Not Getting Enough Fiber

a teaspoon at a time is not the problem. I think 8 tsp a day,even over time is asking for trouble.  it is possible to get too much fiber which causes the stool to bulk up so much it can't pass the anal opening.

a fiber al,ong with lots of liquid,as you say and with a stool softener,miralax or some other is totally necessary to  balance it all out.

when eating fiber in fruits and vegs there is water in the form of juice along with the fiber which helps to counteract the bulking of the fiber.

Okay - to get real specific here. I try very hard to get my fiber in food, have also added chia seeds based on some advice here, and when all else fails I have a cup of smooth move tea. BUT I can't drink the tea if I am going anywhere the next morning, because it works multiple times if you get my drift. How does the miralax work in that regard? Is it something I could take and not have to worry about running and making it to a bathroom?

Sorry if this TMI.

Before I gave in and started adding real food fibre to my diet I was using 1/2 a dose of Miralax a day. As long as you also keep your fluids up it's effective without needing to make a mad dash for the biffy the way you do with an irritant laxative like senna. Everyone is different though, so perhaps try it on the weekend before heading out into your real life.

If it's been a few days for you, you might need to take a full dose once or twice (don't forget to drink!) to get things moving along, then the half dose each morning.

I'm a fanatic with my digital scale and would weigh out enough doses for the week when I filled my pills container each Sunday, then just dump one in my cup each morning while my coffee was brewing. Now I weigh out a week's worth of high fibre cereal servings into small bowls with lids. I'm kinda pitiful in the mornings and need all the pre-prep I can manage.

Thanks so much for the info. I thought Miralax was a liquid - sounds like yours is in pill form. Good advice to give it a try on a none-work day!

It's a powder that completely disappears into any liquid. The brands I use (of the exact same thing) are Restoralax and Lax a Day. I think you'll like it - but don't forget to drink!

It may sound weird, but I too have been having this issue, and if you are that early post-surgery, try incorporating pumpkin into your smoothie recipes...

2 Tbsp sugar-free pumpkin
Splenda to taste
1 cup skim or soy milk
1 tsp PB2 (or not, depending on your liking)
Unjury vanilla scoop
Cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Seriously, the fiber in the pumpkin does the trick, or at least for me! 

That sounds wonderful! I think it'd make a terrific breakfast on the days i go to the Y. We wear a belt in the water that presses on Fred, so he prefers i stick to a liquid breakfast on those days. I don't have the Unjury, but I have some Syntrax Vanilla something. I might have to wait until I get home though - our hotel room is starting to look like a grocery store...

:) That's funny about your hotel room! It is really yummy...and super filling without feeling bloated afterwards!

 Here are my favorites- easy on the calories and a nice job on the fiber:

Dixie carb counters soy nutlettes (fiber and protein and filling)
half calorie crackers by fibergourmet (70 cals, 12 grams fiber) from netrition.com
fiber one cereal, 1 cup with almond milk is a full day of fiber for not much calories
some protein bars have fiber
fruits and veggies 

I also track fiber grams.  I found I need between 25-35 grams to keep things going.  

Edit: just saw you are 3 weeks out- the foods above are not at your stage.  I did colace and miralax.  2 colace a day with a dose of miralax. 

Generic Miralax in my first cup of coffee every morning.  I use the Costco brand, Kirkland.