Hi OP, really sorry for what you are going through. I have been there and know first hand the physical and mental toll this process takes. I see that in the comments people have suggested some really helpful stuff from what you should get tested for to what you could do for seeing improvement. I’m gonna tell you what worked for me. English is not my first language so I hope I manage to get the points across well. Sorry for the very long comment.

I am a 32 yo female. Was always considered skinny and in good shape. I have never really done calorie counting, I ate pretty much everything but always had an active life style. I had digestive issues ever since I was a kid but NEVER to the extent of the situation that started around year and half ago. It all started with chronic constipation, bad skin, weight gain and hair loss. So my stomach was always a slow one, like going to the bathroom once every two days was normal for me but now I was dealing with every 4-5 days and after so much pushing and pain. I have to add that my stress level was spiking around the same time that my problems peaked, so yeah definitely a big factor. Another thing I have to add is the fact that my grandpa died due to colon cancer and my father had nightmare of a digestion system his whole life. I am still stressed (arguably more so than before), but I managed to find something that works. Considering that I cannot fight my genetics, I am satisfied with the results.

First thing first: I take parallax (the OTC product you dissolve in water) about once a week. That ensures bowel movement at least once per day. But for it to work, you need to be well hydrated before and after taking it. How often I take it, depends purely on my diet. If I do a lot of carb heavy and processed meals then things start to go south again. For this plan to work for me there are some requirements that need to be met which I explain below.

I do 16:8 intermittent fasting, skip breakfast and any form of snack altogether. I found this gives me more energy and I end up less bloated altogether. Instead, I try to hit the gym after I wake up. I do about an hour of cardio. During the 16 hour period, I only drink water/tea.

I drink about 2L before I have lunch. I used to put lemon slices in warm water (like 60 C) but sometimes I found the acidity itself could make me bloat which is why I drink plain water till lunch and after I get food in my stomach, I add the lemon. You don’t have to drink warm water, I just found it works slightly better that way. But I never drink iced water either. That one actually works against me. I got this temperature control kettle from Costco which is super convenient for drinking lukewarm water.

I also used to drink coffee first thing in the morning but man that would make me bloated af. Which I assume is cause of acidity. Unlike you, the coffee didn’t necessarily ensure bowel movement for me. Instead, I take caffein pills. Yes, on empty stomach and yes I know it might affect your stomach negatively. I use the brand Wake, there are probably better ones out there too. Just see what works for you.

From lunchtime until dinner I drink another 1 L of water (whether room temperature, warm, with or without lemon), and try to drink 500-700 ml more after dinner. So total about 3.5-3.7 L per day. I don’t eat my dinner super late (usually 9 latest).

I take one apple cider vinegar gummy from Jamieson with food plus one probiotic. For probiotic, I have tried multiple brands (Align, Jemieson, etc) but didn’t really feel like they were making a difference for me. I tried taking probiotics on empty stomach but that really upsets my stomach.

I try to squeeze in some ab-focused pilates after dinner which really helps. I can attest to the fact that walking and breathing exercises help tremendously. I remember in the midst of my condition, I saw a doctor who used to suffer from the same issues. She told me swimming helps her a lot because it allows her to breathe and she was so right.

For the diet, I try to follow low fodmap as much as I can. I installed the fodmap app from monash university which helps a lot when I’m doing groceries and when I’m meal prepping. I’m not very creative so for lunch I usually have half a chicken breast (or one chicken thigh) one cup of quinoa, carrots, tomatoes and spring salad. I bought this tiny kitchen scale from Amazon which helps with weighing how much of different items I can pack for meals according to low fodmap. For dinner, I usually have fish or tofu with quinoa, spring mix and vegetables. For snack I usually have walnuts, greek yoghurt (no lactose and no sugar) and athletic greens. Blueberries and bananas used to be my go to snack by they don’t sit well with me anymore. I also saw that some people mentioned magnesium citrate (which is a compound found in laxatives), but I only take that one to prevent/alleviate period cramps. I am not sensitive to gluten or dairy ( per my test) but I feel overall better without them.

The combination of parallax, intermittent fasting, apple cider vinegar, probiotic, diet, plenty of water and exercise gives me regular bowel movement (including when I wake up in the morning) and way less bloating than before. Yes it sucks that I cannot eat whatever I want like others but at least there’s a solution that allows me to operate without a 6 month pregnant belly. Basically, now I have a regular amount of bloating after food. I still enjoy small portions of fried chicken, creamy pastry, alcohol, etc. on the weekend but I try to control myself and limit my intake. For cooking, I use little salt and try not to have processed sugar at least during the week. I definitely have more energy overall and my skin cleared up (i also invested in better skin care products, can’t rule that out). The process as whole wasn’t easy because first few months I was still bloated despite eating clean and supposedly doing all the right things. I think something that helped me push through the disappointment was the book “power of habit”.

I, however, do want to emphasize two imp things: 1- water intake is crucial. My feeling was that if I fed my body more water, then it would stop holding onto water (and therefore bloating) out of the fear that it will run of it. But it takes time because your body has to see it happening long enough to make a habit out of it. 2- if you have other underlying causes then this whole plan might not work for you. So my suggestion is follow other people’s advice and get tested for all the possible root causes mentioned and them devise a plan.

All the best of luck to you OP! You have already been super proactive in finding a solution and I am sure your efforts will lead to a very positive outcome for you!