The FastDay Forum

I am normally quite regular. I pass a motion each morning after breakfast.
My motions have changed. For 2 consecutive days I will pass a small motion that appears to be constipated, certainly difficult to pass. Then on the third day I pass a very large motion.

This has happened for the last 9 days.

I have no discomfort. I am reporting this new regime for interests sake, I don't think there is any pathology.

I wonder if this is occuring because I have more space in my abdominal cavity.

I look forward to you comments, thank you.

I've found this WOE is making me constipated despite the fact that I drink loads.

Yes, I too have problems "going".

Same problem here

Certainly less regular and smaller amounts here - I'm putting it down to just eating less both in terms of volume and the 'wrong' stuff.

I'm eating all the right stuff (with few exceptions).

I'm a vegetarian, so tons of vegetables and fruit. Drinking loads of water too. Despite that, without laxatives bowel wont work.

I've experienced something similar intermittently over the six months that I've been doing 5:2, but not all the time and not to the extent where I'd call it a problem...

Me too! Despite eating loads of fruit and veg all the time, I am not enjoying regular movements any longer! Pre 5:2 diet I would eat a lot of bread, which seems to get my insides working, but at the moment I'm quite constipated most of the time. It's the one thing I don't like about my new regime.

I found that eating whole grains with high fiber content improved the situation

I've had the same problem, usually just the day after a fast day but once a week that's also my weigh day.

I have also found that I 'go' less often and when I do it can be small amounts more frequently (sorry if tmi)

However, I used to suffer terribly with IBS causing diaohrrea (sp?)which has now almost comppletely stopped, and has changed my life for the better as I used to panic when travelling, and always carried immodium just in case!

I had started to worry because my life long 'normal'(for me) habit of once a day had stopped and I am now reduced to rabbit droppings every few days!! even though my veg and salad (therefor fibre) had greatly increased
Was actually relieved when I found out that others were experiencing the same thing !

"Most types of fiber increase the total volume of stool and reduce the concentration of specific substances, including bile acids, that are in contact with the bowel wall. However, fibers differ in their effect on stool bulk, with wheat fiber being a more effective stool bulking agent than fruit and vegetable fibers." - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2819848

Cabbage was the least effective fibre in terms of stool output in http://jn.nutrition.org/content/113/8/1464.full.pdf

The symptoms of actual constipation are relieved with less fibre, where constipation means a full bowel that won't empty. http://www.myhealthwire.com/news/diet-nutrition/393

Personally I think the bacterial content varies a lot as a function of the food, and this is more significant than fibre content on frequency etc.

I used to have bouts of constipation regardless of what I ate but since starting 5:2 I find that I don't get constipation, and on the day after a fast day I often have 3 or 4 movements of normal size during the day. It's almost as if my body is having a spring clean and getting rid of all the accumulated rubbish!