One Simple Tip to Lose Weight in 2020

It’s the New Year and everyone is thinking about goals and resolutions. But before you start the next fad diet – that won’t truly last – I want to share my number 1 tip to losing weight in 2020. It’s simple and easy to do. And that’s eating more fiber. 

Most Americans do not get the recommended amount of daily fiber. For women, it’s only 25 grams and for men, it’s 38 grams.

7 Ways fiber helps you lose weight

More fiber = fat loss 

Yes, consuming the recommended amount of fiber is one of the easiest ways to lose weight. But how can something as simple as eating fiber help you lose weight?

1. Fiber keeps you regular

Most of us are aware of fiber’s ability to keep us regular. In fact, adding as little as 3 grams (a quarter cup of beans) of fiber can promote regularity. Don’t overlook this simple weight loss function: whatever ends up in the stool doesn’t have a chance to end up on your hips or belly.

2. Fiber adds bulk to your food without the added calories

Fiber has zero calories and is indigestible so it adds bulk to food without added extra calories. 

3. Fiber is satiating

Foods that contain fiber are also more satiating. Fiber-rich foods require more chewing, slowing down your eating rate, which itself can improve satiety.

4. Fiber prevents your body from absorbing calories

When food passes through our body along with fiber our body doesn’t absorb as many of the calories. Fiber-rich food creates a gel that surrounds food as it passes through the intestine. Your body is unable to absorb the fiber itself. So, it’s not necessarily what you eat but what you absorb!

You can lose more weight on a high fiber diet eating the exact same number of calories simply because some of those calories get trapped and never make it into your system.

5. Fiber blocks fat

Fiber has been shown to act as a fat and starch blocker too.

6. Fiber feeds our gut flora

Our gut flora (a.k.a. the forgotten organ) thrives on fiber and plays a key role in regulating our appetites, metabolism, and body fat.

7. Fiber triggers the ileal brake

As one study explained, the ileal brake is the “primary inhibitory feedback mechanism to control transit of a meal through the gastrointestinal tract in order to optimize nutrient digestion and absorption.” In his most recent book, How Not to Diet, Dr. Greger of NutritionFacts.org explains that when fiber passes through your system, the following happens:

1. Dilution of calories by expanding the volume of food

2. Distention of stomach through fluid absorption

3. Delay in stomach emptying of the gelled mass

4. Dumping of calories blocking the absorption of macronutrients, like carbs and fat.

These four functions trigger ileal brake: when indigested calories are detected that far down into the colon, our bodies put in the brakes on eating more by curing our appetites.

Consuming more fiber

Fiber superstars are whole grains and legumes — canned beans, split peas, chickpeas, and lentils.

Each 2-gram increase of daily fiber associated with a weight decrease of about a pound! 25-38 grams of fiber is the recommended minimum adequate intake. Fewer than 3% of Americans reach even the recommended minimum daily adequate intake of fiber.

If I could only give one piece of weight loss advice it would be to eat more fiber (30+ grams) from whole foods.

4 Practical ways to get more fiber

I want to give you three tasty and practical ways to get more fiber in your diet.

Breakfast: Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal

Ingredients: oats, chia seeds, almond butter, maple syrup, pecans, cinnamon, almond milk  

Fiber content:

Half-cup to 3/4 cup oats (9 grams of fiber per half-cup)

1 tbsp chia seeds (5 grams per 1 tbsp)

1 to 2 tbsp crushed pecans (.5-1 gram per 1 tbsp)

1 tbsp almond butter (1.5 grams per 1 tbsp)

1/2 tsp Pure Maple Syrup: 0

1/2 tsp cinnamon: 0

3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk: 0

=16 grams of fiber

To make:

Mix all the ingredients into a bowl. Heat in microwave for 1 minute or until warm. Or eat as cold cereal (my favorite way!).

Snack: Apple & Almond Butter

Ingredients: apple and almond butter

Fiber content:

1 tbsp almond butter (1.5 grams per 1 tbsp)

1 apple medium-sized apple contains about 4.4 grams of fiber (an apple can have even more fiber depending on the variety and size)

= 6+ grams of fiber

To make:

Cut your apple into slices and add the almond butter on top!

Lunch or Dinner: Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients: black beans, flaxseed meal, lime juice, garlic, salt

Fiber content:

2 cans of black beans (9 grams per 1/2 cup)

2 tbsp of flaxseed meal (4 grams per 2 tbsp)

juice from 1 lime (1.9 g per lime)

1 tsp garlic powder 0

1/2 tsp sea salt 0

Makes 4 burgers

= 16.5 grams per burger

To make:

Rinse and drain black beans. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mash with a fork (leaving some black beans whole), making sure to incorporate all the ingredients. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Cook in a greased skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Roasted Chickpeas

Fiber content:

chickpeas contain 6 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup

To make:

Click here for the recipe.

Learn more about fiber

Want to know more about fiber? Then click here to learn what happens when we don’t get enough fiber in our diet. Then go here to learn how to get more fiber in your diet.

Conclusion

If losing weight is one of your goals this year, then don’t forget to add more fiber to your diet. In addition to keeping you regular, consuming enough fiber each day will help you shed unwanted pounds and maintain a healthy weight.

And if you want more high fiber options like my Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats (pictured above), then grab one of my meal plans here.