I ask this because for me, eating "on plan" with tons of fruit and fresh vegetables, some plant-based fats, little dairy except yogurt, and protein from eggs or tofu is equivalent to "not going #2 for at least 4-5 days." I drink at least 3 liters of water every day and exercise pretty much daily.

I don't feel uncomfortable or constipated. I simply don't have to go for a long time.

I noticed that on vacation I was constantly dehydrated, ate nothing but bread, cheese, meat and alcohol, smoked cigarettes, barely moved, and kept very weird sleeping hours, yet I was much more regular.

Does anyone else experience this? My calories are typically around 1300-1800 a day, so I wouldn't say I'm eating too little to warrant a bowel movement...

I can only tell you as a nurse, 3 days is our magic number, and I apply that to myself. If a patient hasn't gone in over 3 days, its time to break out the milk of mag. While everyone has their own schedule. Most practicioners would also tell you 4-5 days is too long, especially if you are more regular while eating differently.

Some natural ways to get things going (and we use before the 3 days mark to help people along) are wonderful concoctions. Take some prune juice, heat it up, and try stirring in some flax seed. Some people need to start the day with prune juice to keep things regular. Of course you can try to increase your dietary fiber intake, but it sounds like you are eating a diet that would be high in fiber to begin with.

Some people will tell you they go every 3 days and that's them...well, fine but its proven that more frequent, regualar BMs are better for good colon health. So if someone is regular every 3 days, and they find that some prune juice with breakfast can make it daily (without diarrhea, of course) then I would definately recommend that.

Good luck!

I think this is fairly common with dieting, though over 3 days is a long time. There have been other threads talking about it. My personal theory is that it is, at least in part, your metabolism slowing down. Pregnant women get the same thing as their bodies slow everything down to conserve energy and to wring every bit of nutrition out of their food. Personally, I seem to go through phases like this and then my body finds a new pattern.

Same thing happens to me only I just poop a very tiny amount every day. Never understand how I can go when I'm eating junk but can barely go at all when I eat tons of nutrients and fiber. The human body is a strange thing.

I eat similarly (I'm guessing)... 1200-1500 cals a day, tons of fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans, lean protein, etc. I log my foods, and I tend to average 40-75 grams of fiber a day! (based on the values at nutritiondata.com) I know too much fiber can lead to problems, just like too little can, so I make sure I drink plenty of water...which it seems like you do as well. Right now, I go daily, but pretty much only after my morning coffee...it's almost like magic, lol. However, if I start skipping the coffee, I start to have similar problems...maybe not 4-5 days, but things can get uncomfortable. Granted, I go significantly less since I cut my calorie intake, but that makes sense to me...less food in results in less food out. However, the fiber thing baffles me - that much fiber, from natural food sources, should not result in constipation...it's just wrong

I have this exact problem!

Did you know that prunes count as fruit? And they have about 20 calories each. Sunsweet pitted prunes are my favorite--three to five of them a day as a snack or with breakfast and your problems will be solved. Or, you'll find you don't have a problem!

Jay

I have the same problem. I get at least 50 grams of fiber a day when I eat right and drink tons of water. I pee like every half hour. But BMs? It'll be days and days until I have to go. Meanwhile, this last month I have been very bad. On plan for 4 days, off for 3, back on for a couple of days and then a huge eating and drinking day. When I'm eating bad stuff it's like wow, where did all of this come from? I almost wonder if I'm eating too much fiber regularly, but I drink tons of water and have been eating like this for 4 months so I feel like my body should have adjusted by now.

I have this problem as well. I include 3 prunes a day in my diet, but it doesn't seem to help. :/

Cashews.

Yeah, all nuts have fiber. But there's ..."something" about cashews especially, that applies to this topic.

It only takes a few handfuls a day - the difficulty is keeping the dosage at that level, when you have a big jar of them!

Also, if you have cut way down on fats, that can affect things. Try some limited amounts of good fats and oils.

Jay

Hate to even suggest this, cuz it's really twisted ... but I have a friend (lean and healthy) who's lived with the once-a-week schedule for more than 40 years, and her "magic bullet" is exactly, yes, EXACTLY 7 fat-free Pringles chips (the ones made with the fake fat Olestra). Not 6, not 8 ... but 7. She claims that she has had perfect regularity with this regimen. Although the stories she tells about figuring out the needed number are both horrifying and hilarious! If nothing healthy works, maybe this is something worth a try?

Pringles eh? Something for everyone! I bought some Dannon "Bio" (in the U.S. I believe it's "Activia") yogurt which will hopefully help. I've tried prunes, hot tea, tons of coffee, adding good fats, all of it. But I was never a daily pooper in the past.

Think I may order some Metamucil...

Probiotics! But not in the yogurt, in the pill form that have an expiration date and have at least 10 billion live organisms by the time they expire.

I swear by them. Also to have enough magnesium in your diet (that's why milk of magnesium works, because it causes bowel movements).

Aha! This is making some sense.

Cashews are rich in magnesium. They're also usually roased in oil (you can sense this if you rub your hands after eating them). And I suspect there is something "lighter" about the granules in the nut.

Peanuts for example, do not have this effect. They make thicker .. eh .. results.