Pooping troubles?

[Alisonc94]

So I've been doing the whole30 for 15 days and I ate very healthy before starting the whole30. As soon as I started the whole30, I have been unable to poop. I will go about every 3 days and I feel more bloated than ever. I know I am eating enough fiber and food in general and am just looking of any advice of what else I should be doing to help this. I do not know if probiotics are compliant but I have even started taking probiotics again to try and help speed up the process. 

[ShannonM816]

This is a pretty common question around here, if you google Whole30 constipation, you'll find past discussions with suggestions.

 

In general, make sure you're drinking plenty of water -- at least 1/2 oz per pound of body weight, so if you weighed 120 lbs, you'd want to drink at least 60 oz of water a day. Make sure you're adding fat to every meal, in addition to the fat you cook in. Make sure you're eating 2-3 cups of cooked veggies at your meals (if you're eating a lot of raw vegetables, you might switch to mostly cooked for a while, as they tend to be a little easier on the digestive system.

 

Probiotics are good, although not all probiotic pills are created equal, so be sure yours don't have extra stuff in them. This article talks a little bit about what to look for in your probiotics. You can also add probiotics in the form of fermented foods, like raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut and kimchi, or if you're interested in making your own, you can ferment just about any vegetable out there with just some salt and water. The website Killer Pickles has a lot of fermenting information, though not everything she does is Whole30 compliant.

 

There are some yoga poses that are said to be good for digestion that might help as well -- I know it sounds silly, but for some people, it really can help. Google yoga for constipation if you're interested in trying that.

 

If you wanted more specific feedback, you could list a couple of days' worth of meals, including approximate portion sizes, water intake, and exercise, and we could see if anything stands out that you could try.