Can fiber really?

I was taking this fiber supplement for about 2 months to regulate myself and always seemed bloated.  I stopped taking it because I ran out and I also wanted to see if that was the cause of me feeling bloated.  I have stopped for a week so far.  Not only am I not bloated but I have lost some weight as well.  Does anyone think that fiber makes u gain weight?  or Too much fiber make u can weight?

It's very possible you simply have enough fibre in your diet already. The minimum RDA for a woman is 25g, for a man, 30g. Some people can handle more without worry but too much fibre and not enough liquids can result in constipation - and that would contribute to bloat and extra weight on the scales. Random flucations can also come from water retention, too much sodium consumption, and just randomly flucutating. But it takes 3500 calories ON TOP of your burn to gain a pound. So, I'd guess constipation, at best.

Fibre itself is very, very good for you, but like any other food and food group too much isn't always a good thing.

Thank u for ur response.  I just realized this morning that I haven't taken it in  a week n the change in my body.  I will stay off of it for a month 2 see if I can become regular on my own, 

i am having the same problems, i am always bloated and have gained weight, i used to take benefiber but i stopped starting today to see if this is whats causing it... if you can update me on what your progess is, it would be greatly appreciated!!!

Jenny.  I was taking colon cleanse fiber.  It it considered bulk fiber to help regulate your body as well as clean out the colon.  Not sure if it did its job but it did make me bloated and I did gain some weight while I was on it.  I stopped last week because I wanted to see if the  bloated was contributed by the fiber and I ran out anyway.  During the week I noticed that I was a litte less bloated and when I weighed myself yesterday I lost 2 pounds and I don't feel bloated at all. 

Fibre is an odd thing. If you have too little it's incredibly hard to... well, function. Too much, or not enough liquid to help it go down (ie, your daily recommended intake of water) and you also get constipated, or bloated. But, amazingly, it's very easy to keep regular by eating nutritious healthy fibre-rich foods within your everyday diet.

As I mentioned before, the RDA for women is a minimum of 25g a day. But it's not just the overall number that counts. You need to make sure you're getting enough of both soluble and insoluble fibre - Insoluble (the fibre that forms bulk and regulates acidity and PH in the gut) and soluble (the fibre that helps regulate blood sugar and cholesterol). Too much of one or the other and again - bloating, gas and diarrhea or constipation can come along with!

Insoluble fibre examples:
 -- Whole-wheat pastas, breads, etc
 -- Quinoa
 -- Brown rice
 -- Bran products
 -- Fruit and vegetable skins, such as potato skins, tomato skins, plum/prune skins, apple skins, pear skins
 -- Nuts and seeds, particularly flax, almonds, brazil nuts and walnuts

Soluble fibre examples:
 -- Oats
 -- Rye
 -- Barley
 -- Potatoes of all varieties
 -- Psyillium husks
 -- Legumes and pulses, especially lentils, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), kidney beans, pinto beans and soybeans

And pretty much all fruits and vegetables. Particularly raspberries, plums, bananas, sweetcorn, prunes, apples, pears, blackberries, broccoli, cauliflower, brussels, asparagus, artichokes and dried fruit. Again, never introduce lots more fibre without drinking enough water to compensate. There is a more detailed list of fibre sources here for future reference.

So do aim to go the natural way. Colon cleansing products are bahookey anyway - if you want to cleanse, you can do it with food, water, and a balanced diet!

I didn't want to cleanse per se I just needed something to get me going more than once a week.  I am on synthroid for hypothyriodism and have been on it for 23 years so every so often more often then not I can't seem to regulate my body.  I eat fruits and veggies all the time but no matter what I do my body just wont regulate itself.  Coffee doesn't help either.  My dr recommended the product because he says people use it as maintenance when dealing with constipation.

Lalabanana,you are such a wealth of information! I have to say, every time you comment on a post I'm very impressed.

Thank you for your guidance along the way -- I'm sure I'm not the only person who appreciates it!

Collier: ^^ Thank you!

Ajtimes: Ooh, don't worry. I can sympathise; I have IBS-C, so my diet is very high fibre per my doctor's guidance. A thread on natural laxatives that might help you: http://caloriecount.about.com/natural-laxativ es-ft117786 

Lots of suggestions for food laxatives, there, rather than any sort of stimulant laxative (which can be damaging after extensive use, better avoided unless an emergency). I'd also speak to your doctor about the side effects and problems you're having with what he gave you.

I would love to use and will use foods to help with my problem.  Oh by the way I appreciate the information.  I wasn't trying to come off as upset.  Sorry if I did.  I will look up this information to see what I can do.  And as for my dr he says that going once or twice a week is fine but I feel that it's not. 

You didn't come off as upset, no worries. :D

Once or twice a week?! Wtf? More like once or twice a day is what should be considered healthy! And this person is calling themselves a doctor? >__>

Yes.  Not to sound nasty but everytime my husband eats he is going to the bathroom.  Me on the other hand can binge eat and not go...LOL  not really funny but u see what I am getting at and then my dr says that its normal.  I am going to continue to do some more research to see what I can do naturally because I don't like to put things inside my body.  The fiber thing I just did was in desperation and since I was going once a day made me feel like it was working so I continued.  But then when I started having the bloating feeling I didn't care for it too much. 

I have felt exactly the same way after supplementing fiber.  I used to take a TBS of phyllium husks and that was OK, and I cut it down to a TSP.  I got the Whole Foods cleanse kit (which has a fibre mix, a laxative and the well-known liver supplement) and took the recommended dose and it was instant bloat!!

It sort of worked, but I think it really increased the "mass" in my digestive system.

Now, when I take fiber supplements, I usually go for low mass amounts, because until it passes out of your system it expands, I think.

I read the bottle today and it does say that you might feel uncomfortable taking the fiber for a while but your body should adjust.  Well mine never adjusted and just made me bloated.  I also noticed that it didn't say anything about feeling or becoming bloated.  I think that is something worth mentioning don't u think... smile

You probably were not drinking enough water, ingesting too much salt and perhaps ingesting TOO much fiber! I am glad you are no longer bloated and lost some weight though, but please do not ignore fiber - it is really needed in your diet, for colon health! 

Oh I won't.  Thank you.  I eat a variety of fruits and veggies everyday.  I was trying the fiber supplement mainly to become regulated but it had another agenda on my body...lol  I am going to have a second opinion with a different dr to see what I can do since my endo dr doesn't think its a big deal.