Constipation...

nzfoxy
nzfoxy Posts: 29
edited September 19 in Food and Nutrition
I am hoping someone can help me, since I have reached my goal weight, kept eating super healthy and exercising daily, I have become very constipated. This does not make sense, I get plenty of fibre each day (around 20-24 which is over the recommended amount here) and I drink plenty of water.
I eat Oatmeal for breakfast, salad with tons of veges, cheese & seeds for lunch and usually a decent size beef/chicken stirfry with salad at night. I eat yoghurt and fruit every day too. Some days I have wholewheat bread for lunch instead of a salad. I just don't know what else I can do, I have been like this now for around 6 weeks.
Taking a mild laxative seems to be the only way to 'shift' it. At first I thought it was just my body adjusting to the new diet and exercise regime but its gone on too long. What foods will help with this problem? Anyone else experienced this?

Replies

  • michlingle
    michlingle Posts: 797 Member
    I thought I had IBS and went to the doc, no results found. Cut dairy out of your diet for awhile, that was the culprit for me. No milk, no cheese, no yogurt. Did the trick! I don't miss it at all!
  • take colase ? (spelling) it is a stoll loosener.... water good, salad good.... try and get off the milk products for a couple of days... oh and drink some coffee or tea... might help.
  • roccopico
    roccopico Posts: 28
    Beef, Cheese and the extra fiber can all be the culprits. Cheese is terrible for causing constipation. Make sure you are drinking more water with the increased fiber or it will just soak up the water and stay where it is at.

    :flowerforyou:
  • fitnessperfection
    fitnessperfection Posts: 97 Member
    Re-think your water...often times people think they are drinking plenty of water but really aren't. Drink your weight in ounces of water. Also, cheese is constipating. Try taking that out of your diet and perhaps adding in some sugar-free syrup 2 or 3 times a week with a whole grain waffle. The syrup helps "shift" things when I am close to competition and doing a lot of protein.

    Hope this helps!
  • hamiltonba
    hamiltonba Posts: 474 Member
    How many servings of fruit are you eating a day? Good ole standby is prunes or prune juice - works every time - Just have 1 glass a day - healthy for you as well
  • JaneAusten
    JaneAusten Posts: 50 Member
    Slices of raw kohlrabi do the trick for me.
  • dimplzz
    dimplzz Posts: 456 Member
    Re-think your water...often times people think they are drinking plenty of water but really aren't. Drink your weight in ounces of water. Also, cheese is constipating. Try taking that out of your diet and perhaps adding in some sugar-free syrup 2 or 3 times a week with a whole grain waffle. The syrup helps "shift" things when I am close to competition and doing a lot of protein.

    Hope this helps!

    Drink your weight in ounces of water? So if I weight 165, I should be drinking 165 ounces of water everyday? I thought that the recommended was eight 8 ounce glasses? 21 glasses seems like a TON! :noway:

    I also have this issue sometimes. I will cave and have a coffee or latte to help loosen myself up. I took colase while I was pregnant and that worked very well too! One other thing that I tried was the benefiber drink mix. (kiwi-strawberry) It was was good but VERY sweet. It did the trick after mixing it with a few bottles of water.
  • kelligirl
    kelligirl Posts: 210
    I take alot of iron (chronic, accute anemia) so that's an issue for me as well. Along with eating a very balanced diet with lots of leafy greens and drinking my weight in ounces of water daily, I take a supplement called Juice Plus along with my iron and vitamin C 3 times each day. It makes all the difference in the world.
  • anthrochix
    anthrochix Posts: 264
    pruuuuuunes! wonderful prunes!
    :drinker: :drinker: :drinker:
  • nzfoxy
    nzfoxy Posts: 29
    I have never brought Prunes, wouldn't even know where to look at the grocery store, is there a brand that you recommend or a prune juice that isn't 180 calories a cup?
    Thank you to all who have replied, I have read and re-read all posts and will eliminate the yoghurt each day & cheese to see if that helps but will also add the prunes/juice each day too.
    I just cannot figure out whats going on with me, finally I get fit, slim and eating super healthy and my plumbing stops working!! :laugh:
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    Prunes are nasty....

    Try the extra water or just a plain
    a warm cup of water in the morning - it seems to help me sometimes.
  • Kinipela
    Kinipela Posts: 10
    A great natural stimulative that can help is Sienna Tea, you can find it at a local natural foods store. Drinking this tea at night, you will have a much more pleasant bowel movement in the morning than when taking laxatives.
  • krhbutte
    krhbutte Posts: 246
    Re-think your water...often times people think they are drinking plenty of water but really aren't. Drink your weight in ounces of water. Also, cheese is constipating. Try taking that out of your diet and perhaps adding in some sugar-free syrup 2 or 3 times a week with a whole grain waffle. The syrup helps "shift" things when I am close to competition and doing a lot of protein.

    Hope this helps!

    Drink your weight in ounces of water? So if I weight 165, I should be drinking 165 ounces of water everyday? I thought that the recommended was eight 8 ounce glasses? 21 glasses seems like a TON! :noway:

    I also have this issue sometimes. I will cave and have a coffee or latte to help loosen myself up. I took colase while I was pregnant and that worked very well too! One other thing that I tried was the benefiber drink mix. (kiwi-strawberry) It was was good but VERY sweet. It did the trick after mixing it with a few bottles of water.

    I think she meant half your weight... 2.2 liters(9.25 glasses) is recommended minimum but I have had quite a few doctors and nurses say it should be 1/2 your weight in oz.
  • krhbutte
    krhbutte Posts: 246
    I have never brought Prunes, wouldn't even know where to look at the grocery store, is there a brand that you recommend or a prune juice that isn't 180 calories a cup?
    Thank you to all who have replied, I have read and re-read all posts and will eliminate the yoghurt each day & cheese to see if that helps but will also add the prunes/juice each day too.
    I just cannot figure out whats going on with me, finally I get fit, slim and eating super healthy and my plumbing stops working!! :laugh:

    I personally like prunes and they always work for me, too.

    7 prunes =100 cal. You can find them right next to the raisins (they are dried plums).

    Forgot to add a brand. Sunsweet is probably the most popular and they're good, but pretty much any brand should do..just read labels as I'm sure you do!:wink:
  • Ahmee2034
    Ahmee2034 Posts: 1,330 Member
    Water is the key! Lots of water!
  • mnichol
    mnichol Posts: 642
    I have never brought Prunes, wouldn't even know where to look at the grocery store, is there a brand that you recommend or a prune juice that isn't 180 calories a cup?
    Thank you to all who have replied, I have read and re-read all posts and will eliminate the yoghurt each day & cheese to see if that helps but will also add the prunes/juice each day too.
    I just cannot figure out whats going on with me, finally I get fit, slim and eating super healthy and my plumbing stops working!! :laugh:

    I personally like prunes and they always work for me, too.

    7 prunes =100 cal. You can find them right next to the raisins (they are dried plums).

    Forgot to add a brand. Sunsweet is probably the most popular and they're good, but pretty much any brand should do..just read labels as I'm sure you do!:wink:


    I second this!!!
  • pannellkat
    pannellkat Posts: 709 Member
    I use a natural herbal tea called "organic mooth moves" which is a stimulant laxative tea and honey it works for constipation. I have had constipation problems for months (not getting enough fiber). I have been upping my grams of fiber within the last few weeks and still taking this tea, one at night, one in the morning, it kicks in about 5-8 hours later and it is very gentle.

    You can find it at Whole Foods or some CVS Pharmacies carry this if they have an herbal tea section. Caffeine free.
  • keiko
    keiko Posts: 2,919 Member
    I have never brought Prunes, wouldn't even know where to look at the grocery store, is there a brand that you recommend or a prune juice that isn't 180 calories a cup?
    Thank you to all who have replied, I have read and re-read all posts and will eliminate the yoghurt each day & cheese to see if that helps but will also add the prunes/juice each day too.
    I just cannot figure out whats going on with me, finally I get fit, slim and eating super healthy and my plumbing stops working!! :laugh:

    I personally like prunes and they always work for me, too.

    7 prunes =100 cal. You can find them right next to the raisins (they are dried plums).

    Forgot to add a brand. Sunsweet is probably the most popular and they're good, but pretty much any brand should do..just read labels as I'm sure you do!:wink:


    I second this!!!
    The Sunsweet Orange Essence are my favorite! It's like eating candy!
    They have other flavors too, Cherry & Lemon. YUMMY!
  • nzfoxy
    nzfoxy Posts: 29
    THANK YOU to all who gave such great replies to my rather embarrassing question, I went and brought some Sunsweet Read To Eat Prunes last night, I just logged them into MFP and it says 105 calories for 4 prunes??! What prunes are 100 calories for 7, are they dried prunes?
    Do you just eat the prunes dried or some other way? Sorry for all the questions, this is new to me.
  • belldandy1
    belldandy1 Posts: 264 Member
    Prunes are by definition dried plums. I would use the content that is on the package rather than MFP because prunes can be different sizes and some might even have added sugar.

    Also I would recommend eating something with flax seed or put flax seed oil in a smoothie. There are some great cereals with flax seed in the Natural section of most grocery stores. They have always helped me. And green tea has also helped me.
  • adopt4
    adopt4 Posts: 970 Member
    the recommended dose of fiber per day is 20-25. MFP's is low. I got caught with this too and my dr told me 35 mg a day. Also make sure you don't eat too much protein. Dairy is probably the culprit, as your body processes it differently now (according to my dr).

    3 sunsweet prunes is 60 cals...
  • krhbutte
    krhbutte Posts: 246
    THANK YOU to all who gave such great replies to my rather embarrassing question, I went and brought some Sunsweet Read To Eat Prunes last night, I just logged them into MFP and it says 105 calories for 4 prunes??! What prunes are 100 calories for 7, are they dried prunes?
    Do you just eat the prunes dried or some other way? Sorry for all the questions, this is new to me.

    I purchased Sunsweet Gold Label (in a yellow tub)? I'm not at home so I will look at them and update when I get home tonight. Yes they are dried and I just eat 'em out of the tub.
  • krhbutte
    krhbutte Posts: 246
    THANK YOU to all who gave such great replies to my rather embarrassing question, I went and brought some Sunsweet Read To Eat Prunes last night, I just logged them into MFP and it says 105 calories for 4 prunes??! What prunes are 100 calories for 7, are they dried prunes?
    Do you just eat the prunes dried or some other way? Sorry for all the questions, this is new to me.

    I purchased Sunsweet Gold Label (in a yellow tub)? I'm not at home so I will look at them and update when I get home tonight. Yes they are dried and I just eat 'em out of the tub.

    Ok..the brand I bought are Sunsweet Gold Label Pitted Bite size Prunes 20 oz tub Serving size 11/4 oz approx 7 prunes =100 cal.

    I hope this helps!!
  • ExonExoff
    ExonExoff Posts: 3
    Eating some beans and taking beano usually get things moving for me, but without the excess gas problems caused by beans...
This discussion has been closed.