[Nekomania]

I just recently started changing my eating habits and working out daily to shed some weight.

I've started taking a multivitamin daily since I drastically cut my calories and I'm worried about becoming malnourished in the long run.

My question I guess is if anyone has ever taken fiber supplements while losing weight and if it helped at all? Or if it's even a good idea?

I'm pretty sure I don't get enough fiber daily. I try to eat foods that have fiber like cheerios and bran flakes and fruits and veggies with fiber but I have trouble eating a lot. In order to get close to the minimum daily fiber it seems like ALL I would be eating.

Is it healthy or safe to drink something like Benefiber every day? And will it help with weight loss to have a high fiber diet?

[dgramie]

I take fiber daily. If I dont I start having bathroom issues. I love benefiber singles you add to your water bottle. I take fiberchoice tablets if I dont do the benefiber. Just be sure and increase the amount of water you drink daily. I think the fiber keeps things moving through your body properly. I have also thought at times it made me feel fuller. Just be sure and eat alot of fiber along with taking something. Fruits and veggies are whole grains are great but it does take alot to equal the daily requirement.

[kaplods]

As an appetite suppressant, they didn't work very well, for me. The diet regimens were generally the equivalent of a glass of benefiber/water before every meal and once in the evening. Oh sure, they suppressed my appetite, but they also caused such severe abdominal cramping, gas and diarrhea that I had to practically live in my bathroom.

In the winter, I sometimes use fiber as a supplement, but in the summer I don't have any problem getting my fiber from produce (and I'll have the same bathroom issues if I don't add them in gradually).

That's the most important thing when adding in fiber - whether it's from produce or supplements - increase gradually. Sudden fiber increases (or decreases, for that matter) can cause painful digestive problems. And if you're at all prone to digestive issues, they can be "wish for death" painful.

[dgramie]

Increased fiber also reduces the chance of colon cancer.

[KerriLeah]

Fiber is fantastic for also decreasing cholesterol. Fiber binds to cholesterol in the digestive system so that it is expelled and doesn't go to the circulatory system.

[juliana77]

I only supplement if I don't meet my goal for the day (35g). I use psyllium husks. My mom recently had a portion of her colon removed due to diverticulitis, and a high fiber diet can help to prevent that (as well as colon cancer as mentioned above).

I eat bran cereal most days (12g per cup, vs 3 for cheerios) and the reduced carb tortillas I buy have 11g. Between those two things it's easy to get the rest in with regular foods.

[silentarctic]

I don't do supplements but I mostly whol grains, and lots of vegetables, and i LIKE allbran buds. I don't eat them because of the fiber, I eat them because they are low cal and crunchy. (only one or two servings in a day... its never made me feel icky..)