this is way too much information but I have to ask.......

misty589

I've always had a problem with being regular, and I thought that when I started this it would help.
I've been eating well, fibre is 25-35 a day. I've been drinking my water (which i never did before) and exercising about an hour a day , 30 day shred and about 30 minutes of cardio.
and still I have problems it's so frusterating because I feel like there is nothing I can do to help myself. Also because the scale is creeping up, on sunday I was 151 and now I'm nearing 154 (naked first thing in the morning) I'm sure most of it is waste or at least some of it.. I am literally full of crap LOL
has anyone else had this problem and what did you do to help? How long did it take to be effective? I don't really want to use a laxitive or anything because this is a long term problem I'd like to have a long term solution
thanks and sorry if i grossed anyone out

MissesOfficer

Try eating some fat

jljohnson

My husband actually had this problem recently. His enitre large intestine was full, with the exception of a small gas bubble that was causing pain. The doctor told him to use magnesium citrate and MiraLax and increase fiber and drink water. I know you said that you didn't want to use a laxative, but in order to clean everything out, he was told to use the 2 laxatives for a week or 2, then the fiber and water should be enough to keep you moving. Hope this helps.

kandyjo

I have this problem too....
I tried Acitivia Yogart before and that seems to have helped... I haven't tried it in a while and here's a little TMI for ya today again... I am having a bad time with irregularity again.... So maybe I will get some more Activia.... It is frustrating and can make you really sluggish.
Maybe someone else will have some really good suggestions here on MFP.
Good luck!!

keiko

Not everyone will agree with me but this is how it is for me. I get about the same amount of fiber as you. Drink my water and exercise. I only go a couple of times a week. As long as I'm not feeling constipated or really bloated I'm fine with that. Our bodies are all different. Some go a few times a day, some once. I don't think you have to go everyday.

Now if you are feeling constipated and miserable then that's another story. Maybe try a glass of prune juice a day. I've heard it works good.

Plus it might take more time for your body to get use to the changes of healthier eating/exercise.

Don't feel bad about asking. It comes up more often than you might think.

misty589

If I went every few days it would be a miracle LOL It's usually more than a week in between, 3-4 times a month

I haven't eaten activia, but I've taken acidopholis and it made no difference

kechiemc

Hi there Misty:flowerforyou:

Sorry you are having this problem. This is going to sound weird but have you tried drinking coffee? I am not sure if it really does work or not but I have heard that it does help.

Don't give up b/c it does sound like you are literally full of crap. Hang in there and you should see a loss soon.

Other than this issue, I hope you've noticed yourself having more energy and losing inches.

PedalHound

There are underlying medical conditions that can complicate regularity and since you're getting lots of fibre and water and since you've tried acidophilus (which was going to be my suggestion to try first!), you should print off a couple of weeks worth of your food logs from here and take them in to your doc. If you have the means, I would absolutely suggest visiting a naturopath because you'll get a much more comprehensive perspective rather than a laxative diagnosis but it would probably be a good idea to go see someone :flowerforyou:

JoyousMaximus

I've read that it is healthy to go between 3x/day and once every three days. if you fall in that range, you're good to go (no pun intended). :bigsmile:

If nothing is working, I would recommend going to your doctor as it can be indicative of serious problems.

TaraDenise

I've always had problems too, but since I've been eating healthy and working out they have improved. I eat lots of fresh spinach. I use spinach as the base for my salads instead of lettuce. My salads usually include spinach, cucumber, tomatoes, red/yellow/green bellpeppers, green onions, and sometimes broccoli. I also eat black beans and brown rice regularly. Just this week I was having issues, but after I ate black beans and brown rice a couple of days in a row, things worked themselves out. LOL! Citrus fruits are high in fiber too. I eat oranges, mandarin oranges, and/or red grapefruit almost daily. High fiber cereals are good too. Fiber One has some good ones.

Most people don't like it but prune juice also helps....ALOT. Heat it up just a bit and then drink it while it's still warm. This is my go to method when all else fails. You can also snack on prunes, and it will help, just not as fast as the prune juice.

keiko

If I went every few days it would be a miracle LOL It's usually more than a week in between, 3-4 times a month

I haven't eaten activia, but I've taken acidopholis and it made no difference

How long has it been since you started eating more fiber? Did you up your fiber gradually or start eating the 25-30 grams in a short period of time? They say that you should up it gradually so your body can get use to it.

Something else you could try is to use the laxative to get you to go. Then up the fiber gradually making sure you are still getting enough water.

PedalHound

As something temporary, flax oil is also a very effective natural laxative...

LiMer

I have the same problem. I talked to my doctor about it and she said that some bodies are different than others. As long as you're not constipated, it normal. However she said if you're constipated and it's been 2-3 days, then take a stool softer (over the counter). She said stool softer is much safer then laxative. I've been doing this for at least 2 months now and find that I am needing the stool softer less and less.

Help this helps. I take Phillips Gel Caps. No cramping like laxative.

mnichol

Most people don't like it but prune juice also helps....ALOT. Heat it up just a bit and then drink it while it's still warm. This is my go to method when all else fails. You can also snack on prunes, and it will help, just not as fast as the prune juice.



I use prunes as well, 3-4 couples times of week in the evening really works for me. Healthier too than laxatives or miralax.