Warning: do not continue to read this post if you are squeamish and/0r are
easily upset.
I am about to reveal the sad sad truth about my oatmeal consumption.
During the first 30 days of my weight loss program, I ate oatmeal pretty
much everyday. I was proud of myself, too. It takes time to prepare,
and somehow I found the time. It’s healthy and it kicked my energy into
gear for the day, which I really loved! I felt great!!
But then something odd started to happen… (squeamish people- I told
you to stop reading…) my bowel movements started to become painful.
Then, I clogged one of our three toilets. Very effectively. It was like I
shoved cement down the pipes. We fixed that toilet, then I clogged
one of the other toilets. And then another. I clogged all the toilets in
our home (thankfully not all at once). And I thought it was just from
breastfeeding and crappy plumbing in this old house (not my own
crappy plumbing- OH, I’m so funny I can’t stand it).
Then our power went out (not my fault!!), and we relocated to my
mother in law’s home. And I clogged her toilet, too. She has good toilets
that work well all of the time. So that took out the crappy plumbing
theory (in our house).
I took a closer look at what I was eating
(mentally!) and came up with the Oatmeal Theory. Oatmeal was
making me poop cement. It hurt and I was breaking down perfectly
good toilets. I had to stop! I quit the oatmeal, and I went to the pharmacy.
Told them the issue, and that I was breast feeding, and asked what I
could take. They said no drugs- drink prune juice.
Have you ever tasted prune juice? It isn’t great. It isn’t terrible, but
it isn’t great. Anyway, it’s been 5 days since I killed my MIL’s toilet,
and things are loosening up a bit. I am at a loss for what to eat for
breakfast. I got some Kashi Autumn Harvest Cereal, and I like it
but it makes me feel bloated and tired. I tried fruit salad with low
fat organic yogurt, and that doesn’t give me any energy either.
Tomorrow, if the child lets me, I will try eggs.
I will say this, I don’t think oatmeal is completely to blame for
the downfall of the toilets. I think it was just too much of a good
thing. So when I get settled into a new breakfast routine over
here I will slowly add the oatmeal back in. It’s still super healthy
and it still gives me energy. But I will consume it NO MORE than
once every other day.
So what’s the moral of the story? It IS possible to get too much of
a good thing. Switch up your food choices for variety and health.
I know this was WAY TMI, so judge me if you will, but I think it
was important to disclose this information since I spent 30 days
encouraging people to follow in my footsteps. Here is where I went
wrong. Learn from my mistake and keep your own plumbing in tiptop
shape!
Your Fitness Coach,
Miranda Zukowski
Good read Mir! I always have to change up my breakfast — I really love a whole wheat English muffin with a tablespoon of chive cream cheese and lox. I also like egg whites with turkey bacon and half of an avocado. Sometimes, it’s a Chobani with granola. Cereal is usually once a week: and sometimes I’m in the mood for a protein shake. I don’t have oatmeal as often as I probably should. Variety is the spice of life! Xoxo
hi, miranda,
i went through something similar, and decided to limit my oat consumption. i was so used to having either a cold cereal of oats or corn, or hot oatmeal, for breakfast, but when i looked into it, i decided it might not be the best for me. i’ve switched recently to grinding up a couple tablespoons of flax seeds and hemp seeds, adding some water and letting it sit and gel for a few minutes, also adding in chia seeds, almond butter, sometimes a little pumpkin, cinnamon, a little maple syrup, and some dried fruit like prunes or apricots or raisins, chopped up small, and some wheatgrass powder. then i microwave the bowl of mush (my family thinks i’m nuts) for a minute, and add a tiny bit of coconut milk and frozen raspberries, and yummmmm… it’s like oatmeal, but no oats. mushy, warm, comforting, and feels very healthy to me. sometimes i’ll have eggs in the morning, too, or instead, but i’m also experimenting with that. in any case, please let me know if you try this crazy concoction, and what you think!
take care,
jill
I’ve had that problem too. How much water are you drinking daily? Constipation generally comes from not consuming enough water, especially if you’re eating something as absorbent as oatmeal. Drink more water and I guarantee your problems will dissipate.
At the time- 72 ounces a day. Wasn’t the water. It could have been hormones.
Fiber. Totally the fiber. That’s what’s to blame.