WARNING...
This is a potentially gross matter for some!

Ok...
I've started incorporating more fiber into my diet and making sure I get at least 25g. Before, I averaged 15-20g. Since I realized I wasn't eating enough fiber for optimal weight loss performance, I decided I needed to eat more.

Here's where the overshare comes in:
Before eating more fiber, I was, um, regular. Now, I'm... err... irregular. I haven't been able to, um, "go" for about 3 days, and I used to, um "go" once every day. I'm getting worried that I might be constipated or something. It really doesn't make sense to me, because one would imagine that if you eat more FIBER, you would actually "go" more. I know I might just be paranoid, but I also heard that being constipated can stop you from losing weight... hence people like celebrities getting colonics all the time.

Has anyone else upped the fiber in their diet and gotten the same reaction? Is there some sort of explanation for this? Should I even be worried?

I don't think i would be soo worried about it from a weight loss point of view. I know I am also one of those people who are pretty "regular" going once a day also. This past weekend i went out of town and "couldn't" go for some reason. By Monday morning I was hurting and I knew why. I was backedup!! Made my tummy hurt, i was nauseated, i couldn't eat...it was aweful. That would be my concern....not the weight thing.

Hey!

When you change your eating habits, things often take awhile to normalize in "that area." For example, if you were eating more fats in the past, that could affect it. And, if you used to eat a lot of carbohydrate foods, then even if you're increasing fiber you may have a problem... People who go on Atkins routinely have this difficulty, I've heard.

Make sure you drink enough water. Eat some natural fiber like two or three prunes or dried apricots. I've also found that if necessary, a glycerine suppository is better for me than any of the oral laxatives--it works fast, so use one when you're going to be at home for awhile, and not before bed.

Jay

Drink More liquid and Definitely go with the prunes or maybe prune juice!
good Luck!
Kier

Yeah, I did eat A LOT of carbs pre-weight-loss. Then, I set a goal of under 200g, but recently I've tried to adjust it even further back and up the protein a little more... I want to make sure I keep as much lean muscle mass as possible while losing so that when I'm done, I don't have a slim but flabby body that looks like it just dropped a slew of weight... if that makes any sense. You can tell some people have just lost weight... I'm trying to maintain my athletic physique, albeit a shrunken version.

I hate prunes, but I'm down for dried apricots. I've never tried a suppository before, but the idea makes me go "eww..." I wonder if Dannon Activia will help...

Out of curiousity, does anyone know *why* high protein/high fiber diets can throw one's rhythm out of sync? Logically, one would assume that it would produce the opposite effect... Jay? You seem knowledgable

You definitely need to make sure that when you increase your fiber intake, you also increase your water intake. Fiber with no water = blockage. Fiber plus water = nice healthy regularity.

I think it's because your body needs more fluid to absorb/digest the fiber. It takes a lot of energy for the body to break fiber down, so I guess it makes sense. Hmm, there was a recent thread on this, let me see if I can pull it up.

Also, fruit is good for "regularity" as well as some extra fluid, give that a shot.


Edit: Here's the thread I was talking about :

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116152

The thing is, I'm drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day... maybe I should aim for 15 for regularity?

If I'm constipated...I usually drink some apple juice or even just eat an apple. I don't like prunes and apples are known to do the trick too. Good luck with "going".

It does take time for your body to adjust...Can even take days...so I wouldn't worry about it...in the meantime you might have a reduced appetite until you do "go".

Up your water intake. Fiber absorbs lots of water. If you normally drank the 8 - 10 glasses per day and now you've increased your fiber, you should also increase your water.

Hang in there. You'll adjust. I eat tons of fiber, easily over 40 gms a day and I drink tons of water as well. Ummm, no um problems here.

Yup, I agree. 8 glasses is a minimum. I drink at least 20 glasses/day of straight water, not counting all the Crystal Light, Diet Coke, coffee, etc. that I suck back. I'm a water-drinking-machine - and I'm, um, "regular."