whitewillow Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I'm day 4 (well technically day 7 but I had a few minor slip ups the first few days (too much nuts and dried fruit) so I decided to consider the first of the month my official first day) and I am having this AWFUL problem with constipation and bloating! I'm also feeling very tired and run down... I used to always have so much energy! I used to wake up at 6:30 on the dot every monrning but now I feel like I have to force myself out of bed. I do think that this is just a side effect of my poor digestion. I used to eat very well and my old diet was very similar to the Whole30 so I don't think it is the drastic change in diet causing my indigestion. The main difference was that I used to eat a LOT LESS MEAT! I used to eat meat maybe once a day or maybe even once every other day... So I'm wondering if that's causing it? I take Dr's Best digestive enzymes with every meal (Sometimes I double my dose I am so desperate!) and 100 B probiotics a day. I also drink Whole30 compliant kombucha for some extra probiotics. Sometimes I soak chia seeds and drink them because they've helped me be regular before. My plate is mostly veggies with a palm sized meat serving... Lots of broccoli, salads with romaine, spinach, and arugula, cucumber, onion, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, kale, etc... I feel like I'm following the meal plan really well. I ate some pork that gave me horrible diarrhea up until a couple days ago as well... But I was dealing with the bloating before then! (honestly it was the first time in my life i thought diarrhea was relieving!) Not to get into TMI but I did just now have the best bowel movement I've had this week so maybe this problem is resolved but one good BM a week is SO UNLIKE ME. I used to get a good BM twice a day! :-( Help appreciated! Also happy 4th of July guys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamH Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 I have found I do much, much better with a 50% vegetarian diet. I eat strictly vegetarian about 3 days a week and it works well for me. I didn't have the extent of the problem you are having, but my energy level is higher and I feel "lighter" (physically and emotionally) eating this way. I was pretty darned gassy even though my eating, like yours, was pretty good prior to even going Whole30. Sugar was my big nemesis... so I question whether or not I had/have a huge underlying yeast overgrowth issue that raged when I stopped eating the sugar cold turkey. Perhaps it put up an extra big fight to maintain a hold on my gut. I believe 100% that some of us just aren't cut out to eat a ton of animal protein. Eating needs to be fine tuned to each individual. Getting the garbage out of your diet is the key. What you do with the good food is personal. My humble opinion. Could be overdosing on the probiotic, kombucha, enzymes, etc. Too much of a good thing might be overwhelming. I agree that you need to get back to your regular self. The gas and bloating from the high dose probiotics plus the sluggish digestion from the sudden eating of a lot more animal protein might be too much for you! Add some fats. Ghee? Coconut oil? Lube yourself up. What do you do when you first wake up? Try drinking a big glass of warm water right upon waking (maybe some lemon juice) and see if that primes you to go. Make a habit of leaving some extra time to go. If you drink coffee, some decaf might just be worth adding even though it isn't the best thing Whole30. Make sure you are staying super hydrated. Winter squash is very 'regulating' for me. Kobucha, red kuri, buttercup, butternut... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewillow Posted July 4, 2013 Author Share Posted July 4, 2013 Thanks for your response! I forgot to mention that I do cook with coconut oil and use lots of olive oil on my salads as well. I'm more afraid of using too much oil haha. Let me see if things keep movin (lol) and if they don't I will try eating vegetarian some days like you do. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewillow Posted July 4, 2013 Author Share Posted July 4, 2013 Also want to add I have long since eliminated all caffeine from my diet trying to solve my gut issues last year, so no coffee or tea for me (except kombucha). I also drink more than half my weight in water daily, too. I even measure it to make sure haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PamH Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 I drink Crio Bru daily now. It really helps me. If I don't go one day, it seems to cascade upon itself and make it all the harder to go the next day or the next... ugh. Crio Bru is ground cacao. Caffeine free (essentially; although some varieties have 1/20th of what would be found in coffee). I emulsify some ghee or coconut milk in it every morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJB Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 If you eat vegetarian some days, you are not following the W30 meal plan. Personally I think day 4 is a bit early to be making tweaks like that. In my opinion you should do the full 30 days, following the program as written, and then decide if you need to make changes. It is possible the extra meat is causing you issues. The enzymes the mods recommend is NOW Foods Super Enzymes...I don't know how they compare to what you are taking. Hopefully a mod, who is knowledgeable about this specific problem will comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellatrix Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Broccoli causes a bit of mild bloating and wind in me. Maybe you are actually eating too many veggies and probiotics can actually tip your gut flora the other way and it seems like what you take is excessive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bellatrix Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 Oh and you are supposed to be tired on day 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewillow Posted July 5, 2013 Author Share Posted July 5, 2013 Thanks for the replies! I don't want to take less probiotics, I don't have an appendix and I have been taking the 100 B dose for over a year with no problems. I've been to a few conferences on probiotics where I was able to ask doctors what dose they recommend and they've all told me at least 100 B. I've cut back on the broccoli so maybe that will help as well. I won't alter my diet any... Just struggle through I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Revived Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 I have some struggles with this also and have not tried nearly as many things as it seems like you have, in fact, i need to try some of them. But i did find that a big glass of hot lemon water first thing in the morning was helpful. It hasnt solved my problem entirely but it's helped some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JJB Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 I don't believe you should just struggle through this...that's not what I was trying to say. I just think it's good for you to follow the program as written as far as the diet goes. Being as constipated as you are is certainly not healthy, and I believe there are some things you can do to alleviate that...I just have never paid much attention to that advice because I haven't had the problem. I really hope some tips come up that help you out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 5, 2013 Share Posted July 5, 2013 A couple of other tips that might help that don't include modifying the meal template. 1. I didn't see mention of a magnesium supplement. Something like plain Natural Calm may help you. 2. The veggies could be the culprit. You may try eating cooked veggies for a while. These were things that were recommended to me here and by my doctor. She didn't support use of enzymes even though I don't have a gallbladder, although she did prescribe some probiotics. I think I may be better off with both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitewillow Posted July 7, 2013 Author Share Posted July 7, 2013 Thanks for all the tips, I wanted to come back and report that I am feeling much better now on day 7... So I think a lot of it was adjustment for me. I also did decrease the amount of meat I've been eating, but not by much. I'm still eating completely compliant with the guidelines. (I also wanted to say that I started my period today so some of the bloating could be attributed to that as well) I just kept taking my probiotics and enzymes... Let's hope the rest of my 30 days is smooth sailing. Thanks everybody! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bet Posted July 9, 2013 Share Posted July 9, 2013 If you are sensitive to broccoli you may also be sensitive to other FODMAP foods. There is a lot of info on the site about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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