Constant constipation! What am I doing wrong?

nakayla2000
nakayla2000 Posts: 6 Member
edited December 19 in Health and Weight Loss
I’ve been having constant consolation for the past two weeks. If I do go, it’s very small pellets and painful. I’m 5’1 and eat about 1,200 calories a day. I do about 30 minutes of cardio a day at a minimum and drink 64 oz of water a day. I only go to the bathroom with ease if I use a laxative or drink prune juice and then the next day it starts again. What am I doing wrong? I usually eat whole grain and flaxseed oatmeal for breakfast with strawberries and blueberries and peanut butter later I would have a apple and baby carrots I eat a spinach salad everyday with a vinaigrette and walnuts and almonds. This isn’t all I eat but the basics. I also eat broccoli and chicken for dinner. I get about 55 grams a fat a day. What am I doing wrong? Should I see a doctor?

Replies

  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    How much fat are you getting each day? What about fibre? Less volume in will equal less volume out, but this sounds like more than just a volume issue.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
  • nakayla2000
    nakayla2000 Posts: 6 Member
    DFTNicki wrote: »
    I'd go see a doctor. You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water...or so I've heard. You can also try take magnesium supplement for it. Are you doing keto by chance?
    I was doing keto, but honestly it wasn’t for me. Nothing I did seem to have helped me avoid keto flu and that’s when I first notice constipation. Last week I started eating fruits thinking it would help but it hasn’t.
  • DFTNicki
    DFTNicki Posts: 138 Member
    I would definitely add in magnesium then. If you're still doing low carb that could be the cause of it.
  • nakayla2000
    nakayla2000 Posts: 6 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    How much fat are you getting each day? What about fibre? Less volume in will equal less volume out, but this sounds like more than just a volume issue.

    According to MyFitnessPal I eat 55 grams a day. Which is a bit over what they want me to eat but I’m not sure if that matters.
  • nakayla2000
    nakayla2000 Posts: 6 Member
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day
  • zeejane03
    zeejane03 Posts: 993 Member
    edited March 2019
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day

    My fat intake is lower than yours and I'm very regular. I have a higher fiber intake, which seems to be what's keeping things moving?

    How much fiber are you getting?
  • nakayla2000
    nakayla2000 Posts: 6 Member
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day

    My fat intake is lower than yours and I'm very regular. I have a higher fiber intake, which seems to be what's keeping things moving?

    How much fiber are you getting?

    I eat 29 grams of fiber a day. Should I eat more?
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day

    My fat intake is lower than yours and I'm very regular. I have a higher fiber intake, which seems to be what's keeping things moving?

    How much fiber are you getting?

    I eat 29 grams of fiber a day. Should I eat more?

    How much fiber do you think you were eating before the problem started? Are you eating more or less than that now?

    Constipation can be caused by too little fiber, but it can also be caused by increasing your fiber intake too quickly. If you eat more fiber now than you used to, you might try eating less of it, seeing if that helps, and then slowly adding more fiber to your diet if you want.

    If the problem continues, see your doctor.
  • Maxxitt
    Maxxitt Posts: 1,281 Member
    If you have been eating as you reported initially, OP, longer than 2 weeks and the constipation has been going on just these past 2 weeks, I second the idea of checking in with your primary care provider. Good luck.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    The only time this happened to me was when I added a calcium supplement. It took me about 2 weeks to figure it out. (It was the only thing that had changed.) I don't regularly have protein powder (whey), but having it every day for a couple days can make me constipated and get pimples. Weird, I know.

    Honestly, your water, fat and fiber sound good to me for your size. Have you changed anything?
  • JohnnytotheB
    JohnnytotheB Posts: 361 Member
    I'm not a dr, but I don't think that sounds good. Especially the pain. I would check with your dr right away.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day
    apullum wrote: »
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day

    My fat intake is lower than yours and I'm very regular. I have a higher fiber intake, which seems to be what's keeping things moving?

    How much fiber are you getting?

    I eat 29 grams of fiber a day. Should I eat more?

    How much fiber do you think you were eating before the problem started? Are you eating more or less than that now?

    <b>Constipation can be caused by too little fiber, but it can also be caused by increasing your fiber intake too quickly. </b> If you eat more fiber now than you used to, you might try eating less of it, seeing if that helps, and then slowly adding more fiber to your diet if you want.

    If the problem continues, see your doctor.

    that up there. could it also be gas? you mentioned broccoli above. I just look at broccoli and I get all gassy and bloated a feral and it plays up with my digestion/movements. Perhaps some of the stuff you're eating is making things wonky?

  • lleeann2001
    lleeann2001 Posts: 410 Member
    You should definitely see a doctor to get a professional answer. But I did learn in nursing school that too much fiber CAN cause constipation. Check out a doctor for sure.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,657 Member
    Same problem here. I’ve been trying to drink 90 ounces a day, but have upped it to 120-130 in the past couple days. I workout two or three times a day, several days a week, including a bunch of hot yoga and hot Pilates classes. It occurred to me when my towel was wringing wet after a class, just maybe, I wasn’t getting enough water to replace what I sweat out. Too early to tell, but anecdotally, it seems to be helping. :*

    I also find that if I drink room temperature water in a smaller glass, I can get more down, faster and more often. I have a rabbit pellet ice machine that I adore, and eat ice like crazy, but do find it’s harder to get really cold water down in the quantities I need. So the 32 ounce jug full of lovely crunchy ice that’s usually by my side, I treat it like a snack.
  • lleeann2001
    lleeann2001 Posts: 410 Member
    Same problem here. I’ve been trying to drink 90 ounces a day, but have upped it to 120-130 in the past couple days. I workout two or three times a day, several days a week, including a bunch of hot yoga and hot Pilates classes. It occurred to me when my towel was wringing wet after a class, just maybe, I wasn’t getting enough water to replace what I sweat out. Too early to tell, but anecdotally, it seems to be helping. :*

    I also find that if I drink room temperature water in a smaller glass, I can get more down, faster and more often. I have a rabbit pellet ice machine that I adore, and eat ice like crazy, but do find it’s harder to get really cold water down in the quantities I need. So the 32 ounce jug full of lovely crunchy ice that’s usually by my side, I treat it like a snack.

    do the rabbits make the ice pellets?
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    edited March 2019
    Cahgetsfit wrote: »
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day
    apullum wrote: »
    zeejane03 wrote: »
    musicfan68 wrote: »
    You probably need more fat - doesn't look like you get much at all.
    How much fat do you suppose would be good? I eat about 55grams a day

    My fat intake is lower than yours and I'm very regular. I have a higher fiber intake, which seems to be what's keeping things moving?

    How much fiber are you getting?

    I eat 29 grams of fiber a day. Should I eat more?

    How much fiber do you think you were eating before the problem started? Are you eating more or less than that now?

    Constipation can be caused by too little fiber, but it can also be caused by increasing your fiber intake too quickly. If you eat more fiber now than you used to, you might try eating less of it, seeing if that helps, and then slowly adding more fiber to your diet if you want.

    If the problem continues, see your doctor.

    that up there. could it also be gas? you mentioned broccoli above. I just look at broccoli and I get all gassy and bloated a feral and it plays up with my digestion/movements. Perhaps some of the stuff you're eating is making things wonky?

    SAME but I still eat it. My husband just loves it.
  • rosiorama
    rosiorama Posts: 300 Member
    If there is pain, you should see a doctor and mot just look to forum strangers for advice.

    I usually try to eat things that help you go every day - like a plum or a pear or a serving of prunes. Coffee also helps, as someone else has said. Things like chia or flax require that you drink enough water too.
  • suziecue25
    suziecue25 Posts: 289 Member
    edited March 2019
    OP ....I'm on 1200 calories and am tracking calories, carbs, fat, fibre and sugar. MFP have set fat at 40g and fibre at 20g and I have been following this for 2 months now and am as 'regular as clockwork' movement wise. If I were you I'd pop to the doc and see what she/he says.

    Edit: Just like to add that I drink a lot of coffee.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,657 Member
    Same problem here. I’ve been trying to drink 90 ounces a day, but have upped it to 120-130 in the past couple days. I workout two or three times a day, several days a week, including a bunch of hot yoga and hot Pilates classes. It occurred to me when my towel was wringing wet after a class, just maybe, I wasn’t getting enough water to replace what I sweat out. Too early to tell, but anecdotally, it seems to be helping. :*

    I also find that if I drink room temperature water in a smaller glass, I can get more down, faster and more often. I have a rabbit pellet ice machine that I adore, and eat ice like crazy, but do find it’s harder to get really cold water down in the quantities I need. So the 32 ounce jug full of lovely crunchy ice that’s usually by my side, I treat it like a snack.

    do the rabbits make the ice pellets?

    Well, it sounded politer than rabbit turd ice, which is what the kids call it! I love my noisy little crunchy ice machine. Makes awesome ice for nicely textured smoothies, too!
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    Just to echo some others' suggestion here...it could be 1-2 specific things you're eating. Baby spinach causes constipation for me, big time. When I was first starting out on MFP in 2013, I would add baby spinach to my lunch every day because I like the taste and find it a good way to get in extra greens. But I started having MAJOR issues with constipation and almost like a blockage type of situation. Went away as soon as I laid off the raw spinach. Now I only eat it cooked/chopped.
  • Susanna527
    Susanna527 Posts: 1,546 Member
    Perhaps try psyllium husk - psyllium is a form of fiber made from the husks of the Plantago ovata plant's seeds. I mix about 2 tbs. into some unsweetened applesauce and eat it daily and it keeps me "regular". I don't experience any harmful or negative side effects from it, either. I also turned two friends onto it, and they seem to think it's working for them, too.

    If it continues, I'd seek medical advice if you can.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    OP - sounds like you get enough fat, fiber, and water, so this may be a question for you doctor.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    When I eat 1200 calories I only go once every 2-3 days and I assume it’s from the decrease in food moving through my system.
This discussion has been closed.