Digestive issue

will4445

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Ive been eating a whole foods plant based diet for about 2 years now. Im just now noticing that the majority of the time my stools are loose almost like almost diarrhea as of late but not watery. I experimented with eating less fiber and it seems to bulk my stool and cutting out spicy foods because that seems to irritate me and make things come out sooner then id want. Im currently trying to gain weight but i'm plateauing even though i'm trying to consume more calories it seems the more i try to eat the worse the loser my stools get. I also tried eating smaller portions and that helped slightly but its too much of a hassle having to worry about eating every two hours. I tried probiotics and eating more fats and protein but none of it helps.
 
I'm not a Doctor. but even if I was one, I couldn't help you with the info you have given.

Maybe if you kept a food diary for a few days and posted it on here me or some others might be able to make some guesses.

Anyway, it does sound like something is wrong, so maybe the best advice is to go get a checkup. Checkups are almost always a good idea. Even if there isn't anything wrong with you - it fun to see how healthy you are. also, you can compare check-ups year-to-year and see if you are getting even better. (like cholesterol levels, BP, etc)

I think eating less fiber is exactly the opposite of what you should do. But get your fiber from whole foods, not supplements. Just about everything in a WFPB diet has fiber - so not sure how you can try to reduce the fiber without also reducing how much you eat. Come to think of it, you should if anything try to eat more fiber. Its fiber that helps slow down your GI tract.

There are some things I've noticed that affect my BMs, speeding them up and making them watery. Sometimes when I get home from a restaurant I have a sudden urge to poop and my poop is loose and watery. I have always thought that it might be the bacteria from the restaurant. either too much - or just too strange.

The other thing is beer.

I just looked it up to see why that is and I found this article. There might be some clues in there for you - even if you don't drink.
https://greatist.com/grow/day-after-drinking-stool
 
Hello Will, and welcome to the forum!

There can be many causes of diarrhea. Chronic diarrhea is definitely not a good thing. I'd suggest consulting a doctor, just to be on the safe side.

Certain foods high in fiber – like bran and fruits – can be hard to digest and cause diarrhea. The truth is there can be many factors that can contribute to a loose stool, which is why consulting a doctor is sometimes the best way to go. If you drink alcohol, caffeinated coffee or tea, fiber-rich foods, high fat foods, artificial sweeteners, an excess of fruit, can all cause loose stools.

However, my guess is that you're in need of insoluble fiber. Eating processed grains and their products, such as white bread, white rice and white pasta, are certainly less nutritious, but should be more constipating than whole grains.

These are some foods that have insoluble fiber (below). There's probably a heap more you could google.

  • The skins of fruit
  • The skins of beans
  • Potato skin (especially when it’s crispy, but avoid french fries, which are high in fat)
  • Whole wheat, wheat bran, and whole-grain cereal products
  • Brown & white rice
  • Seeds
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Carrots
  • Cucumbers
  • Celery
  • Lettuce
  • Zucchini
  • Tomatoes
Hope this helps!


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