# Best time of day to...(tmi?) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 5, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056 "2006-02-05T01:36:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/1 "2006-02-05T01:36:50Z")
Poop? I’ve always believed that regular bowel movements are a good thing. I assume “regular” to mean at about the same time most every day. My routine at work _used_ to be: 9:00 crossword and poop, 9:30 coffee and snack, 9:45 (or so ;)) back to work ready to kick ass. Workstyle changes have required me to set this good habit aside, but now I’m ready to resume. Anyway, is there, physiologically, a best time of day to go potty #2? I really am looking for informed opinions from people who know what they’re talking about. But wise-assed comments are, of course, welcome. Educate me, please. mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/2 "2006-02-05T02:08:11Z")
Two old men are sitting on a porch talking. 1st Old Man: I have this terrible problem. 2nd Old Man: What is it? 1st Old Man: Every morning at 7:30, I take a nice long piss. Then, at 8:00, I have a big healthy crap. Every morning, like clockwork. 2nd Old Man: I wish I was that regular. What’s so terrible about that? 1st Old man: I wake up at 8:30. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/3 "2006-02-05T02:11:43Z")
But seriously, I don’t think there’s a set number of dumps required per day. Everyone is different. I usually have about two. The first is always between 1-2 pm. Always. For some reason I can’t shit in the morning. The second is usually sometime in the late evening, but no specific time. ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/4 "2006-02-05T02:20:28Z")
Is it even possible to train yourself to go? I’ve been under the impression that your body will tell you in no uncertain terms when you have to go #2. You can go, or put it off at your peril, but if you absolutely gotta go, you’ll stop what you’re doing and go to the bathroom, no matter what time it is. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/5 "2006-02-05T02:26:12Z")
I usually go 1-2x/day, IMHO the best time to go is when you can get paid for it (on the clock). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/6 "2006-02-05T02:49:58Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > Is it even possible to train yourself to go? I’ve been under the impression that your body will tell you in no uncertain terms when you have to go #2. You can go, or put it off at your peril, but if you absolutely gotta go, you’ll stop what you’re doing and go to the bathroom, no matter what time it is. The _point_ is, I think, to train yourself to go. I did, back then. I rarely had to go until it was time. It seems your gut likes regularity. Bur be sure it’s _after_ you wake up, **AFG**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/7 "2006-02-05T06:12:42Z")
I’d think the best time is when you have to. When else? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/8 "2006-02-05T11:21:48Z")
> [@Amazon Floozy Goddess](#): > > Two old men are sitting on a porch talking. > > 1st Old Man: I have this terrible problem. > 2nd Old Man: What is it? > 1st Old Man: Every morning at 7:30, I take a nice long piss. Then, at 8:00, I have a big healthy crap. Every morning, like clockwork. > 2nd Old Man: I wish I was that regular. What’s so terrible about that? > 1st Old man: I wake up at 8:30. (snort!) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/9 "2006-02-05T15:13:35Z")
That’s an emergency shout in a crowded room, not an impolite internet shout. 😉 “When you have to” turns out to be, generally, the worse time to do anything to or for your body. Sleeping, drinking water, eating, eliminating etc should all be done on schedule. It seems that only sex may be the exception to this rule. It’s instinctual. Even the caveman, I’m sure, pooped on schedule. I suspect it was early in the morning, while T-rex slept\*. I guess I could consult Dr. Poop of infomercial fame, but first I think I’ll do a little independent research. I was hoping some physiologist, or maybe **Cecil** himself, would jump in here with the straight dope and fight my ignorance. \*I _know_, I _know_. I’m taking literary license. mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/10 "2006-02-05T16:35:43Z")
I don’t know the best time, but I think the worst time is during a proctological exam. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/11 "2006-02-05T17:05:09Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I don’t know the best time, but I think the worst time is during a proctological exam. You can’t (a pity, huh). They make you do enemas first. I _hate_ picky doctors. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/12 "2006-02-05T18:34:51Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > That’s an emergency shout in a crowded room, not an impolite internet shout. 😉 > “When you have to” turns out to be, generally, the worse time to do anything to or for your body. Sleeping, drinking water, eating, eliminating etc should all be done on schedule. It seems that only sex may be the exception to this rule. It’s instinctual. Even the caveman, I’m sure, pooped on schedule. I suspect it was early in the morning, while T-rex slept\*. > I guess I could consult Dr. Poop of infomercial fame, but first I think I’ll do a little independent research. I was hoping some physiologist, or maybe **Cecil** himself, would jump in here with the straight dope and fight my ignorance. > \*I _know_, I _know_. I’m taking literary license. > mangeorge Really? We had a GQ thread a little while ago and **irishgirl** came in and said that this is, in fact, the best time to go. I mean, if you get the feeling to go, but you ALWAYS go at 2 PM and it’s only noon, are you going to hold it in for two hours? That seems far worse than just heading off to the can and plopping one out. By training your bowels to always go at the same time, it seems like you’d be forcing them to do work when they souldn’t be, which is worse than just going when they’re full. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/13 "2006-02-05T20:04:27Z")
I poop in the morning, right before my shower. This way I go off to work feeling light and clean! Sometimes a second dump is necessary after work but before I go on a hike, because walking brings on any residual poopiness I might have going on and leaves make my butt itch. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/14 "2006-02-05T21:08:09Z")
At night…before bed, else you’ll wake up shittin. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/15 "2006-02-05T22:57:25Z")
the best time to drop anchor/take the browns to the super bowl/unload cargo/stock the pond/release brown trout/give birth to a brown baby boy/snap a deuce is simply whenever it needs to be done. by the way…these are trademarked…by ME! …if you feel the need to use one of the euphemisms, please, give credit where credit is due ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/16 "2006-02-05T23:29:10Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Really? We had a GQ thread a little while ago and **irishgirl** came in and said that this is, in fact, the best time to go. I mean, if you get the feeling to go, but you ALWAYS go at 2 PM and it’s only noon, are you going to hold it in for two hours? That seems far worse than just heading off to the can and plopping one out. By training your bowels to always go at the same time, it seems like you’d be forcing them to do work when they souldn’t be, which is worse than just going when they’re full. No, you go when you have to. Butt 😉 then the next day you go at noon or so. Then earlier and earlier until you reach your target time. The idea being that you don’t want to wait till you _have_ to go. It’s not nice to stretch one’s bowel. We only have one, by the way. But _saying_ “bowels” is okay. I’m trying to impress any docs that might happen by. Sorry **irish girl** , you missed on this one. BTW; Isn’t she a lawyer? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/17 "2006-02-06T00:00:15Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > BTW; Isn’t she a lawyer? Nope, doctor. (well, I think she might still be in med school, I’m not sure. Either way, I trust she has far more medical knowledge than me and most other dopers.) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/18 "2006-02-06T01:10:17Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Nope, doctor. (well, I think she might still be in med school, I’m not sure. Either way, I trust she has far more medical knowledge than me and most other dopers.) Arghh! ---
**Author:** ![MizGrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/19 "2006-02-06T14:49:15Z")
I’m pretty regular, third thing I do in the morning. 1. Have smoke 2. Pour cup of coffee, take a few sips 3. Hurry to the potty As seen on a cup decades ago – picture man on toilet with cup in his hand. Caption “Coffee really gets you going!” ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056/20 "2006-02-07T06:20:13Z")
Usually about 2-3 hours after I eat my muesli. Believe me, a bowl of muesli every day will make you a _regular_ guy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-time-of-day-to-tmi/343056.md?page=2)