Question about Normal Bowel Movement frequency

[Lyndzie]

Berween me and my two kids, we have very different bathroom habits. One kid poops 3-4 times a day, has a 12 hour transit time, and is in and out if the bahroomnin no time. The other kid goes once a day, a ridiculous amount, stays in the bathroom for 10 minutes (which is really reflective of the amount more than anything), and has a 24 hour transit time. I go 2-3 times a day, have a 36 hour transit time, and am done extremely quickly as well. I eat the most compliant of all of us.

This is just to say that we’re all a little different but within the scope of “normal.” It’s especially interesting because we eat very similarly, yet our bodies handle it differently.

Also, we eat TONS of beets. To each their own! It’s a great way yo get kids to each veggies because it turns their tongues pink.

[geo]

JeffN's SNAP style meals: viewtopic.php?t=10519

And no, my meals are quite starch heavy...in terms of calories...70-80% at least

[verde]

JeffN's SNAP style meals: viewtopic.php?t=10519

And no, my meals are quite starch heavy...in terms of calories...70-80% at least

Thanks for the link to that topic, so cool!

Oh, I always thought the ratio he mentioned was in terms of volume not calories, since we don't count calories?

Anyway, thanks for the input Geo. You didn't mention water intake, but I assume you drink plenty throughout the day, correct?

[verde]

Berween me and my two kids, we have very different bathroom habits. One kid poops 3-4 times a day, has a 12 hour transit time, and is in and out if the bahroomnin no time. The other kid goes once a day, a ridiculous amount, stays in the bathroom for 10 minutes (which is really reflective of the amount more than anything), and has a 24 hour transit time. I go 2-3 times a day, have a 36 hour transit time, and am done extremely quickly as well. I eat the most compliant of all of us.

This is just to say that we’re all a little different but within the scope of “normal.” It’s especially interesting because we eat very similarly, yet our bodies handle it differently.

Also, we eat TONS of beets. To each their own! It’s a great way yo get kids to each veggies because it turns their tongues pink.

Oh interesting! That's truly telling of the range possible on this WOE, I'm surprised that you being the most compliant have the longest transit time, logically it should be the other way? And are both your kids male? Do they eat the same thing? How old are they?
It's so interesting that eating basically the same foods we all work differently inside!

[JeffN]

Berween me and my two kids, we have very different bathroom habits. One kid poops 3-4 times a day, has a 12 hour transit time, and is in and out if the bahroomnin no time. The other kid goes once a day, a ridiculous amount, stays in the bathroom for 10 minutes (which is really reflective of the amount more than anything), and has a 24 hour transit time. I go 2-3 times a day, have a 36 hour transit time, and am done extremely quickly as well. I eat the most compliant of all of us.

This is just to say that we’re all a little different but within the scope of “normal.” It’s especially interesting because we eat very similarly, yet our bodies handle it differently.

Also, we eat TONS of beets. To each their own! It’s a great way yo get kids to each veggies because it turns their tongues pink.

Oh interesting! That's truly telling of the range possible on this WOE, I'm surprised that you being the most compliant have the longest transit time, logically it should be the other way? And are both your kids male? Do they eat the same thing? How old are they?
It's so interesting that eating basically the same foods we all work differently inside!

In my experience, it appears women seem to have a longer transit time. My wife and I eat the same things and my experience is almost identical to Geo's and my wife's is somewhat different, with longer transit times.

In Health
Jeff

[Alessandra8]

Jeff, it's nice to know that you were once part of a community of Raw Food
I'm having a bit of trouble with this change, but I want to do it!

[verde]

In my experience, it appears women seem to have a longer transit time.

I wonder if that's because women tend to eat less (due to less calories required), after all bulk is needed to produce a bowel movement? Or do you think it also has to do with exercise? Do you tend to be more physically active than your counterpart?

[AlwaysAgnes]

In my experience, it appears women seem to have a longer transit time.

I wonder if that's because women tend to eat less (due to less calories required), after all bulk is needed to produce a bowel movement? Or do you think it also has to do with exercise? Do you tend to be more physically active than your counterpart?

Some the difference is probably hormones. They do have an effect on bowels.

[geo]

Oh, I always thought the ratio he mentioned was in terms of volume not calories, since we don't count calories?

You are correct we don't encourage calorie counting at all, rather we encourage eating till comfortably full (satiated). And then eating again when hungry.

And if you use Jeff's healthy eating placemat, then you can visually imagine how much you eat in terms of food types:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=37450

For myself, I'm a numbers guy and so I like thinking in terms of calories, because its easier for me. But I don't need to think about calories anymore. I only did this when I first started out as I was used to it and I could better understand my weightloss and make goals/predictions of my weightloss and keeping on track. Thats the engineer in me, wanting to quantify everything and turn everything into a controllable experiment (thats why I can give you numbers I have).

For the vast majority of people... just eat till your comfortably full and repeat when hungry Let calorie density control your calories without any need for counting them. Understand starches are your calorie dense control for satiation and fruits/veggies are the sides to fill you with more volume and fluids (water). Calories and volume are the 2 best factors to controlling hunger. When you control hunger staying on the program becomes easy and success is only a matter of time.

Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, thanks for the input Geo. You didn't mention water intake, but I assume you drink plenty throughout the day, correct?

Your welcome!

My added water intake throughout the day is actually very low, maybe a glass or two. The reason is that my primary water intake comes from the food I eat. Obviously, on especially hot days or days that I workout heavily, I will drink a little more. But the MWL is so heavy in foods that contain lots of water (the reason for their low calaorie density), that after a while you find that you don't drink lots of water. In point of fact, I generally don't drink anything with my meals any more. This is not a concious effort at all. I just don't get thirsty much anymore...another side effect of the program and the health changes that come from it.

[verde]

Oh, I always thought the ratio he mentioned was in terms of volume not calories, since we don't count calories?

You are correct we don't encourage calorie counting at all, rather we encourage eating till comfortably full (satiated). And then eating again when hungry.

And if you use Jeff's healthy eating placemat, then you can visually imagine how much you eat in terms of food types:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=37450

For myself, I'm a numbers guy and so I like thinking in terms of calories, because its easier for me. But I don't need to think about calories anymore. I only did this when I first started out as I was used to it and I could better understand my weightloss and make goals/predictions of my weightloss and keeping on track. Thats the engineer in me, wanting to quantify everything and turn everything into a controllable experiment (thats why I can give you numbers I have).

For the vast majority of people... just eat till your comfortably full and repeat when hungry Let calorie density control your calories without any need for counting them. Understand starches are your calorie dense control for satiation and fruits/veggies are the sides to fill you with more volume and fluids (water). Calories and volume are the 2 best factors to controlling hunger. When you control hunger staying on the program becomes easy and success is only a matter of time.

Hope that makes sense.

Anyway, thanks for the input Geo. You didn't mention water intake, but I assume you drink plenty throughout the day, correct?

Your welcome!

My added water intake throughout the day is actually very low, maybe a glass or two. The reason is that my primary water intake comes from the food I eat. Obviously, on especially hot days or days that I workout heavily, I will drink a little more. But the MWL is so heavy in foods that contain lots of water (the reason for their low calaorie density), that after a while you find that you don't drink lots of water. In point of fact, I generally don't drink anything with my meals any more. This is not a concious effort at all. I just don't get thirsty much anymore...another side effect of the program and the health changes that come from it.

Thanks! I'm not new to this lifestyle though, so there wasn't a need to reiterate the "rules", I was just curious about why you'd mention calories.
As an overall I know this lifestyle is the healthiest, I myself have been vegan since 1999, started with macrobiotics for 10years, then moved to raw food (low fat high fruit) in 2010 and then to McDougall's in 2014. But I've since developed an issue where I get extremely bloated and uncomfortable, and it's become a big problem for me...foods that I could easily digest,before, now are very problematic. I don't know why this happens, but I'm pretty sure it started when I was on a fruit diet. Although my blood work then was even better (lower cholesterol) than it is now, ironically.
I'm still trying to figure out how to ease my digestion without compromising nutrition, but it's been a very long time without success in doing so.
I wish I knew how. I've tried elimination diet, but it didn't really make a big difference.

[f00die]

try drinking a lot of plain water
like 80 oz water daily
and see what kind of difference,
if any, that makes