When it comes to weight loss, many people’s first instinct is to reduce how much they’re eating drastically. While portion control certainly plays a role in losing weight in a healthy way, scientific research has repeatedly shown that not only do restrictive diets not work for weight loss, but they typically lead to gaining weight in the long run.
Instead of focusing on eating less, it can be more effective to think about what you can add to your diet instead. There’s one nutrient in particular that can be especially beneficial in assisting with weight loss. Can you guess what it is? Fiber! And it’s a nutrient the vast majority of people in the U.S. don’t get enough of .
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How Eating Fiber-Rich Foods Supports Belly Fat Loss
Rita Faycurry, RD, a registered dietitian at Fay , explains that high-fiber foods support weight and belly fat loss because they tend to be lower in calories and high in volume. In other words, you can eat a large portion of a fiber-rich food for minimal calories. This, she says, contributes to satiety and an overall reduction in calorie consumption. “Additionally, seeing a full plate might help people feel full as well,” she says.
Faycurry explains that the reason why fiber-rich foods are more filling than ultra-processed foods that are high in calories and low in fiber (and other nutrients) is because they take longer to digest. “When fiber is consumed, especially soluble fiber, it dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance in the stomach. This gel-like substance slows digestion or gastric emptying, leading to a feeling of fullness for longer periods,” she says.
Debbie Bessen, MS, RD, CSO, a registered dietitian at Holy Name Medical Center, adds to this, saying that soluble fiber acts like a sponge and absorbs water, which slows digestion. She also points out that fiber-rich foods help regulate blood sugar levels, which is important for weight loss. Bessen also says that fiber is good for the gut, which is another reason why it supports weight loss. “Fiber is beneficial for the microbes in your microbiome. These microbes, when fed properly, help your body function well, including your metabolism,” she explains.
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How To Add More Fiber to Your Diet
Now that you know how upping your fiber intake can help with losing weight, comes the hard part: Actually, taking steps to eat more of it. Jackie Newgent, RDN, a Los Angeles-based chef and plant-forward culinary nutritionist, says it can be helpful to focus on simple fiber-friendly food swaps that fit into meals you are going to eat anyway. This can look like subbing out white bread for whole wheat bread, pasta for chickpea or lentil pasta, or pairing hummus with veggies instead of chips.
“Make sure every snack includes a notable fiber source. Think protein plus fiber, like yogurt with berries, cheese with apple slices, or a snack mix that includes nuts, seeds and dried fruit,” Newgent advises.
Bessen says it can be especially beneficial to focus on adding more plant-based foods to your diet since they are naturally high in fiber. Besides fiber, you’ll be getting a wide range of other nutrients found in plant-based foods too.
Thinking about what fiber-rich foods you can easily add to your meals is another way to up your fiber intake. For example, Faycurry says this can look like mixing frozen vegetables into spaghetti sauce, adding berries on top of your yogurt, or adding veggies into an egg breakfast.
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How Your Body Will Change When You Start Eating More Fiber-Rich Foods
When you do increase your fiber intake, there are other changes you can expect to experience besides weight loss. “Individuals who increase their fiber intake often see improvements in blood sugar control and energy levels,” Faycurry says. She adds that high-fiber meals and snacks can help prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes, which improves insulin sensitivity. “This is particularly important for people with type 2 diabetes,” she says.
All three dietitians say that upping your fiber intake supports digestive health, but it’s important to up your intake slowly. Otherwise, your digestive system will get overloaded and you may experience some unpleasant symptoms, like gas and bloating. “Fiber intake can be increased by four to five grams per week until the desired amount is reached,” Faycurry says. Newgent says it’s also important to drink plenty of water as you up your fiber intake, which helps keep food moving through the digestive system and prevents constipation. “Consider getting one cup of water for every three grams of fiber,” she recommends.
Once you do up your intake and your digestive system adjusts, your gut health will thrive. “Fiber supports gut health by feeding beneficial bacteria. Recent research suggests that if these good bacteria are not properly nourished, they may start to consume the lining of our intestines, leading to a condition known as ‘leaky gut,’” Faycurry says, emphasizing that eating fiber-rich foods is a way to prevent this.
“I have found an increase in fiber to be the only dietary change many people need in order to accomplish their health goals, including weight loss, blood sugar regulation, lowering of serum lipids, colon cancer prevention and gut health improvements,” Bessen says. That’s major!
As you can see, assisting with weight loss goals is certainly not the only benefit of eating more fiber-rich foods. Up your intake and your entire body will benefit. And unlike when following a restrictive diet, you certainly won’t go hungry.
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