The Constipation Code

Little steps help you reach bigger goals. October has always seemed a great month to me to make changes. It’s before the holidays and after summer we’ve gotten into new routines and it’s important to think about what’s working and what’s not. One of my biggest mantras is simple changes, better choices if that was your only goal for the month think of how much you could achieve. I’ll be here every day working alongside you. Let me know when the comments what little change you want to make.

Why do I have to P**P as soon as I start EXERCISING?

You put on your sneakers, start your workout and suddenly your gut decides NOW would be the perfect time to p**p. 🙄

There are actually several reasons movement can trigger a bowel movement.

Exercise stimulates your body—including your digestive tract. Walking, running and other physical activity can encourage intestinal contractions and help move stool and gas through the colon.

And if you exercise in the morning, there may be even more going on.

Your colon is naturally more active after waking, and eating breakfast or drinking coffee can activate the gastrocolic reflex—the signal that tells your colon to start moving after food enters your stomach.

Add physical activity on top of that and suddenly you may have the perfect combination to create the urge to GO.

That’s also one reason I’m such a fan of movement for people struggling with constipation and sluggish gut motility.

But pay attention to the pattern.

If exercise consistently gives you sudden urgency, diarrhea, cramping or abdominal pain—or you find yourself planning every workout around the nearest bathroom—that deserves a closer look.

Your bowel habits are giving you information.

And sometimes the difference between “I can’t p**p” and “I NEED TO P**P RIGHT NOW” is simply what finally got your colon moving.

Follow me for more Embarrassing Gut Health Questions No One Wants to Ask—because apparently even your workout can turn into a p**p story.

Why do I fart SO MUCH more at night?

If you feel relatively normal in the morning but by evening you’re bloated, gassy and wondering what happened to your stomach…there’s actually a reason this can happen.

Gas can build throughout the day as your digestive system processes everything you’ve eaten.

Your gut bacteria ferment certain carbohydrates and fibers—and one of the byproducts of that fermentation is GAS.

So that giant salad at lunch, the apple you had as a snack, the beans with dinner, your fiber supplement…even foods that are considered incredibly “healthy” can contribute to more gas later in the day.

But food isn’t the only thing I think about.

If things are moving slowly through your digestive tract, there may be more time for fermentation. That’s why some people who struggle with constipation and slow gut motility also notice increasing bloating and gas as the day goes on.

Other things can contribute too:

→ Eating quickly and swallowing air
→ Carbonated drinks
→ Sugar alcohols and certain artificial sweeteners
→ Suddenly increasing your fiber intake
→ Food intolerances
→ Changes in your gut microbiome
→ Constipation or incomplete bowel movements

And sometimes you simply NOTICE your gas more at night because you’re finally sitting still instead of running around all day.

Occasional farting is NORMAL. Everyone produces intestinal gas.

But if you’re ending every day painfully bloated, passing excessive gas, waking up gassy, or noticing a significant change from what’s normal for YOU, don’t automatically assume you just need to stop eating fiber.

Look at the pattern.

When does the gas start? What did you eat beforehand? Are you constipated? Does the bloating disappear overnight? Are certain foods consistently triggering it?

Those clues can tell you a lot about what’s happening in your digestive system.

Follow me for more Embarrassing Gut Health Questions No One Wants to Ask—because apparently we’re talking about farting now too. 😂

When your p**p smells like ROTTEN EGGS…but you’re still blaming it on fiber. 👀

Yes, certain high-fiber foods can make you gassier. But that unmistakable sulfur smell is often related to hydrogen sulfide gas produced when gut bacteria break down sulfur-containing compounds.

Foods like eggs, meat, dairy and cruciferous vegetables can contribute—but what matters is the PATTERN.

If the smell is persistent and you’re also dealing with bloating, excessive gas, diarrhea, constipation or abdominal discomfort, I’d start looking beyond “I ate too much fiber.”

Your stool odor can be influenced by your diet, digestion, gut transit time, microbiome and how well you’re breaking down and absorbing food.

One unusually smelly p**p? Probably not something to obsess over.

P**p that consistently smells dramatically different from YOUR normal—especially with other digestive symptoms? That’s information worth paying attention to.

Your p**p gives you clues. You just have to know how to read them.

Follow me for more answers to the embarrassing gut health questions nobody wants to ask.

**pTalk

If you drink coffee first thing in the morning and STILL can’t go… read this.

Coffee can absolutely stimulate a bowel movement—but it can’t fix everything that might be slowing your p**p down.

For many people, eating or drinking in the morning activates the gastrocolic reflex—your stomach basically signals your colon that something new is coming in and it’s time to make room. Coffee can make that response even stronger.

So if you’re drinking coffee every morning, waiting for the magic to happen…and NOTHING does, I want you to look at the bigger picture.

Your colon still needs the right conditions to move stool through and get it OUT.

Things I’d look at include:

→ Are you drinking enough water throughout the day?

→ Are you getting enough fiber—especially soluble fiber that helps stool hold water and form properly?

→ Are you eating enough food to actually create adequate stool bulk?

→ Are you moving your body? Walking and exercise can support normal gut motility.

→ Are you ignoring the urge to p**p when it DOES show up?

→ Are you sitting on the toilet and straining instead of waiting for a true urge?

→ Is your stool getting all the way to the re**um but then becoming difficult to evacuate? That can point us toward a completely different issue than slow transit.

And there’s another piece people often miss: your morning routine starts the night before.

Hydration, food intake, fiber, movement, stress, sleep and your overall digestive function all influence what happens when you sit down the next morning.

Coffee can provide a trigger.

It cannot compensate for an underlying reason your bowels aren’t moving normally.

If you’ve become dependent on coffee just to have a bowel movement—or coffee doesn’t work anymore—stop asking:

“What else can I take to make myself p**p?”

Start asking:

“WHY am I constipated in the first place?”

That question is exactly why I wrote The Constipation Code: The Eight Hidden Factors Blocking Your Bowels and How to Eliminate Them Forever.

I walk you through the hidden factors that can contribute to constipation so you can start understanding WHY you’re not p**ping normally—and what you can do about it.

📖 Get your copy of The Constipation Code through the link in my bio.

Why do I feel NAUSEOUS right before I have to P**P?

It sounds strange, but your stomach, intestines, colon and nervous system are constantly communicating with each other.

When your colon and re**um start contracting and filling before a bowel movement, those signals can activate your autonomic nervous system. In some people, a stronger vagal response can cause nausea, sweating, lightheadedness, cramping—or that sudden “I need to get to the bathroom NOW” feeling.

Your gastrocolic reflex can play a role too. Eating can stimulate movement throughout the digestive tract, which is why some people notice nausea, abdominal cramping and an urgent need to p**p shortly after a meal.

Occasional mild nausea that disappears after a bowel movement may simply be part of your body’s response to intestinal movement. But frequent or severe nausea—especially with significant abdominal pain, vomiting, blood in your stool, fainting, fever, unexplained weight loss or a major change in bowel habits—deserves a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Your bowel movements can give you important clues about digestion, motility and what’s happening throughout your gut.

This is exactly the kind of connection I teach in The Constipation Code—my guide to understanding the hidden factors that can contribute to constipation and difficult bowel movements, so you can start figuring out WHY your gut is behaving the way it is.

📖 Find The Constipation Code through the link in my bio or on Amazon.

And follow me for more answers to the embarrassing gut health and p**p questions nobody wants to ask.

If you’re wiping…and wiping…and somehow STILL wiping, your p**p may be giving you a clue.

Ideally, a bowel movement should be formed enough to pass cleanly without leaving a lot behind. When stool is too soft, sticky or poorly formed, it can leave residue around the re**um and make you feel like you need half the roll of toilet paper to get clean.

A few things can influence stool consistency: how quickly food is moving through your digestive tract, the amount and type of fiber you’re eating, hydration, fat digestion, changes in your gut microbiome and even how completely you’re emptying your bowels.

And here’s something people don’t always connect: if you frequently feel like there’s still p**p left after you go, have messy or sticky stools, need to wipe excessively, strain to p**p, or have to return to the bathroom shortly afterward, those patterns are worth paying attention to.

Your p**p can tell you a LOT about digestion, bowel motility and gut health—you just have to know what you’re looking at.

That’s exactly why I wrote The Constipation Code. I break down the hidden reasons behind constipation and difficult bowel movements—and teach you how to start identifying what may be getting in the way of better, more complete p**ps.

📖 Get your copy of The Constipation Code through the link in my bio or on Amazon.

And follow me for more straight answers to the embarrassing gut health and p**p questions nobody wants to ask.

That feeling usually means your first bowel movement didn’t completely empty your re**um or colon.

You p**p, feel finished, get up…and 10 minutes later your body is telling you there’s MORE.

This can happen when stool moves through in stages, your colon isn’t moving efficiently, or your pelvic floor and re**um aren’t coordinating well enough to fully empty the first time. Stool consistency matters too—especially if your p**p is too soft, sticky, hard, or broken into smaller pieces.

And yes, this is one reason some people p**p 2–3 times every morning before they finally feel DONE.

If this happens regularly, pay attention to the pattern. Frequent incomplete bowel movements, constipation, straining, bloating, or constantly feeling like there’s still p**p left can give you important clues about what’s happening with your digestion and bowel motility.

I talk about the embarrassing gut and p**p questions nobody wants to ask—so you don’t have to.

Follow me for more answers about constipation, bowel movements, gut health and what your p**p may be trying to tell you.