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Is it normal to poop 8 inches?

An average bowel movement should be between four and eight inches long and have the consistency of peanut butter. The Bristol stool chart (see above) is a handy medical aid for classifying stool. A shape similar to any of Types 1-3 may indicate constipation, while something more akin to Types 6 or 7 means diarrhea.

cbc.ca - Poop 101 - Steven and Chris - CBC
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Nothing says good health like a good bowel movement (BM)! So Dr. Melissa Lem has the scoop on poop and what yours is saying about your health.

Frequency

"Normal" is what's normal for you. Some people go after every meal, others, once every few days. Familiarize yourself with your bowel habits so that if there's a consistent change, you'll recognize it and bring it up with your doctor.

Related read: Embarrassing Bathroom Questions Answered

Shape & Consistency

An average bowel movement should be between four and eight inches long and have the consistency of peanut butter. The Bristol stool chart (see above) is a handy medical aid for classifying stool. A shape similar to any of Types 1-3 may indicate constipation, while something more akin to Types 6 or 7 means diarrhea.

Related read: How to Combat Top 3 Digestive Issues

Smell

It's totally normal for stool to smell bad, thanks to the digestive bacteria in your colon. That said, a particularly pungent odour can be a sign of trouble (e.g. infection, inflammatory bowel disease or celiac disease).

Related read: How to Beat the Bloat

Colour

It's not uncommon for colour to change from one BM to the next, but persistent changes can be a sign of trouble. Here's how to interpret your poop's changing palette:

Brown

Any shade of brown is considered normal. It's a result of the bile secreted by the liver.

Green

Green stool is not uncommon and is usually caused by eating green foods or taking certain medications. Loose, green bowel movements, however, can indicate that food is moving through the intestines too quickly.

Yellow

Yellowish stool can indicate problems with fat digestion. Such stool is also usually greasy and has a particularly foul odour. This can be the result of an issue with your liver or pancreas, which produce substances that break down fat.

Red

Red stool can be a sign of lower intestinal bleeding due to tumours, inflammatory bowel disease or even hemorrhoids. Non-threatening things like beets or food dye can also cause your stool to turn red.

Black

Black stool can indicate bleeding—anywhere from your esophagus to the middle of your small intestine—and is caused by the breakdown of iron in your blood. Stool that is black because of internal bleeding usually has a tar-like consistency and smells particularly bad.

White

White stool is generally not normal, and is usually caused by a lack of bile in the stool either because the liver is having trouble producing it, or bile is somehow being prevented from leaving the liver or gallbladder.

Related read: Good and Bad Body Germs

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Why don't I lose weight after I poop?

While you might feel lighter after pooping, you're not actually losing much weight. What's more, when you lose weight while pooping, you're not losing the weight that really matters. To lose disease-causing body fat, you need to burn more calories than you consume. You can do this by exercising more and eating less.

healthline.com - Do You Lose Weight When You Poop? - Healthline

Pooping is simple: When you do it, you’re getting rid of food that was in your body. Is that why we feel lighter after doing our business? Are we actually losing weight? It turns out, yes.

The weight of your poop varies. It depends on several factors:

body size

eating habits

how much water you drink

bowel movement regularity

The average poop weighs around 1/4 pound to 1 pound.

Larger people who eat and drink more, or people who have less-regular bowel movements, have heavier poops. It takes an average of 33 hours for food to be processed into poop and pass out of your body. If we only lose a little bit of weight when we poop, why do we feel so much slimmer finally pooping after being constipated or after a large meal? It’s because pooping reduces gas and bloating. This generally helps you feel more comfortable.

Poop is made mostly of water, but also contains:

dead and living bacteria

protein

undigested food (fiber)

waste material

salt

fat

The longer poop stays in the intestines, the drier and heavier it will become. While most people poop once a day, it’s considered normal to poop as frequently as three times a day or as little as once every three days. Having very frequent, loose watery stools is considered diarrhea. Diarrhea is usually caused by bacterial infections or stress and lasts several days. It can become dangerous when it lasts for weeks or more because it encourages water loss in the body. People with diarrhea can lose a lot of weight if they’ve been sick for a while, but they’re losing mostly water weight.

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