WARNING! Appetite ***spoiler***!!! Poop talk ahead...

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19danno77
19danno77 Posts: 84
in Food and Nutrition
Poop. There, got that out there. I used to be regular...everyday at ~10 AM a trip to the stink office. And of course the usual colorful array of fiber sources, like leafy green veggies, bean hulls, corn hulls, nut shards, etc. were always visible without inspecting. Gross, eh? Not that I stared at it in the bowl but I always glanced...:blushing:

Since starting MFP 225 days ago, the frequency has dropped off dramatically. Nice and easy still but only every 2-3 days, and I've gone as long as 6 days without pooping. That was just last week and had me slightly concerned...but again all came out nice and easy. The other change in this department for me is that the signs of fiber or undigested food are 100% gone! I haven't seen a single corn/bean hull or sign of anything I've ingested in almost 9 months. Does that seem weird to anyone? Anyone experience similar changes? I'm in the maintenance phase of 155 lbs down 50 as a 34 year old male...perhaps my gut has just become that efficient that even the fiber is getting used up now that residence time of food waste in my bowels is 2-3 times as long. It's just weird, but I'm planning on asking my Dr. when I go in for a physical. I'd be concerned if there was constipation of if I was pushing out rocks. It's interesting evidence of the waste my body was producing when I was eating more than I needed...I wonder if those with the old "hollow leg" stomachs are actually just good at pooping out extra calories?

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  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
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    Sounds like you may not be eating enough and have slowed down your metabolism. Do you eat your calories plus your exercise calories?
  • VanessaMFaulkner
    VanessaMFaulkner Posts: 82
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    Sounds like you aren't getting enough "good" oils & not enough water. Also, a good herbal tea every couple of days keeps things moving without having to push out "rocks" lol ;) Make sure you're eating enough healthy oils (olive oil, fish oils) I've noticed when o eat right if I don't eat my oils & get lots of water...I get backed up.
  • sbrBirdy
    sbrBirdy Posts: 224 Member
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    I believe the OP is saying things are moving along fine... just infrequently.

    I knew a girl in college - tiny thing. She pooped about once a week, everything was normal when she did go. Doc told her she was just efficient with her food and digestion and wasn't concerned.
  • 19danno77
    19danno77 Posts: 84
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    I believe the OP is saying things are moving along fine... just infrequently.

    I knew a girl in college - tiny thing. She pooped about once a week, everything was normal when she did go. Doc told her she was just efficient with her food and digestion and wasn't concerned.

    Exactly...my diet is 40-50% fat with LOADS of almonds, walnuts, & pecans, avacados, olive & canola oil. I drink probably close to 60 oz of hydrating fluids/day and pee clear/light yellow so I don't suspect dehydration--also drinking crystal lite, coffee and Coke Zero. Fiber intake is right about the MFP recomendation but can't tell for sure since I don't input non-oiled/uncooked vegetables. And yeah and as my friend Birdy said, things are moving just fine...it's just odd that insoluble fiber (cellulose in leafy veggies) and hulls from corn/nuts/beans are no longer visible. Is mechanical action breaking them up? Are things going so slow my colon flora is fully metabolizing insoluble fiber? OMG I'm becoming a ruminant!!!
  • peacemongernc
    peacemongernc Posts: 253 Member
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    Hmmm... I don't know what to think about this. I've heard that in societies that eat no processed foods, that food travels their entire GI system in much less time than it takes for us to do the same thing, and that they go everyday. However, I don't know anyone who ever lived in a society like that, so I've never asked anyone about personal experience.

    However, I know that frequent pooping is not required in order to be a healthy human being. Babies who are 100% breastfed, with no supplements of any kind, when they are between 2 months old and whenever they start eating from other food sources, it isn't unusual for them to go once a week. It seems to be different between different people/babies. Some still go every day... many go every 2 to 3 days. My 2nd son was going about once every 6 to 10 days at that age. It is because the breastmilk is almost completely bio-available and it gets used up. A common finding among moms who have once-a-weekers is that when it finally happens, it is... an event. It requires planning.

    So, I don't know if that means anything or not, but it is what I thought of when I read your post. I'm just fascinated by the fact that you eat so many nuts and yet they digest so well. I'm betting this is a good thing. I'd love to hear what your doctor has to say about this when you go!!

    Shannon

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