Obesity Discussion Forums

[Thin Desire]

I was wondering. One of the reasons I am fat, is because I've always had constipation issues. If I eat foods like fries or ketchup or lots of spaghetti or chips or desserts or fast food, the foods sails right through me.

But if I adopt a healthy, normal diet eating lots of fruits and veggies or just cut it down to about 1800 cals or so, my body goes into this "dehydration" mode, even though I drink plenty of water, and I have horrible, painful constipation. And, it drives me mad. Also, I'm sensitive to fruit, like apples give me dry mouth and art hard to swallow, walnuts make my tongue swell, etc.

So it can be a real challenge, especially trying to balance everything and watch my weight swing wildly upwards and downwards in both directions.

Anybody else? I just want to be normal. Even fruits like dried prunes don't really help, unless I supplement it with like 3,000 calories a day and fast food or something or chocolate, and then of course, therein lies my problem. It is hindering my weight loss. When I've asked advice on boards related to this problem they tell me that weight loss shouldn't be a priority.

Really frustrated. You'd think that since I have gotten more than half my weight off once and then half again again, I'd have this down, but obviously nope.

Any suggestions for healthy food that is not necessarily fiberous (don't want impaction), I want something healthy that would have the effect of say, chili, lol.

[johnita36]

I had this exact problem when I first started eating healthy, in fact I still every now and then have issues with constipation but nothing like I did in the beginning. For me I had to keep experimenting with food until I found a combination that helped me stay "regular". For me I religiously have 1/2 cup of fiber one cereal with 1 activia lite yogurt mixed in it (instead of milk). Then around 10am for snack I always have either a fiber one bar or a fiber plus bar, or the Quaker breakfast cookies (all very high in fiber). For me this has done the trick and I rarely have issues anymore with constipation. However now for my own body I have found around "that time of the month" or even around the time I ovulate (I guess where hormones are crazy), I need a bit extra fiber and I will usually add in another fiber bar or just some other food that's high in fiber in the evenings as a snack and I seem to do well.

Generally during the most part of the month I shoot for about 35 - 40 grams of fiber a day and then during the hormonal times I shoot for about 40 - 45 with sometimes a bit higher. I really think if you can possibly experiment with different foods that are high in fiber you may be able to find a combination that will work for you. Don't give up though it is possible to eat healthy and find relief for constipation sometimes it just takes time to find the right combination of what might work.

Hope this helps.



Johnita

[Rue]

Metamucil...use the lower maintenance dose daily once you're 'regular'...it really does work, but you have to keep it up...

[woppa]

Hi TD, you may be suffering with food intollerences, which can be identified with a trip to your GP. I have a friend who suffered similar symptoms like yourself, and his GP identified soya and lactose as the offenders(its in loads of foods) Hope this helps. Dave

[Obesity Discussion]

Originally Posted by Thin Desire

I was wondering. One of the reasons I am fat, is because I've always had constipation issues. If I eat foods like fries or ketchup or lots of spaghetti or chips or desserts or fast food, the foods sails right through me.

But if I adopt a healthy, normal diet eating lots of fruits and veggies or just cut it down to about 1800 cals or so, my body goes into this "dehydration" mode, even though I drink plenty of water, and I have horrible, painful constipation. And, it drives me mad. Also, I'm sensitive to fruit, like apples give me dry mouth and art hard to swallow, walnuts make my tongue swell, etc.

So it can be a real challenge, especially trying to balance everything and watch my weight swing wildly upwards and downwards in both directions.

Anybody else? I just want to be normal. Even fruits like dried prunes don't really help, unless I supplement it with like 3,000 calories a day and fast food or something or chocolate, and then of course, therein lies my problem. It is hindering my weight loss. When I've asked advice on boards related to this problem they tell me that weight loss shouldn't be a priority.

Really frustrated. You'd think that since I have gotten more than half my weight off once and then half again again, I'd have this down, but obviously nope.

Any suggestions for healthy food that is not necessarily fiberous (don't want impaction), I want something healthy that would have the effect of say, chili, lol.

When you say constipation, how often are you going? I think the official threshold to be constipated is go less than 3 times per week.

Something else to consider....if you're eating half as much food, you just might be going half as much. I would expect someone who is eating less to go less.

Sometimes, very fatty foods can be cause of constipation, and eating fruits/veggies helps out; it shouldn't be the other way around. If you're sensitive to certain fruits, maybe you do have intolerances/allergies. Might be worth seeing a doctor to get that checked out.

Other causes include lack of fiber, lack of physical activity, certain medications, milk, irritable bowel syndrome, dehydration, holding it in too often/long, and life changes....which could include a change in your eating habits.

As annoying as constipation may be, it shouldn't be a permanent issue, and should not be a reason not to push to get healthy.

My suggestion? Pound that water, 12-16 glasses a day. Get some exercise/move around daily, and eat tons of fibrous foods, and maybe a little assistance with a stool softener and/or prune juice. Do this consistently and I bet you'll see some improvements.

As annoying as constipation may be, it shouldn't be a permanent issue, and should not be a reason not to push to get healthy.

[monique]

I can relate! I suspect that my body was just so used to more food that when I'm eating way less it just doesn't push through, or something.

But yeah, when I was eating whatever I wanted constipation was NEVER a problem for me, now it is pretty frequently. Sometimes even when I've had my 16 glasses of water and twice my recommended fiber! I have found it's very hormonal, and right now I'm pregnant so I just do my best and if I go more than 36 hours without "going" I take stool softeners. Eating a bunch of raw carrots can also help, or legumes. It's a pretty standard pregnancy symptom so I've been searching the pregnancy forums for advice and they just say the same thing as you're getting here: fluids, fiber, and supplement with medication if you need to.

I think you should just keep up eating healthy and deal with your digestion on the side. It may be annoying but it's probably not bad for you to take a fiber supplement or stool softener now and then.

Good Luck!

~Monique

[Melly]

This totally happens to me.. But Someone told me that Mayhbe your body is using most of the healthy foods you eat there for less waste...

But I still decided to add fiber to my diet.. here is the link to what I take daily.. sometimes I dont take it on the weekends though..

Garden of Life | Products for Life | Super Seed®

I also noticed that if I take it after breakfast but before lunch I actully eat less lunch becasue its pretty filling.. i have also put it in Fiber One Pancake mix and Oatmeal..

I also take this daily and it helps too:
Oil SMART Omega-3 Fish Oil Supplement with Flaxseed & Borage Oils | Heart, Brain, Bowel

But You totally have to drink lots and lots of ater if your taking fiber becasue if you dont I will constipate you .. I know its confusing...


Hope I Helped Kinda

Melly

[Thin Desire]

Thanks, I will look into it. . Yeah, I've been researching into the two types of constipation. I think I have both, I don't mind the one where you don't go as often as you like so much, but the one that gives me the most grief is the one that is dry stool and won't move through you, that one is scary and painful, so just looking for foods that will evacuate the body smoothly and painlessly, lol.

I've gotten into huge trouble with bread and bananas, I'm guessing it's because the bread is the white, HFCS kind. The bananas simply won't move through me. I ate like a lot of them and found out the hard way, lol.

I'm feeling a bit better today, but I'm basically not eating much because I'm sick of pain, lol. Will definitely look into everything though, thanks.

I still kinda feel "off", but I've pretty much gotten rid of everything that should be in there now, lol. It's just weird. I wish we didn't have to poop, lol. Sorry it's all TMI I know.

[Rue]

Exercise helps too...once you start moving, so does your gut...

[Fluffymomma]

I am just a constipated person period. It's either that or a total 360*, nothing in between. Have not been regular for years. But one thing I have noticed that makes me really really go is having a huge salad. I mean big and I eat the whole thing. Since I work from home I have the privacy to use the restroom at my leisure. But sometimes it kicks in when I really need to be home. LOL

One of my doctors gave me some Miralax and I take that sometimes. Not too often because I am paranoid about it being taken during the time my medications may be still being absorbed. Speaking of which, darn it, I totally forgot to take them today, GEESH!

[notobeseanymore]

I had the same problem when I started trying to lose weight. I had to get serious about getting enough fiber in my diet, and I have to watch that to this day. I've been at goal or under for almost a year now.

It got so bad at one point that I was taking laxatives or colace daily just to avoid the pain of not being able to go. I knew that I couldn't keep doing that so I put myself on a high-fiber plan and got it under control. Even now if a food has no fiber per serving I pass it by, and if a microwave meal for lunch at work has only 2-3g of fiber, I skip it. The more fiber it has without being too high in calories, the better.