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TMI-Day 17 and still having issues with constipation and not being hungry


orca_chick

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So I'm on day 17 and I think it's time I reach out for some suggestions on how to solve a few issues I've been having. I've read ISWF and follow the forum fairly closely, but I still haven't been able to resolve a couple of things. I do have a food journal on the forum so maybe I need to add/subtract something from my diet.

1. I'm horribly constipated and can't seem to get things moving (unless I'm on a long run which is horrible timing). I've tried varying my fiber and adding in bananas or more cooked veggies, but it hasn't seemed to help. I've also been taking magnesium supplements every night before bed but even that hasn't really seemed to be effective. Right now, I'm usually having a bm maybe once every 3 or 4 days and it's not usually very substantial. (Sorry for all the details) I've also been taking digestive enzymes for the past 10 days and again, it hasn't seemed to help. Any suggestions?

2. I'm not hungry....at all...almost ever.....which I understand can be fairly normal, but I feel like it's affecting my energy level and my workouts. I'm training for a marathon so I've been forcing 3 meals per day to get calories into me, but I find that more often than not, i'm either not hungry and have a hard time eating a meal or I'm starving but then super full after a few bites of food. Would it be wrong to eat several smaller meals a day instead of 3 larger meals? I'm slightly concerned that making a habit of eating when I'm not hungry might make it harder for me to learn when my body is actually hungry or just craving. I also used to be a huge binge eater and eat just out of boredom so I'm really trying to be careful and just listen to my body.

Any feedback is much much appreciated! Thank you and good luck to all of you that are also in the middle of your Whole 30. :)

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Hi orca_chick! Thanks for bringing up this very personal topic. I have dealt with constipation, as far back as 7 years young, and can still remember taking MOM (milk-of-magnesia). Little did we know back then how much diet affects this. In high school I tried the Atkins diet and found myself stopped up for days with all of the protein. I would have terrible gas pains after eating sugar-coated cereal with dairy (Cookoo for Cocoa Puffs). Since going paleo in January, I have been relatively free of bloat and gas. I find if I eat too many nuts (meaning more than 2 to 3 times a week and more than a small handful) I will be constipated. The sugar in fruit is constipating to me, especially bananas! I also suspect that the gelatin enzyme capsules are problematic for me, since they contain cellulose which can be difficult to break down.

You might find relief from getting lots of enzymes from all-green smoothies or from probiotic rich foods like fermented cabbage (aka homemade sauerkraut).

If I eat a TON of greens, such as 3 cups in a smoothie (kale, parsley, beet greens etc with a little coconut milk) that really moves things along. A glass of warm water in the morning before breakfast with 1-2 TBSP of fresh lemon juice has been helpful.

Also, for years I had used magnesium oxide tablets, but about 6 months ago I switched to magnesium citrate, after learning that of the different types of magnesium, it is the best absorbed by our bodies. And it is true. It is much more effective on me anyway.

"Magnesium can be very relaxing, almost sedating for many people. 400–600 mg of magnesium citrate mixed in warm water before bed is so relaxing I actually look forward to it." Wolf, Robb (2011-03-27). The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet (p. 280). Victory Belt Publishing. Kindle Edition. )

So, I keep a stock of the NOW brand of powdered magnesium citrate, and mix 1/2 to 1 tsp into a glass of warm water about an hour before bed EVERY NIGHT. Depending on what I've eaten for the day I may need to adjust the dosage.

I hope some of this helps you! Disease starts in the gut, so keep those pipes cleaned out, to avoid systemic inflammation - pun intended!

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Try adding digestive enzyems to your supplements, and some fermented foods such as saurkraut. I think that Kombucha (pardon the spelling) beverage I hear folks mention is fermented and that can be helpful too.

Also, are you getting enough fats? Umm...it helps to greese the wheels. It took me 9 days before first poop. But now, especially that I am using grass fed organic meats so I don't have to trim their fats....WOOSH.

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thanks for posting, I am two days behind you and experiencing the exact same appetite problem. And also training for a marathon [which has tanked the last two weekends, but another topic there] I'll be interested to see what sort of feedback you get about eating when not hungry.

I have been getting really hungry, starting to eat, then stop because not only do I feel full but I feel like I might throw up! Then I go hours afterwards without feeling hungry at all. Really hard to fuel a workout when your body does not want the fuel to begin with.

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Thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to try cutting fruit and nuts out of my diet and see if it makes a difference at all. I am currently taking 400mg of Magnesium Citrate, so maybe I'll try upping that to 600mg. I'm sure I'll know it if I take too much, lol!

As for getting enough fat into my diet, I honestly have no idea if I'm getting enough. I'm trying to make the effort to ensure that I'm getting some sort of fat with every meal, but maybe I need more? If cutting out fruits and nuts doesn't help, that will be the next thing I try.

Tiffany-It's really interesting that we're having a similar issue with the not being hungry thing. I definitely know how hard it is to fuel for a work out (especially a run that's 3 hours or longer) if you're not hungry. If you find something that works for you, please let me know. Good luck with your training! I know my runs have been difficult this past month but I'm still hopeful that my body will settle down and accept this new way of eating.

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I'm wondering if you tried a spoonful of coconut oil (the virgin organic is super yummy) whether your body would tell you if it needs the extra fat. A couple of months ago, I made liver pate. After I ate about 1/4 cup 2 days in a row it just tasted unappealing, so I was done for about 2 weeks, until I actually craved it again. Maybe fats work the same way? Sometimes a teaspoon of Kerrygold or coconut oil just tastes sooo good, or a big taste of paleo mayo freshly made - you know, the extra spoonful that just won't fit into the jar (ha,ha).

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Here's the thing, friends. Your body has different ways of telling you when it needs energy (you're hungry). Sometimes you'll get that empty belly feeling, but the longer you eat like this the less common that gets. You also have to learn to recognize the other signs - a slowing down or slow motion feeling, fairly sudden sleepiness, crankiness or anxiety, headache...all of those can be your body telling you to eat. I'd suggest keeping a journal of how you're feeling through the day and see if you notice any of those things at normal intervals.

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Thank you Robin for clearing that up!!! I have found like the others in the post that I would get hungry (the empty belly feeling) and then not be hungry after only a couple bites...feeling almost too full to keep eating; however, if I didn't eat all of the food I packed for that meal then a short time later (1-2 hours) I would get severe cravings for all things sugar and quick carbs. I have felt like the past couple days I have been "forcing" myself to keep eating. I will pay more attention to the other signs you posted.

@orca_chick I have found that the 3 meals keeps me from eating out of boredom or binging, but the key has been allowing myself to consume enough fat/protein/calories at those 3 meals. When I don't eat enough because I'm not "hungry" then I struggle with the wanting to snack my way to the next meal.

Good Luck! Stay strong your almost there :)

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