atkins and constipation---sorry for talking about this

[ronitgla]

does anyone is experiencing this?? i am now in my last 2 days of induction and i must say i have been constipated... and i really dont know what to do. the days thay i eat cooked spinach my belly works, but i am really getting tired of it, and all laxatives have sugars...
does someone wknows any acceptable food that can help??

thanks a lot

[Desertthorn]

LOL Actually its a very common problem and we have a whole FAQ about it. Check out this site

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/viewtopic.php?t=68076

Also, there are some over the counter meds without sugar that you can try if it gets bad.

Good luck to you.

[Moochiecat]

Don't be shy about this! Constipation! CONSTIPATION!! lol..it can affect us all and it's good to talk about it.

I found that laxatives made me confined to the bathroom the whole next morning and weren't that efficient. With you it was spinach, with me it's sauteed peppers, but I don't want to eat them every day!
There were some days where I knew I was ready to have a bowel movement, but my body was just not co-operating so I tried glycerine suppositories. They're cheap, and they work quickly, within 15 minutes! They seem to stimulate the body into contractions and they've been a great relief to me when I've needed them.

[jaggster]

Ugh...not good news at all! Today is day 1 for me. I started Aktins because I really thought it would work for me. Today I found this forum and started reading about the constipation problems people have with it. I have another problem back there...namely a fissure so I have to be very regular or I run into problems with that. I take a spoonful of Metamucil eat morning already and am wondering if I should bump that up during the induction phase at least. The label says it has 5g of carbs per spoonful so I dont want to use all my daily carbs up on the fiber substitute. Any suggestions?
Thanks a lot.

[Moochiecat]

Look at the ingredients of the Metamucil and see if there are any sugars or aspartame in it. If there are any sweeteners at all check them out against the list of allowed sweeteners in DANDR.

Since Metamucil is basically fiber, I'm not sure why it has a 5 g carb count unless it has sugars.

You might look into taking Benefiber...I've heard good user feedback about that.

Other things you can do to help yourself is to spread your veggie intake through the day, instead of having it all at one meal...and drink your water.

[jaggster]

Thanks for the info. I do believe that there is a sugar-free Metamucil available so I will look into that....or Benefiber.
Thanks.

[WyndWoman]

Musings on Constipation

This is my second time around on Atkins - I did a year, then fell off the wagon, and am now back...

I've been thinking a lot about constipation, actually, and have some observations. The questions you really have to be asking is, am I truly constipated, or do I just have such small and infrequent BM's that I think I must be constipated?

Stool is made up primarily of undigested carbohydrates. When you are eating almost no carbs (relatively speaking), your BM's are naturally going to be smaller. Compare the bowel habits of rabbits and cats. Rabbits (who are herbavoirs) seem to poop all day long, and at the end of the day there's quite a pile. Cats (who are essentially on Atikins) produce a tidy little package once, maybe twice a day.

Here's my personal test to know whether I'm truly constipated - Does it hurt? Do I have cramps? Am I bloated and hard, or is my abdomen soft? If it doesn't hurt and my belly is soft, then I assume I'm not "backed up," and are just having small BM's.

Here's where it gets more graphic (sorry). Sometimes the problem is just that you don't have enough "bulk" for your intestines to get ahold of and move along. It's like trying to grab hold of a marble and manipulate it through a twisting tunnel designed for a golf ball. It's just not big enough to get a grip on.

In situations like this, you can create more "bulk" by adding fiber. Psyllium pancakes a couple times a day, all-bran if you're on the right step - sugar free metamucil if you must. Stimulant laxatives and malitol aren't the answer in this case - you're not backed up, you're just stingy. Laxatives and malitol will just turn it all to liquid - and that's not a pretty thing to contemplate.

For me, I don't worry as long as I'm not in pain. The biggest hassle is that it sometimes takes longer than you expect after you sit down. If you're in a hurry and you're going to be late to work, then it's an issue. Otherwise, bring in some good reading material, relax and let your intestines work on that feeble little offering at their own pace.

Or give up and come back later.... But don't worry. Be happy!

Hope this is helpful!

[sskyeye]

Another thing you can try is flaxmeal. It's induction friendly, has nice omega-3 oils, and will get things moving. Just add some water and nuke for 1-1/12 min.

Or look in the recipe database for flax muffins or flax bread. You can even add flax to the mock danish.

[jaggster]

I guess my problem is that if I dont go for a few days I end up with a hard stool and that causes me issues with the fissure problem. Oh woe is me!
By the way, where do I get Flaxmeal and Psyllium??

[WyndWoman]

I guess my problem is that if I dont go for a few days I end up with a hard stool and that causes me issues with the fissure problem.

Water, water, water! That's the best way to combat hard stools and keep things moving along. You need a MINIMUM of 2 liters a day. 3-4 would be better if you have issues.

[lowcarbing4ever]

You can also use Fibercon, it is in capsules and available at Walmart. There are actually a few that come in capsule form and have no carbs or sugars.

[Desertthorn]

I guess my problem is that if I dont go for a few days I end up with a hard stool and that causes me issues with the fissure problem. Oh woe is me!
By the way, where do I get Flaxmeal and Psyllium??

I can purchase flax seed, and meal at my grocery store. Also try health food stores but the problem that I have with them is that sometimes the stuff says on the shelves for a very long time and flax should be kept in the freezer as it does go stale quickly.
On line you can order it from www. bobsredmill.com. Hope thats right

[ronitgla]

thanks everybody for all your suggestions, i will try first the natural way eating less red meat and cheese and increasing chicken and fish and the water i drink... i dont like to take medicines for this matter because they say after a while they dont work....

so thanks again to all of you

today is my 14th day so tomorrow i will weight myself ! i hope to see a difference.

this is my third time in atkins... it seems that every x-mass i get some extra kilos but i try to get rid of them as soon as i can... i wish next year i will be stronger and mantain myself.

thanks again!!! :joy