To ask you about your bowel movements

[Shiftinglard]

I have been doing myfitnesspal calorie counting for six weeks now. This has resulted in a much healthier diet with lots more fruit and veg. And weight loss of 19lb so far.

However I am only having a poo every 3-4 days. I used to go daily pre-diet. And they are really big. I weighed before and after pooing the other day and I was half a pound lighter after not obsessed at all

This has also resulted in trumpiness between poos, fortunately I have a dog and ensure she is always in the room when I feel a trump fest coming on, so I can blame her.

Is this frequency normal? Anyone else on a diet able to share their experience?

As long as you're not in discomfort then it's ok although I'd have thought a healthier diet would make you go more.

I'm a once a day kind of girl, like clockwork. I get panicky if I don't go daily!

Well done on the weight loss!

I think drinking wine (alcohol) in the evening means you are more likely to go the next day. Have you cut back on alcohol as this might explain it.

Yes major cutback on wine, perhaps that's it.

Not in discomfort apart from embarrassment of trumps!

Please don't be the poo troll.

Psyllium husks - powder stuff that you can get at health food shops and chemists - provides natural fibre that may help. Also (depending on your diet) grapes, sweetcorn, broad beans (with skin) will provide fibre.

Thanks narked, I can assure you I am not the poo troll!

Drink more water.

I understand there's no 'right and wrong' when it comes to how often we poo. Just as long as you're not in discomfort.

Drink loads of water. Up to 2 lts a day. That will keep everything 'pliable'. Maybe move it along faster?

For a gentle clear out may i suggest syrup of figs (boots and health shops). All natural. Go easy though and start with just the one teaspooon of it! Work up not down on the amount you take :) I take this once a week while low carbing.

Very simply, poo is waste. If you are eating more healthily and smaller portions then you will have less waste to get rid of. Are you drinking lots of water? Do you eat cereals daily in some form? I love talking poo! When you do go, how is it? Formed? Hard? Soft? A log or rabbit droppings?

I am drinking plenty of water, 2-3 litres a day. Syrup of figs sounds quite potent. I was also worried infrequent poos might affect weight loss.

Might it be that all that healthy stuff is a shock to the system? My body would probably disown me. Are you doing exercise too? It will probably sort itself out eventually. As fluffy says keep the water up.

Kitty, I have bran flakes almost every day. My pops are a lovely type 4, completely normal.

Yes I am exercising, I walk at least 45 minutes a day with the long suffering dog- at least one of the benefits of being large is that walking uses up loads of calories heaving your bulk around!

Pops = poo haha iPhone fail!!

nothing gets things moving faster than prunes.....be warned

I'm not dieting so can't offer any useful advice here, but I just wanted to say no, YANBU to start a poo discussion. Assuming you are not the poo troll of course. I've had a grandparent on both sides die of bowel cancer. My grandma left it late to go to the GP because she was embarrassed: had she gone earlier they might have been able to do more for her. Women are far too often ashamed to talk about this stuff to each other. Pooing is a vital part of good health and we need to be conscious of that. I love talking about poo!

Does prune juice have the same effect?

Yep!

Syrup of figs can be potent i learnt the hard way!

Seriously - one teaspoon in the evening just makes you 'go' the next morning. Nothing explosive ...

I just hate the bloated feeling i get if i havn't been for a day or two. In my case it's lack of fiber on my diet. But i am loosing weight - so it's worth it.

Are you low carbing? I never, ever had a crap when I did Atkins

Sounds all fine then. I really wouldn't worry. Good luck with your goal and well done with what you've achieved so far. Is this an app you are using? I've lost 17lbs but still need to shift 2stone really to be back to before baby weight. Still breastfeeding so difficult and about to start trying to conceive next month.

Not low carbing. Am calorie counting with myfitnesspal so pretty much eating a normal diet but am bulking out meals with veg as they are low cal. Have cut back on sugary snacks, crisps and alcohol.

My diet consists mainly of fruit, veg and meat and I don't poo daily either.

Every other day if im lucky. I drink plenty, do exercise, my poo is usually hard apart from when I eat kiwi - it seems to be a natural laxative for me'n

I never, ever fart when on Atkins

Kitty I am using an app myfitnesspal although you can get it on android or pc. There was a thread in the MN diet boards. I have a lot of friends from MN on myfitnesspal as you can have anew seed with friends. There are a few BFing, they get an extra 500 cals a day. I had 60lb to lose so am a third of the way.

Gah - new seed = newsfeed !