Hack my poop schedule

September 15, 2022 8:56 AM

A combination of stimulant medication and work stress on weekdays makes things move through my digestive tract verrry quickly. I usually don't go at all on weekends. This cycle happens like clockwork. I know this isn't ideal from a health standpoint, but this question isn't about that. What I want to know is this: when is the best point in the week for me to eat healthy or unhealthy food to optimize for the most benefit?
posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

I'm not sure what you are asking. The best time to eat healthy is as often as you can do it. I try to eat a smoothie with a teaspoon of psyllium fiber and a teaspoon of chia seeds (small doses, btw) every morning (along with 2 or 3 fruit servings). As a result, regular poops on schedule every morning (drink lots of water.)
posted by Bee'sWing at 9:23 AM on September 15, 2022

I'm not clear about what you're asking. In general, if you don't poop on weekends, take some psyllium fiber on Friday & Saturday, you can drink metamucil or take capsules.

You might want to be screened for IBS, and learn to gauge fiber content of various foods effectively. If you eat a good amount of fiber, your body should adjust.
posted by theora55 at 9:38 AM on September 15, 2022

Yeah, what even are "healthy" or "unhealthy" foods in this context? Are you worried about pooping out vitamins? Are you hoping to poop out extra calories?
posted by mskyle at 9:48 AM on September 15, 2022

If you have Irritable Bowel, you most likely should avoid raw vegetables. Vegetables should be well-cooked and soft so as not irritate. You may want to check the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, designed for inflamed bowel, by the author of Food and the Gut Reaction, Elaine Gottschall. It will tell you everything you need to know.
posted by Enid Lareg at 10:09 AM on September 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

If this is related to calorie absorption (like you want to eat the junk on the days you poop so that you don't absorb the calories), I've read that most calorie absorption happens in the esophagus/stomach so it doesn't matter if it sits in your colon for days or comes out immediately, it's still gonna count.

(I also have the same schedule as you -- consistent on weekdays, nothing on weekends -- and my primary care doctor said I could use Miralax indefinitely if I wanted to. Instead I take a powdered psyllium every day but the weekend issue remains. First world problems....)
posted by jabes at 10:48 AM on September 15, 2022

If you want to poop less, the search term is "binding" food. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast are popular items (the BRAT diet) for helping when one has diarrhea. Bagels do the trick for many people.

If you want to poop on weekends, Metamucil's your man.
posted by The corpse in the library at 11:47 AM on September 15, 2022

No, pooping right after a meal does not mean you're not digesting the food or absorbing the nutrients. Sadly, this is not a free pass to eat unhealthy or higher calorie foods and not have them 'count'.

What you are experiencing is a normal colonic response. It is normal for your colon to begin contracting after a meal, causing you to feel the urge to poop. The poop is from a previous meal, not from the food you just ate.
posted by ananci at 11:52 AM on September 15, 2022 [2 favorites]

There seems to be some confusion; maybe you could ask a mod to post a follow-up. Do you want to do something about your poop situation? Or are you wondering if you can eat junk food at certain times and have no consequences?
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:19 PM on September 15, 2022