Having some digestive issues...need advice.

Options
egwene1977
egwene1977 Posts: 69
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

I've been happily trucking along on the 1200 calories/day plan for several months, and I'm down 43 pounds now (YAY!), but lately I've been feeling pretty bloated and having issues with constipation. Consequently, I feel like my weight loss is stalling out. I try to avoid sodium as much as possible, and I am constantly eating fruits and veggies and drinking at least 8 glasses of water each day. I am following a low-carb diet plan (nothing made from grains), but I still consume dairy...I grew up in Wisconsin, it's kind of a sin to not eat dairy.

I would really appreciate it if you could take a look at my food diary and let me know if it looks like there is something I'm eating that could be causing this issue, or if there is something that I should be adding.

Thanks for the help! I find this website to be such a great support network.


1541419.png
Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter
«134

Replies

  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    Options
    try coffee, it's a diuretic, or beer. For me I have a 5 hour energy shot and it cleans me out.
  • juliegin
    juliegin Posts: 77 Member
    Options
    Possibly you need to add more healthy fats into your diet?
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
    Options
    I have almonds and avocados occasionally with meals, but I suppose I could up that.

    I would love to have a beer, but that has grains, so it's a no-no. The coffee idea is good. I like green tea, but it's been getting too warm to drink it hot.

    Thanks, all!
  • pcastagner
    pcastagner Posts: 1,606 Member
    Options
    Have you tried beano? Sounds crazy but it might help. It's a fungus that grows in the jungle. Comes in tablets and drops


    Also try adding kimchi!
  • sleepingtodream
    sleepingtodream Posts: 304 Member
    Options
    Ok I am no expert but here are my thoughts...maybe you are eating to many hard to digest foods all at once. I see you have almonds, steamed veggie and some type of meat protein typically at lunch...that may be to much fiber and protein to eat once. You feel more bloated as you digest. Could you try putting your veggies in your eggs in the morning or eating your almonds not around the same time you eat your meat? I guess what I'm saying is to just spread out the things a bit more....the choices look great!

    Sorry if that's not helpful...or let me know if I need to explain myself better:)
  • rosered93
    rosered93 Posts: 69 Member
    Options
    A few possibilities:
    1. 1200 calories is too low so your body is expending less energy on gut motility (just to minimize energy usage and to maximize nutrient absorption)
    2. Small volume of food = small volume of waste
    3. Insufficient dietary fat
    4. Your gut flora is depleted. In which case: fermented foods (kefir, kimchi, lacto-fermented sauerkraut, kombucha, tempeh, miso) and probiotic supplements (I like Bio-K+, a drinkable yogurt-style supplement; you can try pills/tablets as well)
    5. If its distressing, Miralax is (as far as I've read) a non-habit forming supplement that will draw water into the bowels ameliorating constipation woes (it's not a "don't leave the house after taking it" sort)
    6. Stimulants such as coffee and energy drinks will stimulate the enteric nervous system which controls your bowels, getting them moving

    I think my first line of action would be increasing even to 1400--preferably using dietary fat and foods that will help your gut flora. See how your body adjusts. That might be a bit longer term so you can consider the supplements mentioned above.
  • jen81uk
    jen81uk Posts: 177 Member
    Options
    I know you said you don't have grains but try adding some high fibre stuff? I always eat porridge, all bran and lots of roughage, especially green veg when I feel bloated. I don't know try sweet potatoes and different beans and pulses? Coffee is a good one though! xx
  • Aleysia87
    Aleysia87 Posts: 14 Member
    Options
    One possible explanation (depending on your TDEE) is that your body is just stressed out. Stress = cortisol = water retention. Sometimes, a good solid refeed day (i.e. eat your maintenance + couple hundred kcal extra) can cause your body to release the extra water. I've experienced this myself -- though granted, I do extreme calorie cycling.

    Edit: Also, if you do a lot of cardio, give it a break.
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
    Options
    Hows your magnesium intake?
    Does any food you eat use carrageenan?
  • locaoca
    locaoca Posts: 41 Member
    Options
    I stick to the rule that you should drink half of your weight in ounces of water. and more depending on how much fiber you east. I drink 130 ozs a day. You might simply be getting enough water. You also need to make sure you are getting enough fiber and calories. How much do you weigh? The more you weigh the more calories you need. When I get a little stuffed up, a sugar free chocolate usally works.NBC
  • AmyJoShanks
    AmyJoShanks Posts: 40 Member
    Options
    Coffee is a good one for me :)

    Your food choices look great! Try swapping out the clementine in the morning with something less soluble, like a banana (the greener the better). And adding more good fats to keep things moving along (EVOO, salmon, avocados, etc.)

    Good luck!
  • Laurelthequeen
    Laurelthequeen Posts: 78
    Options
    When I did low carb, a one minute muffin was the trick to keep me regular. I hated eating it, but it was the only thing that kept things moving. Some people liked them. blech.

    1-Minute Muffin
    1/4 cup Flax Meal
    1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
    1 packet Splenda
    1 teaspoon Cinamon
    1 Egg
    1-2 teaspoons Butter

    1.5 Carbs

    Mix the dry ingredients in a large coffe cup. Add egg and butter; mix well. Microwave for 50-seconds to 1-minute. Muffin pops right out
  • MandiJessica23
    MandiJessica23 Posts: 9 Member
    Options
    I'm in the UK so I'm not sure if you have this in the States, but if you can get Aloe Vera juice at a health food store, it works wonders!! I was eating 1200 cals as well but the scale stopped going down and I was feeling really bloated. I started taking 2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera juice (usually mixed into a protein shake, tastes a bit weird!) and upped my cals a bit and it's honestly worked!
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
    Options

    Edit: Also, if you do a lot of cardio, give it a break.

    I would feel so lazy without my cardio, but I understand what you're saying. What is the max cardio that someone should do in a week? I feel so great afterwards, that it's kind of addicting.
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
    Options
    I stick to the rule that you should drink half of your weight in ounces of water. and more depending on how much fiber you east. I drink 130 ozs a day. You might simply be getting enough water. You also need to make sure you are getting enough fiber and calories. How much do you weigh? The more you weigh the more calories you need. When I get a little stuffed up, a sugar free chocolate usally works.NBC

    I weigh 189 right now, so that would be about 80oz of water each day. I think I reach them some days...I definitely get at least 64.
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
    Options
    Hows your magnesium intake?
    Does any food you eat use carrageenan?

    Um, I'm not sure...I feel kind of silly about that. What is carrageenan?
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
    Options
    Coffee is a good one for me :)

    Your food choices look great! Try swapping out the clementine in the morning with something less soluble, like a banana (the greener the better). And adding more good fats to keep things moving along (EVOO, salmon, avocados, etc.)

    Good luck!

    Thanks! Okay, I'll try to add a banana each day, to see if that helps. I had a cucumber this morning to see if that would do the trick, but sadly no. I love avocados, but I work in healthcare, so I try to eat something quick and easy (thus, the frozen veggies and tuna). I'll get some organic guac and try to add some of that each day :)
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
    Options
    I'm in the UK so I'm not sure if you have this in the States, but if you can get Aloe Vera juice at a health food store, it works wonders!! I was eating 1200 cals as well but the scale stopped going down and I was feeling really bloated. I started taking 2 tablespoons of Aloe Vera juice (usually mixed into a protein shake, tastes a bit weird!) and upped my cals a bit and it's honestly worked!

    Great, I'll keep that in mind. Thank you!
  • GetSoda
    GetSoda Posts: 1,267 Member
    Options
    Hows your magnesium intake?
    Does any food you eat use carrageenan?

    Um, I'm not sure...I feel kind of silly about that. What is carrageenan?

    it's a thickening agent made from seaweed, and also is very inflammatory. You find it a lot in candy, meal bars, dairy products.
  • egwene1977
    egwene1977 Posts: 69
    Options
    When I did low carb, a one minute muffin was the trick to keep me regular. I hated eating it, but it was the only thing that kept things moving. Some people liked them. blech.

    1-Minute Muffin
    1/4 cup Flax Meal
    1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
    1 packet Splenda
    1 teaspoon Cinamon
    1 Egg
    1-2 teaspoons Butter

    1.5 Carbs

    Mix the dry ingredients in a large coffe cup. Add egg and butter; mix well. Microwave for 50-seconds to 1-minute. Muffin pops right out

    I'll keep this in mind as a last resort. It sounds pretty innocuous, though :) I think I could handle 1.5 carbs extra per day.

Categories