On all of my blogs, there are three ‘Ps’ I never talk about – pee, poop and penises. Today, however, I’m going to make an exception on this blog.

And not with the fun “P” either.

Constipation is defined medically as “having a bowel movement fewer than three times per week”. It also ranges from recent onset to chronic and has multiple causes.

A lot of people think that going daily is the ‘norm’ but people do differ. It’s when you get into the medically defined constipation territory that you run a risk.

Now what does this have to do with anything I usually talk about? Well, I debated about getting into this subject for quite a while before deciding to finally go for it, because I feel it is a valid issue. Plus, I might be thinking about it in a way other people haven’t thought about it: constipation and weight gain/weight loss difficulty.

Think about it. You’re eating all this food. Even if you’re cutting down portion size, you’re still eating. But if you’re not eliminating it, then it’s still all there in your body. Yes, we use calories during the day even if we aren’t doing anything and even more if we are doing things – but do you burn waste products? No. They’re waste products. They’re meant to go out of the body.

But what if you’re going less than three times per week. All the food that isn’t used up is still in your body.

What I’m getting at – without getting too personal, I hope – is that we really need to look at *everything* that is going on with our bodies. It took me months for this to click and make me realize that this is a possible cause for why it’s so easy for me to gain weight but is a beast to lose it.

I’m not setting out to create an excuse for myself, but I do want to make sure I’m doing this right. That means all my systems need to be in balance and it’s obvious that at least one is not.

If you have any concerns about anything going on with your body – no matter how embarrassing – be sure to bring it up with your doctor. You never know – it just might be the missing piece you’ve been trying to figure out.