Hi Rose,

I’m definitely not an expert, but I was told if I eat some marshmallows in advance of a bag change it will slow my output. Not the healthiest option though.  😂

In my experience, bagels are slow to go through me. Also a good snack that goes sort of slow for me is banana slices with peanut butter. And that would be a good energy boost with some protein too. 

Anything with dairy goes pretty fast, so I would avoid those. Also fresh produce, for me, goes pretty fast. Except the bananas. 😂

I would think high protein things, like jerky or nuts would be slow, but you need to be very careful with things that are known to be blockage triggers. 

Good question!!  I’m interested to see what other people suggest. 😀

Hi Rose, I can see where you are coming from, but keeping a regular eating pattern is best. Will an iliostomy eating a high calorie meal and then fasting will cause a high output which is very watery. I would make provision for emptying on the trip. I work outside and sometimes never near a toilet. It’s amazing how you can learn to adapt.

Posted by: @rosepritchard

I think I read somewhere here that you can help deal with the prospect of having a lot of output at an inconvenient time by fuelling with high-calorie but low volume food instead of the usual diet.

If I absolutely need to "stop" my output for a planned situation then I tend to fast the night before or the morning of depending on when I need things to settle down. I don't recommend this for most people, especially if you aren't used to fasting, but it has worked for me. 

One side-effect is that I tend to get more liquid output when this happens, but not enough to require me to empty my bag as often as I would with regular output. 

Generally speaking, starchy foods are going to thicken up and slow down your output, so perhaps that's what you were thinking of? The unfortunate consequence of eating more starchy foods is that it may bulk up your output, so you may not actually be outputting less, just maybe less often. 

Hi all

Thank you so much for all the different perspectives on this. 

Liza - I love the sound of the banana slices with peanut butter! 

My output is generally thick, and I think quite slow, although that’s difficult for me to judge because I don’t know how fast food goes through other people. But I guess the answer for me is to address what is essentially my fear of having to empty my bag when there’s no toilet available. If I’m honest, that’s the issue behind my question and it’s something I will have to deal with myself.

Best wishes to all on this brilliant website.

Hi Rose

There is what they call a low residue diet. The medic sometime recommend to reduce the amount of fibre and there by reduce the volume of output. If you look that up it might help you chose  what you eat at inconvenient times

Hi Rose, Lots of great advise here already. Fasting, high protein low volume etc. Small meals. 

Also it might help to start a food diary. Just log what and when and how much you eat...keep it for as long as it takes to learn enough about how those things effect you. Also water.. as you reduce food amounts you may need more water ( especially in summer), but not so much you get liquid output. My main 'output' usually shows up between 4 and 6 hours of a meal....good thing to learn about your own plumbing.

You will learn! I think we all get more comfortable over time and with experimentation.

Nut butters, avocado, hummus, tofu etc are all great stop gaps for hunger.

And, if you eat dairy ... whole fat GREEK yogurt. Very high in protein.

I must be running at the same speed as Donna 4-6 hours for me too.

... as long as its running smooth and the pipes are clear!

@dona

4 hours seems to be about right for me - during the day. But it is really busy in the early hours of the morning (about 2am onwards for 3 or 4 hours), when I've last eaten anything at 7pm the previous evening! I do have to set my alarm to make sure I wake up a couple of times in time to empty, as I've had a few close calls now. Is this normal? Have I said goodbye permanently to a good night's sleep!

I have a colostomy, so things may be a bit different.  night before  mnt bike or ski races,  I would do the traditional carbo loading- pasta 

it works well to reduce output so my bag isn't filling during morning races. 

vegan, is bulking up universally unwanted by ileo people or is it just matter of personal preference?  for me,  thick typical means less volume, less is preferred

potatoes on the other hand,  produce softer output..

Hi again, Rose.

What now works for me  ( and won't for everyone) is that I generally eat breakfast and lunch only. I have a light snack ( low fiber) around  two in the afternoon and then don't eat until the next morning. You have to keep up some liquids as its easy to become dehydrated.  . By limiting my food intake to about 8 hours a day, I can sleep all night without emptying my bag. I do use the Osto-EZ Vent to release gas ( practically in my sleep) so I don't wake up with a very full  bag of gas.

Good luck. Worth a try? I just chose sleep over food. My system has gotten used to it so I don't feel the hunger in the afternoon and evening.

I do occasionally eat dinner if its a social thing ( fewer of those now durning Covid).

@rosepritchard

Rose, I don’t know if it is normal, but I experience the exact same thing at night. I’m always a little surprised at how much there still is in the morning, 12 hours after eating. I never sleep well, so don’t need to set an alarm. I am always up during the night. 🤨

Posted by: @dogtalkerer

vegan, is bulking up universally unwanted by ileo people or is it just matter of personal preference?  for me,  thick typical means less volume, less is preferred

In my experience, the volume of food consumed usually equals the volume of food out less whatever water content it contained. But it's also important to note that I'm probably eating more fiber than most people, so this would impact how much output I get. 

Hi Rose...I hear you!! lol! I have had an experience of needing to suddenly & desperately empty my pouch & "no washroom" was available.I ended up using three layered together doggie poop bags, each tied as tight as could be & gingerly driving home to rid of my extra unexpected passenger! After a lot of thought, I decided on carrying a large plastic peanut butter container & several ziploc type bags for putting output in in the trunk of my car, then securing in the PB container. The PB container preventing a leak of a whole other kind! Once at a washroom you can empty them then there, by using the zipper or with a sharp pocket knife making a cut in the bag over the toilet bowl.. If your carrying a back back or hours from a washroom, this was the best solution I could come up with at the time! Check with Hollister or Coloplast for samples, as one of them has a solid blue bag zip bag for this kind of a situation to hide contents in. Changing your diet for a day of fun is not going to hurt anything, but beware of what you eat so you can avoid a blockage or an over active gut situation. Consider easting really well a few days ahead and a lighter but energy wise satisfying diet the day of & be sure to stay hydrated! I hope this helps.

Hi Rose. Another option that comes to mind may be liquid nutritional/meal supplements like Ensure. It's just a thought. I have not tried it. Has anyone else tried this approach? 

@fred

Fred, I have used Boost, which is similar to Ensure, to try to boost my protein.  They go through me pretty quickly and definitely are more runny, so for me, I would not drink them at a time I was going to be away from bathrooms for a while. 

@dlkfiretruck

Hi Linda

Many thanks for this. Based on previous input from people I now carry spare disposal bags plus kit etc in my rucksack when I'm out and about, together with a small waterproof carry sack that seals itself, and that I can use to put any used bags in until I can get to a toilet. I haven't yet had to empty while I've been out, but must admit to having had a practice run at home in the bathroom just to see how it would all work! That was quite reassuring as it wasn't as difficult to manage as I thought it would be. It may however be totally different outdoors - I'll have to wait and see!

@dona

Hi Dona

My trouble is that given the choice between sleep and food, I would choose food every time! So I think I probably just need to accept that and learn to live with the consequences! ;-) 

Rose, Hi again. You will find the right balance. I am sure (as the doctors always said) that everyone is a bit different. It might even have to do with gut motility ( or other things I don't know much about either).

During the three years I was sick before my ostomy I couldn't eat or sleep! So anything was an improvement. I do get plenty to eat during the day.

Best of luck with this journey.

Another tip ... stay with sustainable foods... ones you will be able to keep eating in the long run. They should both work for you health wise and satisfy your every desire ( ha!).