How does it work that we eat few times a day, but usually we poop only once?

Is the colon somehow programmed to buffer the waste until the time is up and then dumps it all further?

Got this thought when observing my dog who eats twice a day (morning and evening) and more or less poops twice a day (morning and evening).

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    116
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    I’m no poopologist, but I’ll give it a shot!

    Your output, is incredibly, incredibly, incredibly, dependent on your input.

    People who eat a strict carnivore diet, famously, have very little and infrequent poops.

    People who have a fiber-rich diet, and eat spicy food, think about curries, have frequent and powerful poops.

    People who eat a lot of fat, more fat than they can process, will have more fatty poops. In fact, this is one way to determine if you are eating enough fat in your diet, if your poop is dry and clumpy, you need more fat. If your poop is fatty, you need less fat

    All of this is also moderated by your gut biome, whether it’s changing or fed. If you make any serious diet changes, you can expect an odd pooping schedule for the first week or two. Until your gut biome completely adjusts. I’ve seen a paper where it indicates total gut biome adjustment to a radically new diet can take up to 9 months

    A lot of modern processed food, in order to try to be “healthier”, is difficult, or not impossible, for the body to process. That means it goes from the input to the output very quickly. Lower transit time, is healthier because you’re absorbing less of the nutrients when you’re eating a bad diet, but it means more poop

    On the whole: fat, and protein, are almost totally absorbed by the stomach. Grains, carbohydrates, fiber, anything from a plant, The domain of the intestine… And since these are not perfectly absorbed, they have more outputs.

    Fun fact, poop is brownish, because that is your old blood cells getting removed!!!

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      362 months ago

      I have a medical degree and came here to say something much less comprehensive.

      Please accept your honorary degree in Poopology!

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      102 months ago

      if your poop is dry and clumpy, you need more fat.

      Ok, I’m gonna need info on this. Because it does appear to check out, but I’ve always been told it’s lack of fiber and not enough fluid (which is impressive because I drink my 3-5 liters a day).

      Which also makes me wonder, what am I not eating that has fats in it?

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        92 months ago

        Typically super dry poops mean something is deficient in your diet, so your stomach / gut is really wrangling every last drop it can get from your food. Make sure your eating some highly bioavailable food like liver, eggs to ensure your getting all your micronutrients.

        Fiber can help, but its not necessary, its famous for reducing transit time, it doesn’t fix the first problem, but the poops will be more frequent. (natures broom as some would say)

        If your eating more fat then your gall bladder can provide bile for, the excess makes it into the intestines, resulting in lubricated poops. This is one possible scenario as well.

        If you have other gut issues, like ibs, chrones, lactose intolerance (which happens in lots of adults who don’t even realize it!!!), etc - just removing the irritant can fix the issue. Elimination diets are good ways to experiment with different foods (carnivore is the gold standard elimination diet - often used by people with severe / chronic gut issues)

        I’m not sure how drinking water would really help, assuming your not dehydrated… Perhaps the theory is the water can overwhelm the intestines ability to absorb? Maybe… depends on transit time, overall electrolyte balance, sweat, etc… if your pee is already clear and not yellow at all, you have enough water

        (Again not a poopologist - I swear it on my endoscope, not medical advice, just spit balling)

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          22 months ago

          The dehydration is a consistent problem for me. But, I’m looking into this fats thing. I have IBS-C, and since I started taking Wegovy, it’s gotten much worse, but the fat in my diet has also decreased a ton.

          Which isn’t great because fat can fill you up more than what I used to eat. Unfortunately I can’t stand eggs and liver, it’s a texture thing i don’t really understand.

          One thing I know works very well is any cream pasta sauce. Which makes me think it’s time for experimenting.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            English
            22 months ago

            Wegovy is a massive complicating factor! It has a big impact on your outputs.

            Good luck on finding the right food for you!

    • prole
      link
      fedilink
      English
      82 months ago

      I can confirm that gut biome is big… Back in my 20s, I seemingly wiped mine out halfway through a course of antibiotics, and it took years to get back to something somewhat normal.

      • nocturne
        link
        fedilink
        42 months ago

        I eat mostly meat, starches, and veggies and poop between three and five times a day!

        You sure eat veggies and poop a lot! How many times a day do you eat meats, and starches?

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          32 months ago

          Now that I think about it, I don’t eat a crazy amount of meat! Once a day, usually chicken or beef. Not every day though, especially if I’m hanging out with veggie or vegan friends.

          I eat rice, potato, or noodles multiple times a day! I love rice and pasta soooo much.

          The thing I eat the most is cheese, for sure. I eat tons of cheese every day. But I’ve heard that makes someone poop less? My body is strange hahaha. I drink a lot of beer, so maybe that’s part of it?

  • @De_Narm
    link
    66
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    Everything from 3 times a day to once every 3 days is normal. It depends on how much you eat, how much of it your body can absorb, your fiber intake and some genetic variance too.

    Your intestines aren’t a conveyor belt, things don’t constantly move. There are multiple muscles acting as a valve between different sections. Based on the factors above your body decides when to push stuff to the next section including the exit.

    • @MidsizedSedan
      link
      122 months ago

      I have so many queations… Do you work mornings? Night shift? Maybe work from home?

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        202 months ago

        Nah, I poop when I wake up, then second time after having my coffee and third time before leaving.

        • @MidsizedSedan
          link
          52 months ago

          My poops are after my coffee at 10ish, and after work at 4ish. ._. (Im not dead yet, so i guess im doing fine for now)

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        192 months ago

        I only shit during worktme during the week. No need to waste my free time when i can get payed to shit.

      • Caveman
        link
        52 months ago

        Maybe me works both morning and night shits

      • @thejoker954
        link
        12 months ago

        I usually have to poop 2-3 times after I wake up, the 1st time is usually a dud, then the moment I step out of the bathroom is when things loosen up and I can actually go.

        Then sometimes a 3rd time after I’ve moved around a bit more getting ready.

      • Victor
        link
        142 months ago

        Everybody gets one.

        • ivanafterall ☑️
          link
          English
          122 months ago

          I’m planning to use mine on my 40th birthday. It should make for a really special day.

          • Victor
            link
            52 months ago

            Imagine the dump saved up for 40 years. The relief. Hnnng.

  • @LovableSidekick
    link
    English
    392 months ago

    Cuz we’re generally more full of shit than we like to admit.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    392 months ago

    Who is “we”? Speak for yourself, I usually poop after most meals; if I’ve eaten a lot or very spicy or fatty things, I might even poop more than once for the same meal.

  • @Dasus
    link
    372 months ago

    I don’t usually eat more than once or maybe twice a day but often still take more than one shit.

    Everyone’s bowels are bitty different.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    262 months ago

    Maybe you poop only once. Everything between three times a day and every three days is in the normal range. If you find yourself within this range, congratulations, you are a boring pooper.

    • Optional
      link
      142 months ago

      Important note: it’s good to be a boring pooper

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    262 months ago

    How much you poop is going to vary based both on your body and your diet. Ive read anywhere from 3 times a day to once every 3 days can be normal.

    • TomAwsm
      link
      82 months ago

      You only eat a mouthful per meal?

      • Atemu
        link
        fedilink
        102 months ago

        I generally prefer to not get shit in my mouth at all but you do you.

  • tiredofsametab
    link
    fedilink
    192 months ago

    I’m 2-3 times a day. it was 5+ until we figured out my body hates gluten

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      72 months ago

      Unless you are celiac, its likely FODMAPs your body hates. There is a correllation between the amount of gluten and FODMAPs in food that makes watching gluten get part of the picture, but you’re missing the whole picture and thus likely not completely regular yet. FODMAPs are in most things. Onions are concentrated FODMAPs and so is tomato sauce.

      My doc gave me this initially https://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-diet-chart/ but there are others you should cross reference for more food item coverage.

      I have to admit. Onions, garlic and mushrooms were haaaaard to remove. Ive turned to Miso and a lot of japanese and thai food with the onions removed from any recipes to get this right.

      But now I’m down from 5 poops to 1 poop a day.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        3
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        Additionally “FODMAP” is a huge umbrella.

        Most people don’t have issues with every type in that umbrella. A full FODMAP diet is usually too restrictive for people to get the most out of their diet, and isn’t recommended for most. Ideally you go full FODMAP for a month, then start reintroducing foods until you know which kinds bother you.

        Sometimes it can be as simple as eliminating sugar alcohols for the lucky.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          12 months ago

          Yep. I found I could handle the little bit of blackened onion required for making Pho broth, but a traditional french mire poix 50/25/25 mix of onion/celery/carrot is far too much and we needed to get creative with green onion and leek in place of white onion and celery. Generally we use asian broths and soups more now. I cannot have my favoured sauteed mushrooms anymore but some mushroom based umami bomb in a soup or on a piece of meat is ok in small doses, and I can handle some tomato sauce once or twice a month, but not with onion in it, and no more pizza.

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        22 months ago

        I admire your abilities. I still have to learn how to cook without garlic or onion. I keep saying ‘this is the last one’ but now I’m feeling like one of those smokers who can’t quit.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          22 months ago

          As @[email protected] brought up in his comment, the FODMAP umbrella is huge and everyone is a bit different. Its a process of removing them all and then adding things back slowly and carefully, trying them multiple times to see and test your tolerances. Also, white onion and the white parts of green onions and leeks are bad, but the green parts are ok and much lower in fodmap, so you can get onion flavour other ways. Green pepper is another one that can be combined to give this flavour with a lower fodmap footprint.

          • @[email protected]
            link
            fedilink
            32 months ago

            At one point I laid out the plan to isolate my trigger foods, but I’ve never been in a stable enough place that I can be picky eating. Working roasting shifts, moving around etc, makes it a pain to take care of my diet. I’m closer now to stability, but I’m going to university 30-40 hours a week and working 35-45 hours on top of that. Eating is more of a calorie thing than a thing i plan to do.

            • @[email protected]
              link
              fedilink
              English
              12 months ago

              I can empathize. I left it for so long my medical health dictated I do it or I don’t work… so. There’s that.

      • @Ledivin
        link
        22 months ago

        I’d be more miserable without that food than I am with gastro issues. Fuck that.

      • Paige
        link
        fedilink
        22 months ago

        I’m about to try this diet to get to the bottom of it, but I think onions/garlic seem to be a problem. It’s not that bad a condition, but I’d like to at least be able to know when I’m signing up for indigestion.

  • @betahack
    link
    192 months ago

    no poop knife for this guy, amiright?!

  • Mister Neon
    link
    172 months ago

    Once a day? You’re not eating enough fiber.