The poo question

[littlemiss]

This is a rather delicate question and I hope no one is offended by me asking..

This is for people on maintenance - or have been on maintenance, I realize that when we are on the programme, things are rather different.

How many times do you poo in a week?

I've never really noticed but pre-Cohen's I don't go to the toilet a lot - certainly not every day! So when I was on Cohen itself, not pooing for many days was not an issue because I was already used to it. But I got curious when I read the numerous worries posted on the board about the lack of poo (hmm how many times can I say poo in one post?)

I never took a detox tea ever during the Cohen programme because I didn't want to influence the nature of the weight loss at all. However, after refeeding, I did feel rather bloated and took it a couple of times and it certainly helped move things in the right direction. But I don't want to be dependent on it either. I've tried bananas (now you understand why I eat a lot of bad fruit!), etc... but nothing works better than the detox tea that I DON'T want to be dependent on - for reasons including becoming incontinent at an older age! The side-effects are not worth it.

I do eat carbs in very small amounts every day, so I'm not eating just a protein and veg diet. And lots of fruits (apples, bananas, local fruit). I drink green tea at least 2x a day. But I just can't poo regularly. Now that I'm smaller, it is more of a problem with me because I do feel constipated and bit bloated at times.

Would love to hear your thoughts, and also what you do to get the bowels moving!

[louise41]

Little Miss, everyone is different. When I was nursing it was a question we used to aske people in hospital. Most people seem to go most days but some people only every second or third day. When you eat less you will definitely go less as there is less waste to dispose of. It is not only how often you go that you need to consider but whether it is soft or hard. Soft and formed is the ideal. Eating fibre rich foods and drinking water plus exercise help. I found I was bloated on refeed when I reintroduced breads and I learnt that there were some things my body did not really like and I stopped eating them. With the breads I found those without preservatives were better like the bergen. good luck!

[littlemiss]

Thank you for your thoughtful response, Louise.

I make my own bread, so there are no preservatives but I wonder now that perhaps I don't digest wheat very well. I do think I eat enough fibre a day (at least 2 apples a day! I'm addicted). And I still drink over 2 litres of water daily.

Will have to go without bread for a few days and see how I fare. *sad smiley face*

[louise41]

Sometimes its trial and error to see what suits your body and its by one by one adding or subtracting things from you diet that you notice the effect they have on you personally

[carrieanne_c]

Oh good, poop! one of my favorite topics! I was always super regular one a day pooper during my precohens life, same time in the morning, same everything(I won't over share on the details) now in Maintenance when I am good from monday to friday I'll only poo 2 or 3 times a week. Like every other day.sometimes taking a sen tea but I avoid the real laxitive pills. Some one said on here that since we drink more water and eat less wasteful food more waste goes out in pee as well as we don't put as much waste product in our bods in the first place.

When I am bad on the weekends and I have red wine or other baddy stuff I poo like in the old days. I don't feel bloated normally during good cohens food days but it is a mental thing knowing that tina terd and her friends are lodged inside. blech

[mcpsych]

I reckon if our stats dudes did an analsis carianne c would lead the poo posts by at least 2 to 1
( coprophilia is alive and well on the forum) hehe

[littlemiss]

ahahahaha (mark) thank you for your honest response, carrieanne! This helps lots! I swear this forum has made me so poo-aware..

My sis (non-Cohen's) goes daily (I asked) and so does my boyfriend (err... we lived together at some point). But I do think they eat more crap than I do. My sis shot back when I said that I wasn't a daily pooper - "you're not eating the right things". People are still having a knee-jerk reaction about this programme! But I feel better now, knowing that Carrieanne, poo-lover, only goes 2-3 times a week.

[mcpsych]

i took some time to think about this and i have found a sort of pattern
after the initial major weight loss over the first two months ( when i was still going daily)
changed to irregular e.g.1 day, 2 days sometimetimes every third.
now there seems to be a different pattern where
if i miss one 2 days i will go 2 days
if i miss 3 i will go the next 3
not a perfect pattern but generally fits the carianne-c "Poonami Model"- yes it now has an official title and will be recognised in the literature for all time
laughs maniacally

[sundaymorningstaple]

Pretty crappy subject. But I've been a once in the morning person since I don't know when. Before the programme, during the programme and till today. Only difference is the quantum and the accompanying methane outbursts (reduced considerably to almost completely nil during the programme. Not too often in maintenance unless I start eating white starches (rare - the occasional batter dipped UFO).

[mcpsych]

sms you are just a regular kinda guy eh.
in maintenance do you do rice- if so how much how often, what effect

[Alibaba]

I definitely went less whilst on Cohens for obvious reasons (i.e., eating less). When studying physiology I learned that anything from 3 times a day to every 3rd day is "normal". I do find that if I've eaten loads of fatty foods and had some wine e.g., over a weekend it's definitely "looser". Try eating wholegrains, but it does make some people feeling bloated. You get fibers and stuff that you can drink that is natural, like the stuff they advise us to use whilst on Cohens. I saw a program on TV once where an oversized woman only went once in 3 weeks. Obviously that can't be normal. Else, don't worry about when and how often as long as it happens regularly (at least twice a week) I'd say it's fine.
Not that anyone wants to know this, but I had diarrhoea for 6 (!!!) weeks while I was pregnant. It was really loose, like in watery and I had to run up to 10 times a day. I promise you. I had it really really bad, I thought I wouldn't survive the pregnancy. Luckily it got much better after 18 weeks.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I don't do white starches at all if I can help it. No rice, bread, potatoes or pasta. I will have the occasional wrap at Subway but that's very rare and the odd bit of cake now & again (birthdays) but most of my carbs now come from other vegetables & fruits. I also don't use sugar or salt anymore and rarely oyster sauce or soy sauces (way, way to salty now that I now longer have any salt dependencies) I actually gave up salt when I started the programme even though I didn't have to. It was well worth it. I can't believe how much flavour fresh foods have naturally. Most of us have had our taste buds totally whacked since childhood!

[mcpsych]

Candidate for sainthood hehe

[littlemiss]

Loving the responses, guys! Keep it coming

[jlou]

Mark I reckon another 39.6kg time you might be thinking the same as SMS....

I suffer from IBS so won't weigh into this crappy discussion

[mcpsych]

aw cmon jlou- we havent even got to texture and colour yet- your intimate knowledge of IBS should edify us all - Carpe Faece

[ConnieK..]

Not to mention the float or sink argument Mark... I mean the possibilities for conversation are endless.

Connie

[Kohinoor]

Hi Mark,

WHAT are you asking us to seize ????

Carpe Faece

PASS !!!

Koh

[mcpsych]

Pass ? Indeed, this too shal pass

[giddyupgirl]

Boy has this conversation taken a serious nose dive. Is there any other forum out there where it is quite normal to talk about the finer points of bowel movements. And that is not an invitation to discuss fetish forums either Mark. That is definitely not appropriate for polite, or even impolite company.