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Help! Digestion problems...


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I am just now finishing up day 7 of the whole 30. I feel great overall, even the quality of my day is better. However, there is one thing... (TMI). I am constantly having diarrhea. it makes me feel bloated and terrible all day, not to mention trips to the bathroom.

i have read that some people have had the same problem and some people have had the opposite problem. what i haven't been able to find, is why this is happening?

is this normal? will it stop? what is the reason behind it?

please help!

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I was having similar issues and am actually still figuring out what happened (day 23 here) but have a look at your food intake. Like, are you eating more of things you weren't eating before? After some research, i've made a small list of possible suspects that could mess up your digestive system a bit:

- nuts

- coconut milk

- eggs

- garlic

- onion

Right now i'm thinking it's the coconut milk, since I haven't had any for 2 days and it seems that the problems are less.

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sweet_potato -

The changing environment in your digestive system is usually enough to cause some upset one way or the other, but we also need to look at your diet before Whole30. Did you consume much fat, or were you "low fat"? Like suggested above, have you added in any new foods? Do you have a food log we could look at?

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Thanks for the replies. Before starting... i was a yo-yo dieter. I tried to eat low-carb during the week, but ate a lot of dairy. on the weekends, i ate terribly. lots of bread, fat, alcohol, etc.

on whole30 ive been having eggs w chicken sausage and veggies in the morning, then usually salmon & veggies for lunch, and pork/chicken/red meat with veggies at night. for snacks i have pistachios and cashews, but try to keep that to only about 2 smallish handfuls a day.

i've only been drinking water, and a cup of black coffee in the morning.

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Like Robin said, you could also just experience the change in your digestive system. I noticed that because of my veggie intake (increase) also made a noticeable change in my (ahem) bowel system.

Since you are on day 7-8, there is a lot happening in your body right now. For me, that time felt like my body was just getting rid of crap, quite literally. Keep drinking water and tea.

Maybe skip the nuts for a day or 2, see if that helps a bit too.

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I'll admit that during my first Whole30, I had the same experience (things moving way too fast) for about the first 6-8 weeks of my transition. I did the Whole30 for 30 full days, then stuck mostly to it, and things still took a long time to even out. The healing process and transition of gut bacterial balance can take a long time, and I don't think it was anything I was eating or not eating - I think it was just my system getting used to not eating so much oatmeal, yogurt, and whole grains. Not a very scientific explanation, but without lab testing/stool testing to see what the gut environment looks like, it's hard to say what's going on.

Removing some potentially problematic foods for a few days (like nuts and seeds) or swapping out some veggies/fruit you are eating a lot of for different varieties may give you a clue, but it's really hard in these instances to pinpoint exactly what's what.

Melissa

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Something like kombucha could help - it's really hard to know what will change the situation. The bacteria is great for your gut, no questions asked, but to sharp of a spike in consumption can cause the same problems you're experiencing now. I'd encourage you to give it a try - a couple of ounces per day - along with some foods you know are more calming to the system (sweet potatoes, bananas, unsweetened applesauce).

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Just a hunch, from my own experience... I love pistachios, however I had to stop eating them because they cause me BIG TIME stomach issues. I also had issues moving from a low fat to high fat diet for the first few weeks in my first Whole30. Keep pushing through!

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It must be the fat intake. Avoiding nuts and nut butters, IBS protocol. I am going to find this kombucha stuff and try it. These symptoms are my motivation to begin with so to see them worsen (although ISWF says they will) is difficult. Thanks.

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Thanks for all of your replies, and sorry for a TMI post. Melissa, it is good to hear that this is somewhat normal for such an adjustment and I know in the long run it will be worth it!

Rachael2288 - do you really think it could be pistachios? I love them, but if that is the problem then i think ill try to go a day without them and see what happens!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Today is day 26 for me, and I didn't have any gut issues until day 23. Now I am having terrible diarrhea! I don't feel bad or sick at my stomach, however if feels like my food is running straight through me. According to the book, stomach issues usually happen around the second week. Is this normal for GI upset this late in the program? Please help!

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yes stacie i am having the same concerns! i was feeling GREAT up until day 26!

on day 26 i ate a lot of raisins and apples and my stomach was upset the rest of the day. but it continued into day 27 (by upset i mean my poops were borderline diarrhea) and then today, day 28, i have experienced diarrhea immediately after every meal. i'm wondering, is this from the raisins/apples like i thought? or could it be from the stew i've been eating. my stew had parsnips and sweet potatoes, in addition to beef, carrots, celery, mushrooms, and spinach. i'm wondering if the starchy veggies upset my stomach? i ate the stew for dinner on day 25, lunch and dinner on day 26, and post-work out and lunch on day 27.

any advice?

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  • 3 weeks later...

Here's another question I have related to this, are you still supposed to continue eating the same ammount of protein while you have diarrhea? Does that make it worse? Make it last longer? I am having trouble figuring out what to eat (I know bananas, sweet potatoes, unsweetened apple sauce are good) and I don't have much of an appetite. I am on day 9 of my Whole30 and my digestive issues started yesterday. Thanks :) !

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I'll admit that during my first Whole30, I had the same experience (things moving way too fast) for about the first 6-8 weeks of my transition. I did the Whole30 for 30 full days, then stuck mostly to it, and things still took a long time to even out. The healing process and transition of gut bacterial balance can take a long time, and I don't think it was anything I was eating or not eating - I think it was just my system getting used to not eating so much oatmeal, yogurt, and whole grains. Not a very scientific explanation, but without lab testing/stool testing to see what the gut environment looks like, it's hard to say what's going on.

Removing some potentially problematic foods for a few days (like nuts and seeds) or swapping out some veggies/fruit you are eating a lot of for different varieties may give you a clue, but it's really hard in these instances to pinpoint exactly what's what.

Melissa

Something like kombucha could help - it's really hard to know what will change the situation. The bacteria is great for your gut, no questions asked, but to sharp of a spike in consumption can cause the same problems you're experiencing now. I'd encourage you to give it a try - a couple of ounces per day - along with some foods you know are more calming to the system (sweet potatoes, bananas, unsweetened applesauce).

Here's another question I have related to this, are you still supposed to continue eating the same ammount of protein while you have diarrhea? Does that make it worse? Make it last longer? I am having trouble figuring out what to eat (I know bananas, sweet potatoes, unsweetened apple sauce are good) and I don't have much of an appetite. I am on day 9 of my Whole30 and my digestive issues started yesterday. Thanks :) !

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  • 5 years later...
  • Administrators
2 hours ago, cathycavin said:

Why do so many people have this same problem?  I also started having problems on day 28.

 

Hi @cathycavin - what is the problem exactly? Not sure what "so many people" refers to? Yes, when a person vastly changes their intake, it can cause digestive upset so it's not out of the ordinary to have a few stomach issues. Lots of those people are all of a sudden eating a lot of nuts or raw veggies (or veggies at all). Sometimes they start eating something they've never had (coconut, avocado) and discover a sensitivity. 

Let me know what "same problem" you're specifically referring to so maybe we can help.

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I think I figured it out - my energy reversed itself the afternoon of day 27 (that part I did not figure out), then i started having stomach pain all day on day 29 - as soon as I woke up I felt it - like my colon was inflamed.  the pain lasted all day.  I was mainly concerned with getting my energy back up at that time and checked the forum about that on day 29 and thought i needed to be eating a little sweet potato at each meal and it did get my energy back up.  then after day 30 but before i reintroduced anything, stomach pain came back worse.  so i checked forum on stomach pain and found a lot of posts of people having stomach pain.  I spent most of the rest of yesterday figuring out what I needed to do - my pharmacist did not know what a digestive enzyme was except for dairy intolerance (he did NOT understand that I didnt need that becuase i had not had dairy in over 30 days!) and did not have any digestive enzymes so that is not readily available for me to take, but i did start a probiotic yesterday and studied the fodmap.  Seems that since I cut out the sugar, grain, dairy, gluten I was depending on some high fodmap foods that I usually eat sparingly - sweet potatoes, cherries, bananas and it has caused me to have bad stomach pain if I eat anything high fodmap (or too much low fodmap which is the sweet potato).

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As far as the others who have also had this problem, I googled whole30 stomach pain, and it gives you a list of people who have had this problem and most each one starts with https://forum.whole30.com > thewhole3program >troubleshooting your whole30.  they vary on topic names of like stomach pain, upper stomach pain, ongoing stomach pain.  There are a few that posted about it on their own blogs.  most everyone is glad to know that it is not just them this is happening to.  I guess we just dont think that it will be us that will have ibs symptoms from high fodmap, or from eating the same low fodmap too much or too many days in a row - but I am certain that that is what my problem is.  

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  • 1 year later...
On 1/30/2013 at 3:03 PM, Melissa Hartwig said:

I'll admit that during my first Whole30, I had the same experience (things moving way too fast) for about the first 6-8 weeks of my transition. I did the Whole30 for 30 full days, then stuck mostly to it, and things still took a long time to even out. The healing process and transition of gut bacterial balance can take a long time, and I don't think it was anything I was eating or not eating - I think it was just my system getting used to not eating so much oatmeal, yogurt, and whole grains. Not a very scientific explanation, but without lab testing/stool testing to see what the gut environment looks like, it's hard to say what's going on.

Removing some potentially problematic foods for a few days (like nuts and seeds) or swapping out some veggies/fruit you are eating a lot of for different varieties may give you a clue, but it's really hard in these instances to pinpoint exactly what's what.

Melissa

I'm on day 45... and I"m still experiencing bloating and occasional constipation

I've just recently cut out eggs and nightshades, low fodmap to see if this helps. Is it best to keep going until i see major improvements into these areas.. or should i reintroduce some foods?

 

Thanks,

Kacie

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  • 1 year later...

I am 70 years old, have had a problem with indigestion and acid reflux for most of my life - drugs have had an affect on the acid part, but reflux was always present.  I am on day 24.  In the first week I could stop taking the medicine and had no incident of indigestion or acid reflux.  I thought my only problem was going to be to find which food group was the culprit.  But the indigestion came back in week 2 and although it is much less severe it is still there.  Even water will bring on an episode.  I have followed all the protocols and enjoyed all the fruits and vegetables that were denied on previous unsuccessful attempts at weight loss through keto and others.  But the indigestion is still there.  Am I doing something wrong?  My NSV were my "fat" clothes are fitting better, my face is slimmer, but my sleep is still very pour, and my energy level is not great.  I play tennis 3 to 5 times a week, have always been active, but something is affecting my stamina.  I was hoping Whole30 could help pinpoint what the problems were, but not learning anything yet.....

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