Constipated

Marisela170
Marisela170 Posts: 48 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Guys I need help. So for the last couple of years I’ve been having issues with constipation. I’m pretty sure it was mostly due to my unhealthy eating habits. Now I’m a lot better with not binging on junk food and Ive actually lost about 30 pounds this year but I’m still having issues with constipation. I’m not gonna lie my unhealthy eating habits have gone from one thing to another and I don’t really eat too much. I have maybe one or two actual meals a week then the rest of the time I’ll just have a little snack when my stomach starts growling. I want to get better with my eating, but I want foods that are gonna help me use the bathroom and I honestly don’t know what I can make or eat that isn’t super boring and will help.

btw I know I should see a doctor. I have an appointment in about a week.

Replies

  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    Honestly I would wait to see what the doctor says. Some things that can help relieve constipation in some people can make it worse in others, depending on the cause of the constipation. So I would wait to get medical advice before self treating.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    edited July 2019
    See a gastroenterologist. There are all sorts of things that could be causing chronic constipation, ranging from an internal hemorrhoid to cancerous polyps. Plus, there are all sorts of things they can give you to help. I recently went in for something similar (though over a shorter period) and ended up doing a colonoscopy. They found a bunch of small polyps that were easy to remove since they'd been caught early. In the meantime, Miralax is what my gastro recommended I use between the consult and the appointment.
  • QoLmatters
    QoLmatters Posts: 708 Member
    edited July 2019
    Check your macros. Are you consuming enough fat each day? I eat plenty of fiber, drink lots of water and still would get constipated till I increased my fat intake.
  • jelleigh
    jelleigh Posts: 743 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Marisela170 wrote: »
    Guys I need help. So for the last couple of years I’ve been having issues with constipation. I’m pretty sure it was mostly due to my unhealthy eating habits. Now I’m a lot better with not binging on junk food and Ive actually lost about 30 pounds this year but I’m still having issues with constipation. I’m not gonna lie my unhealthy eating habits have gone from one thing to another and I don’t really eat too much. I have maybe one or two actual meals a week then the rest of the time I’ll just have a little snack when my stomach starts growling. I want to get better with my eating, but I want foods that are gonna help me use the bathroom and I honestly don’t know what I can make or eat that isn’t super boring and will help.

    btw I know I should see a doctor. I have an appointment in about a week.

    The doctor is a GOOD idea. Getting advice from here with your potentially disordered eating is BAD.


    I second this. If you are in fact eating an appropriate number of calories per day, then there are many foods that will support healthy GI but talking to a doctor might be the best start. If you are way undereating then you may just not have enough going through your system to keep things moving. Make sure you are hitting your MFP targets, add some fruits and veg for ruffage , and healthy fats can help too. And water. Lots of water.
  • grimendale
    grimendale Posts: 2,153 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Marisela170 wrote: »
    Guys I need help. So for the last couple of years I’ve been having issues with constipation. I’m pretty sure it was mostly due to my unhealthy eating habits. Now I’m a lot better with not binging on junk food and Ive actually lost about 30 pounds this year but I’m still having issues with constipation. I’m not gonna lie my unhealthy eating habits have gone from one thing to another and I don’t really eat too much. I have maybe one or two actual meals a week then the rest of the time I’ll just have a little snack when my stomach starts growling. I want to get better with my eating, but I want foods that are gonna help me use the bathroom and I honestly don’t know what I can make or eat that isn’t super boring and will help.

    btw I know I should see a doctor. I have an appointment in about a week.

    The doctor is a GOOD idea. Getting advice from here with your potentially disordered eating is BAD.


    Totally missed that bit. Yeah, seeing a gastro and a specialist in disordered eating would be a much better idea than soliciting ideas here.
  • whoami67
    whoami67 Posts: 297 Member
    I find supplementing with probiotics and magnesium, and drinking plenty of water and eating enough fat helps keep constipation at bay. But, as others said, check with your doctor for any medical issues.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Marisela170 wrote: »
    Guys I need help. So for the last couple of years I’ve been having issues with constipation. I’m pretty sure it was mostly due to my unhealthy eating habits. Now I’m a lot better with not binging on junk food and Ive actually lost about 30 pounds this year but I’m still having issues with constipation. I’m not gonna lie my unhealthy eating habits have gone from one thing to another and I don’t really eat too much. I have maybe one or two actual meals a week then the rest of the time I’ll just have a little snack when my stomach starts growling. I want to get better with my eating, but I want foods that are gonna help me use the bathroom and I honestly don’t know what I can make or eat that isn’t super boring and will help.

    btw I know I should see a doctor. I have an appointment in about a week.

    The doctor is a GOOD idea. Getting advice from here with your potentially disordered eating is BAD.


    This.

    OP, if you want to poop, you have to eat. Adequate calories. Period.
  • jfdi6960
    jfdi6960 Posts: 76 Member
    Fibre one brownies
  • teranga79
    teranga79 Posts: 202 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    Honestly I would wait to see what the doctor says. Some things that can help relieve constipation in some people can make it worse in others, depending on the cause of the constipation. So I would wait to get medical advice before self treating.

    Absolutely. The one thing I would suggest is to look at how much you're drinking each day. You definitely need proper medical advice with regards to both the constipation and your eating habits - but an extra glass of water a day never goes amiss.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,233 Member
    teranga79 wrote: »
    You definitely need proper medical advice with regards to both the constipation and your eating habits - but an extra glass of water a day never goes amiss.

    This is MFP! Can you ever be absolutely sure about the bolded? hint: water intoxication / dilutional hyponatremia


  • Marisela170
    Marisela170 Posts: 48 Member
    seltzermint555 wrote: »
    100% see a doctor.

    As for everyday general constipation, I think it's important to drink plenty of water and other fluids and to try to identify patterns in what you're eating when you develop issues. For me, baby spinach will cause problems even though it has a lot of fiber. I just had to quit eating it especially uncooked and haven't had problems for a long time. A good friend has the same problem with eating apples, which have a lot of fiber but tend to cause fairly uncomfortable episodes of constipation and even blockage for her when she eats too many (more than 1/2 apple in a day).

    Your mileage may vary -- I mainly put this comment here in case others check out this topic and want some basic tips that have helped a lot for me and my friend.

    I try to only drink water while I’m at work but honesty the rest of the time I’m usually drinking energy drinks or coffee. Broccoli worked pretty well for me but I had to eat a lot of it for it to do anything, like eat it with every meal I ate. I have a doctors appointment on Monday, so I’ll bring it up to her and see what she says.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Wishing you wellness. I hope the dr helps.
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Marisela170 wrote: »
    seltzermint555 wrote: »
    100% see a doctor.

    As for everyday general constipation, I think it's important to drink plenty of water and other fluids and to try to identify patterns in what you're eating when you develop issues. For me, baby spinach will cause problems even though it has a lot of fiber. I just had to quit eating it especially uncooked and haven't had problems for a long time. A good friend has the same problem with eating apples, which have a lot of fiber but tend to cause fairly uncomfortable episodes of constipation and even blockage for her when she eats too many (more than 1/2 apple in a day).

    Your mileage may vary -- I mainly put this comment here in case others check out this topic and want some basic tips that have helped a lot for me and my friend.

    I try to only drink water while I’m at work but honesty the rest of the time I’m usually drinking energy drinks or coffee. Broccoli worked pretty well for me but I had to eat a lot of it for it to do anything, like eat it with every meal I ate. I have a doctors appointment on Monday, so I’ll bring it up to her and see what she says.

    I was reading today that too much caffeine can cause constipation. Maybe ease up a little on the energy drinks and coffee and see if that makes a difference. In saying that I also read that going cold turkey from caffeine can likewise cause constipation so if you did cut back you would be better off doing it slowly.

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