How Do You Stay "Regular" Toilet-Wise?

Tulip9

Veggies, drink water, take a couple of generic Metamucil tabs every morning. Good luck!

Polo265

I'm not intending this to be medical advice, but I'll just inform about my Dr's recommendations. My Gastro Dr. advised to take Metamucil. There is a generic form, too. He said it wouldn't hurt to take it every day if I felt is was needed. It's not going to hurt and will not cause dependency. He said the over the counter laxatives DO NOT work and advised to not take them.

DancingMoosie

I take a probiotic and magnesium at night.

Tried30UserNames

I also use probiotics and magnesium.

spiriteagle99

That was one of the things I hated about low carb dieting. I took fiber pills to keep things moving. Now that I'm eating more normally, I have no problems.

tiffaniedemayo

For me, I find that I need to drink plenty of water while eating a high fiber diet. I was eating Kashi Go-Lean w/ almond milk every morning, but not getting enough water. I was so constipated, my large intestine was impacted. Kashi Go-Lean has 13 grams of fiber, that's about 1/2 of what's recommend a day. A few other things that are amazing is Kifer, I couldn't believe how better I felt, once I started drinking 4 oz. everyday. I also have a "squatty potty", that helps align you colon for "elimination". I have IBS w/ constipation, so "going" has always been a big problem for me, but with adding the Kashi, plenty of water, Kifer, and my funny little foot stool, you can now set you clock by my morning appointment with the porcelain throne! Also- for me, I've noticed any dairy products, and/or loads of gluten, like pasta every day, seem to slow down my bodies ability to eliminate it.
Good luck! This is a very good subject, that not many folks are comfortable talking about!

rahlpn

Low carb... are you eating a lot of cheese and dairy? I've noticed those slow me down a bit.

Unknown

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kapendell

I do the opposite and I also suffer from IBS. The more active I am, the more I go to the bathroom. But it does help me that I'm drinking a lot more water and eating a lot healthier. Probably a combination of those things.

HeidiCooksSupper

Drinking extra water, prunes, high fiber crackers (Wasa bread), whole grains, and reading material in the loo. It took a couple months but things are pretty much "normal." Things are not travelling through will quite the alacrity of early days when I was eating more food and a lot more butter. I think I was greasing the skids.

Sp1tfire

My typical dietary staples are always fiber -rich veggies, grains and fruits.

12774

Water,water,water!

ziggy2006

• Roasted vegetables with a bit of goat cheese
  
• Vegetable soup thickened by pureeing about half of the vegetables
  
• Fiber One cereal (no added sugar)
  
• Roasted cauliflower with Frank's Wing Sauce

laurabadams

Magnesium at night, coffee in the morning.

cmtigger

Fiber, coffee, enough liquids, and a little bit of fat.

Not everyone poops daily, and I have a little IBS and stress and medication changes affect me the most.

VeronicaA76

Lots of fresh veggies

MossiO

I had IBS with considerable digestive issues. But now working as intended.

My staples are what everyone else has said: Probiotics, coffee, lots of beans, grains and veggies, magnesium at night, plenty of fat. For a while I used Heather's Tummy Fiber, which also helped.

Psychgrrl

Fiber (I love Ole high fiber tortillas--50 yummy calories per 6-inch tortilla and 11 grams of fiber) and enough healthy fat.

lichn

Quinoa will get 'er done if nothing else will, or a bit of psyllium husk in a green smoothie. I dunno, I'm way more regular now eating a well balanced diet than I was when I was overeating junk! It's like clockwork after my morning coffee.

jelleigh

yirara wrote: »

jelleigh wrote: »

I used to have this problem. I started taking 200 mg of magnesium every other day (with a lot of water). Cleared the problem right up and isn't a laxative so your body won't get dependant on it. You can take 200-400 mg daily but I didn't need that much.

It is a laxative and it messes with your gut and the baceria there. Taking it once in a while should be ok, but not regularly.

Sorry yes you are right about it being a laxative. What I found on it was that it's not the same as stimulants laxitives which cause contractions and can cause dependencies. It works as a stool softener by drawing water into the bowels and making it easier to go. It's possible to get sufficient magnesium from diet but generally it's common for women to be deficient in it.

Im curious about what you said about it messing up gut bacteria? Ive not heard that before - do you have any sources? The research I did says that magnesium actually SUPPORTS healthy gut flora but I would be curious to read the info you are referring to.

Edit: when I say magnesium I am referring to Magnesium Citrate

seltzermint555

I agree with everyone else about fiber, fats, fluids, and getting exercise (even if it's just walks and cleaning your house and basic stuff like that).

When I was first using this site and eating fewer calories than I had been previously, I did have some issues with constipation. It used to annoy me when others would talk about a certain food item that worked like a charm and made them go "instantly" because none of that stuff worked for me.

However, I've found certain foods do speed things up and that's usually (for me) yogurt, milk, avocado (probably due to the fats) and any very spicy food (Mexican and Thai). I know people who say dairy slows them down but it's opposite for me and I may be mildly lactose intolerant, I suppose.

Meanwhile, friends swear by kale, uncooked baby spinach, and apples...all three of those tend to constipate me, sometimes pretty severely, to the point that I no longer eat baby spinach.

I think everyone's different but those basics of fiber, fat, fluids & activity are good to follow. I have no experience with any of the supplements or OTC meds for this, since I got back to regularity naturally.

HarlemNY17

chesstauren wrote: »

I noticed that when I'm losing weight, I go to the toilet maybe once every 4-5 days and it's usually a huge effort because of the constipation. How do others stay regular?

Have you heard of "kash" cereal . Healthy ! Loaded with tons of fiber protein and whole grains . Fiber has made losing weight so much better for me

kimjschroeder

I have 1 scoopful of Mirilax every morning in my coffee. Dr says its very safe. Its not a laxative, but a softener. Ive been taking it for 15 years with no issues.

RenaPink11

I have this problem even when I'm not eating right.

"Power Pudding" all equal parts:
applesauce, prune juice, bran flakes. 1/2 cup every morning. (My Dr. gave me this one)

I take a magnesium supplement every day along with a probiotic.
SPINACH!!! LOTS OF IT
Black coffee
Miralax
1 tsp olive oil in the AM
... I do a combination of these things, one thing alone hasn't seemed to work for me. I swear I have the slowest intestines on the planet. I feel your pain!

I have to watch my dairy intake, it will cause a road block!
I still wont' "go" every day, but at least 2-3 days, which is way better than the 4-6 days I was at.

xxzenabxx

chesstauren wrote: »

I noticed that when I'm losing weight, I go to the toilet maybe once every 4-5 days and it's usually a huge effort because of the constipation. How do others stay regular?

I suffered from chronic constipation most of my life but taking high CFU 70 billion probiotic fixed it! I recommend Dr Mercola ones. Also your bile in the gall bladder is like detergent for the colon so eating too many fats at once can block up the gallbladder thus leading to constipation. Also too much red meat causes constipation. Eat more fruits and veggies. Drink a huge glass of warm lemon water or ACV first thing in the morning also cleans the system out a lot. Also, this one might be funny but you might want to invest in a squatty potty. Good luck.

PAV8888

chesstauren wrote: »

goldthistime wrote: »

I noticed your earlier post saying that you eat 1200 calories, plus you exercise. The problem might be that you're not eating enough.

My BMR is about 1600 so 1200 calories is a rather moderate cut. And I don't exercise every day. Although when I do, it's usually 1500 or more calories.

Your statement is, on the face of it, incorrect.... because math.

Since a 20% deficit (25% while obese) is often considered a maximum safe deficit, I think we can agree that cuts greater than 20% cannot be called moderate.

BMR are your calories as predicted by a formula for when you are bedridden and immobile.

The sedentary setting is not universally defined in exactly the same way, but it always includes some level of activity.

In the case of MFP your personal care (getting up to go to the bathroom, making yourself some eggs or a bowl of cereal, going to the living room and turning the tv on) amounting to about 35 minutes of activity in a day +often defined as about 3500 steps+ forms part of MFP's sedentary setting which is defined as BMR * 1.25

By definition of the MFP sedentary setting, eating at BMR (not below), is a 20% cut.

Thus I would definitely call eating anything less than BMR a far from moderate cut.

Thank you.

hydechildcare

Are you getting enough liquids? I know when I skimp on water I have bathroom problems.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

chesstauren wrote: »

goldthistime wrote: »

I noticed your earlier post saying that you eat 1200 calories, plus you exercise. The problem might be that you're not eating enough.

My BMR is about 1600 so 1200 calories is a rather moderate cut. And I don't exercise every day. Although when I do, it's usually 1500 or more calories.

your BMR is what you body burns by being alive. you dont eat below that ,sure if youre obese you may be able to for a short time(but dont recommend it). you are supposed to eat less than your TDEE /maintenance calories(the calories you need to eat to maintain current weight). If I were to eat below my BMR to lose weight I would be hitting some really low calories,and would enter dangerous territory.

if you are male you need to eat at least 1500. 1200 is the lowest amount for women who are very short,elderly or sedentary(or a combo of the 3). oh and psyllium is a carb.

mitch16

You're probably not eating enough to form any level of bulk.

As a man, unless you are very small of stature, 1200 calories is considered a very low calorie diet. Try to eat closer to 1600 calories (even if you're not exercising) with a healthy ratio of fats and plenty of fiber and plenty of water, and things should move along.

In a pinch, prunes/prune juice work wonders.