What To Notice About Your Bowel Movements

The things to notice about your bowel movements are:

  • frequency: you should have 1-3 bowel movements / day (less than this means you have constipation!)
  • diameter: your stool should be 2-3 inches in diameter
  • shape & texture: your stool should be long & smooth, and it should hold together
  • odor: your stool should not have an overpowering stench; believe it or not, your stool should not be very smelly!
  • composition: your stool should neither sink nor float in the water, but rather, it should bob; a bobbing stool indicates a healthy composition of 75% water
  • color: any shade of brown is considered normal, and green poop is okay if you eat a lot of green vegetables.  Any other color is generally a bad sign and you should consult your practitioner immediately!
  • transit time: it should take 12-24 hours for food to travel from your mouth, through your digestive system, and into your toilet
  • evacuation time: while sitting on your toilet, it should take about 5 minutes for your bowel movements to complete

A very useful infographic is available here:

Meet the Author

Tammy Kohlschmidt, RDH, CCT, CBP
is a women’s health practitioner and wellness guide. She is the founder of Thermography for Health NY. For over a decade, Tammy has been dedicated to helping women understand their bodies through a functional, whole-body approach to wellness. She specializes in thermography as a proactive screening tool and is passionate about identifying patterns of imbalance before they become bigger health concerns.

Tammy’s work focuses on supporting women through all stages of life—especially perimenopause and menopause—by addressing the often-overlooked connections between hormones, inflammation, the microbiome, and vaginal health. Through education, testing, and personalized consultations, she helps women move from confusion and discomfort to clarity and confidence.

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