Hi everyone,

Today is my first day in this forum and it is a good day because I just hit a new low of 200 this morning.

So far I have lost 12.5 pounds doing the low carb thing. I am currently doing the Schwarzbein plan, but that was after 2 weeks and 8.5 pounds lost on the Carbohydrate Addict's plan. I had to stop my first plan because I was getting dizzy alot and had no energy.

Now that I am on the Schwarzbein plan, I am losing weight slow and steady but had a very frustrating time of it staying at 202 for over a week and following the plan to the letter! The last few days things have started moving again.

I have a problem though, and would welcome advise from my fellow beiners. I am having a lot of constipation.

I am getting enough fiber, 30 grams or so per day, and suplamenting with physillium and ground flax seed. The only thing that seems to unblock my system is senna tea or eating a handfull of prunes. But senna should not be used often and prunes are high carb. Help!

Hi Sfdebchat and Welcome


It sounds like you are getting plenty of fibre with 30grm per day - maybe it's just a temporary thing due to TOM or something else. If you get no relief maybe being able to work a bit of bran (Oh I know Wandy will tease me mercilessly for that!!!) into your diet somehow - but it's not the tastiest thing in the world!!! All Bran(boxed cereal) is pretty SP legal - it might have a small bit of sugar in it but not much and it definitely has a lot of fibre. Adding some magnesium pills will also apparently help with that problem. I drink hot green tea every morning and usually halfway through it I have to run!!!! something about a hot liquid on an empty stomache I think.

I wouldn't fret over staying the same weight for a week Swartzbein isn't a fast weight loss plan - I don't know if you have the first book or the second, but the second book focuses a lot on the healing that must happen sometimes before weight loss - but lucky you - losing already


Welcome to Beiner Land

Hi sfdebchat:

Welcome to 'beinerland.




I seem to have some kind of hormonal constipation that no amount of fiber will fix. In fact, my body builds up a tolerance to fiber if I don't vary it. I took senna and it was way too harsh on my system. The only think that really helps me is supplementing with magnesium. I take about 700 mg/day but you'd probably be better off starting at a lower dose (maybe 400 mg) and gradually increasing as needed. Too much will cause diarrhea so be careful.

Wanda

Welcome Deb! (may I call you Deb?)

Are you drinking plenty of water? Are you taking iron supplements? Eating too much cheese? Ok. So, I covered the obvious.

I do take fiber capsule from Twinlab for this problem, and the opposite problem. Wandy is a weirdo (love you sweetums!) so hopefully maybe the stuff we suggested will work for you.

Hugs to NF (new friend)
Jinx

Thank you all for your welcome and advise.

FYI - You can call me deb
I have not read the second book yet, they did not have it at the library so I guess I'll have to go down to the book store.
I think I do eat too much cheese. Cheese is one of my weaknesses and because I was previously on a low fat diet, I have been indulging in real cheese, smoked mozzarella mmmm, chedder-jack, Jalepeno jack, american, even soy cheese! I do try to have only 1 serving per day, I try really!
I did not know all-bran was suitable for this eating plan. How many carbs per serving?
I think I will try the magnesium supplements. The health food store is right next to the book store. If the temperature comes down soon, I will go right out and do some shopping.

Hi Deb

The all bran is not really legal as it does contain a small amount of sugar - but most people find it almost impossible to 100% all of the time and it is a very small amount of sugar as really the only ingredients are bran and the sugar some of which is fructose which is lower on the GI index than sucrose. There are 23 carbs per 1/2 cup serving and 10 grams of fibre. The only problem with the all bran is in book 2 DR.S does not advise milk - so you would have to have it with cream, watery cream, or water - I don't know how many carbs per meal book 1 allows, its variable in book 2 depending on your metabolic state (all explained in the book)

30 grams of fiber should be enough, but try adding a couple of dry apricots, maybe a spoonful of wheat bran. You don't mention how much water you drink but 30 g. of fiber REQUIRES a lot of water. So even if you think you're 'drinking plenty' try adding more water (esp. hot water w/lemon, or hot tea, coffee) and add a spoonful or two of olive oil to something, daily.
I don't personally like to overload on Magnesium (I try to keep the cal/mag thing in balance) but if you don't like senna you might try megadoses ofvitamin C. 8 or 10 grams, can't hurt ya and at a high enough dosage Vitamin C will unclog Rome.

Finally...most Asian grocers stock a 'slim tea' or 'dieters tea', I've seen several brands. The tea includes senna, and works like a charm. Not as fast as the pills but not as rough on you, either.

Koko
Thanks for the info.
Book one recommends 15 grams of carbs per meal 7 1/2 per snack for my body type. So I guess the all bran would be doable.
I'll go out and get book 2 so that I can be more up to date on the plan.

You know, the thing I really like about this WOE is that I can have cream. I have been using 2% milk and lowfat soymilk for so long, it is truely a blessing to experience the real thing. I am sure I could water down the cream a bit to have on cereal. No Problem!

I do have a quick question for you because in the past month I have read so many books on Low Carbing I can't remember it all! Do you know if I am supposed to count my carb grams in something like all-bran as total carbs, or do you subtract the fiber grams from the total grams? So, would I be able to eat a full serving of All-bran, or more like half a serving?
deb

You don't subtract the fiber, so more like half a serving. But you can eat plenty of raw veggies as a side dish and don't have to count the carbs in them! Welcome to the forum.

Jen

HI Deb,

Welcome to the forum. Great question about the stoppage. I got the same problem. It does vary with my TOM some, but still can be a problem.

Glad TSP is workin for ya!