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So basically I've started drinking slim fast shakes as a meal replacement for breakfast. I use semi skimmed milk and ice. The thing is before drinking the shakes I barely drank milk. I actually hate milk to be honest but because I blend it with ice it makes it thicker and more easier to drink. The problem is ever since I started these shakes I've been feeling really constipated. Sorry for the vivid picture but it's like I want to go toilet but my body isn't letting me. I've also been getting of wierd feelings in my stomach also. Can someone please give me their opinion. I've done a little bit of research and some suggest I might be lactose intolerant.

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  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    Do experience similar symptoms when you have other dairy products containing lactose, like ice cream?

    Constipation can be caused by a number of factors, but usually the first place to look is your diet. How's your water, fat, and fiber intakes?
  • gillie80
    gillie80 Posts: 214 Member
    edited August 2016
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    If you dont drink a lot of milk usually this could be the cause. you could be lactose intolerant or it could be your body reacting to a sudden increase in milk intake. as kgeyser says, do you experience this with other lactose products?

    mean time get some sucrose syrup or drink prune juice if you can stand it. this will help loosen things as it were. the weird feeling in your stomach could be linked to the constipation. (been there, done that. meds can be a b*tch). anything high in vitamin c is good for BM in my experience.
  • NanP135
    NanP135 Posts: 219 Member
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    Make sure you are taking in enough water as well as activity will also help. I find that calcium rich foods can be constipating especially if there is a sudden increase, but everyone's bodies are different.
  • cheyennekerren2016
    cheyennekerren2016 Posts: 24 Member
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    gillie80 wrote: »
    If you dont drink a lot of milk usually this could be the cause. you could be lactose intolerant or it could be your body reacting to a sudden increase in milk intake. as kgeyser says, do you experience this with other lactose products?

    mean time get some sucrose syrup or drink prune juice if you can stand it. this will help loosen things as it were. the weird feeling in your stomach could be linked to the constipation. (been there, done that. meds can be a b*tch). anything high in vitamin c is good for BM in my experience.

    No it's only with milk. Any other type of dairy I'm completely fine. If just since Saturday last week I've been feeling like this. Thanks for the suggestion
  • cheyennekerren2016
    cheyennekerren2016 Posts: 24 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    Do experience similar symptoms when you have other dairy products containing lactose, like ice cream?

    Constipation can be caused by a number of factors, but usually the first place to look is your diet. How's your water, fat, and fiber intakes?

    No it's just with milk. Any other dairy products I'm completely fine with. But since last Saturday I've been feeling like this and that's when I started the shakes.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
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    kgeyser wrote: »
    Do experience similar symptoms when you have other dairy products containing lactose, like ice cream?

    Constipation can be caused by a number of factors, but usually the first place to look is your diet. How's your water, fat, and fiber intakes?

    No it's just with milk. Any other dairy products I'm completely fine with. But since last Saturday I've been feeling like this and that's when I started the shakes.

    Have you been logging your meals? If so, can you open your diary? It's hard to really give any kind of advice without being able to see your diet as a big picture.

    If you aren't logging, can you give us an idea of what you are eating now vs what you were eating before you started the plan?
  • Vegplotter
    Vegplotter Posts: 265 Member
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    So basically I've started drinking slim fast shakes as a meal replacement for breakfast. I use semi skimmed milk and ice. The thing is before drinking the shakes I barely drank milk. I actually hate milk to be honest but because I blend it with ice it makes it thicker and more easier to drink. The problem is ever since I started these shakes I've been feeling really constipated. Sorry for the vivid picture but it's like I want to go toilet but my body isn't letting me. I've also been getting of wierd feelings in my stomach also. Can someone please give me their opinion. I've done a little bit of research and some suggest I might be lactose intolerant.
    Slimfast is made with loads of powdered addatives, any one of these could be making you feel ill. Just reading the contents label makes me feel queasy(!)
    I made my own, organic version, for breakfast during the first, lowest calorie stage of my diet.
    200ml full milk,
    10g rolled organic oats and
    60 fruit all whizzed up in a smoothie. I also took a multi-vitamin, just in case my diet wasn't nutritious enough.
    (The oats provide much needed fibre that Slimfast doesn't provide in enough quantity. A well documented side effect of Slimfast is constipation)
    Milk is one of the most nutritious and wholesome products on earth. Thicken with a bit of Greek strained yogurt if you need more bite to your breakfast. Buy really good quality organic milk, preferably from a local farm where the cows graze on grass.
    Very few people are lactose intolerant (though thousands think they are). Don't give up on an excellent and nutritious staple food.
  • rome_411
    rome_411 Posts: 29 Member
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    If you don't have any nut allergies, you may consider trying almond milk if cow based milk continues to give you problems. While I don't think it tastes better as a stand alone drink in comparison to cow based milk, it mixes quite well and provides a nice taste. I use it for my whey isolate shakes and when I occasionally eat cereal..lol. I've have also tried cashew milk, and coconut milk varieties as well. It produces much better results and taste for me than water. Since I like my shakes on the thicker end I also often blend with a banana (good source of potassium for recover). It tastes great with chocolate and even vanilla varieties.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    My daughter is lactose intolerant. She uses an OTC dairy digestive supplement.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    So stop drinking the shakes and just eat some regular food? Seriously if something makes me ill and I don't even like it on top of that, I don't continue with it. Could be the milk, could be all the junk in the slim fast.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    edited August 2016
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    If you've swapped regular food for slim fast you've probably reduced your fibre intake
  • astrampe
    astrampe Posts: 2,169 Member
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    Are you getting enough fat and fibre in your diet?
  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    Fairlife milk or Lactaid is milk with the enzymes in it to help with digestion. I had the same issue and did discover that I'm lactose intolerant.
  • sweetilemon
    sweetilemon Posts: 122 Member
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    I hate milk and no way could I follow a slim fast diet. Why not just do MFP with a calorie deficit?