Diet,lifting ,and my bowels....

selffirst · 10-14-2009, 11:59 PM

In the last year I lost 50 pounds....I did it by alot of cardio and strict diet....I got down to 170 and looked in the mirror and realized I lost too much .Over time I gained back 5 pounds,hittin the weights hard .I'm starting to see real progress and I felt that cardio wasn't needed, clean bulking was more what I needed....Which leads me to my problem...my bowels.....I eat 3 to 4 servings of veggies, nuts, grains,coffee,and high protein.But I hadnt had a movement for 3 days.....I was burping and I was doubled over so I took a laxative and it worked but I cant believe I would have this problem. The only change has been no cardio.....Should I start running again causing my legs to look like toothpicks.....walk instead....Any advice will be welcomed.....

XX400EX · 10-15-2009, 01:24 AM

Hello did you cut out some fiber? If you did bring that back in your diet. If not go see a doctor there could be an under lying problem.

selffirst · 10-15-2009, 02:55 AM

Nah man I didnt cut any fiber in my diet...I used to run 15 miles a week....Actually I enjoyed it ,but I thought my legs were lagging muscle wise compared to other parts of my body...So I have been hittin the weights 5 day split and no cardio.....

pastorgbc · 10-15-2009, 03:43 AM

What did you do to do your clean bulking? Sometimes adding a lot of protein can have a constipating effect until your body adjust. This is one of the main reasons that high-protein diets stress making sure you are drinking enough water.

Make sure you are drinking a lot of water. Another thing to do is to eat 3 or 4 prunes each day. They can work wonders as well.

If you continue to have pain, especially in the lower left quadrant, you need to get checked.

Ray

selffirst · 10-15-2009, 03:47 AM

Thanks...I drink about 1.5 gallions of water daily.....I'll try the prune thing...so you dont think me not running or movement caused this?

pastorgbc · 10-15-2009, 06:17 AM

Quite often any changes can cause either consitpation or the runs. It is a fact that exercise helps keep you regular because you are "shaking things up in there" as my doctor once put it.

I think you have too many changes to isolate what may be the cause. Prunes work well for me. The other thing you could consider is adding a teaspoon of Metamucil to a glass of water in the morning until things get right.

Do not ignore the pain component, however. I suffered from repeat bouts of diverticulitis, and had to have major surgery to have part of my colon removed when I was in my 30s. If you have persistent pain, see your doctor.

Ray

GuyJin · 10-15-2009, 07:21 AM

Yeah, you should get yourself checked out first. Assuming it is nothing, then fibre is your best buddy if you're eating a lot. Years back I did the protein shake/eat the meat/a few veggies thing and I was gaining strength--and a lot of fat as well--but hey, I was getting bigger and stronger so that was cool. I thought I'd be fine if I drank a lot of water daily (which I did) and kept active i.e. jogging, walking, some swimming. That was cool, too.

What was NOT cool was being impacted. (Nicer word than "constipated" dontcha know). Couldn't go to the bathroom and get it out to save my life; was backed up halfway and ended up in the hospital one night. Medicine helped clear me out, but until that happened (about a day and a half later) it was really painful and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. After that I learned to limit my intake of the "bulk" stuff and eat a bit healthier in terms of fibre. These days, yogurt and prunes along with water and not so much food is keeping my innards a bit healthier and I have no troubles come bathroom time.

Bulking is fine, but there are limits to it, and you can't do what the pros say they do. (Not saying you are, but some out there really do go whole hog and yes, they pay for it). Just be careful what you eat, keep your insides clean and take it from there.

Good luck.

albear1966 · 10-15-2009, 07:27 AM

Check out the LISS versus HIIT threads. Sprinter's legs are always thick and muscular opposed to marathon runners very lean legs.
I've been doing the elipitcal on interval setting and the stair-master on varying intensity and speed. It's the only way I get cardio without losing leg muscle strength.

beerbar · 10-15-2009, 07:51 AM

You can also try some Wheat Bran or my personal favorite, White Castle!!!!

Dain_Bramage · 10-15-2009, 08:01 AM

Oatmeal everyday keeps the constipation away.

cactusflower · 10-15-2009, 08:32 AM

FLAX! Use ground flaxseed (not whole as it will just go through you) and you will never have a problem again! It might take a day or two but it works! I add the flax to my oatmeal (2 tbsp) and I haven't had problems since. And I was ALWAYS having problems before. You can buy whole flaxseed too and grind it up in a coffee grinder.

Hope it helps!

IKEACAR · 10-15-2009, 09:57 AM

Let me start by saying that our weight issues seem to be very similar. At my highest I weighed in at 225, and felt every pound. I began eating better but not working out, and cutting all refined sugar, most wheat, dairy and all alcohol. After about 8-9 months, I was down to 175, then we had an unfortunate incident with food poisoning which pushed me down below 170. I've now been back to the gym and eating like a monster and I am at a very healthy 185, and hoping to get to about 195-200 solid muscle.

I too had some constipation issues after I started eating a lot of protein, and when I did have a bowel movement, not to be graphic, I felt like I was giving birth.

One thing I have been using lately which works AMAZINGLY, is Korean Kimchi. It is fermented cabbage with spices and it works wonders like you would not believe. It's one of the worlds healthiest foods and one to two helpings a day will do the trick just fine.

mikieson · 10-15-2009, 12:32 PM

I find that when I do cardio "treadmill" I end up having to go sometimes because to me "in my humble opinion" when you move like that it tends to settle everything in my stomach.

I dont normally have any problems going though so it might just be me.

Take whatever I say though and run it by others first cause I could be way off and not even know it.

Mulewhipper · 10-15-2009, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cactusflower

FLAX! Use ground flaxseed (not whole as it will just go through you) and you will never have a problem again! It might take a day or two but it works! I add the flax to my oatmeal (2 tbsp) and I haven't had problems since. And I was ALWAYS having problems before. You can buy whole flaxseed too and grind it up in a coffee grinder.

Hope it helps!

This^^^^^works great for me.

selffirst · 10-15-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cactusflower

FLAX! Use ground flaxseed (not whole as it will just go through you) and you will never have a problem again! It might take a day or two but it works! I add the flax to my oatmeal (2 tbsp) and I haven't had problems since. And I was ALWAYS having problems before. You can buy whole flaxseed too and grind it up in a coffee grinder.

Hope it helps!

I have heard alot of guys say they didn't like the taste but I'm willin to try....when I finally relieved myself it was like those mudslides you see on real tv....homes,people,telephone poles,destroyed in it's wake

cactusflower · 10-15-2009, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by selffirst

I have heard alot of guys say they didn't like the taste but I'm willin to try....when I finally relieved myself it was like those mudslides you see on real tv....homes,people,telephone poles,destroyed in it's wake

ROFLMAO...OMG.... HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Try the flax. I hide the taste with splenda and cinnamon in my oatmeal.