I makesure ieat lots of fiber but also stay as hydrate as possible.
Even unsalted unbuttered popcorn helps with fiber.not the white part, but brown parts that getstuck in teeth. They are the highest source of polyphenols from an unprocessed whole grain.

I felt like my understanding of fiber was lacking so I decided to read all about it.
Now now matter how I arrange my menus. Fiber is a major rather than minor part of my meals.
I try to balance soluble fibers. And just me personally when I was struggling moving from 5:2 to 4:3 I needed more protein , so I temporally took fiber tablets on fast days so I could feel more saited with more protein. However it was just a temporary patch. To make a life change I needed to find the combination of real foods, and not rely on supplements. I like sweet peppers, bu hot peppers are nearly the same in vitamin c and a . But are also figh fiber. I stuff peppers with chick peas and red bean hummus.

There might be more to constipation as I’m no expert! I believe the approach I’m pointing to is a diet with emphasis on rich sources of fiber on feed days. I’m not offering any suggestions on to deal with constipation as it occurs.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber

I’m a vegetarian following a superfood/low GI diet which is full of whole grains and fibre yet I too have been plagued by bouts of constipation after fasting. I can say that gradually over the months this has resolved itself. So give it time I say. Eat the high fibre foods and keep fluids up but have faith in your body to make the adjustment!

I’m doing ADF (alternate day fasting) rather than 5/2, and the only problem I’ve had is constipation. Constipation was previously very rare, so it was a bit of a shock. My wife is doing 5/2 and has had the same problem. I’ve read this is only a transition problem, but it’s one we’re keen to avoid.

What has worked extremely well for us is 3 or 4 prunes on fast day mornings and up to 6 or 7 as insurance on non fast days. And keeping hydrated. That’s 60 to 80 calories on fast days, and well worth it.

I’ve been on 5:2 over 8 months, and someone in another forum suggested an apple a day. So far that has really helped with my constipation issues. I also have had a sluggish bowel all my life and take daily metamucil capsules along with my vitamins. It all helps, but it isn’t foolproof. Sometimes I will still go days without a movement. Then I get really cranky! I count the apple as part of my 500 on fast days, generally it’s about 80 calories.

If its working for you keep doing it.

Hi dykask,

Maybe I needed to be clearer. I’ve never had daily bowel movements so simply not having a bowel movement wouldn’t have worried me either. My issue on starting fasting was having a very strong urge and need to go but a painful blockage. My normally soft stool had turned into a rock! Multiple times, and despite being well hydrated! Not happy.

Like you, fruit is my main source of sugar. And prunes are just plums (with some water and the pip removed). By my calculations, the prunes I have on fast days have the same amount of sugar as a small apple, so not really a lot. And I wouldn’t hesitate having an apple on a fast day. As long as the total calories are OK, I wouldn’t place any major concern on the sugar in fruit. The prunes certainly resolved my constipation, and are my plan A. Maybe if I’d started out having prunes on non fast days like you I’d never have had a problem. But at this stage I’ll be erring on the side of overkill.

Plan B is psyllium husks. I’ll experiment with that too as I like having options. Psyllium is a little more tricky (and a whole lot less tasty). I’m taking important medications, and the suggestion is to not take the meds within two hours either side of the psyllium as otherwise it binds the meds to make them ineffective. And to be wary of taking it with meals for a similar reason. And to take it with lots of water. Phew!

Hi Onel, The concern with fruit on fast days is that the sugar could spike insulin which hurts the fasting effects. It isn’t really clear to me if fructose will spike insulin or not. That is also possible that would vary by person. You just have to make a judgement call based on what works for you. For myself what works is no calories on fasting days. It sounds that you are very comfortable with fruit. If you are losing weight then it probably works fine for you.

To be honest, I haven’t noticed any adverse effects from eating whole fruit. I don’t know if that is because fruit is completely safe for me or if I just can’t eat enough of it to get problems. One ice cream cone, single scope from a good ice cream store is enough for me to start noticing my typical sugar effects. (Rush of energy and later a bit of a crash and hunger.)

Does the Onel refer to the first year of law school?

OH and I were troubled by constipation initially. I solved it by adding a teaspoon of bran to my porridge. I also glugged loads of water directly from the tap – that was easy in the summer, now it’s too cold! He does take a small glass of prune juice – against my advice.

I’d say our systems have become used to our reduced intake now. Few problems.

I haven’t had constipation issues on 5:2, but I did when on an 800 calorie per day VLCD. I thought that I needed laxatives, but after I spoke to my doctor, he said that I certainly did’t – I needed a higher fibre level.
So I made the following changes:
– I added psyllium husks to foods like smoothies and cereal and benefibre or inulin (flavourless fibre powders) to other drinks.
– I replaced half of my egg/meat/dairy protein choices with legumes
– I made sure all grains/fruits/veg were high fibre choices.
– Consumed extra water to allow the additional fibre to move more easily through my intestines – without this you just cause a blockage.

After some careful monitoring of my food diary I eventually figured out that my digestive system functions really well if I have 40-45g fibre per day (this is much higher that most healthy eating guidelines ever recommend, but it works for me).

If you can’t find a safe workable solution it wouldn’t hurt to have a chat to your GP about it.

Problem of constipation is occured due to indigestive problem.Sleep less than 8 hours causes indigestive problem which turn to constipation.http://parijatak.com/best-weight-loss-center/

As age increased, my constipation increased. It is common for people to go from daily bowel movements to every other day or every 3 days. This is normal.

Another issue is the consistency of the stool. There is a rating system [1 to 5 where 5 is normal] which is useful for describing the stool. Anything from 1-3 is another form of constipation — not a lack of movement, but a texture issue. Most days I’m at ‘1’.

To fix this problem, I drink my “Green Milk” at lunch time.
Green Milk Recipe: 1 cup milk 1 oz spinach [cooked or raw] 1/2 oz medjool date
Method: Put 1/2 the milk + spinach + date in a blender. Blend on half speed until all the spinach is pureed. Add the remainder of the milk and blend on lower speed to combine.

This takes me from a 1 to a 4 or 5 if I drink it daily.

Some people call no bowel movement for days ‘slow transit’ but it could be caused by Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. That can be remedied by a specialized Physical Therapist.

Veganman, I beg to differ. When my husband sought help for constipation, he was told to eat lots of fiber [and go on a plant-based diet for 6 weeks]. We upped the fiber considerably [yes, I know: the SAD has no fiber in it. not refuting that], and ate the veggies, and still no relief. He did not have IBS-c or a low-fiber issue or slow transit. He had Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. Once he did the PT, he was fine. Not everything responds to a veggie diet and fiber.
Fasting did not cause my constipation — it was there before i took up Fasting.