Constipation !

delgrand
delgrand Posts: 108 Member
edited June 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Hey
I started a week ago with my weight loss plan
things have been pretty good and easy
however, I am having constipation that I did not have previously ! I guess it is because I don't eat the same amount
of food I used to eat.
I feel the urge to got to the toilet, but get constipated and bloated all day and that's really a bad feeling !

Did any one have the same problem at the beginning of their weight loss journey ? If yes, does it get better with time? are there any solutions?

Replies

  • daniip_la
    daniip_la Posts: 678 Member
    Coffee helps me, but I have friends that it acts the opposite on.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Less food consumed = less waste. Other things to look at: are you getting enough fibre, water, and fats? All of these can influence regularity.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,082 Member
    Fiber, water, and fats will help things get moving.
  • delgrand
    delgrand Posts: 108 Member
    yeah I am eating cucumbers to increase my fiber intake. I hope this problem gets better soon !
  • Gena575
    Gena575 Posts: 224 Member
    Drink more. Eat a couple of prunes. Go for a walk. I had the same issue heading in to week two. By week 3 it sorted itself out. Going from barely any fiber or veggies even to salads and raw veggies must have confused my gut lol!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,959 Member
    delgrand wrote: »
    yeah I am eating cucumbers to increase my fiber intake. I hope this problem gets better soon !

    ?? cucumber has less than 1 gram of fiber per 100 grams, so unless you're eating massive quantities of cucumber, you're not getting adequate amounts of fiber from cucumber.

    On the positive side, cucumber are almost entirely water (95 g water for every 100 g cucumber), so it could help ensure you get enough liquid, which can help with constipation.

    Lots of good advice in this thread on getting adequate liquid and fat as well as fiber. And walking can help get things moving.
  • delgrand
    delgrand Posts: 108 Member
    lynn_glenmont wrote: »
    delgrand wrote: »
    yeah I am eating cucumbers to increase my fiber intake. I hope this problem gets better soon !

    ?? cucumber has less than 1 gram of fiber per 100 grams, so unless you're eating massive quantities of cucumber, you're not getting adequate amounts of fiber from cucumber.

    On the positive side, cucumber are almost entirely water (95 g water for every 100 g cucumber), so it could help ensure you get enough liquid, which can help with constipation.

    Lots of good advice in this thread on getting adequate liquid and fat as well as fiber. And walking can help get things moving.

    Can you suggest any food that has low calories and plenty of fibers?
  • tiddolski
    tiddolski Posts: 32 Member
    Raspberries,
    Peas
    Pears
    Blackberries.
    I'm sure there's more that that but here's a couple.
  • SCoil123
    SCoil123 Posts: 2,108 Member
    Carrots are a good source of fiber as well
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,082 Member
    Broccoli, lentils, and lots more. How many calories are you eating each day?
  • AuroraGeorge8393
    AuroraGeorge8393 Posts: 100 Member
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Fiber, water, and fats will help things get moving.

    THIS. Eat food that is reasonably high in fiber - apples, lettuce, broccoli, butternut squash, watermelon, black beans and oatmeal work for me - and plenty of water. Just be sure, if you aren't used to eating a lot of fiber, to begin consuming it in moderation. Too much, too soon, can lead to the opposite problem.
  • emdeesea
    emdeesea Posts: 1,823 Member
    Bob's Red Mill Wheat Bran. One serving a day along with plenty of water. Mix it in cottage cheese or yogurt.
  • vingogly
    vingogly Posts: 1,785 Member
    edited June 2016
    Cucumber has virtually no fiber in it as others have said; check the database here on MFP. It's not going to help, you need veggies with more fiber in them. Here are a couple of lists of foods with a decent amount of fiber in them:

    http://commonsensehealth.com/high-fiber-foods-list-for-a-high-fiber-diet/
    http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/features/fiber-groceries

    I shoot for at least 30g fiber a day, average 50g of good fats per day, stay hydrated, and the plumbing works fine; that's lower than the 38g recommended for men (I believe the recommended number for women is 25g per day). If you look at the above lists and think you can't eat anything listed there -- well, frankly, you must be doing something wrong. There's no reason you can't get all the fiber you need and lose weight.

    If you're trying to do very low carb, that's where I've had regularity problems in the past. It's hard to get enough fiber in the initial phase of a diet like Atkins. You might want to consider supplementing with a fiber product until you up the carb intake.
  • dmariet116
    dmariet116 Posts: 530 Member
    Try taking magnesium citrate at bedtime. The normal dosage is 500 mg. Just increase your dose nightly by 500 mg until it causes you to have a bm. This will be your dosage. You can take 500 mg a night and only increase to the higher dosage when needed. You won't overdose on magnesium. Really only side effect from a high dose is a laxative effect. It is not addictive and perfectly safe. Vitamin C in large doses has the same effect. Google Vitamin C flush.

    In the meantime, I wouldn't increase fiber too rapidly at the risk of developing a bowel blockage. SLOWLY increase after you feel like you have had a normal bm.
  • st476
    st476 Posts: 357 Member
    Maybe you could buy one of those fiber mix things that you mix into water (such as benefiber). It doesn't have a lot of calories and really helped me, the doctor told me to try it.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
    Drink about 3-4 oz very cold prune juice. That should help within several hours.
  • delgrand
    delgrand Posts: 108 Member
    tiddolski wrote: »
    Raspberries,
    Peas
    Pears
    Blackberries.
    I'm sure there's more that that but here's a couple.

    Thank you :)
  • delgrand
    delgrand Posts: 108 Member
    rileysowner wrote: »
    Broccoli, lentils, and lots more. How many calories are you eating each day?

    about 1800 cal. thank you for the suggestion
  • delgrand
    delgrand Posts: 108 Member
    edited June 2016
    dmariet116 wrote: »
    Try taking magnesium citrate at bedtime. The normal dosage is 500 mg. Just increase your dose nightly by 500 mg until it causes you to have a bm. This will be your dosage. You can take 500 mg a night and only increase to the higher dosage when needed. You won't overdose on magnesium. Really only side effect from a high dose is a laxative effect. It is not addictive and perfectly safe. Vitamin C in large doses has the same effect. Google Vitamin C flush.

    In the meantime, I wouldn't increase fiber too rapidly at the risk of developing a bowel blockage. SLOWLY increase after you feel like you have had a normal bm.

    I don't want to take any pills even if they were vitamins/minerals. Thanks for the suggestion

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