How to Use the Fiber 35 Diet

The Fiber 35 Diet is designed to reduce caloric intake by loading your diet with foods high in fiber, which increase feelings of satiety. Designed by Brenda Watson, a nutritional consultant, the diet focuses on fresh produce and whole grains as a substitute for refined and processed foods. As the name suggests, the goal of the diet is to eat 35 grams of fiber per day, while reducing overall calories. According to Watson, this diet will help you lose weight and reduce your risk of heart disease and other health ailments.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Whole grains, including bulgar, quinoa and brown rice
• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Lean protein
• High-fiber snacks
• Hand weights or resistance bands

1. Add up your current average calorie intake by using an online calorie calculator. Subtract 1,000 calories from that total to get your recommended calorie intake for the first two weeks. After two weeks, add 500 calories back into your diet. Talk to your doctor first if you plan to reduce your intake to less than 1,200 calories.

2. Gradually increase your fiber intake over the course of two to three weeks until you reach the goal of consuming 35 grams of fiber each day. Start by adding one vegetable serving each day or switching one refined grain product--like white bread of pasta--for those made with whole grain.

3. Eliminate processed and refined foods from your diet as you work on reaching your fiber goal. Fast food, snack food and most packaged food products will not help you add more fiber to your diet.

4. Plan most of your meals around fresh produce and whole grains, including brown rice, bulgar, quinoa or whole wheat pasta. Eat small amounts--3 oz. or less--of lean protein like fish or skinless chicken breasts. Add as many servings of fresh or steamed vegetables to your meals as you can. Eat small meals every three hours instead of three large meals.

5. Drink lots of water while you are on the Fiber 35 Diet. Water will help your body process and digest the fiber while minimizing gas and constipation. Watson recommends dividing your body weight in half and drinking that much water in ounces.

6. Choose your snacks carefully. Watson recommends only eating snacks that contain at least 1 gram of fiber for every 100 calories. Granola bars, fruit or nuts are good choices.

7. Exercise regularly. The Fiber 35 Diet recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three days a week. Choose an exercise that appeals to you to help you stay motivated, like swimming, jogging, aerobics or dancing.

8. Incorporate weight lifting into your routine. Brenda Watson recommends exercising with resistance bands or hand weights for 30 minutes at least three times per week.

9. Follow the diet until you achieve your weight loss goals. According to Brenda Watson, most people on this diet will begin to see weight loss within four weeks with an ongoing weight loss of 8 lbs. per month.

Tips & Warnings

• For more information about the Fiber 35 Diet, visit the website and click on "Get Started." Set a username and password, and you will gain access to the Members Only website that contains more resources, recipes and meal plans.

Resources

• Fiber 35 Diet official website