Have you ever stopped and tried to count all the different weight loss methods, plans, and schemes are that you’ve come across over the years?

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You probably can’t, because you can probably attach “weight loss” to just about any word in the English language. You could ask your friend if he’s ever tried the “tree bark weight loss plan,” while in return he says, “no, but have you tried the grandfather clock weight-loss method?”

Okay, so maybe we’re exaggerating a bit, but so many different people talk about all the varying ways to shed the pounds it can be difficult to keep track of. One of the latest weight loss plans we’ve come across is called the Metamucil weight loss plan.

Yes, if you’re thinking the fiber supplement you’ve seen in your grandparent’s medicine cabinets you’d be correct. This exact fiber supplement. But if there’s something to it, it would be worth checking into, wouldn’t it?

Well, we’ve got all the ins and outs for you regarding the Metamucil weight loss plan, so here’s everything you need to know about it. 

Understanding Metamucil

What Exactly Is Metamucil?

Before we can dive into the weight loss plan and whether it is a good one or not we first need to take a closer look at Metamucil. What exactly is it?

As discussed in the opening it is a fiber supplement. The main ingredient in it is psyllium husk. This husk comes from the Plantago ovata plant. It goes by a number of nicknames, including desert Indian wheat, and can be found growing in the American Southwest as well as Southeastern parts of Asia. The plant is a bit different in the two regions, as you might expect.

The desert version in the United States is heartier and thicker, although fewer are bunched together due to the lack of water. The Southeast Asian version is smaller and thinner, although it can typically be found in larger groupings thanks to the warmer temperatures and high humidity.

Where Does Metamucil Come From?

Regardless of where it comes from the plant itself is more or less the same in terms of its husk. This is because the psyllium husk is not taken directly from the plant, but instead the seeds, and each plant can produce up to 15,000 seeds.

Okay, so Metamucil is made up of portions of this plant’s seed. So what, right?

Well, when the husk comes in contact with water, it expands into a part liquid, part solid blob. Basically it is fiber gelatin.

What Does Metamucil Do In The Body?

Fiber is important to your body. According to the Mayo Clinic, consuming daily fiber comes with a number of benefits. A high-fiber diet will help normalize your bowel movements, so if you don’t have a regular bowel movement at least once a day you should consider this.

At the same time, it helps improve your bowel health.

This is done by reducing your chance of developing hemorrhoids as well as small pouches found in the colon (known as diverticula disease). A high fiber diet will help in lowering our cholesterol, it helps control your blood sugar levels, and it can also help you maintain a healthy weight.

This is done because the fiber will help you feel fuller, longer, and it will stick to some carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates break down faster in the body than protein and fat. This is why it is used for instant energy.

However, the downside to this “instant energy” is that if your body doesn’t use it, the calories from carbohydrates have already entered the bloodstream and may result in your body storing these calories as fat.

Carbs and Metamucil

The carbs that are not immediately broken down by the body and continue through the digestion process can then stick to fiber. The fiber will help the body pass the carbs before it can be turned into stored fat.

By moving the unprocessed carbs through the body it not only will help you avoid all the calories from the carbs from converting to fat, but it will also help reduce your retained water weight.

Carbs can retain as much as four grams of water for every one gram of carbs (this is why you might have a bloated belly following a large meal of pasta or Thanksgiving dinner).

Metamucil, as a fiber, works in the same way. However, where many forms of fiber will remain a similar size in your stomach, the specific fiber found in Metamucil will expand in size. By expanding in size you will feel even fuller, which will help you reduce your food cravings (as well as help your body pass carbs through it without the carbs being converted to fat).

Additional Metamucil Benefits

On top of the ability to help you feel fuller, longer, the fiber in Metamucil can help relieve any level of constipation you might be experiencing. This is done when the fiber within the supplement expands, which causes the intestines to contract and push the digestive materials through your system.

Due to this, if you’re looking for a natural laxative Metamucil may just be it.

Likewise, it can help reduce diarrhea. You might wonder how one product can be both a laxative and yet stop diarrhea, but it has this capability because the fiber absorbs water as it is being digested. This way, you have less watery stools and, when you pass the fiber, you should be relatively cleaned out.

How Much Metamucil Should You Take?

So, let’s say you’re interested in trying out the weight loss experiment set forth my Metamucil (yes, Metamucil did create it themselves as you can find about it directly on the company website). If you are interested the company recommends taking the supplement every day for two weeks. Each supplement has about two grams of fiber inside of it.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends a daily fiber intake of around 25 grams. So, if you were to take two supplements before each main meal of the day you would add about 12 grams of fiber, in addition to whatever fiber you’re eating during the day.

This is a bit of an experiment on your part, although you will want to start off with just one supplement 30 minutes or so before each meal and then increase from there. If you add in too much fiber at once you’ll be running to the bathroom.

Metamucil Weight Loss

You want the fiber supplement to help you drop some pounds, not have you sitting on the toilet or hours on end in fear of being too far away from the toilet when nature hits. 

The reason why you need to take the supplement prior to your meal is that you need to have it in your stomach before you begin eating. Once it is already in your stomach the fiber will begin to expand, which will make it feel like you already have food in your belly.

As you feel like you’ve already eaten you will cut down on what you will eat during the upcoming meal. It also meals the fiber will be sitting there, waiting to catch carbs before some of those carbs have time to begin to break down and convert into stored fat.

Are There Any Side Effects?

Because Metamucil is made up of nothing but fiber there really isn’t any kind of major side effect. Except for gas. Yeah, you’ll probably be a bit gassy when you first add on the fiber. But this is a sign that the supplement is working and that you probably haven’t been getting the kind of fiber your body needs on a daily basis.

Realistically outside of the toots, you’re not going to have much of an issue, and even the gas won’t be something you have to deal with. Once your body becomes accustomed to having the additional fiber inside the system you won’t experience the same level of gas.

So Who Should Consider The Metamucil Weight Loss Experiment?

This is something just about anyone can do. It’s an affordable supplement, you can get it at just about any grocery store, and if you don’t like it you can stop.

Fiber is already something you need to be consuming during the day, so if you’re not getting your daily fiber you absolutely need to add in either Metamucil or another source of fiber. 

Now, if you’re someone who eats plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole wheat grains, you probably are already hitting your recommended 25 grams of fiber every day.

Could your body take on more? You’ll need to try the supplement to find out.

Taking the fiber prior to your meals instead of relying on the fiber within your meals does have its benefits. By making you feel fuller prior to the meal you may be able to cut down on the calories you consume. And this is really what it boils down to.

Are you able to listen to your body and stop eating when you feel full? Overeating is one of the biggest problems people who want to lose weight face.

They may continue eating after they are full. If you’re someone who is able to listen to your body and stop eating when you’re full than absolutely you need to take advantage of Metamucil and the fiber it provides. However, if you’re someone who struggles with this than Metamucil won’t do you any good. Hopefully, you know what category you fall under.

However, if you’re not sure what you are or whether you will continue eating when you’re already full then you should check this diet out. You don’t have anything to lose other than a few dollars.

In Conclusion

So is Metamucil right for you?

Well, this is ultimately up to you and you alone. There isn’t anything wrong with the supplement. It’s basically a way to add quality fiber to your diet. If you’re not getting enough fiber in your diet than it is a must. The added diet will help you push through foods, not to mention it will also help make you feel fuller.

As long as you listen to your body you won’t eat as much food, which will then help you drop some weight. Is Metamucil a long term weight loss approach?

Probably not a significant one. If you are able to listen to your body and not eat food when you feel full then yes, it absolutely can help with cutting down on the level of calories you consume.

However, it only works if you have the discipline to listen to your body and not eat when you’re full. Either way, the two-week diet trial is at least worth checking out. It only costs a few dollars and you may find it is the missing piece in your weight loss quest.

-Terry Asher