Eat more veggies to keep the pipes going. The bulky fiber helps, in my case anyway.

Also, don't try to use potassium instead of sodium, you need both. The sodium keeps the potassium inside your body so it doesn't get peed out.

And more fat. Get wild with the butter! I also have a spoonful of coconut oil with my morning coffee. My husband suffered from constipation for years until I convinced him to 1) get rid of wheat and 2) add a big spoonful of creamed coconut (he doesn't like the oil) to his morning oatmeal (he's not low-carb).

He hasn't had a problem since.

Constipation happens to me if I go easy on the fat, salt, water, or fiber. Upping all of these, I probably go 2-3 times a day which is more than I did on a high carb diet. Also, Atkins products or any other "low carb" processed food that uses sugar alcohols or substitutes makes me gain weight. I eat only real food now.

Creamed coconut? Where does one find that?

Sounds tasty. Is it?

I find that a higher volume of relatively low-fiber veggies like salad works even better than a small volume of higher fiber foods. There are stretch detectors in the gut that are part of the group of triggers to tell your brain you've eaten a meal and need to clear out the pipes to make room.

I get it at the grocery store, in the "natural" section. (Why isn't all food natural?!) I get Aunt Patty's as it's the cheapest. Fortunately, husband likes it! I don't care for the taste of coconut so I get Dr. Bronner's coconut oil. It isn't the cheapest, but I like the flavor better than other brands I've tried.

I'm with Deirdra about salad greens. I rarely eat any other vegetables, but I have a green salad almost every day because I like it.

I get it at Trader Joe's. It's thicker than coconut milk and goes great in Thai dishes, or you can make a soup with some chicken, mushrooms, and green onions that tastes great. Add a bit of thai chili powder, and it's even better.

That is coconut cream, right? Creamed coconut is coconut solids mixed into coconut oil, I think. I made my own once by simply mixing in some finely shredded coconut into coconut oil.

Yup, Nancy. And it's awesome in curry sauces of all kinds.

If you don't want the coconut flavor in your coffee, switch from half and half to whipping cream. It's a staple in my frig. I NEVER go without having at least one unopened quart there.

You could add it to your eggs, too, if you like them scrambled. Makes them fluffy and tender if you whip them well with the fork.

We were on vacation last week, and I had all manner of eggs in the morning. But I really missed my own scrambled with whipping cream!

So: more salt. It will help you hang on to more of your other electrolytes, as salt levels regulate the levels of the others.

More fat. And, if you are still having issues with constipation, after adding more salt, more fat, you can try magnesium citrate capsules. I take one in the morning and one at night. At night, when I'm not running around like a crazy person, it has the extra effect of being calming.

You can find it most easily online. What most supplement sections at drugstores, etc have is mag oxide, which isn't nearly as effective.

I totally agree! A big salad before eating dinner really paves the way, so to speak.
Or maybe that's the wrong metaphor... perhaps greases the skids is better.

I went out and bought Mortons Salt Substitue (Potasium), pink salt and found Coconut Oil, and creamed coconut. Are the two coconut products both "fats"? I noticed the oil was carb free, but the creamed had some carbs.

How much does everyone use on the coconut products? A spoonful a day?

On the oil, does it matter if "refined", or "extra virgin/whatever?" I got the regular/not refined basic oil - is was cheaper, and said it added a "tasty coconut flavor". I figured to add to my coffee.

Creamed coconut has coconut meat in it which is why it has some carbs.

Ooo, yum! Is that still kosher on early stages?

Depends on your carb limit. Mine is very low, so creamed coconut would be out - so it's good that I don't like it.

My guilty treat is a tablespoon of peanut butter on celery - which has the same number of carbs. I don't have it too often - it's addictive for me.