Metamucil before a meal?

shawnnam

shawnnam

New member
I read in my south beach diet book that if you want you can take a TBS of metamucil with a big glass of water 15-20 mins before you eat a meal and it will help keep you from over eating and make you feel fuller for longer. Added benefit: keeps you regular.

Does anyone else do this? Makes sense, its just a bunch of fiber sitting and expanding in your stomach while your body tries to digest it and it slows the absorption of the stuff you ate for a meal. Is there any negative to doing this and does anyone know if it works?
 
I don't - personally it seems more natural, and with a similar effect - to just have a salad with maybe some vinegar before eating. Maybe not always as convenient but...

I don't know how well it works - I've read that in general your body doesn't feel more full from liquid unless the liquid has fat in it (e.g. milk). So it seems kind of iffy but I can't see that it would hurt to try it. (Although go easy on added fiber, it can hit some people's digestive tracks kind of hard)
 
Metamucil is sweetened either with sugar, which adds calories, or artificial sweeter, which I don't like. That's why I don't use it. If you don't mind the artificial sweetener, it wouldn't be a bad idea.
 
I found some psyllium husk at vitamin shoppe that does not have any sugar what so ever so I will probably try that instead.
 
I like Benefiber. (It mixes better than metamucil)

Would I take it before eating? Nawwww. I'ld rather get my fiber from veggies etc. But I am trying to eat "normal". For example, I don't want to eat differently now than I expect to two yrs after I get to my ideal weight, (whatever that is....hopefully I am still alive lol).

If I wanted to go on a crash diet, and lose alot of weight quickly...I might try the fiber drink before eating to make me full. (I'ld probably try chewing rocks too if it slowed down my calorie intake lol)

My problem with big doses of fiber is gas and cramps.

You might be ok tho. Let us know if you try it.
 
Eventually your body will become accustomed to the extra fiber and the "full" feeling and it won't have as much benefit, although at first it might help your appetite. As J said, you're better off eating a salad, or an apple, or some fiberous fruit/veg prior to a meal instead. That actually puts bulk in your stomach which does actually fill you up, as opposed to trying to trick your body.
 
I actually eat about 8-10 servings of veggies a day and sometimes it just is not enough, plus I cannot eat raw veggies except for like spinach and salad because I am allergic to enzymes of them before they are broken down during a heating process, so many of the veggies/fruits I eat lose a lot of their fiber and nutrients.

I started taking psyllium husk instead of a name brand fiber, there is no flavor or sugar, just pure psyllium, so I figure it is okay and it really is not going to hurt me to take a tsp a day.
 
The psyllium is also soluble fiber, which has certain health benefits that the insoluble fiber in vegetables does not give you.
 
Harold14370 said:
The psyllium is also soluble fiber, which has certain health benefits that the insoluble fiber in vegetables does not give you.
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Yeah I read that online. It can help reduce your risk of cancer, different diseases, etc and I read it absorbs toxins in your body and helps increase the amount of good bacteria in your intestines. Besides feeling like you are swallowing sand, it really isn't that bad.
 
Jeanette401 said:
Just wanted to point out that you get soluble fiber from vegetables, not just insoluble.
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But, it can be broken down during processing of the foods and psyllium has more then 7 times the amount that found in veggies. I cannot eat raw veggies or unpeeled fruits because of allergies.
 
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