daylitemag wrote: »

Thank you everyone for the advice. The problem is constipation. It's difficult to know what I the best way to go. Some say no to fiber others yes. I think I'm looking at fiber bc it is clearly missing from my diet.

@Dragonwolf I have been thinking of trying to increase fat. I have been making some efforts in this regard using HWC in my eggs and such. I haven't been logging as I find MFP most frustrating. Even something as simple as steak there's like a million entries and they are all different. Tonight I had my wife's leftover pot roast and there were way too many options, so it feels like if it's not trustworthy why bother? It may be a cop out but I just don't always have the patience to sift through tons of entries. With that said I get your point and may make more of an effort. Thanks.

This is what I love about this group I always learn things from you all.

If you eat largely the same things, it gets better with time, as you build your own list of frequent items. For full dishes, I typically use the recipe builder, and use the USDA or entries that don't have an asterisk (*) next to them. Those tend to be more accurate.

That said, some data -- even imperfect data -- is better than none at all when you're trying to troubleshoot a problem.

JessicaLCHF wrote: »

Btw, I don't do it for constipation relief. I rarely have that issue. I just think fiber is a good thing for the whole body. I think the RDA is 35. I have a hard enough time hitting 25. All our food is so over processed as to be virtually empty of fiber.

But. I also think this does become more of an issue the older you get.

Eh...that highly depends on the kind of fiber. The body, itself, doesn't use fiber at all. All of it passes through the digestive tract.

Soluble fiber is the substrate for the gut biome, but it's a bit questionable as to the form best suited to the job. As @DittoDan suggested, fermented vegetables are really your best best. The fermentation process basically amplifies a lot of the good stuff (nutrient availability, fiber use for the biome, etc), and neutralizes a lot of the bad (phytates, nutrient-binding compounds, etc).

Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, is essentially bowel packing peanuts. It literally serves no other purpose than to bulk up stool and move carbs through the system faster.

Anywho, I'm off to bed. Here's a bit of reading for you guys in the meantime, if you're interested in the whole contention about fiber -- https://www.gutsense.org/reports/myth.html -- and if you're feeling really masochistic, or want a good, disturbed laugh, look up the history of the fiber recommendation and one Dr. Kellogg.

I've had this issue with keto as well, and the only thing that's worked for me has been adding in 100g of tinned chickpeas per day to my diet. It works out at around 14g of carbs but 9g of fibre - I know this would still be too much for lots of keto people but for me I'd rather have the regular, pain-free, normal bowel movements with a slightly higher carb count each day! Magnesium also helped, along with adding in more fat - coconut oil and butter in my coffee in the morning, lots of avocado, and macadamia nuts for a snack. I would seriously recommend logging your food as I find I can't gauge how much fat I'm eating otherwise, and quite often I'll fall low if I'm not keeping an eye on it - all those years of being told 'EAT LOW FAT' are just ingrained in my subconscious apparently! If I have something that's not branded there's normally a generic option which, while not 100% accurate, is at least better than nothing usually.

Good luck!

daylitemag wrote: »

I am sure there must be an existing thread on this topic but I don't know how to find it. If anyone can point me there I would appreciate it.

Since starting LCHF I have not been getting anywhere near enough fibre in my diet. This is now becoming a problem bathroom-wise. So, I'm looking for suggestions. I don't like veggies although lately I've been eating a fair amount of green beans just to add a side dish to my meat. I've been avoiding fruit due to high carb counts. I have been eating apsome blackberries and could increase but again worry about carbs. I've heard that stuff like Metamucil doesn't really get into the system. I've thought about maybe stirring a small amount of grnd flax into some broth. I doubt it will dissolve but maybe I can choke it down.

Remember: Constipation is usually caused by something you ARE eating, not by something you’re not eating. In fact Fiber can actually cause constipation.

Fiber Myth:

http://www.diagnosisdiet.com/ketosis-and-constipation

AshleyC1023 wrote: »

If you're uncomfortable, vs not going as frequently as you used to, Magnesium Citrate will fix that. Walgreens carries it in some decent flavors.

@daylitemag
Magnesium citrate... "Calm" brand is good and/or magnesium oxide powder. I do both :-) Cheap on Amazon. 1/4 tsp in water before bed. Guaranteed results! Tasteless... It's what milk of magnesia is made out of.
Long term.... probiotics and fermented vegetables for sure :-)

Another vote for Physillum husk and /or Linseeds.
Also, are drinking enough water? If not, that won't be helping matters.

Interesting discussion. I typically get about 40-55 grams of fiber while on keto...far higher than I do when I eat a higher carb diet...mostly due to the amount of peanuts, quest bars and adkins products I eat...whether or not it's a factor I don't have any bowel concerns except in the first few days...on the loose side which I've come to expect as normal. Same with the few days that I reintroduce carbs(not an issue for your lifers)