Wow

Do you know what is NOT a good idea?

To have had about 30 g of fiber by lunchtime, and then to absentmindedly eat all the dried figs that are sitting on your desk during the afternoon. (They're just so nice and chewy and sweet.) Approximate dried fig count: 15. Approximate grams of fiber that was: 30.

You can do the math there. Not pleasant. I think I'm having flashbacks to Lord of the Flies.

Cheryl, do you know why too much fiber makes a person stink? Because I definitely noticed that a few hours after Figgate I started to smell like I was two weeks postpartum (sweaty, unshowered, a little sour milk-y) and it lasted for a few hours.

Fascinating. And unpleasant. Fortunately my only plans for the evening were watching my DVR'd episode of The Biggest Loser. (Does anyone else watch? I've been rooting for Kelly the whole time, and love how she's blossomed and gotten so much self-confidence during the course of the show.)

Comments

[cheryl]

Sorry, I don't know why it makes you stink. I just noticed it myself when I had to be on an extra high fiber diet a few years back. All that activity in your gut?

My brother is a colo-rectal surgeon, I'll ask him.

Hope you are all cleaned out today!

[Aaron]

I don't know anything about the fibre, but I do watch The Biggest Loser. Kelly kind of annoyed me through the whole season with her down and out attitude, but you're right, she certainly has grown and is way more self confident.

I'm rooting for Ali though, she has the right attitude. Kind of goes with what we were talking about last week with acting "as if". She said from the beginning that she was going to be the first female Biggest Loser and she is certainly on the road to becoming it. Positive thinking! I'm telling you, it can do wonders.

[Slim]

Moxie is a poopy-head!

No idea what causes the stink.

[hedra]

I know a lot of the byproducts of gut fermentation are absorbed into bloodstream. For example, hydrogen that is released by fructose (or lactose) fermentation goes to bloodstream. It's then released as gas into your lungs - hence the hydrogen breath test - you breathe into a collection container (like a balloon), then they analyze that for hydrogen content.

I presume the same function is for skin excretion - your skin has a lot of excretory function, so ... what's absorbed to bloodstream from gut ends up excreted wherever it normally would go, and if you've got a lot of stuff going on GI, you'll have more to dump (so to speak). I don't know which compounds that would be, but I'm betting it is the same function as with the hydrogen thing. Just 'gotta get rid of this stuff somehow' and your body already has a system for how.

Sorry about the awfuls from double-dosing your fiber. Loads of fructose in the figs, too, just for fun. Double-whammy. (Not sure about sorbitol in figs, but with the amount of fructose they have, you're stuck either way.)

I can't bear figs, myself. They smell nice, but my body refuses to eat them.

[janel]

Biggest Loser is totally my secret guilty pleasure. I'm pulling for Ali.

[ImpostorMom]

I like Kelly but I'm rooting for Ali. I find her very irritating but I think she wants it the most and I think because of that she'll get it.

As long as one of those damn boys doesn't win. God all that pride crap is driving me crazy. And tattoos, really? *eyes rolling*

And omg if I see Mark cry one more time. Good lord. We watched it on the DVR last night and my husband was like "Mark is such a girl with all that crying" and I was like hey, most girls don't cry that much.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a man crying and letting out his emotions but good god man get control of yourself. I'm hoping that it's simply editing and not that every little thing all season long made him cry.

[Michelle]

I watch Biggest Loser too. I would say its my guilty pleasure but that title goes to The Young and the Restless. Or The Hills. Anyway.

I am rooting for Ali - not because I don't like Kelly I just think Ali really deserves to win after being sent home and still losing the weight. I just really want to see a woman win.

And ImposterMom is SO RIGHT about Mark crying! Gimme a break dude! My husband and I just start laughing when he breaks down now (how horrible is that?). I mean I am all about being in touch with your feelings (for men and women) but I think this guy might need some professional help.

[Julie]

Haha.....My dirty little secret is The Hills. Yes, complete with watching it alone and in a darkened room to hide my shame.

I would also like to see a woman win the BL....it's just not fair that it's so much easier for men. My husband and I are both trying to lose weight.....he has lost 6 lbs EFFORTLESSLY (tennis once a week, really, that's it) and I have somehow gained despite trying to eat better/smaller portions and exercising 5 times a week. Resentful? Uh, ya. Just a little bit.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go have a confrontation (to address some "issues") with a co-worker and you all know how I feel about those.

[Robin]

I love the Biggest Loser! I am rooting for Ali, I do like Kelly but Ali's determination really impresses me every week. She just kicks so much butt!

[rudyinparis]

I definitely can verify that it's possible to eat too much fiber! I actually have to be careful with that. And I always forget. Last fall I started eating a cup of granola with a handful of raisins every single morning. Oh, I loved it! So sweet and crunchy! I was just so happy, every morning, with my granola. I know it's high in cals and sugar but that's not so much an issue for me (actually kind of a good thing for me) There I am, happily munching away, not making the connection that, oof, am I ever bloated! And gassy! Really really gassy! For months! The connection slowly dawned on me, but just to show how strong my love was for the granola, I pretended not to know for about a week, then I mournfully switched to shredded wheat. Problem solved. Sigh.

Speaking of BL--or losing, in general--can anyone hear answer this ( a little OT)--I started working out last fall and have packed on nearly 10 pounds. That's good, I needed to bulk up and I feel great and all, but I'm starting to wonder just how much weight gain is normal, and when it's not? Shouldn't I stop gaining pretty soon? I've just steadily gained... and gained... and gained. Is that normal?

[Julie]

rudyinparis....it's good if you've built muscle mass - it weighs more than fat. Which it sounds like you didn't have any of, so building muscle is good. And if you are adding something to where there was nothing before, it's gonna weigh more.

[WireGryphon]

Another Biggest Loser watcher here. (I have to admit I've seen almost every episode of all five seasons...) I am rooting for Ali, but I'd still be delighted if Kelly won. As long as it's not Mark. Both Mark and Jay annoyed the heck out of me!

[Kate]

I love how both Kelly and Ali pulled it out the last two weeks--do you think maybe Jillian will eat Bob or something? To the victor go the spoils and all that.

It's all very nice how Mark is a whole new man, blah, blah. All I could think of was how exactly his wife was going to handle it--if he's changed so utterly (even if it's for the better), it could give their lives an interesting dynamic after all the cameras go away.

Don't get me wrong, I totally understand about emotional issues behind weight gain/loss, but after watching Mark cry through the whole season I wanted to hug Roger when he told Bob that he needed to lose the weight and he did; he's the same person, just with a healthier body.

[rudyinparis]

Thanks Julie... It's all good, but I just have this odd feeling like I'm turning into the Incredible Hulk or something. It's very odd.

[Charisse]

@rudyinparis, I am also 10-15 pounds heavier when slim and working out than just slim. If you like how you look and how your clothes are fitting, I wouldn't worry about it.

@Moxie, ouch! I've totally done that myself...and then there was the time Mouse ate 3/4 cup of pumpkin seeds while we weren't paying attention. I didn't know her tummy could get that big.

[meggiemoo]

Yay Ali! Or Kelly. Just not the men, puh-lease. I've had the same reaction about Mark's crying...did you see when he called his wife from Australia and started getting weepy again, and she was like, "Um...cut it out!"

It would be interesting to do follow-up stories to see how the families deal with the dramatic weight losses...I bet there is a lot of adjustment involved, particularly when some of the spouses are somewhat fluffy themselves!

[Claire]

I'd love it if Ali or Kelly won! All along I've mainly been rooting for Dan to get kicked off, so that seemed like a major victory. He had the meanest attitude of the whole bunch. Mostly I'd love one of the women to win!

[Julie]

meggiemoo, I've often wondered about this as well....how do they adjust to real life? I mean, going from a very intense, focused-on-getting-fit life to the regular every-day life.....no wonder some of them bulk back up again. I also wonder about their relationships and how their spouses deal with the new versions. While I'd like to believe they are all happy and thrilled to be getting realtive hotties back, real-life is lived *outside* the bedroom, and all the crap that goes along with it. Seems like it would be a breeding ground for narcissism (on the New-Skinny's part), resentment and self esteem issues as well.

I also wonder if anyone has gotten divorced *because* of participation on the show - either the spouse decides they liked the overweight version better, or the New-Skinny decides he/she can do better.

But again, let me remind you all......I watch The Hills. This is how I roll.

[Mommy Bee]

Biggest Loser fan here, too. I was thrilled to see the girls make it through these last two weeks. Don't know who I'm pulling for, just amazed at the results!

[meggiemoo]

I wonder if it's a watered-down version of what happens to some lottery winners...seems to wreck havoc on their home lives. Would make an interesting side story...

[Carmen]

I too am a Biggest Loser junkie. I don't really care who wins... they all seem like winners to me. My only complaint with the show is just how weird it seems for them to lose SOOOO much weight each week. Ali lost 11 lbs last week and she only weighed like 146! I mean, that can't be good on your body right?! What about your heart? I suppose its better than being 100+ lbs overweight...

I love how when I'm watching the show I sit there and think "I could do that... come on Kelly, don't be such a whiner." but then I nearly pass out after 20 minutes on my eliptical machine. Freakin hypocrite. I would die at fat camp.

btw, loved yesterday's fiber post. Went grocery shopping today and really paid attention to what I purchased (frozen blackberries, whole grain waffles, soy chips (more a protien thing than fiber but you get the idea)) I also loved hearing others ideas for how they incorporate fiber (especially the bean/corn/salsa salad... sounds yummy).

Lots of parentheses in this post...

[attiton]

BWAHAHA. Figgate. Too funny.

[pnuts mama]

we don't watch BL, but moxie, what about DWTS??? the season is surprisingly better than what i expected so far. and it still encourages a great deal of booty shakin here at casa del pnut...

at first i thought you meant "bloating tummy farty gas" too, then realized you are actually secreting smell from your skin? yargh.

lets just say gas relief and i are on a first name basis- so much so that as a joke, when we are in the store that sells large quantity items and go down the HBA aisle, my jokester husband likes to hang back a little and then call out "hey, honey, don't you need a couple boxes of gas-x?" hee-sterical.

[Jen @ amazingtrips]

Once in a two-hour lab class, I pulled out a 3-lb tub of raisins as a "healthy" snack. After tossing handfuls in to my mouth for the better part of an hour, I noticed that I'd consumed more than 1/2 the container.

The next four hours were spent running back and forth to the bathroom. I couldn't even leave the school because I knew I'd never make it home before I'd have to go again.

Not surprisingly, I can no longer eat raisins without breaking in to a sweat.

[Julie]

pnuts mama...you be as gassy as you want. No judgement here. You are pregnant for crying out loud. Ain't no place else for the gas to go except out your butt. Sing it loud and proud, sister.

[Mrs. Higrens]

I have to say that I had unexplained abdominal pain after eating a bowl of frosted mini-wheats for breakfast every morning for about six months (enough so that I went and had a colonoscopy. They saw nothing). Turned out once I stopped eating the frosted mini-wheats for breakfast, the pain went away and hasn't come back.

But I've never had a similar problem, even with the yummy homemade granola my mom makes on an irregular (no pun intended) basis.

[hedra]

Mrs. Higrens, did they do an upper-GI study, or just colonoscopy? If you had a gluten issue, it probably wouldn't have shown on colonoscopy. It's all upper small intestine damage. BUT, a large dose of wheat can be a problem for entirely other reasons.

It's most likely to be the combo of short-chain fructo-oligo-saccharides plus fructose plus fiber that is in wheat, where most granola is at best only partly wheat, and lots of oats and other things, which means a much more varied combination of chain lengths of FOS. It's the balance of long and short chain FOS (fructans) that seems to make the difference - which is why many people tolerate rye and oats better than wheat. Wheat is particularly loaded with the short-chain lengths, which create a lot of fermentation, where the other grains have a wider variety of chain lengths. That's why wheat is the hardest grain on digestion for many people. An overload creates discomfort. Swapping to just as much whole grain of another grain is likely to result in improvement of symptoms, whether you have a gluten issue or not.

It ends up being a moderation thing again - moderate through variety and you get some good results. Relying on just one fiber source (whether that's wheat or something else, like, oh, figs!) is more likely to cause a problem than relying on many sources at smaller individual doses. Granola and kashi are great in part because they're blends of grains, seeds, nuts, etc. Not as much overload risk.

[Aaron]

I was wondering about the huge numbers on BL too. My husband wonders if it is rigged. We also are thinking how in the heck can Mark lose any more weight?? He's like 181 pds or something? What is his goal weight? I can't imagine it can be healthy for him to lose much more. Same with Ali.

[meggiemoo]

I agree...although I like BL, and feel that it can inspire people, the way they lose the weight is entirely unrealistic for the rest of us. No one I know has the time/money to exercise 4+ hours a day, with access to a personal trainer.

I don't like that the players are disappointed with a 2- or 3-pound loss, when that's what the rest of us are supposed to be aiming for.

I've also wondered if anyone has intentionally bulked up before the show, so they would lose more weight. And is anyone on the show using other means to lose weight, like laxatives? 250K is a lot of money...

[cheryl]

Maybe Hedra's answer is the one. I asked my brother - a colo-rectal surgeon - why this is and he wasn't aware of the phenomenon. Then again, it's not something any of his patients have ever mentioned, they only talk about the gas! Got his curiousity piqued!

[GHD Pink]

I'd love it if Ali or Kelly won! All along I've mainly been rooting for Dan to get kicked off, so that seemed like a major victory. He had the meanest attitude of the whole bunch. Mostly I'd love one of the women to win!

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