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Poop Question (lots of TMI in here, but want to confirm something)


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Hey guys,

Day 7 of my Whole30 and I just had one hell of a bowel movement. It wasn't unpleasant, I was just surprised at the results. As someone doing the Whole30 to get rid of IBS, I try to stay aware of my digestive function.

Per Practical Paleo's poop-guide, they were ideal (size, shape, color). BUT, they all floated! I have noticed that since I've started eating Paleo, I have been having all floaters (I've noticed this for at least 2 weeks).

Is this something normal and experienced by you guys too, or I am the only weird one (perhaps something's up with my system)? I have heard that this can happen with high fat intake, but I wanted to confirm it with people on the Whole30.

Thanks for any responses, and sorry for the TMI. :unsure:

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I have floaters every once in a while, but not routinely. You might try taking Now Foods Super Enzymes with meals for a while to see if they might help you digest fat more fully.

Thank you for the suggestion Tom! It's definitely something I'll consider. Do you have to swallow them whole? I have tons of trouble swallowing pills (even small motrin-sized). I'm thinking this could be do-able if I could crush them up with applesauce or something.

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Are floaters a bad thing? I remember reading something way back in the day that said floaters = lots of fiber!

Thanks for responding guys! This is actually something like what I wanted to hear, lol, because I'm honestly not sure if it's good or bad. I just want to find out if it's common/normal. If it's not common among people who do the Whole30, then it'll be a sign to me that I need to fix something.

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Are floaters a bad thing? I remember reading something way back in the day that said floaters = lots of fiber!

I don't know where W30 stands on this but I have heard a lot of debate about whether floaters indicate poor absorption, etc. From what I have read, they are normal for some and not for others.

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jessie2020 I am with you. I always have had no issue in any way going the bathroom. For some reason for the past week (on day 7) I all of a sudden think "holy crap (ha pun intended) I HAVE TO GO THE BATHROOM NOW" and it is always diarrhea. I do not feel sick in any way or have stomach problems, that is it. So random.... I wish I knew if it was a good thing or not.

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Soulrich, give it another week or so, or throw in some pro-biotics/enzymes. Switching to this way of eating can mess with your status quo a LOT, and it takes a few weeks for things to settle back down. It's not normal :)

in regards to the super enzymes, the ones you can crush (tablets) seem to be less effective than the ones with powder in them (caplets). If you're going to try them, I don't see why you couldn't sprinkle the contents.

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Soulrich, give it another week or so, or throw in some pro-biotics/enzymes. Switching to this way of eating can mess with your status quo a LOT, and it takes a few weeks for things to settle back down. It's not normal :)

in regards to the super enzymes, the ones you can crush (tablets) seem to be less effective than the ones with powder in them (caplets). If you're going to try them, I don't see why you couldn't sprinkle the contents.

Renee, I've read in the forum & first Whole 30, day 11. Woke up feeling awesome, but today was my first horrible bathroom experience (diarrhea/watery) symptoms kicked in 1 mile into my run. Happy I made it home struggled 6 miles. I take a daily probiotic, digestive enzymes & new thing I drank yesterday was Kombucha. My first time & now this happens. Bowel movement still not solid. Is this affects from Kombucha or body going through detoxing all of a sudden? Thanks!

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Black stools can be caused by iron supplements, not sure if you're taking those? Charcoal tablets (or herbal remedies containing charcoal) can also turn poo dark coloured. If you're not taking either and if it's really black in colour (as opposed to dark brown) and it persists, then you should seek medical advice, as black stools can indicate bleeding somewhere in the digestive tract.

I got gritty stools when eating a lot of nuts/seeds, as well as fruits with seeds in (passion fruits, raspberries, for example).

In answer to the OP, floaters can either be fat or fibre intake related. If they are quite well formed, probably more fibre, or gas pockets in the stool (grim, I know!) but if you notice an oily sheen in the toilet bowl, or any mucus, it's more likely to do with malabsorption of fat.

Lovely topic huh.....sadly I'm fairly well versed in poop analysis having had Crohns disease for 5 years!

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I'm on Day 7 and my poop has been sitting at the bottom of the bowl. Is that normal? Also, I've been having a lot of GI DIstress (ahem, gas) at night. It's worse than normal. Is this part of the detox process or is something I am eating making me gassy?

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I would love some input too. I'm a regular girl and always have been. I have 1 BM every day, sometimes 2. Since I've started whole30 (I'm on day 7), I've only had two BM's the entire week. and they are weird. no diarrhea, but snakey lookin' things. I'm guessing the nuts in my diet have something to do with the "texture," but what's going on with my body not "releasing" this crap, lol? I thought that with all of the vegetables I am eating, the fiber alone would be moving things through; but I seem to be getting an opposite effect.

I'm feeling super bloated too. puffy. retaining water.

I drink water, coffee, and tea. and I've been sticking to the plan on cue.

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In answer to the OP, floaters can either be fat or fibre intake related. If they are quite well formed, probably more fibre, or gas pockets in the stool (grim, I know!) but if you notice an oily sheen in the toilet bowl, or any mucus, it's more likely to do with malabsorption of fat.

Lovely topic huh.....sadly I'm fairly well versed in poop analysis having had Crohns disease for 5 years!

Thank you! It's probably fiber intake related, since I'm getting a lot more veggies in than I used to, and there's no oily sheen. So at least I think I'm properly absorbing the fat! :D

I'm also trying to be more well-versed in poop analysis because of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I think we can learn a lot of important things about our systems overall by knowing what to look for in our bowels. They mark a lot of important things to know about our digestive system.

I guess it's more dark brown. I looked at the poop chart and its close to type 4 which I guess is ideal. I think my body is just adjusting to so many new veggies. Maybe all the dark kale chips yesterday.

That is probably normal. Mine differs in color as well based on what I eat (I got really freaked out one time after eating beets, lol).

I'm on Day 7 and my poop has been sitting at the bottom of the bowl. Is that normal? Also, I've been having a lot of GI DIstress (ahem, gas) at night. It's worse than normal. Is this part of the detox process or is something I am eating making me gassy?

I'm sure that's normal. I always thought it was floaters that were abnormal, lol. My husband went through a period of gasiness I think around that time as well, but it cleared up after a few days. Keep following the Whole30 and try to journal in order to keep track of how you feel. You'll probably normalize as you keep going.

I would love some input too. I'm a regular girl and always have been. I have 1 BM every day, sometimes 2. Since I've started whole30 (I'm on day 7), I've only had two BM's the entire week. and they are weird. no diarrhea, but snakey lookin' things. I'm guessing the nuts in my diet have something to do with the "texture," but what's going on with my body not "releasing" this crap, lol? I thought that with all of the vegetables I am eating, the fiber alone would be moving things through; but I seem to be getting an opposite effect.

I'm feeling super bloated too. puffy. retaining water.

I drink water, coffee, and tea. and I've been sticking to the plan on cue.

I'm not sure about the days in-between, because I've stayed fairly regular throughout the Whole30. I've had a couple days without BMs, but not too often. I can agree though on the "snakey" shape (it is the same for me, to almost a shocking degree). According to Practical Paleo, that is a very normal and healthy shape. I've also read that most people in Japan have that shape as well. I take it as a sign that my small-intestine is functioning properly and moving things along.

I'm not sure about the bloating feeling either, but someone mentioned it in another thread. Since you're only on Day 7, you probably should give your body more time to adjust to the new way of eating.

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I am on Day 17. I feel amazing, no gas, no bloating. But my stools are still quite a bit softer than they should be. The first week or so I didn't even pay attention because I figured it was going to be out of whack. They don't smell bad or anything so I don't think it's a toxicity thing but I'm wondering if its because I'm not absorbing all the fats I'm consuming? Would this be a case for Super Enzymes?

Thanks

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Day 4 here and the only difference I've noticed is I'm more gassy than I usually am. I'm less constipated than I would sometimes get before, and I'm definitely absorbing my fat...mine is a "sit on the bottom of the bowl" kind when I go. I'm going regularly at least once a day, sometimes twice.

I'm hoping that my lady times would be this regular with the new Whole30 diet too, that would be nice to be predictable without my pills!

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