Fiber and Weight Loss - Snacking Is Ok With High Fiber Foods
Sometimes when on a diet, trying to lose weight, the time between meals can seem like an eternity. Sometimes, you are so busy with your day that you have to skip these meals. But almost every time, the meal you do eat is not a super balanced nutritional meal, but something you grab or throw together quickly between things.
Hunger can really slow you down, and even if you are on a diet, hunger should not be an issue. Diets have always been synonymous with starvation and smaller portions, but the more important aspect of a diet is nutrition. Two different food portions almost always have different amounts of calories, fats, sugars etc. Just because you eat less doesn't always mean you will lose weight if you're not eating healthy.
So what can you do to satisfy your hunger without ruining your diet and harming your weight loss efforts?
Fiber-filled foods are known to be part of a well balanced meal, but are also a great snack. This is because they act like a slow-release nutrition system, keeping your body with a "full" feeling longer. Many fiber rich foods are also low in calories, so it is a double bonus.
Fiber in your diet also makes your blood sugar levels rise more slowly, which keeps your food cravings down. When your blood sugar is high, you feel the urge to eat more, so a high sugar snack like a candy bar may provide temporary relief from hunger, but it will return very fast, not to mention all the empty calories and sugars it contains; a very poor choice.
If you incorporate fiber into your meals and your snack habits, you will notice yourself going to look in the fridge, pantry, or vending machine less and less.
Here are some examples of high fiber foods: berries, pears, lentils, beans and whole grain cereals, such as oatmeal. Some simple ways to add more fiber into your diet can be to have oatmeal for breakfast or for snacks, eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread, and eating sliced fresh fruits or vegetables as finger food.
Try it for a week, and see how you feel. I bet you will find yourself not only eating less often, but feeling less hungry, and that has to be good for weight loss!
Hunger can really slow you down, and even if you are on a diet, hunger should not be an issue. Diets have always been synonymous with starvation and smaller portions, but the more important aspect of a diet is nutrition. Two different food portions almost always have different amounts of calories, fats, sugars etc. Just because you eat less doesn't always mean you will lose weight if you're not eating healthy.
So what can you do to satisfy your hunger without ruining your diet and harming your weight loss efforts?
Fiber-filled foods are known to be part of a well balanced meal, but are also a great snack. This is because they act like a slow-release nutrition system, keeping your body with a "full" feeling longer. Many fiber rich foods are also low in calories, so it is a double bonus.
Fiber in your diet also makes your blood sugar levels rise more slowly, which keeps your food cravings down. When your blood sugar is high, you feel the urge to eat more, so a high sugar snack like a candy bar may provide temporary relief from hunger, but it will return very fast, not to mention all the empty calories and sugars it contains; a very poor choice.
If you incorporate fiber into your meals and your snack habits, you will notice yourself going to look in the fridge, pantry, or vending machine less and less.
Here are some examples of high fiber foods: berries, pears, lentils, beans and whole grain cereals, such as oatmeal. Some simple ways to add more fiber into your diet can be to have oatmeal for breakfast or for snacks, eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread, and eating sliced fresh fruits or vegetables as finger food.
Try it for a week, and see how you feel. I bet you will find yourself not only eating less often, but feeling less hungry, and that has to be good for weight loss!
