I have a question

[neutronnorman]

Hi everyone:

Can anybody give me a detailed fiber supplement dosage I can use daily on induction? What brand of fiber is best?

2-3 loosley packed cups of vegetable greens have hardly any fiber in them...

Thanks,
Norman

[SkinnyGirlInTransit]

From Sticky in 14-day induction forum:

Fiber "Rules" as stated in Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution, 2002 edition

For daily fiber supplementation
Chapter 8: "I recommend that you take one tablespoon of psyllium husks daily. Be sure to select a sugar-free product. You can also take one tablespoon of coarse wheat bran or flaxseed meal."

For relief of constipation
Chapter 11: "If you are constipated, mix a tablespoon or more of psyllium husks in a cup or more of water and drink daily. Or mix ground flaxseed into a shake or sprinkle wheat bran on a salad or vegetables."

So there is a limit set forth in the book. Again, if you use the flax as a food, then the On-Going Weight Loss phase is the appropriate phase to do that. During Induction it's only used as a fiber supplement or as a constipation reliever in the amounts specified in the book.

Types of Fiber Supplements Allowed during Induction

As mentioned in the above, there are 3 fiber supplements allowed during Induction Phase: Psyllium husks, Flax seed/flax seed meal, and Wheat Bran.

All of these fibers are laxatives. Specificially, they are "bulk forming" laxatives. They are called that because in order to "get things moving", they absorb water from your gut. That causes them to swell. Your body senses a mass or "bulk" in your gut and will move it out. Therefore, these fibers require water to work. If you don't get enough water, then these fibers might do the opposite and "plug things up" even more.

Psyllium husks

Brand names (US): Metamucil, Konsyl, etc.

For relieving constipation, Dr. Atkins called psyllium husks "My preference" in Chapter 23.

Flax seed/ Flax seed meal

Also known as linseed or linseed meal in the UK.

There are various brands of flaxmeal/ flaxseed. Please note that flax contains carbs. Bob's RedMill is a popular brand in the US. Due to the virtually non-existent carbohydrate labeling laws in the US, manufacturers may "round up" numbers. So Bob's RedMill Flax in the US appears to have 0 net carbs---4 total carbs, 4 fiber grams. A few years ago, a Canadian ADBBer shared with us the Canadian Bob's RedMill flax label. Canada has much stricter carb labeling laws, so the Canadian Bob's had a net carb of about 1 per serving listed on the package.


Wheat Bran

Please do not confuse this with Wheat GERM. They are two different products. There are various brands of Wheat Bran and Wheat Bran does contain carbohydrates. If you have a sensitivity or allergy to wheat, you should avoid this product.

[neutronnorman]

Thanks, I've been using metamucil but shy away from it because of the artificial ingredients. I think I'm going to head over to the local health food joint and grab me a bag of psyllium husks. I'm not constipated but the volume is low.

I started at 245 lb (I'm 72 inches tall) and today is my 8th. day on induction. I now weigh 232 lb. But I was always into working out (Bodybuilding with heavy weights) so I tend to be on the muscular side. I gained the weight since entering grad school 4-5 years ago. I just didn't have time to exercise, let alone live.

I do not go by BMI, but I use calipers to check my body fat%. It's ~22-25%. My goal is to reach 11-15% and retain, if not gain, more lean mass. Although I droped 13 lb. I gained 1.6 lb of muscle. I measured myself this morning and was very happy with that result. When I first dropped 5-6 lb my lean tissue also dropped. That almost made me quit AD. But I did a bit of research on near ketogenic diets and the diet seems to spare protein loss for awhile.

Thanks for the info., Skinny girl in transit. I lost my 2002 edition and haven't purchased it yet. According to fit day, I'm averaging about 16 grams CHO daily. Also, I drink bucket fulls of H2O.

Thank you very much.
Norman

[SkinnyGirlInTransit]

That's amazing on the weight loss! Men usual have quicker success (boo for us girls)

I hear ya with the metamucil. I try to keep things as clean as possible, no articifial ingredients. I personally opt for freshly ground flaxmeal (lots of EFA). Like yourself, I haven't experienced any 'issues', I take it mostly to make sure things move along as they should!

I was pretty skeptical about the breakdown of lean tissue, but that's the beauty of ketosis. The body doesn't need to breakdown muscle protein for energy. The growth hormone is kept high to speed up fat loss and prevent muscle loss.

Keep me updated on your progress!

[neutronnorman]

I'm sure the fats / cholestrol raise testosterone. Well, as you probably know, there's not that much difference between cholestrol and testosterone in molecular structure. I wish I had a buck for all the time I've drawn those structures in the past few years.

Thanks for your reply SkinnyGirlIn Transit.

[Georgiana]

Originally Posted by neutronnorman

Hi everyone:

Can anybody give me a detailed fiber supplement dosage I can use daily on induction? What brand of fiber is best?

2-3 loosley packed cups of vegetable greens have hardly any fiber in them...

Thanks,
Norman

Also remember you can choose any vegetables from the lists as long as you stick to the "cups" rule, so you can have things like jicama or peppers, which are richer in dietary fiber than lettuce, for example. Most veggies on the "Other Vegetables" list are also higher in fiber.

And if you want to increase your fiber consumption from the foods you are eating, avocado is a good choice. You can have 1/2 of a small one, per day, during Induction.

Also, after you finish your 14-day Induction, check Chapters 12-13 in DANDR. You may decide to move to OWL, and there you can add more veggies, nuts, berries and so on, thus increase your fiber intake.

[Georgiana]

Oops! I just noticed you're doing extended Induction. What made you decide to stay on Induction rather than move to OWL?

[momonmission99*]

Move up the rungs! It totally helps with this. I eat macadamia nuts everyday and that has helped greatly. Along with my increased amount of veggies, usually around 4-5 cups a day and my berries, things "move along" a lot easier with my digestion.

I'd rather have pistachios everyday, but I still don't have self control with them LOL. I end up eating 2 servings instead of 1. They're just TOO good!

I love that you're paying so much attention to detail. It should help you to be successful!

[neutronnorman]

Thanks, I know I should move up the rungs. But honestly, I feel great and seem to thrive on the induction. I've only been doing the induction 'right' for about 8 days. Well 9, technically. I down loaded fit day, and have been tracking everything imaginable on that program. Hey, if my body fat %'s are going down and my L.B.M. is increasing, why would I bother to change now?

I never have craved sweets but spending hours in a lab for the last 3 years analyzing excruciating slow chemical processes and simultaneously writing a solutions manual for an organic chemistry textbook, led me to drinking large amounts of beer. Hence, my weight gain.

Thanks everybody and I must purchase the Atkins book. I lost it. Funny, when I studied thermodynamics and quantum mechanics, the text book author's name was, you guessed it, Atkins.

I just have a profound sense of serenity now and I attribute it to the AD. Maybe I'm one of those types that thrives on low carb. I never really craved sugar. If I recall, one teaspoon full of any sweet concoction tended to taste metallic. I don't like carbs. Lettuce tastes sweet to me.

Thanks everybody for your help. I truly appreciate it.

Sincerely,
Norman

[neutronnorman]

P.S.

I do like nuts, especially pistachio and macademia. But I just don't crave them either.