Help! Constipation impacting weight loss?

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Replies

  • Abby2205
    Abby2205 Posts: 253 Member
    thebuz wrote: »
    Please read up on the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber. One kind (soluble) moves through you (often found in veggies and the other (insoluble) pulls water into the intestines. I have hepatic flexure syndrome and I eat tons of veggies and fruit however I need to take psyllium husk (insoluble) in larger quantities than the average person to stay regular.

    You have this backward. Soluble fiber pulls water into the intestines and psyllium husk is primarily soluble fiber. Both types can have a role in preventing constipation.
  • thebuz
    thebuz Posts: 221 Member
    Abby2205 wrote: »
    thebuz wrote: »
    Please read up on the difference between soluble and insoluble fiber. One kind (soluble) moves through you (often found in veggies and the other (insoluble) pulls water into the intestines. I have hepatic flexure syndrome and I eat tons of veggies and fruit however I need to take psyllium husk (insoluble) in larger quantities than the average person to stay regular.

    You have this backward. Soluble fiber pulls water into the intestines and psyllium husk is primarily soluble fiber. Both types can have a role in preventing constipation.

    My apologies. I was writing on the fly. :-) Thanks for the correction.
  • bellaesprita000
    bellaesprita000 Posts: 384 Member
    I have IBS-C so I've been struggling with constipation for years. I agree with what's been said, double-check your numbers and make sure you're getting enough fiber per day. Easy ways to boost your fiber intake: fiberone bars, benefiber, metamucil, psyillum husk each pack 3-5g per serving. There's also plenty of fiber gummies on the market these days.
  • imanibelle
    imanibelle Posts: 130 Member
    Be sure you're weighing your food and tracking calories. But otherwise, yes, though it could be water weight from sodium, TOM or water you've been drinking, constipation might cause weight loss to be masked. At the end of the day, poop poop good for your heart, the more you poop, the more you fart, the more you fart, the better you'll feel, so try to poop at every meal. :)
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,748 Member
    I had the same problem when starting Atkins. I ended up taking chewable fiber tablets, which did help. After a while I increased my carbs which helped make me more regular.
  • bobtater1
    bobtater1 Posts: 172 Member
    misnomer1 wrote: »
    smantha32 wrote: »
    crewgirl86 wrote: »
    Nearly 4 weeks ago, I began a low-carb sugar detox diet. A typical day includes meals like:

    Breakfast: Frittata w/eggs, chicken sausage, veggies
    Snack: packet of almond butter + celery
    Lunch: Salad with oil and vinegar, baked chicken
    Snack: cucumbers, baby carrots
    Dinner: Broth based soup w/chicken, 1/2 avocado, salad
    After dinner: 1 bottle of kombucha

    I am exercising daily, and drinking a ton of water. (Definitely 8+ glasses/day)

    The first week, I dropped 3 pounds very quickly! The past two weeks, my weight has been stuck. I have also felt somewhat constipated for the past week. I am feeling like I am getting enough fiber from veggies, but obviously something must be wrong. :( I have also tried taking a Magnesium supplement + Psyllium Husks, with only VERY minimal relief (mostly they just make me gassy.) Help! I am so anxious to feel cleared out and see the scale move once again....


    I'm going through the exact same thing for the same reason. I've been consuming too much sugar and it makes my joints ache after awhile. I only plan to do low carb for 3 weeks max, and I'm at the beginning of week 2. I figure I'll be regular again once I go back to eating more balanced.

    We have now graduated to blaming joint aches on sugar?

    Sugar is an imflamatory to some people
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    edited October 2017
    This is what works for me: 25g fiber or more + 50g fat or more + 3 liters water or more, every day. Too much protein and calcium binds me up. I eat ~100g protein including dairy every day, but I'm careful not to overdo whey protein, for example, and I don't tolerate calcium supplements well. A "Chelated" magnesium supplement can help, but mineral supplements are minor compared to the role of fiber, fat and water.

    We're all just speculating about whether you're getting enough fiber and fat without knowing your food weights. But it looks to me like far less than 25g fiber or 50g fat. I could not get there on vegetables alone without legumes every day. Change your settings to track fiber if you don't already. (More useful than tracking sugar, IMHO). Hope you find relief soon, OP.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    Have some beans.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Poop weighs something but will not prevent fat loss.
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