Low carb dieters......

Hi all,

I'm doing the low carb high fat diet and it's going well. But I'm struggling so much with constipation and am really trying not take laxatives.

Any tips?

Replies

  • Water. Drink way more that 8 oz per day. Also make sure that you are getting enough potassium, magnesium, and take a general vitamin. In the beginning constipation happens to many people on keto. It usually goes away.
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
    ^ Sound advice. And if all else fails, a few Sugar Free candies will most definitely help! Just kidding... those make me hurt a lot.
  • Unless you have a medical condition that warrants low carbs.......eat carbs. You need fiber. Fiber is what regulates your BM's. I am also on a low carb diet but I do not consider fruit and vegetable that are high in fiber as the carbs that most ppl consider bad for you. I am doing very well and my movements are great. I also make sure to drink enough water so that my urine is as close to clear as possible. That means I am well hydrated enough and that my organs are functioning properly. Coffee also stimulates bowel movements.
  • JiviLynn
    JiviLynn Posts: 11 Member
    I'm a Low Carb Believer too. I agree with everyone above. You need to eat the approved veggies. They are an important part of the Low Carb way of life. :drinker: Drink that water. SO Important. Let's all keep in touch.
  • StephTink76
    StephTink76 Posts: 318 Member
    First, Make sure you're getting your greens...

    If you're still having problems...

    Try some Dandelion Root Tea.... it works great!

    Steph
  • Alisha_countrymama
    Alisha_countrymama Posts: 821 Member
    Eat more veggies. I've done a low carb diet for 3 years. It has been a miracle for me. It's my life style now. Take Magnesium. Drink Bone broth, drink coffee, and eat. your. veggies!
  • Eat fiber, and drink water! On average I eat approx 45g of fiber a day, and drink so much water I loose count. Always have water within arms reach. Flax seed, chia seeds, raspberries, nuts! Work em into your diet. Fiber is not your enemy. Regular carbs are. You should be removing fiber from any carb counts. I've been eating low carb for almost a year now and have had no issues with constipation.

    https://www.josephsbakery.com/shop/authentic-lavash.html

    This company produces wraps and pitas with very low net carbs that taste excellent, They work awesome as a bread substitute and they contain a lot of fiber for the calories. My personal experience with low carb/keto (under 25g net carbs/day)
    was that it was a learning experience. Experiment. Try new things and find ways to eat more fiber that you love.

    Edit : Tip for eating more potassium: Salt substitutes are made from potassium chloride, and an excellent way to increase your potassium intake without pills.
  • toscarthearmada
    toscarthearmada Posts: 382 Member
    I agree with everything stated above! I was having the same issues and my doctor recommended a few things for me....

    1. Smooth Move Tea - this stuff is awesome and unfortunately, one of the best tasting teas I've ever had!

    2. Pro-biotic with the highest level of good organisms you can find. I found one at Walmart that had 20,000 I think and it's been great.

    3. Salads Salads Salads! - The more I started to eat them, the better my tummy got.

    4. Water.
  • hold_the_mayo
    hold_the_mayo Posts: 11 Member
    Quest bars. lol.

    Im just saying- aside from my veggies, and MAYBE some brown rice... I eat one of those and add a good 18g of fiber, it makes it easy for me to hit 40g a day! I deduct my fiber count from carbs and hit about 80g a day when its all said and done.
  • GLH2576
    GLH2576 Posts: 71 Member
    As others have noted, low carb does not equal necessarily equal no carb. I have a fair amount of colorful vegetables. While I don't track how much water I have I do have what my body tells me I need. Low carb for me is currently about 40-45g of net carbs a day plus another 15-25g of fiber. When I go over it is generally because I have had something like blueberries or raspberries which are fairly low in calories per serving but relatively high in carbs - I figure it is worth the occasional trade-off.
  • WhiteRabbit1313
    WhiteRabbit1313 Posts: 1,091 Member
    If you're eating plenty of fats, you shouldn't have trouble with this for long. Atkins made me more regular than ever. I drank a lot of water and ate plenty of veggies, too, so that may have also helped.
  • michellewelch2010
    michellewelch2010 Posts: 147 Member
    You could find a Greens Plus supplement with zero added sugar and try that out. I found that the the powder you mix with water is better than the pill form. Also gives you lots of vitamins and I find it seriously boosts my energy.
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
    Remember that it's net carbs that matter, not total carbs. In short, don't skimp on the fiber. Low carb doesn't mean low veggies; eat them. Quest bars are good in the processed department. I'm also a big fan of whole psyllium husk.