Water is finally getting easier...

I used fresh lemons and splenda all last week, but have been able to do plain water for the past two days. I have gotten in my 64 oz. I think I'll make it. I noticed that I was constipated for two days after I started my period. I had several loose stools prior to starting, and then it turned to constipation later that week. I wondered how that could be since I was drinking all my fluids. I'm back to normal now, but was wondering if any of you had problems like that during your cycle? Debbie -41

Hi Debbie, I'm glad you are doing better with your water!! Good job!! I was fine with water for the first whole month, then all of a sudden, it made me sick!! It had to be ice cold if I wanted to get it down. But know I think i'm okay again, been drinking it the last week without even thinking about it. (Maybe it was in my head.......)..... Now about constipation and the cycle thing. 1st of all, I haven't had a cycle since my surgery???????????? Can't figure that out. And no, i'm not, I took a pregnancy test, just to check...... And I get constipation all the time, every week, It takes me like 4-5 day to go, and when I do, it's very hard to go. I've increased the fiber, but it's not working.....anyways, the constipation around the cycle I believe is normal even for non surgery women, it has to do with the hormonal changes in the body, and maybe with your weightloss, your homones are a little higher than normal, thus causing something like this....maybe. Tracie -60 lbs

Hey, you know the weird thing. I can feel the waste in my intestines. I can lay on my back and it is hard just above my pubic area. I didn't suffer from a lot of constipation prior to surgery. I imagine it was because I ate and drank plenty of food to keep things moving. LOL I made my husband feel the hard areas. They are gone now that I moved. Strange things we can feel once we start shedding some of our insulation. Debbie -41

Debbie, Great going on the water I've noticed that it's getting easier for me to drink plain water, too. I'm very glad b/c I used to love water. As far as the constipation, I'm having a really hard time (no pun intended) with that. Firstly, when you think about our diets right now, we eat a ton of protein and very little vegatables. So, constipation problems aren't surprising even with 64oz of water per day. As a guy, I'm having constipation problems 24/7. So, consider yourself lucky you have normal periods . Keep in mind that during your cycle, you're loosing alot of fluid (the vast baulk of blood is water). That might be why you're constipated then. You might want to take stool softners (over-the-counter) at night during your cycle. If that isn't enough relief, layer in baulk fiber in a glass of water during the day. Me, I'm taking two stool softners each nigh, plus a glass of baulk fiber after each meal and two flax seed oil caps in the morning. And, with all that, I'm just getting by . Hopefully, you won't have to go as far as I. Good luck, Darrin

Poor Darrin! I have taken dulcolax twice since surgery, and luckily I don't stay constipated too long. It is a miserable feeling. Hopefully it will get better the more fruits and vegetables we can add in. I had two small wedges of watermelon and a bite of fresh pineapple this past weekend and it was so yummy. Maybe that helped me get over the hump, so to speak. Hugs, Debbie -41