Why am I constipated since I started eating more protein?
It's common, and in our experience it's usually what changed around the protein: less water, fewer vegetables, less moving. What helps is simple. Water through the day, fibre from food like vegetables, kiwi, ground flax or chia, a daily walk, regular meals and chewing well. Tell your coach. If it lasts, hurts or comes with other symptoms, see your doctor.
Here's the thing.
It happens to a lot of us.
And it's nothing to be embarrassed about.
First, when should you talk to your doctor?
We coach. We don't diagnose or treat.
Most of the time, small daily habits help. But some of this is a job for your doctor.
Book a visit if:
- It lasts. Or it keeps coming back, even after you've made the changes below.
- It hurts. Pain, cramping, or going to the bathroom feels like a real struggle.
- It comes with other symptoms. Blood, bloating that won't settle, losing weight without trying, or anything that worries you.
- You started a new medication or supplement around the same time. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.
If you've been told you have IBS or another gut condition, follow your doctor's plan. Your coach builds around it.
And anything from the pharmacy aisle is a question for your doctor or pharmacist. We'll never tell you to start, stop or change a medication.
Why does eating more protein seem to slow things down?
I hear this one more than you'd think.
Usually quietly, at the end of a check-in.
A lot of the women we coach notice it in the first couple of weeks. That's when the plan changes the most. For the first 14 days, we go lower carb and higher protein, with a short break from alcohol, dairy, gluten and processed sugar. Then those foods come back.
When a coach looks at her day, a few things tend to show up:
- The protein went up, and the vegetables didn't. More chicken on the plate, less of everything else.
- Water didn't keep up. Coffee all morning, a few sips by dinner.
- Meals got irregular. Nothing until noon, then a big dinner.
- Less moving. Desk days, car days, travel days.
- Eating on the run. Lunch at the keyboard in a few minutes flat.
Every one of these is a habit.
And habits can change.
What actually helps?
Here's what our coaches start with:
- Water through the day. About 2 litres is what we usually start with, and your coach adjusts it from there. A clear glass you can see going down helps. More on how much water to drink in perimenopause.
- Fibre from food. Vegetables at every meal, fruit like kiwi, and ground flax or chia added to a meal or a shake.
- A daily walk. Even a short one after a meal counts. Here's how we think about steps and daily movement.
- Regular meals. Eating at roughly the same times each day, so you're not starving all morning and catching up at night.
- Chew well and slow down. Sit down to eat when you can. Put the fork down between bites.
One more thing.
Go easy as you add fibre. A lot of the women we coach find a little more each day, with water alongside, sits better than a big change overnight.
And more fibre isn't always the whole answer. That's why the water, the walking and the regular meals matter just as much.
Should I eat less protein?
Talk to your coach before you cut it.
In our experience, the fix is usually adding things around the protein: water, vegetables, fruit, a walk.
Protein is what helps you hold on to muscle while you strength train. Chris says it simply: "Muscle is metabolism."
So we'd rather keep the protein and fix what's around it. Here's how much protein we coach, and how we keep it simple.
One note. If your doctor has given you a protein limit for a medical reason, follow your doctor. Your coach will build your plan around it.
Why should I tell my coach?
Can we please stop pretending nobody deals with this?
Everybody does.
Your coach is a woman over 40 who has done the Reset herself. She's heard it before, and she won't blink.
Chris tells every woman on her onboarding call: "All we want from you is communication." That includes the bathroom stuff.
When you tell her, she can:
- Look at your whole day. Water, meals, vegetables, movement, travel.
- Adjust your plan. Small changes, one at a time, so you can see what helps.
- Check in on it next week. So it doesn't quietly drag on.
- Point you to your doctor. If it isn't settling, or anything in the section above applies.
A quick message is enough.
Is this slowing down my fat loss?
Here's the honest answer.
Most women come to us wanting to lose weight. What they actually want to lose is fat.
A slow few days can nudge the scale up, even when your fat hasn't changed. The scale can't tell the difference.
That's one more reason we never let it be the only judge. Watch how your clothes fit, how strong you feel and how you're sleeping.
If your stomach also feels puffy by the afternoon, here's how to tell bloat from belly fat.
We've helped 1,000+ women lose 10 to 20 lbs of fat in 8 weeks, with real food, strength training and a coach who notices the small stuff.
Ready for a plan that looks at your whole day?
You don't have to sort this out on your own.
Start with the short video on our homepage at fortyfwd.com. It walks through why your body stopped responding after 40 and the method we use to change that.
If it sounds like you, apply for a call with Chris.
He reads every application himself. On the call, he'll look at how you're eating right now and tell you straight whether the program is the right fit. If it is, he walks you through the investment then, once you both know it's a fit.
Water. Vegetables. A walk.
And a coach you can tell anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal to get constipated on a high-protein diet for weight loss?
It's something a lot of women notice when they first eat more protein, especially in the first couple of weeks. In our experience, more water, fibre from food and a daily walk usually help, and if it lasts, hurts or comes with other symptoms, see your doctor.
What foods help with constipation when I'm eating more protein?
Vegetables at every meal, fruit like kiwi, and ground flax or chia added to a meal or a shake. Add fibre gradually, with water alongside.
Should I eat less protein if I'm constipated?
Talk to your coach before you cut it. In our experience, the fix is usually adding water, vegetables, fruit and movement around the protein.
Should I take a laxative or a fibre supplement?
That's a question for your doctor or pharmacist. We coach food, water, movement and habits, and we never tell anyone to start, stop or change a medication.
When should I see a doctor about constipation?
If it lasts or keeps coming back, if it hurts, or if it comes with other symptoms like blood, bloating that won't settle or losing weight without trying. Also check with your doctor or pharmacist if you started a new medication or supplement around the same time.