Lose Weight by Eating More

Is it possible to lose weight by eating more? Sure, if what you're eating more of are high-fiber foods. How is this possible? Simply put, fiber is a natural calorie absorption blocker.

A study performed by the USDA found that women who doubled their fiber intake from 12 to 24 grams per day absorbed 90 fewer calories. This equals losing 10 lbs. over the course of a year. Fiber keeps you full, thereby decreasing the total amount of calories consumed per day.

Fiber is extremely important to health and weight loss. So much so, the U.S. Food & Nutrition Board has set the first recommended daily intakes: men up to age 50 need 38 grams of fiber per day and women need 25 grams per day. To reach these recommendations, a minimum of 6 servings of fruits and veggies and 3 servings of whole grains are needed daily.

So where can you find fiber? Here is a list of foods that will help you reach the daily fiber intake recommendations:

Onions (1/3 cup = 1 gram)
Broccoli (1/2 cup = 2 grams)
Oranges (1 orange = 3 grams)
Flaxseed (1 tbsp. = 1 gram) ~ sprinkle on cereal or in yogurt
Asian pears (1 pear = 4 grams)
Almond butter (2 tbsp. = 2 grams)
Hot chocolate (1 cup = 3 grams)
Rye bread (1 slice = 2 grams)
Beans (1/2 cup = 6 grams)
Oregano (1 tsp. = 1 gram)
Basil (1 tsp. = 1 gram)
Light popcorn (1 bag = 8 grams)
Chickpeas (1/2 cup = 6 grams)
Frozen chopped spinach (1/2 cup = 2 grams)
Whole wheat pasta (1 cup = 5 grams)

Other foods high in fiber include: oat bran, oatmeal, flour or whole wheat tortillas, mushrooms, sesame-seed buns, low-sodium V8, sweet potatoes, wild rice, cauliflower, carrots, nuts, and berries.

Jennifer Murray is a Certified Lifestyle & Weight Management Specialist, the Healthy Foods Editor for BellaOnline, http://healthyfoods.bellaonline.com, and the owner of http://www.weightlossinfocenter.com