Do High Fiber Diets Promote Weight Loss?

The popular high fiber diet programs claim that you won't have to think about calories if you just pack your diet full with enough fiber. This high fiber weight loss plan assumes you will feel satiated and stop eating once your belly is distended enough from all that fiber. These programs are also trusting the impact of fiber on unhealthy food consumption, which in part is understandable, since fiber does counteract high sugar foods to one degree or another.

It's true that fiber is excellent for you, especially if you're trying to lose weight. You can think of fiber as a cleaning utensil that removes excess material from your intestines, improving regularity. It helps you feel full. Fiber helps your body handle high sugar foods without causing super high blood sugar level spikes, which cause your body to release insulin. Because fiber keeps your blood sugar level steady, it also protects you against blood sugar spikes and crashes, which can trigger even more overeating as you try to compensate for the crash.

But is it enough to simply pack your diet with fiber and hope to lose weight?

Sure, fiber makes you feel full, but it also stretches out your stomach, leaving even more room for you to pack away more food. So while it does help you feel full, your capacity to eat more will increase along with your high fiber intake. Eating a high fiber diet also doesn't stop you from packing in the calories through calorie-dense foods such as icing, custard, and ice cream. The bottom line is you can't rely on a high fiber diet to make you lose weight.

What is the best weight loss plan? Fill your daily menu with high fiber foods, but pay attention to your other foods choices as well. Use portion control, count calories, and get daily exercise, limiting high calorie foods and relying on calorie-control and exercise to shed pounds.