This is embarrassing - "regularity" problems
 

Hi everyone,

This is seriously embarrassing, but since I started calorie counting, my GI tract has been really messed up. I am VERY irregular. I've started going 2-3 days without a bowel movement, and when I finally have one it is accompanied with a horrible stomach ache.

I suffer from IBS, but I don't really have any triggers. I try to eat a lot of fiber, but it doesn't seem to be helping. Does anyone have any advice?

It does take a while for your body to adapt to an increase in fibre - when this happened to me my nutritionist friend to me to make sure that I was drinking plent of water - for me about 2 litres ( quarts) a day. It did help solve the problem :) I hear you about the belly aches - nasty, nasty, nasty! I hope this helps a bit.

Can you post a sample menu?

How much fiber are you getting exactly? And how much water are you drinking? I agree with sea, a sample menu would be great :)

:o im going through the same thing actually but along with that i am also really bloated and have gas :( it's really uncomfortable...but i have also increased my fiber intake to almost around 25 to30 grams a day so i hope that is the problem bc i get all parnoid when things go wrong with the way my body works

I had similar problem and added nonfat greek yogurt with a spoonful of sugarless jam or fruit to my usual foods. Solved my issues.

So I am eating between 25 and 30 grams of fiber on average.

For breakfast I often have an eggs (1 egg, 2 whites), black beans, salsa, spinach, light cheese. If not, I'll have a multigrain english muffin with peanut butter, oatmeal, or cereal (usually cheerio type cereals or bran flakes) with raisins.

Lunch totally varies from leftovers the night before, to an english muffin with peanut butter (if I'm in a hurry), to salad, to Subway as a last resort.

Dinner also varies. There is always some form of lean protein (a lot of turkey and chicken), carbohydrate (usually brown rice or whole wheat tortilla), and veggie (usually either broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach, green beans).

Snacks are usually fruit (apples, oranges, pears, etc.), nuts, yogurt w/ honey, kashi bars, hard boiled eggs, string cheese, popcorn.

It looks like a normal diet, but maybe the nuts and kashi bars are irritating the IBS? Are you getting enough fats and water?

Whenever these threads appear, I reccomend cashews. They -uh- smoothe things. Cashews are also rich in magnesium, a digestive calmer.

The only fats I really get are from oils (such as olive oil when cooking) and nuts and honestly? I really don't eat as many nuts as I should. Any recommendations for fat sources?

I will get some cashews!!

What about trying activia?

Avocado, coconut milk, higher fat dairy, fish oils, oily fish, whole eggs.

I eat a TON of eggs, so that is good. Avocado really upsets my stomach. What about taking fish oil supplements? Same effect?

i take fish oil supplements 3 times a day and it doesn't seem to help with regularity problems...but thet are supposed to be healthy for you nontheless

I suffer from IBS, too.

What helps me is increasing my water intake to at least 2 liters by mid-afternoon and drinking oolong tea everyday an hour+ after lunch. I also avoid food that constipate me (ex: apple, banana, cheese, bread, chocolates, soda, etc.)

Your diet looks clean to me so maybe it's just the water intake. Personally, I'll have a dragon fruit/pitaya to get my bowels moving, or I'll drink coffee. Spicy food also helps. But right now, the oolong tea is enough for me to go.

Hope this helps!

Activia works great for a lot of people. I have a chronically 'pated friend who swears by it.

I don't want to be a parade-rainer but nothing including Activia has helped me and I've sort of accepted that "going" just isn't part of who I am. I "go" maybe 2-3 times a week and it is never a uhhh large yield. If I drink a lot of alcohol or overeat for several days, I have "regular" movements.