It can't be lack of fiber or water... can anyone provide tips?

To all my CC pals:

I need your help figuring out this dilemma.

I am 26 years old, 5'3, I weigh 143, and at ideal weight I would have a small frame.  My whole family are very petite people.  My goal healthy weight is 115-120, if I don't get pregnant first (we're going to start trying soon).

I am getting between 1200-1400 cals per day after exercise, which is about 5-6x per week, just a simple jog/run/walk for about 20-25 minutes, along with some light lifting a few times a week (arms primarily).  I get at least 64 oz water, between 25-30g of fiber, I eat at least 3 servings of fresh vegetables and 3 of fresh fruit, as well as whole grains, protein and dairy---very balanced, very clean diet.  I have no allergies.

I have been doing this for about 7 days.  Physically, I feel good.

It's weird, because not only have I not lost a single ounce, but I am very constipated.  Abdominal pain, the whole deal--when I do "go" it's small and it's hard work! 

My sister thinks maybe I need to up my caloric intake (she thinks my metabolism jumpstarted and my body isn't getting enough calories now for the sudden increase in exercise).  Compared to my former habits, I am getting much much less fats in my diet--what I get is primarily natural, like nuts or cheese.  Thoughts?

Did I just make too many changes at once and shocked my system?  I have no plans to quit or anything--I'm just weirded out.  Usually on the first week of watching what I eat, I can drop 3-5 lbs (mostly water, obviously) very quickly.   In this case, I haven't lost a single ounce. 

Would love your thoughts--especially those of you who have some experience in the calorie counting world...

Unfortunately, I don't have any tips for you, but I have been in the same boat.  

Our stats are almost exactly the same, though I've been working on my weight/health for about 4 months and have lost close to 20 lbs.  My only explanation is I have also given up caffeine and my morning coffee used to always "jump start" my day, so to speak.  

I honestly couldn't eat much more fiber, drink more water.....etc., but I am really getting tired of the constipation, especially since it is a problem I have never had before.

Hopefully, some others can offer some more input and/or tips.

 

 

 

Fatty foods (can be good fats), beer, coffee, raisins, large amounts of any kind of food. These work for me.

I also use a supplement if it's been a while it's called fibresure and you mix it in your drink and it works like a charm! It's 100% natural plant cellulose so just like eating LOADS of veg or something!

Foxy, you are very right about the fats in your diet. They are a very important part of nutrition and digestion. Omega-3's will help. Try some yummy salmon tonight with an Arugula salad with lemon and a splash of olive oil.

Hello my dear!

Ok first off I'd say NOT to listen to some of the above advice. Don't start drinking beer or taking supplements. Bad idea.

Start by upping your calories. I can't really imagine only having 1200, but a lot of people of this site seem fully able to do it! But it's too low, especially for someone active.

As for your... little problem, you need enough fiber, water, bulk, and fats to keep things moving. It's good that you're keeping your fiber intake high enough, and drinking water, but increase the amount you're eating to have the 'bulk'. And reintroduce some nice healthy fats: Olive oil, avocado, salmon, nuts, etc. Some of my favourite foods!

I have started having this problem too. I really think mine may be too little fiber, though. I've been trying to up it to see if it helps.

 battled constipation off and on forever.

After I started eating less/better, my digestive track was so messed up I was having trouble going for 1 month. I kept eating better bc I knew it was right. I cut back on processed breads and grains (majority of those are whole grains now. TIP: when grocery shopping I look at 4 important things: Cals, Protein, Fiber and salt...the higher in protein and fiber the less processed the grain...it's better even if the cals are higher). but I was still uncomfortable.

I ended up seeing a doctor about it and she just gave me a laxitive (a $40 laxitive after my co-pay and prescription costs). I guess it was just to make me more comfortable while I was letting my body get used to the new "diet".

Anyways, after another month (2 total eating better) my digestive track has never been better! Some people get the immediate results of eating well, for others like myself it may take longer...One thing I added more of in my diet: FATS. We need fats for a healthy diet and when I added more in my eating plans things completely changed.

 

Hang in there and keep eating well and you'll poop :)

Join the club! I'm having the same problem too

I started eating "Flax seeds" well, flax cereal that is, it has helped me A LOT, you can find it in the cereal isle, not all of it is good tasting so try a couple different brands!

 

Good luck!

Granny Smith apples work wonders for the tail pipe on me.

i'm really interested to see what people say about this too - i'm in a similar position. i've been watching for a while, lost about 16 lbs so far. in the past 2-3 weeks i've been veryy conscious of my fiber intake because for whatever reason it's hard for me to reach (shooting for 25grams) some days i fall a little short. but i definitely drink plenty of water (at least 3 liters per day, less on weekends). it's definitely frustrating. i also noticed that the days i .. do my business.. i also see a difference on the scale. help!

It's only been 7 days your body is just adjusting. Give it some time. You probably want to keep your calories near the 1400 range. My advice is to forget the "light" weights. Personally I think light weights are a waste of time unless you are doing a million reps. If you are worried about getting bulky you won't unless you are in the small small small percentage of women who can build a lot of muscle. The MAJORITY just don't have the testosterone or genetics. The heavier you list the more muscle you will build and hence the more calories you will burn even when you are sitting in front of the TV. Not to mention better bone health, less injuries...ect.

I eat a lot of fiber. I was having this problem also. So I decided to try activia. I get the light kind and its only 70 cals. Has been working very well..lol.

If you are taking vitamins with iron that can do it too. I was taking a multi-vitamin w iron & having problems even while taking fiber supplements. I switched to an iron supplement that is polysaccaride-iron and problem solved.

i believe your body might be adjusting. also if you eat way less than you used to, ell you produce less. if the problem persist i would consult a doctor

You may want to introduce some pro-biotics into your diet as you increase your fiber intake. It will help your gut break down all of that fiber.

I had this problem awhile back, and I did a bunch of research to learn to address it.  Your body needs to reach a critical food mass in order to be able to have a proper bowel movement.  I got really constipated and hit a plateau at the same time, so I started really pushing it hard in my workouts, and cutting back on food to address the plateau, and I think that led to the constipation.

So, what I would say, based on my research and experience is this: you are probably not eating enough.  To get a clear idea of what you are burning, set your activity level at sedentary, then log ALL your activities.  Your sis is probably right about your metabolism.  I'm betting you're not giving your body enough fuel.  Once you have a complete log, try to create a caloric deficit of 500-750 Kcal (no more than 1000!), and ensure you are getting enough protein.  My nutritionist tells me that the protein rule is your weight in kilos *0.9 if you don't work out, or your weight in kilos*1.0 if you work out regularly, or your weight in kilos*1.1 if you work out a lot.  The So, a 70Kilo girl who works out 4 days a week should eat 70g of protein.  I found that when I really started watching my protein, I was giving my muscles the right stuff, and things started working more properly.  It also made my energy levels noticeably higher.  Finally, maybe bump that fibre up a bit more, just to address the last of the issue.  I get 35g of fibre most days, and that is a good level from my perspective.

Finally, your body is going through an abrupt change.  Its gonna react strangely.  Give yourself a couple weeks, and chances are you'll feel better, but for now, I'd recommend really watching your protein levels.  Also, learning the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre in your diet, and thus establishing where you get the fibre in your diet can be really useful.

Original Post by aislign:

I had this problem awhile back, and I did a bunch of research to learn to address it.  Your body needs to reach a critical food mass in order to be able to have a proper bowel movement.  I got really constipated and hit a plateau at the same time, so I started really pushing it hard in my workouts, and cutting back on food to address the plateau, and I think that led to the constipation.

So, what I would say, based on my research and experience is this: you are probably not eating enough.  To get a clear idea of what you are burning, set your activity level at sedentary, then log ALL your activities.  Your sis is probably right about your metabolism.  I'm betting you're not giving your body enough fuel.  Once you have a complete log, try to create a caloric deficit of 500-750 Kcal (no more than 1000!), and ensure you are getting enough protein.  My nutritionist tells me that the protein rule is your weight in kilos *0.9 if you don't work out, or your weight in kilos*1.0 if you work out regularly, or your weight in kilos*1.1 if you work out a lot.  The So, a 70Kilo girl who works out 4 days a week should eat 70g of protein.  I found that when I really started watching my protein, I was giving my muscles the right stuff, and things started working more properly.  It also made my energy levels noticeably higher.  Finally, maybe bump that fibre up a bit more, just to address the last of the issue.  I get 35g of fibre most days, and that is a good level from my perspective.

Finally, your body is going through an abrupt change.  Its gonna react strangely.  Give yourself a couple weeks, and chances are you'll feel better, but for now, I'd recommend really watching your protein levels.  Also, learning the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre in your diet, and thus establishing where you get the fibre in your diet can be really useful.

Thanks for this....I'm sure one of my issues is inadequate protein levels.  I'm really struggling to get enough.  I think my calorie intake is fine (1400-1600 a day, depending on activity levels), but I am regularly at least 20gm short on protein...so I definitely need to work on that.

Yeah, getting enough protein can be super difficult.  It is a challenge for me.  My nutrionist has me eating something with protein at every meal now, including snacks.  Its tricky, for sure, but I've been surprised at how big of a difference it made.  My friend and I are doing a 'cross Canada challenge' where every day we get 100km for each hour of exercise, and 100KM for reaching our protein targets.  The first person to get across Canada (10,000KM) gets a healthy dinner cooked for them by the other person.  We've both been finding that friendly competition extremely helpful for reaching our protein.  Even last night, I was like darn, I'm only at 85! I need 87! So, I had a piece of laughing cow and was good to go.  Gotta get that 100KM or she'll beat me! lol... It really helps.  Maybe find someone to do a protein challenge with you?