Ready, Aim Fiber!

If you want to , speed up your metabolism, feel full and cleanse your system, you must add fiber to your diet. You already know that fiber helps with cholesterol, risk of colon cancer or coronary disease but the studies on the benefits of fiber on weight loss is juice –get that out of your mind. It is time to make bring it into your diet if you really want to amplify your weight loss efforts.

There are two types of fiber soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in the digestive system while insoluble fiber passing through the system largely unchanged. Most plant fibers contain both types of fiber and act as a sweep for your system. To see results you must take in 25-35 grams per day, which I am sure is nowhere near what you are taking in now. Here are some foods that contain plenty of fiber:

SOLUBLE FIBER
Legumes
Oatmeal
Apples
Strawberries
Citrus fruits

INSOLUBLE
Wheat bran
Whole wheat products
Broccoli
Skins of fruit

Benefits of fiber in weight loss are:

Keeping your system regular
As it passes through the digestive tract it acts as a sponge to absorb it weight in liquid, and the results are that your bowel movements are expelled more easily and rapidly. As high protein eater, I must include food and veggies that are high in fiber every day, almost at every meal just to counteract the symptoms of constipation that can come from a high protein intake. I also recommend eating tons of fiber food the day after a cheat day, to eliminate some of the effects of sugar, fats and alcohol.

Eating fiber keeps you full
Since fiber takes longer to digest than many other foods, it keeps you feeling full and not feeling so hungry. Add fiber to every meal in the form of grain or berries and veggies. This will keep you satiated up until your next meal, hunger pains will be a thing of the past. The idea of VOLUMETRICS in food works well with high fiber foods because most of them contain low calories in large amounts. So it seems like you are eating a high volume of food but really they don’t have many calories.

Fiber boosts your metabolism
Remember that part of metabolism is how much energy is expended in digesting the food. Since fiber is harder to digest, it in turn expends more energy to get through your system. So in that case when you add fiber to each meal, it takes even more energy to expend. Pick foods with highest grams of fiber per servings. My favorites are ALL bran extra fiber cereal, buckwheat, blueberries, and spinach.

As far as fiber supplements, there are okay but why not just eat real food. The good part of fiber rich foods is that they are also high in vitamins and antioxidants, something you will never get from a fiber supplement. You can try food or juices or yogurts that have added fiber to them but not if they have extra sugar.

Finally, a word of warning, when you start incorporating fiber into your diet, start slow. If you are a fiber virgin, it will hurt at first, but eventually it will get easier and eventually you might even like it. There will be discomfort and there will always be a little bloating but it will be gone by morning along with any toxins and extra weight. Eat up!

Fiorella

Set Yourself Up For Success

Whenever you start a new fitness program or diet you are hopeful and dedicated. Then two weeks go by and you may not see results. Then a month goes by and you begin to go back to your old ways. Sound familiar?

This time start your new goals by setting yourself up for success. Set the stage with good intention, a good environment and the reasonability of your goal. There are ways to truly give you a real chance to lose weight and eat better.

Give these a try:

Follow a plan. Success without a plan is called luck. Luck is not what you want to base your goals on, so do yourself a favor and plan ahead. Make a list before you do your weekly grocery shopping, plan your meals for every day and even your snacks. Sunday night separate your snack servings so you can have them with you at all times. Make larger quantities a food ahead of time, so it will be easy to reheat after all long day. Have fun cooking easy meals, you will be surprised how quickly you can put meals together.

Find an eating plan that works with your tastes. Be reasonable about this, there is no such thing as an ice cream diet. Start slowly; begin to replace some of your foods with better alternatives like trading in regular pasta with a whole grain. Add some SUPER FOODS that are nutrient rich to your plan and eat your favorites occasionally and in moderation. Starting slow will give you a better chance to ease yourself into this new lifestyle.

Develop a new relationship with food. Food at its most primitive use is for sustenance and later we learned to make it pretty and tasty. This tastiness makes us feel good, comforts us and leads us to eat more than we should. Start to look at food as fuel rather than for emotional needs. When you go to the grocery store and see the fresh food and veggies, the whole grains and lean meats know that these foods will make you healthier, slimmer, younger , and more beautiful. The processed, sugary stuff will literally have the opposite effect.

Get support network. Studies show that having a partner in crime will help you stay on track. If you don’t have a willing associate, get your husband or boyfriend and even your children on board. I am sure that their diets will benefit from eating healthier. Start with at least one meal a day that is healthy. Don’t stock up on cookies and chips for them and keep the serving sizes limited so it will be less tempting for you. If the snacks are in the house, keep them out of sight. You won’t eat what you don’t see.

And finally,

Be realistic with your goals and be patient. Work with your body type and make it the best it could be. Do not compare yourself to super airbrushed images that you see in magazines, most are not that cute anyway. Remember you can be fit, healthier and more beautiful than you already are right now. Good nutrition and an active fitness plan can make you a better version of yourself and that should be our goal.

Good luck!

Fiorella