To be paranoid (health related-TMI)

[huha]

I am 37. I recently started a new diet system (Jan) that involves shakes. My BMI is normal, I just want to lose a stone. Since starting I have been having a BM daily but it's hard, small stools. I've had one impaction. No bleeding other than on wiping as you would with a hard stool. I am also soooo tired. I get 8-10 hours sleep and in the morning i do not feel rested. Common sense says this is the diet/restricted calories. HOWEVER, I tried taking Senakot on 3 occasions and each time it didn't work. I also take a supplement to "regulate" you. Dr. Google says I should be worried if Senakot doesn't work and I am still constipated after 2 weeks. I drink 64-72 oz of water per day. I'm not dehydrated. But I am tired (I'm getting 1,200-1,300 calories per day so I know it's not too little) and it's the "abnormal" kind of tired. I went back to bed this morning and slept for 3 hours and I'm STILL tired/could go back to bed.

Too embarrassed to see the Dr. I've cut dairy from the shakes (now dairy free) since Friday but not much of a difference yet. I was regular and normal before.

AIB paranoid or should I be worried something more significant is going on and see the GP?

if you're not eating real food, or only a small amount of real food and predominantly shakes, it's utterly unsurprising that you would be constipated. Try eating real food with fibre in it rather than relying on laxatives and meal replacement drinks.

Of course you are constipated - you have a fibreless diet. Go back to real food for a few weeks before you pitch up at the Doctors!

You still are regular, just poo less. If nothing goes in, nothing will come out! It's shakes you're on - and they will be 90% water.
Try water fast for a month and see how many number two's can you manage by the end of it.
Tiredness is winter + low calories, particularly for somebody slim in the first place. Cutting out dairy is cutting further calories - how do you expect to feel better? Rather expect to feel this way while diet lasts.
Low calorie regimes are hell.

I'm not a doctor, but I do think those shakes are probably a lot less healthy than real food. I tried a diet of 800 calories a day for a couple of weeks, but I was eating mostly meat, fruit and veg (no white carbs) and I felt fine - not hungry, not tired, not constipated. Maybe you just need more fibre?

You need fibre in your diet! No wonder you are really Constipated!

I don't feel hungry! The shakes are packed with nutrients (tons of vitamins and minerals). They are 250 calories, 22g carbs, 8g of fiber per shake. I have 2 shakes plus snacks such as a boiled egg, satsuma, celery, carrots, cheese, Greek yogurt, etc (although have cut the dairy for a bit). I'm not hungry and when I am, I eat! For dinner I tend to have a lean meat, lots of veg, and 1-2 times per week I have brown rice with dinner as well, other days sweet potato as a starch.

I just looked back in MFP and I am getting at or over 25g of fiber per day.

The first thing a doctor is going to tell you to do is to switch back to a diet based on normal, actual food and see if it changes.

Since it only started since you were in the shakes diet, it seems pretty likely to be connected.
So try a week of normal food, plenty of green vegetables and see what happens.

Then you can go to the doctor without them rolling their eyes