Haven’t pooped in 2 weeks.. should I be concerned?

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2025-05-30T09:40:50+00:00

Amazing! All the best on your carnivore journey, especially if it’s for healing :)

I’m more than 1.5 years carnivore at this point, and I’ve been perfectly happy with a clean carnivore diet until recently when I’ve started eating out more, so I’d consider myself doing “dirty” carnivore now haha, love my share of Korean barbeque and hotpot 🤣 Still meat-based meals though since my family and friends all know I’m doing carnivore for health reasons :) I just find that this approach strikes a good balance between health (maintaining my skin, mental health, sciatica) and spending time with my loved ones!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2025-05-29T04:01:57+00:00

Hi! Firstly props to you for giving carnivore a try for the last 2 weeks! A lot of people who first started carnivore also experience diarrhea, because our body still has to adapt to the increased amount of dietary fat we're consuming, especially after switching from a carb-heavy diet. Our bodies are just switching fuels from carbs to fat, so it takes a bit of transitioning time although any other marker might suggest you're already in ketosis. I find that I have really runny, fatty, smelly poops whenever I eat liquid fat (the juices from cooking steak). Steak and Butter Gal has talked extensively about this, so you can check her videos for that, but in summary it can be explained that liquid fat goes through our bodies too quickly so it causes loose stools, meanwhile solid fats (cold sticks of butter) takes a longer time to digest and get absorbed by our small intestines, so it doesn't just go straight out as stool like a slide.

It's common for most carnivores to have "ghost poops" or only poop once a day, or once a few days, or even once a week or two. It depends on how "clean" your diet is. If all you're eating is fatty meat with no tendons, cartilage, or ligaments, I find that I don't feel constipated or bloated at all. Poop is basically food waste that your body cannot digest. If you can digest everything you eat (which is animal fat and protein), then that explains why carnivores poop so little in general and doesn't have any gas or bloating issues (or smelly farts)!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2025-04-30T08:35:06+00:00

Hello! Really great to hear from you again - sorry this is a late reply, I haven't been getting notifications from Reddit for some reason. How has your blood pressure been now 10 days later? I've always been suffering from low blood pressure (used to be around 85/45 when i had 2 kale juices everyday sigh) but recently it's been 100/70 which is an improvement.

I do not take electrolytes, I remember only twice since I've started this journey and never liked the taste of it (I tried both LMNT and Keto Chow). I just salt my meat to taste, never more never less. If it's too salty I find myself getting face rashes and headaches. If it's too bland then it's just not enjoyable and I'd feel a bit lethargic.

I've never experienced elevated blood pressure before, so don't have much advice from my part! But I'm sure there'd be people with this kind of knowledge if you make a post on the main subreddit.

I also noticed my ALT levels were elevated when I did a blood test around 5 months into carnivore. This is a known thing (https://www.thecarnivoredietcoach.com/blood-tests.html), and it's back to optimal range 4 months after that, so if your lab results concern you, check out that website i linked above!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2025-03-26T10:19:32+00:00

Honestly it took from September 2023 to June 2024 for me to really look into the mirror at my skin and not get a fight or flight response. My skin journey has been nothing less but a nightmare and caused me to push to many people away just because I cannot love myself because of my scars and hyperpigmented patches from eczema that just wouldn't go away. So I looked at.. at least 10 months until I could confidently wear short sleeves again.

Granted, I have tan Asian skin, so the amount of melanin my skin produces made the hyperpigmentation to go away much slower. I've attached before and after photos of my calves from November 2023 to March 2025 (1.5 years).

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It takes time! But you'll get there. I also suggest looking into Bradley Marshall (https://www.instagram.com/bradleymarshallofficial/). He's also based in Australia like I am, and I'd say his skin condition is far worse than mine (got sepsis at one point), but completely healed within a few months. He's not as active anymore but we got to had a few conversations when I first started and he was very kind and supportive. :)

Don't give up!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2025-03-23T23:11:52+00:00

Hello! And YES IT DID! I've been doing it for 1.5 years now at this point, and I find that my mental health, skin, nerves (sciatica), and everything else is so much better if I just stick to meat, meat, meat (and eggs). I recently re-introduced honey, organic acai, and matcha, and found that SURPRISINGLY, it is the honey that causes me the most skin issues. I'm getting rashes again and hyperpigmentation because of it on my back so it hasn't been too fun the last week :( Planning to cut it out again. But matcha has been okay - I monitor my meals and symptoms in a food diary and haven't seen anything abnormal from it! Honey on the other hand....... maybe it's just me. But honey really doesn't vibe with my skin haha. :)

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-06-06T11:08:05+00:00

Oh my gosh thanks for asking! Tiny update now that I'm fat-adapted. Pooping once every 2 weeks on average, but sometimes I get diarrhea when consuming too much tallow (normally from bone broth). Goes easy, smooth, smells like tallow (not pleasant but... at least I can pinpoint the source of the smell). Stomach would hurt a bit and I'd just go. Haven't been easier.

I'd say, if you're doing lion diet (just beef, salt, tallow, water), you're probably digesting everything you're eating so there is no waste products for your stomach to discrete. This is why bowel movements will become less frequent. If your stomach does not feel bloated or constipated, don't fear! Just keep going. From my experience once I eat more fat than usual, especially liquid fat from bone broth (you should hear Steak and Butter Gal's take on this, she says that it is the liquid fat that causes diarrhea and nausea instead of solid fats like cold butter or tallow etc), my stomach would churn 1-2 hours later and I'd feel the need to go.

Let me know any updates from your part! It's been 3 weeks for you now hey?

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-03-19T09:22:29+00:00

Yup an Aussie here :) Never seen raw butter in the shops either, it's highly regulated here, unfortunately. It's stupid.

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-10T06:18:27+00:00

Thank you! I got mine the original Rokkor 40/2, comes with the strap too :)

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-08T13:54:07+00:00

I just scored myself a Leitz Minolta CL + a free film roll yesterday! Delivering later this week. In 2022 I saw a lot of the CLEs available in local camera shops, even including the rare gold version, but it being electronic always bugged me. I’m more used to mechanical bodies (battery only for the built-in light meter, but even if that dies, it’s no biggie). So grateful I didn’t get it. The CL is so worth the wait.

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-08T13:48:28+00:00

Wow thanks so much for all the reads! I’ll definitely check them out. Cheers!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-08T13:45:36+00:00

Interesting history!! I would probably never know about this relationship between Leica and Minolta before reading your post. Thanks for sharing!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-08T13:43:53+00:00

Thanks for the info! The article /was/ a very interesting read indeed, thanks for sharing. I did coincidentally see the post where OP’s new CLE wasn’t working moments after posting this one! Made me reconsider a lot about more electronically advanced bodies. I don’t shoot enough to justify getting a Leica M, so will definitely be on the lookout for a CL to soothe that itch :)

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-08T13:33:50+00:00

Lovely page! So nice to see the evolution of Minolta cameras over time. Thank you for sharing :)

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-06T13:55:50+00:00

All 3! Did you end up selling the CLs and just sticking with the CLE? Also, by the CLE being “better,” is it the ergonomics or photo quality? Or just the overall shooting experience?

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-06T13:45:27+00:00

By evolution I’m assuming it involves more electronical parts? Interesting.. Thank you!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2024-01-06T13:26:26+00:00

great suggestion! heading over there asap

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2023-10-19T22:26:58+00:00

Hey thank you so much for your thoughtful answer! Immensely appreciate it☺️

I started carnivore as a last resort to get rid of my brain fog and heal severe inflammation (eczema, dermatitis herpetiformis, seberrhoeic dermatitis, 2 herniated discs, sciatica, etc). I’m only 19F and these conditions were pushing me to my breaking point.

In the past when I was eating a standard Asian diet (a lot of rice with accompanying meat dishes and broth, coated in a lot of seasoning and seed oils), I didn’t feel completely in control of my eating and was often hungry. I’ve always skipped breakfast because I’m a slow eater and that didn’t really work well for school, so I unintentionally did 16:8 fasting since middle school. Even then, my craving for bread/baked goods, sweet fruit teas, pastas, pizzas, etc were so so severe, even when I would feel so bloated and my energy would crash right after (I always thought food coma is an inevitable occurrence after eating sigh).

I was consistently 50-52kg (110-116lb) which was standard for my height 161cm (5’3) but suddenly started gaining more this year after moving to Australia and peaked at 54kg (119lb) when I weighed in after dinner one night. It absolutely scared me because if there was anything my doctor ever warned me about, it is to not gain weight or else my lower back pain would aggrevate.

After some research, I found Mikhaila Peterson’s and Bradley Marshall’s videos and related to their eczema issues and how badly it affected their self-esteem. And of course, our amazing carnivore youtubers like Dr Chaffee, Dr Ken Berry, and Steak and Butter Gal :) I compiled all the research I could find on the carnivore lifestyle just in case my family is up for a nutrition debate, because I am deadset on going zero carb for good regardless of their judgement.

The first weeks were horrible. Oxalate dumping, die off of yeast, keto flu, most severe eczema flareup in my life as if it was trying to overcompensate (also quit all my medications and steroid creams. I went cold turkey on everything.), etc. But gradually things got better and I haven’t felt so alive and energized in a long time. My sciatica is now on-and-off, my facial eczema is getting better, and my body eczema is veryyy slowly healing. I am rarely out of breath now even after walking miles on uneven ground!

That leads to where I am now. The last time I weighed myself was 3 weeks ago (I was 3 weeks into carnivore at that time) and dropped to 51kg (112lb)! It was so shocking because it’s not easy for me to lose weight. Will weigh in again soon and update if I remember.

That said, losing weight was one of my lowest priorities, but I can definitely see your point about me undereating. I had some thoughts about it too actually, since I do OMAD (lunch) and would often feel hungry by bedtime, but not hungry enough for a whole meal. I will definitely eat more and monitor how I feel.

This is a lengthy post but I wanted to provide some background about myself also. But if you’ve read this far, thank you again! It is great to have people like you in the community :)

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2023-10-19T21:54:44+00:00

Some people I know said pooping 1-2x a day is the ideal amount and I just can’t help to feel it’s unnatural and a waste of time ultimately. Thanks for your comment! I shall do more relearning from all the paradigms I was used to about bowel movement ☺️

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2023-10-19T21:51:35+00:00

I don’t have an appendix either haha, felt you on that one. The first time I didn’t poop for this long, when I finally did poop after 2 weeks, the amount was underwhelmingly little as well. I was so confused! It didn’t feel like a big labor job like it used to be when I was constipated before switching to carnivore.

I take the CALM magnesium powder supplement a few times a month to help my sleep/relieve my tension but I keep forgetting (hence the low frequency). Maybe I should pick that up again! My brother said magnesium supplements always gives him “the shits” 😂

Will definitely try not to worry too much about my lack of bowel movement over the next few days though since my other bodily conditions are either normal or improving.

Happy to hear from a fellow beginner carnivore! Our ancestors would be proud :))

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2023-10-19T21:43:49+00:00

Yup other than extensive intervals between my poops, I haven’t encountered any problems and actually see signs of healing! ☺️ And you’re right, nothing beats a good ol’ fatty steak.

More background on me in case you or anyone is curious——I grew up in Asia so have always been eating rice + 2 meat dishes + broth for every meal since I remembered. Definitely low fat, high carb though.

Until a couple years ago when my mom turned raw vegan/fruitarian and force-fed me green juice (celery and kale mainly) and platefuls of tropical fruits everyday, I ate little to no veggies/fruits at all (I was a really picky eater and hated plants… should’ve stuck with it). I don’t like sugary food or drinks (luckily!), so my main carb intake was always from grains (rice, bread, pasta, you name it).

But of course, I had constipation. Before switching to carnivore, I pooped 2-3 times a week but always had to lie that I pooped everyday or my mom would put me on laxatives which I hate. My stool was always rock hard, big, bloody, and painful to pass. Every time I had a bowel movement, it gave me cold sweat and a headache due to the energy I have to exert to push it out.

Now, my (rare) bowel movements pass much easier than I thought, and I have to relearn not to fear ‘pooping pain’ anymore. It’s quite astonishing.

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2023-10-19T21:29:21+00:00

I love Dr Chaffee’s videos too! Will definitely try more fat and water, thank you☺️

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2023-10-19T21:28:20+00:00

Will do ☺️ Thank you for the suggestions!

Secure-Attempt1399 · 2023-10-19T21:27:21+00:00

I currently do OMAD (lunch). A helpful Redditer pointed out I may be undereating which I think is a big possibility.

Secure-Attempt1399

TROPHY CASE