Protein, fiber, and constipation?

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Replies

  • JassiBear
    JassiBear Posts: 268 Member
    By the way you have nice abs from your profile picture OP.... Your diet seems to be working.... just have to figure out a way to loosen up the stools...... I would try soluble fiber with water... like metamucil or something ...maybe add benefiber to your dishes but primarly you need a lot of water to help cope with the amount of protein you are consuming.
  • pythonesk
    pythonesk Posts: 20 Member
    Whenever I diet I get constipated. It happens when I'm low-carb, or just reduced calorie. Doesn't matter, it all ends up causing trouble in the bathroom. When I was low-carb I had to take SIX fiber pills every day or suffer the consequences. I can fix it just by eating more, but then I wouldn't lose any weight, argh. Taking a lot of vitamin C (like 5000mg) will have a laxative effect. So does taking a lot of Magnesium (aka Epsom salts, which is a laxative, is Magnesium Sulfate). If you've got a very hard stool then definitely do an enema followed up with vitamin C.

    You can get those orange-flavored chewable vit c tablets and dissolve them in a bottle of water and it tastes pretty good, and will help in the bathroom department.

    Good luck!
  • random_user75
    random_user75 Posts: 157 Member
    I have lovely GI issues myself. I've found eating high fiber food of the added fiber sort (Quest bars, Fiber 1 bars, Fiber Love, etc) definitely make me NEED to poop, but it's really difficult/painful. Yay sharing! My GI doc recommended Citrucel, in part because other things like Metamucil tend to cause bloating. Works for me.

    It's worth noting that while fiber is oftentimes thought of as beneficial when it comes to constipation, it can actually be very detrimental for many people suffering from chronic constipation. Fiber basically helps "bulk up" your stool and if you have another problem that's contributing to constipation, that extra bulk may only serve to make things worse. Not saying that's what's happening in your case, but when you say it makes you "NEED" to go but it's still difficult... well, it certainly brings studies to mind that found fiber actually made things worse for some people.

    Yup. That's totally the case for me. I tend to stay away from added fiber things at this point.
  • beckytcy
    beckytcy Posts: 135 Member
    I have started taking a probiotic pill (Philipps brand) and drinking water with phyllium husk (from Trader Joe's) mixed in -- once a day. It has made all the difference in the world. Good luck.
  • casiobarnes
    casiobarnes Posts: 78 Member
    Thank you so much for mentioning coffee! I didn't even think of that. I stopped drinking coffee recently - probably around the same time the constipation started. Then again, I didn't start drinking coffee on a regular basis until January, and had no constipation prior to that, but maybe my body got used to the coffee and now it's reacting to not having the caffeine. I'll have iced coffee 1-3 times a week, but I used to drink 2 cups of hot coffee 5 days per week before that.

    You gave up coffee??

    8VsPPPF.gif

    Haha, I can't imagine.

    It could very well be the loss of a stimulant combined with the additional of fibre, offset your balance/rhythm. Since you don't want to give the bars up, you could try really upping your water intake on those days.

    Someone mentioned Senna tea, and it might very well help you, but I found it to be incredibly harsh. Not my cup of tea (HA!).
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    I eat at least 180g of protein daily & had the same issues once I started eating "Life Choice" protein bars which has slightly more protein than Quest bars. I don't eat more than one bar in the morning before workouts. I suggest getting the fiber in you early and maybe something easily digestible like a banana. Spreading out your protein throughout the day evenly if you are not already.

    A couple years back I had a medical issues where my intestines would shut down for about a week at a time. The one thing I discovered after trying many things was coffee was perfect for getting things moving. I know when the poop issue have come up here in the threads others have had great luck with coffee as well.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    By the way you have nice abs from your profile picture OP.... Your diet seems to be working.... just have to figure out a way to loosen up the stools...... I would try soluble fiber with water... like metamucil or something ...maybe add benefiber to your dishes but primarly you need a lot of water to help cope with the amount of protein you are consuming.

    Thank you. :) It was a good body day for me; they don't always look like that. :)
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Thank you so much for mentioning coffee! I didn't even think of that. I stopped drinking coffee recently - probably around the same time the constipation started. Then again, I didn't start drinking coffee on a regular basis until January, and had no constipation prior to that, but maybe my body got used to the coffee and now it's reacting to not having the caffeine. I'll have iced coffee 1-3 times a week, but I used to drink 2 cups of hot coffee 5 days per week before that.

    You gave up coffee??

    8VsPPPF.gif

    Haha, I can't imagine.

    It could very well be the loss of a stimulant combined with the additional of fibre, offset your balance/rhythm. Since you don't want to give the bars up, you could try really upping your water intake on those days.

    Someone mentioned Senna tea, and it might very well help you, but I found it to be incredibly harsh. Not my cup of tea (HA!).

    Ha! Well, I was never big on coffee until I graduated from college and began working full time. Free coffee is the only kind I'll drink (other than Starbucks fraps). Once it started getting hot outside, the thought of hot coffee made me sick. However, it's been quite chilly in the office lately. Hot coffee doesn't sound too bad now.
  • gweneddk
    gweneddk Posts: 183 Member
    Have you been traveling recently? Travel always causes problems for me. If you always have problems on Mondays specifically, do you think it could actually be what you're eating on the weekends? (You said that you eat higher fat and less fiber on the weekends, and I know that can make for an unhappy Monday for me).

    I actually find that the fiber in the Quest bars helps me when I'm traveling and get constipated, but I also try to take Magnesium at bedtime when I'm traveling or any time I feel like I'm stopped up. I swear by it because it helps me sleep as well.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Have you been traveling recently? Travel always causes problems for me. If you always have problems on Mondays specifically, do you think it could actually be what you're eating on the weekends? (You said that you eat higher fat and less fiber on the weekends, and I know that can make for an unhappy Monday for me).

    I actually find that the fiber in the Quest bars helps me when I'm traveling and get constipated, but I also try to take Magnesium at bedtime when I'm traveling or any time I feel like I'm stopped up. I swear by it because it helps me sleep as well.

    Nope, no traveling. Actually, traveling gives me the opposite problem. Especially if I'm flying somewhere. Diarrhea, every single time.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    higher fat content kind of goes hand in hand with a higher protein content. If you are upping your protein significantly then you need to make sure you get adequate fat to move things along.

    Makes a HUGE difference.
  • suremeansyes
    suremeansyes Posts: 962 Member
    I'll suggest the same I do in every poop thread, coffee! I second the coffee suggestion made already. :)
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    bulletproof coffee.

    coffee + fat = win win for the bathroom!!!
  • mommy2maddox
    mommy2maddox Posts: 141 Member
    Are you following IIFYM by chance? I just started this week and I'm in the same position as you. My numbers are 130P, 140C and 70F. I can't seem to quite reach the protein and fats. I am in PAIN this morning from not being able to go. Think I'll have to use some coffee to start things and I can't have that amount of caffeine without getting jittery but the alternative of being in pain isn't any better.

    Good luck and I hope things get flowing for ya soon!
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Just think of how great the scale number will look when you finally get things moving!
  • firefly1017
    firefly1017 Posts: 6
    interestingly if you increase your fiber intake without increasing your liquid consumption, you WILL become constipated. fiber needs water to move through the GI system smoothly. you need to drink more than 8-10 cups a day if you're consuming that much protein and fiber. also walking more (gravity) and eating leafy greens will help. if you're really plugged up now, go ahead and take a laxative. if you want faster results (a couple hours) drink magnesium citrate (any place that sells laxatives will have a bottle of this. they're $1 and work pretty fast, but the taste isn't very good. just be sure to drink ALOT of water with it and expect it to cause some abd cramping). after resolving my own GI issues and completing nursing school i've become a pro and treating constipation, lol.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Just think of how great the scale number will look when you finally get things moving!

    I sure hope so!
  • Mikulam93
    Mikulam93 Posts: 10 Member
    This is a super late reply considering the thread is a year old..But whatever :smiley:
    Quest Bars bloat me and constipate me. I know this for a fact because as soon as I have 1-2 days off them, bam no issues. Everyone reacts differently to food. What i've learned is that it doesn't matter if its all natural, super processed or whatever other description. If it doesn't sit well with you, it just doesn't, end of story. Haha :smile:
  • sadiebrawl
    sadiebrawl Posts: 863 Member
    In late also.... and just skimmed..
    I never get enough fiber, but when i eat 4 prunes every morning and drink 2 glasses of water before putting anything else in my, it regulates. You have to try out different things. At one point I was eating so much fiber it was doing opposite. I was eating 40+ grams. No good at all! Cramps, constipation, which in turn hurt when working out. Until I found my magic potion I wasn't losing weight (gasp! despite deficit and working with trainer, etc etc), only because I was going once a week. That WILL stall loss and make you a pissy PISSY person :)
    Most of all good luck - you look great in your pic. Nice guns!
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Haven't read the other responses but things to consider...... water, fat, movement.

    Are you staying hydrated?

    Are you eating low fat? Ugh.....this stops me up big time.

    Very sedentary people (doesn't appear to be you) .....can have issues

    Another thing to consider. There are 2 types of fiber....soluble and insoluble. Insoluble adds the "bulk"....sorry. Some people have trouble with too much of one and not enough of the other.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
    More fat.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    It's kind of funny. I posted this almost exactly one year ago and everything resolved itself shortly afterward, but the same issue started again recently. I never cut out Quest bars - I refuse! :smile: But I've seen a doctor for it, tried a couple of things, and now I'm not totally backed up (I'll spare you the details), but my digestion has been out of whack doing another short cut a couple of months ago and it still hasn't gone back to normal even though the cut is over. My doctor and I suspect it's IBS, but I'm going to have to have a colonoscopy to eliminate other possibilities. Lucky me.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    I started eating Quest bars last week and immediately noticed the same problem. I have started drinking more water and after a few days of eating one Quest bar a day (on top of all the other fruits, veggies and protein I eat in a day) my body seems to be adjusting.
  • Leslierussell4134
    Leslierussell4134 Posts: 376 Member
    edited June 2015
    I might be on the late train here, but I love these topics and didn't read all the comments.
    So...I just want to mention that constipation isn't typically a problem until the end of 3rd or beginning of 4th day with no BM, but with that said, any change in normal bowel habits is a cause for looking into.
    I can say, a quick way to become constipated is to have too much fiber in one sitting, which it sounds like you already figured out. Also, whenever trying to increase fiber intake it is recommeded to do it slowly to not irritate the intestines.
    What I find so interesting is we absorb about half our daily water in the large intestines, so you could imagine that the longer a BM sits in the large intestines or rectum, the drier and drier it becomes until almost impossible to pass without severe pain. I think someone mentioned medamucil earlier, which would be great if you were having a low fiber "stop up." But it sounds like you are already getting tons of fiber, which congrats, not many people do, so I would recommend something else. Stool Softeners like colace actually draw water back into the intestines and in a sense rehydrate the sponge we created by eating too much fiber in one sitting. Also great because you don't get the laxitive effect, just makes it easier to go.
    Hope by now you've worked through your tummy troubles.
  • FitPhillygirl
    FitPhillygirl Posts: 7,124 Member
    I had the same problem with constipation when I started eating one Quest bar a day. I now eat a green leaf salad together with one cup of coffee every afternoon and thankfully haven't had any more problems with constipation and can still eat my Quest bars everyday.
  • nickelclark
    nickelclark Posts: 1 Member
    Quest bars actually did the same thing to me. I switched to a different, higher fiber bar and started mixing vegan protein in my whey protein shakes and it cleared up the issue
  • pkfw88
    pkfw88 Posts: 7 Member
    _lyndseybrooke_ wrote: »
    I just don't see WHY it would be the Quest bars. 40-50 g fiber per day isn't some huge amount. I'm drinking 8-10 cups of water per day, sometimes more, so I doubt that's it. It just seems odd that three Quest bars a week would be a big problem. Maybe it's just too much fiber in one sitting. 18 g in the course of 5 minutes is quite a bit. Maybe I could spread it out and eat 1/2 of the bar before my workout and the other half during my afternoon snack.

    I found someone with this problem on a bodybuilding website and a couple of people said his body would adjust to the increased fiber intake over time.

    I had the same problem when I started eating quest bars, the fiber listed on the packaging is misleading, allegedly.

    http://www.leanitup.com/report-makers-quest-bars-sued-mislabeling-allegedly-overstated-fiber-750/

    I normally wouldn't pay much attention to these kinds of lawsuits because people are very sue happy these days, but I started reading about it when I had this issue with eating lots of quest bars, and therefore lots of fiber, and being constipated. It didn't make sense to me. I don't eat them anymore and try to get plenty of plant fiber, warm oatmeal in the morning works wonders!
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    edited June 2017
    _lyndseybrooke_ wrote: »
    I'm mildly embarrassed to post this, but here we go...

    My protein intake has been at 1 g/lb of bodyweight (anywhere from 130-150 g, usually) for the past 3ish months. I read that "too much" protein can cause constipation, so I thought I'd throw that out there. However, I didn't start having this constipation issue until the last few weeks. The only other dietary change I've made is adding Quest bars as my pre-lifting meal three days per week. This means that I'm taking in about 60g of protein before 10AM on those days once you take my breakfast and post-workout protein shake into consideration.

    However, when I think digestive issues I think fiber. Quest bars have quite a bit of fiber, of course. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I normally never surpass my goal of 29 g of fiber. Same goes for weekends. On lifting days (MWF), it's more like 40-50 g of fiber. Some say more fiber makes you more regular and some say more fiber makes them constipated. I'm not sure if it's something my body has to get used to or if something has to change.

    I haven't had to take any stool softeners or laxatives yet, but yesterday I thought I was going to have to. It sort of scared me a bit, because I've never had this particular issue before. Luckily I was able to go one more day without sticking a suppository up my rectum. Yay! But I'd really like to fix the problem so that doesn't happen again. I was thinking about going the Metamucil route, but if fiber is the issue, I may not want to add even more, right?

    I'm at a loss. If it persists even after trying a few dietary changes, I'll see a doctor. I really don't want to give up my Quest bars, though. Anyone else experience this issue? What was your solution?

    Yep have you seen all the complains on quest website about how the fiber source gives people terrible digestive problems? Probably those. I eat about 120-150g fiber a day from quest bars and other fibrous foods and the new formula still bothers me.

    I used to eat 5 a day with the old formula but since they changed the fiber source a year or so ago I have massive constipation and digestive issues if I eat more than 1 a day. Many people I know who used to eat 1-3 a day can't even eat them anymore because they cause so many digestive issues. I would try a few weeks without them because I am pretty sure they are most likely the cause.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    _lyndseybrooke_ wrote: »
    It's kind of funny. I posted this almost exactly one year ago and everything resolved itself shortly afterward, but the same issue started again recently. I never cut out Quest bars - I refuse! :smile: But I've seen a doctor for it, tried a couple of things, and now I'm not totally backed up (I'll spare you the details), but my digestion has been out of whack doing another short cut a couple of months ago and it still hasn't gone back to normal even though the cut is over. My doctor and I suspect it's IBS, but I'm going to have to have a colonoscopy to eliminate other possibilities. Lucky me.

    oh lol this was old sorry ignore my last comment !

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