Nutrition consultation about constipation

I had constipation since I was a kid. I made the nutrition consultation appointment mainly because I read online that taking laxatives regularly would weaken the smooth muscle in the gut, so the natural process of pooping would be hard. I didn't want that.

This school year I was taking herbal pills for constipation regularly but have taking it on and off. I didn't want that long term. And another reason was that, I had difficulties squeezing this hard piece of poo out a few weeks ago. [warning: next sentence about pooping] I struggled for about an hour for that huge chunk of poo out. I was excreting pebbles of poop and this poo was packed with poo pebbles. I don't know about y'all but I alway have my foot on a bucket/stool/ anything that elevate my legs while I poop. I was sweating, uncomfortable, and want this poo out. When I finally got it out, there was some blood on my toilet paper. It kind of freak me out.

Fiber can't be absorb in the intestine. It is important to drink huge amount of water. I learned that you should pee regularly every 2 hours.

Heres a summary:
She consult me to first drink lots of water, particularly, hot water would be best. 16oz in morning, lunch, dinner, night. And drinking tea or coffee or any caffeine would help stimulate/wake the gut, 1 cup a day.

Second, increase fiber intake. She recommend 1/2 cup of Fiber 1 wheat cereal which has 14gram of fiber, half the amount of fiber (30g) you should eat per day.

Third, meals. Eat plenty of veggies, buy whole wheat products, and fruits (apple, berries, pears, prunes...), eat more than you usually eat.

And alway walking or running would help move the bowls

Dietitian kept mentioning "stool softener" if the dieting isn't working.