Night shades are tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes . . .

    But they are high fibre and also produce a lot of gas, so can cause a lot of gastric distress if you're not used to them.


    Looking at your diary something I notice was the cauliflower, broccoli and brussel sprouts........those are night shades and I know all this eat your veggies talk but for some who have tummy problems night shades can be the culprate too. I cannot eat those types of veggies either LOL

    It is gonna take some time to weed the foods out that cause you tummy problems, but if you are willing to listen to your body and make the changes it is so worth it. I would also stay away from bread or fried foods.........I use coconut oil now instead of corn and other oils, olive oil is a great one too. You can also use coconut flour or almond meal......so many alternative :)
  • paleojamie
    paleojamie Posts: 191
    is it healthy to have this much fibre though? I sometimes feel constipated!
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