A lot of high-fiber foods are not compatible with my weight loss plan. So that means more leafy greens and broccoli for me.
About two weeks ago, I decided to tweak my diet by adding in more fiber. Women under 50 should aim for 25g of fiber a day. Looking at my Fitness Pal tracker, I was consuming roughly 10-15g daily. No wonder I’ve had major bouts with constipation.
Adding Fiber With Food
The best way to add fiber into my diet is by eating more of or introducing certain foods back into my diet. The problem is finding fiber-rich foods that are low in carbs. The problem is many foods – whole grains, legumes, apples, citrus fruits, carrots, and peas – are too high on their carb count for me at the moment. If I start adding these foods back into my diet, my weight loss pretty much stops.
Of the high-fiber, high-carb foods, only the sweet potato makes it to my plate. There are so many health benefits to eating sweet potatoes it’s insane for me to pass them up. Also, they are just so damn tasty. I treat them as a rare indulgence (1-2 times a month).
Thankfully there are a handful of foods I eat that are high in fiber: spinach, broccoli, almonds and avocados. Except for almonds, I just need to increase how much I eat of them.
There is one veggie I want to try – the artichoke. One medium artichoke has 10g of fiber. Its net carb count is 4g. Perfect for weight loss.
My only experience with this particular veggie is ordering crab and artichoke dip at office happy hours while bulking up to 325 pounds.
It looks like a big, green acorn. I’m curious about how to cook and eat one. It really doesn’t seem intuitive. But that won’t stop me from trying. So next week I’ll give the artichoke a whirl.
Yes, this stuff works. Pretty much I became regular within 24 hours of taking 1 teaspoon. Just be sure to read the nutrition label as some of the products have sugar.
Taking A Fiber Supplement
While increasing my intake of vegetables high in fiber gets me closer to my daily goal of 25g, I went ahead and started taking a daily supplement. Just before New Year’s Day I started taking Metamucil’s sugar-free Orange Smooth powder in the mornings. Within 24 hours of my first dose, my constipation disappeared.
But with Metamucil comes some considerations. Some products include sugars and all include carbs. I made sure to read the nutrition label before picking the right product for me.
Also adding fiber back into your diet can cause gas or bloating initially. Well I was already painfully bloated, so that didn’t bother me. But to be safe, I decided to start with 1 teaspoon a day. If I needed to take more for the constipation, then I’d do so gradually.
Turns out I didn’t need to increase my serving size. No bloating or gas…just relief.
Finally all seems right with the world.