Constipation and zero carb


(What The Fast?!) #42

In the last 36 hours I have taken…
8 magnesium (citrate/malate combo) pills
A whole lot of salt
A Tbsp of psyllium husks (this has worked in the past)
1 Flaxseed muffin (basically just flax and eggs)
A serving of Miralax (this is a first for me)
MCT oil
2 Aloe Lax pills

…I’ve gained like 3 lbs and I’m certain it’s just water retention from everything I’ve taken to try and resolve this issue. I just boarded a plane…this could
be interesting.


#43

I’ve been fascinated by my body’s adaptation to ZC.
Am not (yet) 100% ZC, since I have a couple of squares of 70% choc a day, and if we are out I may eat 3-5 chips or the salad garnish. Stuff like that. But I am probably only 2% non ZC on an average day.

What is interesting is that ANY veg (whether that is 3 chips or a half tomato, or similar) will slow things down. Whereas the full on ZC+choc days things move through perfectly.

I spent several keto years before this current ZC phase and always said ‘I have to have my veg, because I NEED them for regularity’.

Now I am thinking that was only half the story, and that I
EITHER need full on ZC(+choc)
OR I need lots of veg.
The problem seems to be with small amounts of veg.
So now I know how to make things work well, and have 2 ways to do so.

Honestly, I am finding this all sooooo informative.


(What The Fast?!) #45

I doubt it’s diverticulitis. I don’t have the lower belly pain symptoms. I keep meaning to try vitamin C, thanks for the reminder!

Since the list above, I’ve had another 3-4 magnesium and more salt. Debating on another dose of miralax.


#47

I added flaxseed muffins. Eat one a day and some chia in my yoghurt.

Can’t speak for others, but fibre is essential for me.


#48

Do you eat cheece? I would love to hear that someone is not constipated, but eat lots of cheece.


(Elizabeth ) #49

This is keto and or dirty carnivore, the advice it’s been given is not zero carb. I’m not sure how anyone can say they’re carnivore when they’re eating muffins and chocolate?


(Elizabeth ) #50

I ate cheese and dairy for the first three months of zero carb, and I didn’t have anything else with it besides meat cheese and water. I gave up cheese after the third month because it gave me a loose stool. I’m now 6 months zero carb and I only have meat and water, no Dairy no cheese no eggs and no coffee either.


(Elizabeth ) #51

Pickles and berries is keto advice thank you


(Shayne) #52

Not only am I NOT constipated while eating a lot of cheese, but I spend an inordinate amount of money on imodium so I can leave the house some mornings.


#53

Some get loose stoolf rom fat and/or cheece, other get constipated. Really odd. :slight_smile:


(Neal) #54

Sounds like something needs some tweaking if you have to rely on imodium :confused:


(Sharon) #55

In the beginning, a keto diet gave me looser stools, though after 4 or 5 weeks things were back to normal. I don’t eat vegetables every day, but will have a salad - often heavy on spinach - once in a while, and it seems to go through me fast.

Cheese - 200 grams or a half-pound or so will usually have some “binding” effect, but not always. I realize that’s a relatively large amount of cheese to be eating. I think that cheese gives less constipation while on a keto diet than while eating carbohydrates.


(Shayne) #56

That’s my guess, too. Veggies go through too fast, so I’ve mostly given them up. I love them, but they don’t love me. Only thing left is tomatoes from the garden. And Dairy doesn’t seem to be my friend, either. That’s much harder to give up. It’s truly mental, though.


(Neal) #57

My suggestion would be to go 100% ZC for 30 days and then add back in. But with that it can still be very mentally draining for a lot of people. You may be better off slowly eliminating as you have been to stick with it. I’m sure you will get there in the end :+1:.


(PrimalRhino) #58

Just hit 30 days ZC, with no bowel issues. The last 5 days I’ve had abdominal cramps, feeling like I need to go, then just a small amount of loose/watery stool. Then the signal goes away and returns an hour or so later. And repeats. No pain just discomfort. The last 2 days increased my electrolytes, and has only pushed the frequency to every 3-4 hours.
Eating 70-75% ground beef and steaks, a little chicken thighs. Week 3 started to cut back the little hard cheese I was eating.
Any suggestion.


(Tubeman) #59

have you tried magnesium? It’s the only thing I find I need to supplement sometimes. Dehydration can also contribute constipation as well.


(PrimalRhino) #60

Yes. I’ve recently added SlowMag. Getting better a little every day. Maybe just a bug?


(Tubeman) #61

SloMag is good stuff! I used it for a long time as i was transitioning, and I feel like my electrolytes have more or less balanced out lately, though I do still take natural calm magnesium sometimes.

I have been doing some version of zero carb for about a year now and can only recall having constipation once, at the beginning. I feel like it was likely adapting to the diet, and maybe not having enough water that may have caused it. Actually, there was one other time, which was when I was forced to eat a bunch of lean pork which my body didn’t seem to like. Pork sometimes seems to disagree with me anyways.

it’s okay not to go for some times, but if it starts getting painful, it’s good to try and get things moving. If that’s where you’re at, milk of magnesia should do the trick. Or MCT oil if you have it handy.


(PrimalRhino) #62

Thanks for the info.


(Tracy Lynn) #63

Probiotics Tear Me Apart. They make me gassy and in turn cause more of an issue.