Soft Stool - never resolved

[Nina429]

Hi,

I just finished my whole30 on 3/2 and am continuing for a whole 60. I have had many scale victories, some weight loss too, but the one thing that has never resolved are my bowl movements. I know this is TMI, but I'm hoping in the Ladies only section i can be a little open and not feel so embarrassed. Since the very beginning I have been very irregular - every 2-3 days and extremely soft to the point where ( i'm sorry) it's a mess. I'm listing a typical day's menu. There really isn't much variation and I haven't added anything new to my eating habits, just subtracted. Does anyone have any idea of what can cause this and what might resolve it? Thanks a million!

Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1/2 sweet potato, nuts or avocado, small amount of fruit usually berries or 1/2 grapefruit

Lunch: Dinner leftovers - Veggies ( Green beans, kale, escarole, zucchini etc), Protein - Salmon, Chili, Turkey meatloaf etc, Fruit (Banana , pear, apple etc)

Dinner: Same as above except no fruit and usually 1/2 avocado and maybe 1/2 sweet potato or roasted white potato.

[ultrarunnergirl]

Hi Nina,

  sorry you are having this issue. Have you tried adding a probiotic to your day? Eating fermented foods like sauerkraut or kimchi could help, or you could take a probiotic. Your gut may still be healing.

 

Here's a little more reading on probiotics: http://whole9life.com/2012/04/probiotics-101/

 

Hope this helps.

[Nina429]

Thank you so much ultrarunnergirl. I thought someone might suggest a priobiotic, but there is SO much on the OTC shelf, I don't even know what's the right thing so thanks also for the reading. I'll do my homework. And i think your right about the "Still healing". I'm 33 and have seen in the last couple years everything takes longer to heal-  a cut, a bruise.. age is starting to become a factor. Also, I'm at day 34 and I'm just starting to feel like shedding of weight and so i think overall, my body is just taking it's time to adjust.

[MeadowLily]

Try eliminating all fruit until the toity probs clear up.  

[mongrelmac]

Actually, I've had similar problems! On day 8 today. Probiotics and fermented foods, is that the general recommendation?

[LadyM]

Probiotics, fermented foods, bone broth all may help as well as cutting out nuts and perhaps fruit. Load up on the good stuff and be patient. 

 

One thing that may be happening is the mucosal lining that developed in your gut against all the inflammatory irritating foods you once ate is breaking down because it's unnecessary now that you've removed many of the offending foods. Now is an adjustment period. Give the gut more time to heal and help in all the ways you can.

[livenow2015]

I've had irregular, softened or diuretic bowel movements since starting the program -- I'm currently on Day 16, and the digestive distress hasn't improved. Prior to the Whole30, I ate a predominately carb & veggie omnivorous diet, with far less meat & eggs. My daily regimen involved a breakfast bowl of oatmeal or black rice with almond butter & fruit, and lunches and dinner with a mix of carbs, veg, protein, usually with an apple, sweet potato, or nut bar for a snack mid-afternoon. My coffee consumption has remained the same, though now I use coconut milk -- that and daily meat/eggs in quantity have been the biggest additions to my diet. Before, I was perfectly regular -- every day after breakfast, fine. Now the timing is roughly the same, but if I go at all it's loose, floaty stool (I hate even typing that!). The rest of the time, I'm experiencing stomach bloat and gas, with occasional nausea. I workout regularly (all kinds, an hour 3-4x/wk, plus a couple miles walking daily in the city), have incorporated probiotics like raw sauerkraut & kombucha, am eliminating cauliflower & other crampy crucifers, and my fruit intake is only 1-2 servings a day, so I'm at a bit of loss -- and bummed to be experiencing this yuckiness when the other effects of the Whole 30 have been so positive!  

[ladyshanny]

I've had irregular, softened or diuretic bowel movements since starting the program -- I'm currently on Day 16, and the digestive distress hasn't improved. Prior to the Whole30, I ate a predominately carb & veggie omnivorous diet, with far less meat & eggs. My daily regimen involved a breakfast bowl of oatmeal or black rice with almond butter & fruit, and lunches and dinner with a mix of carbs, veg, protein, usually with an apple, sweet potato, or nut bar for a snack mid-afternoon. My coffee consumption has remained the same, though now I use coconut milk -- that and daily meat/eggs in quantity have been the biggest additions to my diet. Before, I was perfectly regular -- every day after breakfast, fine. Now the timing is roughly the same, but if I go at all it's loose, floaty stool (I hate even typing that!). The rest of the time, I'm experiencing stomach bloat and gas, with occasional nausea. I workout regularly (all kinds, an hour 3-4x/wk, plus a couple miles walking daily in the city), have incorporated probiotics like raw sauerkraut & kombucha, am eliminating cauliflower & other crampy crucifers, and my fruit intake is only 1-2 servings a day, so I'm at a bit of loss -- and bummed to be experiencing this yuckiness when the other effects of the Whole 30 have been so positive!  

You might do well to try a digestive enzyme as well since eating meat is relatively different for you.  The enzyme can help tide you over until your body gets some of its own proper bacteria in there to do the job.

[livenow2015]

Thanks for the tip! It's Day 27 and I think I've tried everything else, so it's on to the digestive enzymes. Does anyone have a brand they trust/recommend? 

[LadyM]

I use hydro-Zyme from Biotics Research. I've seen others here like NOW brand as well.

[mitemcmc]

Thank you for sharing, I have the same problem and was considering stopping the whole30 if this doesn't stop.  Only on day 15, but really!  I have two loose stools a day.

[RunnerJenny]

Wow, I could have written this post, plus the others from people with similar issues. Prior to my Whole30, I was very regular (daily with good consistency). Partway through, I experienced what others noted (considerably less solid, more "explosive", sorry). I finished the Whole30 and still had issues. I did not do a great job of reintroduction (I immediately had sushi w white rice) but continued with a lot of the changes. I finally am regular again and I wonder if it has anything to do with some of my less healthy choices (some ice cream, breaded shrimp, etc). I am so happy to be regular again, but wonder what the cause was. If I try Whole30 again (or quit eating crap), if I add a probiotic like others suggested, will I stay regular??

[mitemcmc]

I will have to try the probiotic as well, love the whole30 idea but can't wait to get back to normal.  I'm almost afraid to workout now in case something happens.  glad I'm not the only one.

[Carlaccini]

Okay this is something that I had discovered recently (2 days ago recently)

 

I was having chronic issues with soft stool + stomach bloating and upset.  So decided to eat low-fodmap.  I wasn't so terribly concerned about my stool - because it was never really bad.  I was more concerned to get my bloating under control.  Well going low fodmap has been helping to a degree, but I was still having issues.  And it was almost everything that was starting to bother me (or at least it felt that way).  But I forgot a big component on what we promote for got healing around here:  Bone Broth = gelatin.

 

Now I didn't have any bones ready to go for bone broth, but I did have some GF gelatin on hand.  (Keep in mind I am not doing a whole 30 at the moment) So I made some gummies.

 

It's actually still too early to tell if it is actually helping yet with the stomach bloating but it sure did tighten up my stool.  So it's something to think about.  Especially if you aren't consuming any.  I usually make soup with my bone broth as I kind of find the taste too strong on it's own.

[Betty7]

Oh wow. I never made the correlation, Carlaccini. I was having a lot of the same issues as the folks above. On or about Day 16 I started having bone broth and all my digestive issues stopped around the same time. I thought I just finally got used to it, but the bone broth might have something to do with it.

I off-roaded last weekend after I finished my W30, but have been compliant since, and I'm starting to have issues again. I'm stopping to get some bone broth on my way home!

 

It might be worth trying for anyone who hasn't had any.