The question has been asked, now let's get your answers

Alright. I've said it in the support group meetings that there are no stones unturned here, no subject taboo, no bodily function left unspoken.

So......here it is:

CONSTIPATION!!!!!!

How do YOU spell relief??? 


Come on, we've all had problems with this, Lord knows I sure do. So, let's help out our shy friend who will remain nameless and tell us what you do to combat this problem.

Me, I use Equate brand stool softeners, twice a day.  It makes me happy

I find that as long as I keep a healthy level of good fats in my diet as well as high fiber foods (usually in the form of my breakfast), I don't have to take medicines. I used to take a stool softener, but it didn't do much for me besides increase stomach cramps and give me gas (which probably caused the stomach cramps)

Thanks for the comment on fats. We are so worried about losing fat, we forget that it's a very beneficial part of our diets. Of course, unless it comes in the form of FRIED anything....LOL

I'll list my "secrets" in the order of what I feel contributes the most to my NOT having an issue with constipation.  (I don't take stool softeners or laxatives or anything.  I usually go twice a day, very regularly.  I don't even have a problem with hard stools.)

1. I use Citracal Plus for my calcium supplement.  (2 tablets = 500mg dose; so I take 2 tablets, 4 times a day or 3 times if I forget a dose)  Citracal Plus has magnesium in it (among other minerals - hence the "Plus").  Magnesium helps you go.  (I have had to take a laxative exactly 1 time since my surgery and it was when I went on Citracal Creamy Bites for a couple of months and completely quit my Citracal Plus until the Creamy Bites were gone.  Since I have run out of Creamy Bites and went back on Citracal Plus for my calcium supplement, I am going regularly again.)

2. I stay really hydrated - even over 100 oz of non-caffeinated, non-carbonated fluids on many days.

3. I am not afraid to have fat in my diet.  I usually stay between 25 - 30% calories from fat per day.

4. I chew sugar free gum almost every day - sometimes all day long.  Sugar alcohols have a laxative effect.

5. I eat 1/2 teaspoon of flax seed every morning with breakfast (sprinkled in my PB2).  Gotta love that fiber. 

WE....CAN....CHEW....GUM?!?!?!  See, I read everything I could get my hands on before surgery and somewhere on this site people had posted the perils of gum-chewing and said NO NO NO, so I took it to heart.  I feel like a bird out of a cage!!!

But seriously Wendy, non-caffeinated drinks?!?!?!  Don't kiss your mother with that mouth!!!  I can see "non-carbonated", but if it weren't for coffee I'd surely be on America's Most Wanted!   Really...watch your language, girl!  There could be children around!

Technically, you can't count carbonated or caffeinated beverages in your fluid totals for the day (according to most surgeon/doctor/fitness protocols anyway - I obviously don't know if Gibbs is different). 

In fact, SOME programs make you do double-duty on any carbonated and/or caffienated beverages you DO drink.  (This would mean that not only would you not get to count them towards your minimum 64 ounces per day goal, but you would have to ADD however many ounces of non-countable beverages you drank onto your daily minimum goal of 64 and get in that many MORE ounces of COUNTABLE fluids.  I don't know if I'm explaining that right, so I'll do it with numbers which works better in my mind.
If I had: 
64 ounces minimum of non-carbonated, non-caffeinated beverages
12 ounces of caffienated coffee
I would have to consume an ADDITIONAL 12 ounces of non-carbonated, non-caffienated beverages ABOVE my 64 ounces of non-carbonated, non-caffeinated beverages I already consumed.  
Many programs have gotten to where they require this on caffeinated beverages especially because it is a diuretic (which of course causes you to pee more often than you should which depletes your body of fluids quicker than it should).  Blah, blah, blah.  More useless number crap I have in my head.)

We aren't supposed to chew gum.  I do it anyway. 

I will say I only chew sugar-free, tinier gum like Orbitz or Mentos.  I accidentally swallowed a piece earlier out and had to call Baker's office to admit it.  I accidentally swallowed a piece last week when I left it in my mouth while taking my calcium.  (Real smart, I know.) 

So while I don't ADVOCATE the chewing of gum (I would never recommend ANYTHING that was against the rules.), I must admit that I do do it.  I've got to have AT LEAST ONE VICE!!!!!!!!

WHOA  GIRL!!!!!!

Drs Gibbs and Baker have different rules. Baker says no caffeine... Gibbs lets you have it as part of your liquid diet in the hospital. At least it was on my tray!  And you KNOW I couldn't live without my Lattes!

Gum....we'll there's a mixed bag of rules on that. Personally, I think you just need to be very aware when you chew it that you don't swallow it accidentally. Especially early out when it could cause a blockage.

I can't help much here.  I've been blessed with amazing regularity since WLS.  I do keep a pretty good ratio of fats, carbs and protein, so either that works for me or I am just lucky so far.

I also forgot one of the BIG things I think helps.

I eat fruit every single day.  (1/2 apple with my breakfast every morning)

This helps a LOT. 

yes! I second that. Fruit helps a lot for sure. Thats what my PCP put me on,  a full fruit and grain diet. Thats why I don't struggle with constipation now as much as I used to.