i was on the atkins diet once before for 4 months - had unrelated problems and went off - i am back on and plan to say on forever....my question::: both times i have had the same problem - going days without a bowel movement (once was a week!).... i need any suggestions... is this normal? I only drink water..all day long! I eat 2 salads a day and my veggies right now are mostly green beans, asparagus and spinach.

Changes in the diet, especially from one where you were eating a lot of processed grain foods and sugar ... can cause some "intestinal confusion" for some folks. Constipation is not uncommon, although diarrhea happens to a few others. It's usually transient, and after a few weeks, your system adjusts.

Check out my article Low-carbing and Intestinal Health by clicking on Low Carb Tips on the orange menu bar at the top of the page. You'll find some helpful tips and suggestions there.

Choosing high-fiber veggies is a good idea. Lettuce, although wonderful and low in carbs ... isn't all that great a source of fiber. It's mostly water. The darker green lettuces, raw spinach, shredded cabbage, green peppers etc ... and cooked broccoli, asparagus, kale, collard greens, swiss chard and eggplant are great low-carb sources of fiber.

Keep up the water intake, and make sure you're getting plenty of fats too ... olive oil is a good choice. If you're eating a lot of cheese, you might want to cut back on that ... it's true that it can have a "binding" effect for many people.

Hope this helps,

Doreen