is it the water that makes fiber diet pills work

[ChefMel]

I saw a diet pill that says it is fiber that needs water to swell up and crush appetite. But you have to drink a ton of water. Isn’t it the water doing the work?

[MeSarah]

I think the water is doing some of the work but not all. If you're talking about fiber like gucomanan, it needs water in order to expand in your gut. When it absorbs water and gets bigger, it helps to fill up your stomach so you'll essentially feel fuller faster (at least this is how it works in theory). I think it's also important to drink a lot of water to reduce the risk of unpleasant side effects when taking these fiber supplements, but I could be wrong about that.

[Bonnie]

I think the water is doing some of the work but not all. If you're talking about fiber like gucomanan, it needs water in order to expand in your gut. When it absorbs water and gets bigger, it helps to fill up your stomach so you'll essentially feel fuller faster (at least this is how it works in theory). I think it's also important to drink a lot of water to reduce the risk of unpleasant side effects when taking these fiber supplements, but I could be wrong about that.

Out of curiosity, does it expand enough to actually make a difference? I don't doubt that it expands with water, but is it the same as having ate a PB&J sandwich or is it the same as eating a walnut?

[BabyButtons]

Bonnie I think it varies from person to person. If you naturally have a huge appetite, I think it's not going to fill you up as much as someone who has less of an appetite. I think you might notice a difference in the same way that you would if you drank a full glass of water before you ate. I don't think you're going to be blown away by the effects though...cause if it worked that well, we'd all know about it haha.

[enviroTodd]

The only way to really know would be to drink a full glass of water before each meal for a couple of weeks, see how that feels, and then try it with a glucomannan supplement. As long as you're all right playing the role of the guinea pig, that is.

[BabyButtons]

The only way to really know would be to drink a full glass of water before each meal for a couple of weeks, see how that feels, and then try it with a glucomannan supplement. As long as you're all right playing the role of the guinea pig, that is.

That's a really good idea enviroTodd! That's really the only way to know for certain if there is any effect. I'd also recommend that you record how you feel during the time you have the water and then later when you move on to glucomanan. That way, if you forget how you felt when you had only water when you're on the glucomanan, you can refer back to your notes to know for certain. I only say that cause my memory is pretty bad unless the results from one experience to the next is reallllllly different.

[enviroTodd]

That's a really good idea enviroTodd! That's really the only way to know for certain if there is any effect. I'd also recommend that you record how you feel during the time you have the water and then later when you move on to glucomanan. That way, if you forget how you felt when you had only water when you're on the glucomanan, you can refer back to your notes to know for certain. I only say that cause my memory is pretty bad unless the results from one experience to the next is reallllllly different.

Good point. I think we all have pretty bad memories when it comes to that kind of detail. I mean, do you really remember how hungry you were three weeks ago on tuesday at dinner? Me neither. Not even if I'd been starving or not hungry at all. It may seem like a big deal at the time, but after going through one busy day after the next, it's really not that important anymore once it's gone by. If you're tracking how you feel at the time, you might also note how hungry you were before you had the water/glucomannan. That way, if there's a day that you are truly starving and the glass of water doesn't seem to do much, you're not measuring it against a day when you weren't hungry at all and then you took the supplement.

[BabyButtons]

Exactly! I've actually used to record my cravings and how hungry I felt in a food diary once and when I looked back at it, I remember being really shocked at how I felt at certain points of my progress tracking because I honestly couldn't remember feeling that way. I gotta say though, I'm kinda interested in taking this water and glucomanan test. I'm interested to see if glucomanan does do anything for me. I do find that drinking a full glass of water before my meals does help a bit, but I know I still eat way more than I should or need.

[Whirlybird]

Exactly! I've actually used to record my cravings and how hungry I felt in a food diary once and when I looked back at it, I remember being really shocked at how I felt at certain points of my progress tracking because I honestly couldn't remember feeling that way. I gotta say though, I'm kinda interested in taking this water and glucomanan test. I'm interested to see if glucomanan does do anything for me. I do find that drinking a full glass of water before my meals does help a bit, but I know I still eat way more than I should or need.

Maybe we should all start focusing less on fiber pills and more on emotional eating habits. Looks like you made a case for it, BabyButtons

[BabyButtons]

Haha thanks Whirlybird. Honestly. If I could honestly shut off my emotions I think I'd be very skinny hahaha!