Very Hard Stool

[ghost_whistler]

I've been experiencing some very difficult bowel movements.

When I ate more fibre, as was part of my old diet, this wasn't an issue - for all the ills associated with wheat and the like.

Some people are against fibre in the LC community, others aren't. It's difficult to know what the truth is. I'm going to have to give psylium husk a go, even flax seeds aren't really enough.

This seems to me the biggest flaw in the LC diet. Foods rich in fibre, which seems essential to me, are also high in carbs.

Other than that it's more expensive supplementation. That can't be sustainable.

 

[Goonergal]

How about increasing your intake of leafy, above ground vegetables? High in fibre and should do the job!

 

[Lamont D]

I have a lot of leafy salad and this is the balance I need to offset the lack of roughage that I have been told I need! (I don't!)
Until you get it right and your body is happy, little things like this will come along.
I didn't know how to put it!

 

[bulkbiker]

Try a magnesium citrate supplement.. but not too much!

 

[Deleted Account]

More of a question than an answer ...
My understanding is that we do not digest fibre. So, I would expect that we would not count fibre when on a LCHF diet.
Is it possible to have food which is high in fibre but not very high in other carbs?

 

[ghost_whistler]

Try a magnesium citrate supplement.. but not too much!

I eat 4 100mg tablets a day

 

[ghost_whistler]

I have a lot of leafy salad and this is the balance I need to offset the lack of roughage that I have been told I need! (I don't!)
Until you get it right and your body is happy, little things like this will come along.
I didn't know how to put it!

How much do you have?

I eat about 9 ounces a day.

 

[Bluetit1802]

It may not be lack of fibre. It could be too little fluid and /or too little fat. Both water and fats are essential for normal bowel movements.

 

[Rachox]

It could be too many eggs! I was having two scrambled for breakfast every morning! I've had a few days off eggs and the toilet department is back to normal!

 

[Brunneria]

It could be too many eggs! I was having two scrambled for breakfast every morning! I've had a few days off eggs and the toilet department is back to normal!

Yes, I have learned to combine my eggs with veg whenever possible to avoid becoming egg bound.

 

[librarising]

It could be too many eggs! I was having two scrambled for breakfast every morning! I've had a few days off eggs and the toilet department is back to normal!

I'm guessing people react differently to eggs. I can have a 4-egg omelette for mornings in a row, and suffer no effect, but then there is the expression egg-bound
Geoff

 

[Pinkorchid]

That is something I experience from time to time.. but never before I was lower carbing... and I think it is because I no longer eat the amount of fruit I used to that always kept my digestive system ok. I ate some sort of fruit every evening for years and years apple, grapes, pears, berries and most tropical fruit now I think my body misses that. I do believe that some of us do need a certain amount of fibre from fresh fruit and vegetables

 

[Bluetit1802]

Few people eat more eggs than I do, and I am quite normal in this respect.

LOL about egg bound - not sure hens that become egg bound (very painful for them) have eaten too many eggs. The expression has nothing to do with constipation.

 

[Salvia]

When faced with a similar issue, I found that increasing water intake (incl tea or coffee) from my usual up to 2ltr/day to about 3ltrs, helped to resolve it for me. Now whenever I feel a little "bound", I just take in more water and that seems to do the trick.

 

[ringi]

I have just started to use Glucomannan, but don't take it at the same time as meds, and you must drink a lot of water just after you take it. Hence I will never know if it is the Glucomannan or the water doing the job.

 

[ghost_whistler]

It may not be lack of fibre. It could be too little fluid and /or too little fat. Both water and fats are essential for normal bowel movements.

too little fat?

I get around 110-120g a day. How much do you need then?

I've never heard a claim about requireing a certain level of fat intake for healthy bowel movement.

 

[ghost_whistler]

It could be too many eggs! I was having two scrambled for breakfast every morning! I've had a few days off eggs and the toilet department is back to normal!

I don't eat eggs, some cheese, which may be the problem but I'm reluctant to pass blame because a) i love cheese and b) seems a bit of an easy solution.

I can't tolerate eggs. I wish I could, they are cheaper than all the meat i buy!

 

[ghost_whistler]

I have just started to use Glucomannan, but don't take it at the same time as meds, and you must drink a lot of water just after you take it. Hence I will never know if it is the Glucomannan or the water doing the job.

According to Holland Barrett "Holland & Barrett Glucomannan (Konjac fibre) is a natural ingredient that in the context of a calorie controlled diet contributes to weight loss. Glucomannan absorbs water in the stomach, and then expands to potentially up to 50 times it's weight"

That might sound like a problem: matter absorbing water might be what i'm experiencing. Creating a hard stool. How much fibre do you get per tablet?

 

[ringi]

If the issue is with water, it will be that your body is absorbing all the water from the stool as you are not giving it enough.

The weight loss claims are questionable as they are based on some people not eating as much if they have the fibre before a meal.

 

[Freema]

you can also mix Physlisium Husk in your diary or if you make shakes like protein shakes ...

https://www.myprotein.com/sports-nutrition/powdered-psyllium-husks/10530061.html