Well, what comes after peeing all the time with all the water you need to drink......#2 of course!!

Ok, here comes my rant about fiber and pooping! Tish - be warned.........this won't be graphic, but I'll be typing the word poop quite a bit!  I learned a lot about digestive health and the necessity of stooling after reading my 21 pounds in 21 days.  The analogy that really got me to really get this was, your intestines are like a garbage can.......it needs to be emptied often otherwise it and what is in it will rot!  Ew, right?  So, we don't need to go into the specifics about who poops and how often......we all know how regular or irregular we are.  I am going to bet we aren't 'emptying' like we should.  But the most important thing in relation to this is, are you eating enough fiber??? 

Do you realize the typical American diet contains about 10gms of fiber a day?  Did you know your body needs 20-35gms a day!  And, no - these does not mean run right out and buy the FiberCon or Fiber Choice you see on the shelf......just like everything else, there is not a magic pill that will do this for you!  The answer is - EAT FOOD that gives you these things.....gives you the vitamins that you may or may not be taking daily, the supplements that are promised to give you the easy fix.  KEEP IT SIMPLE.  You have all the things your body needs in the food we can buy!!!

There is no better way to get the energy, vitamins and requirements your body needs by just eating the right food!  And that means FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!!! 

Make it a goal during this weight loss competition to start paying attention to how much fiber your food has.  Pick the option that has more fiber.......and typically this means foods that might not always have a label - fruits and veggies!

And, much like the water bit - your body is going to have a hard time adjusting at first.  You are probably going to feel real bloated and gassy adding that much fiber to your diet.......it is an adjustment period.  Your body has been used to not having that much 'roughage'.......give it some time.

Also eating high fiber foods give you that 'full' feeling longer and faster.......that also helps with weight loss.  I'm not saying poop yourself to lose weight but if you can 'clean' your gut the more nourishing foods you eat are going to give you better nutrition and help in your digestion - that is going to give you the energy you need and not neccessarily in the form of diet soda or coffee!  Eat these foods designed to nourish and energize you - you will see a difference!!!

Weight Loss and Changes toward a healthy lifestyle does not come over night!  But persisitence is key!  It's not easy and without pain - you have to overcome these challenges.......it is very much a mental thing and you need to talk yourself into a lot of things you are not going to want to do.  The best way to break a bad habit is to drop it.  ~Leo Aikman

EXCELLENT article on how the colon works and different types of fiber and benefits:

http://www.gicare.com/diets/high-fiber-diets.aspx

http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/fiber-health.php

Now onto more info about high fiber foods:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-fiber-foods/NU00582

http://commonsensehealth.com/Diet-and-Nutrition/High_Fiber_Food_Chart.shtml


The big thing I want you to notice here...........the food listed....they are REAL food!  They aren't packaged, processed or highly advertised or a gimmick!  Keep it simple and keep it real!!!  There will be more info about that!