Kind of a dumb question ?!?!?

[atkinsgrl]

Hey everyone,

my question might sound weird, but im a little curious/confused/conserned...

Since i started atkins i havent been going to the washroom.. I think thats normal cuz i read a lot of ppl saying the same thing.

What im confused about is this:
does constipation mean i feel like i need to go but cant? Cuz in my case i dont really feel like i need to go, ive just notced that i havent been going and i used to go pretty regularly

So if i feel like i dont need to go.... where is it going?

Ive been taking flaxseed oil capsules and that doesnt help ...

anyone have any advice?


thank you?

[determined2shrink]

from what i understand you are only constipated if you feel like you need to go and cant or its hard or comes out like little hard balls. Make sure you are drinking enough water.

[Greeneggs&ham]

Meat takes longer to digest in the stomach than other whole foods and a lot longer than processed foods that you likely ate before Atkins. If you don't feel a need for a bowel movement, then I wouldn't worry too much about lack of trips to the washroom. Keep eating the recommended veggies for fiber and you should eventually "balance out." As I recall, when I started Atkins in June, I had the same issue. As time has progressed, I now find I have a bowel movement once every 1-2 days (which is still less often than pre-Atkins for me). From what you've described, I would tend to think you'll be OK.

[Elsie150]

Make sure you are drinking your water and getting your 3 cups of veggies in. Please note that 2 of those cups are salad veggies. That doesn't mean you have to have just lettuce. It can be 2 cups of any of the salad veggies...ie..cucumbers. Also..if you are having salad go for the dark green lettuces as they contain more fiber and nutrients than iceberg.

[Sherri]

When was the last time you had a BM? If it's longer than 3 days, then you will get constipated. It's normal to have 3 BM's in a week on Atkins. I had a problem with this untill I started taking a Pro-biotic. This helped put healthy bacteria into the digestive tract and got things moving again. Just a suggestion.
Water, water, water! Drink plenty of it. Keep yourself hydrate. Nothing replaces water.Make sure you're eating all of your required veggies. This will give you the fiber you need to keep you regular. Also taking Liquid Magnesium capsuls will keep your stool soft and make it easier to go. Sorry if TMI.
Sherri

[Sherri]

Fill Up on Fiber


How do you know if you're getting enough fiber in your diet? Well, kids, there are a couple of pretty obvious symptoms if you're not:

1. You're constipated. Ouch, I know, but it's true. You should be having at least three bowel movements a week. If not, chin up and try adding more fiber-filled foods, like fruits (when in that rung), vegetables, and whole grains(when in that rung), to your diet and see if that doesn't fix the plumbing!
2. You're hungry a lot. Well, you could be hungry for a number of reasons, including emotional ones, but fiber is also a legitimate suspect. Fiber helps you feel full, and if you're not getting that warm, fuzzy feeling of fullness, it may be because you need to eat more... you guessed it: fruits (when in that rung), veggies, and whole grains (when in that rung).

So fiber can help keep you regular and make you feel full. The FDA also considers it to be a powerful fighter against cancer, diabetes, and heart disease as well as digestive disorders and obesity.
As a general rule, you should eat as many veggies and as much salad as you possibly can (dressing is on the side, please!) because this will make you feel full and keep you from overeating other, more fattening foods. Fill up!

[atkinsgrl]

thank you so much for all your replies!
very helpful!!!