Six Things Stopping You from Losing Belly Fat
There are six reasons why you haven’t been able to lose your belly fat even though (or so you think) you’ve “tried everything.”
Fforget everything you THINK you know about how to lose belly fat.
Here are the reasons why you have not been able to lose belly fat:
No. 1. You are spending too much time doing abdominal exercises and not enough time working the LEGS. (I’ll explain that in a moment).
No. 2: You are not doing enough general strength training.
No. 3: Your cardio routines are not intense enough, and probably too LONG. (I’ll explain that in a moment).
No. 4: You’re performing strength training routines and cardio routines incorrectly.
No. 5: You’re not lifting heavy enough weight in your strength training routines.
No. 6: You are going long periods of time without eating.
#1: Fat is a fuel source. Abdominal muscles are small and don’t need that much fuel to exercise or recover from exercise.
Hence, why loads of ab exercises will not cause the fat in this area to be burned up for fuel.
Shutterstock/Pises Tungittipokai
Leg muscles are the biggest in the body, and thus, require a lot of fuel to exercise and recover from exercise.
If you hit the legs hard with exercise (squats, leg press, leg curls, leg extensions, etc.), they will need large amounts of fuel. This will cause the fat in your belly to be burned for fuel.
#2: The more strength training you do, the faster will be your resting metabolism, or your ability to burn fat for fuel just to keep you alive.
A complete strength training program will elevate your body’s ability to burn fat, including belly fat.
#3: Cardio can burn substantial amounts of belly fat — in one of two ways. The first way is to jog 10 miles nearly every day in as short a time as possible.
The second way is to do high intensity interval training for about 30 minutes, two or three times a week.
HIIT can be done by just about anybody. Alternate BRIEF bursts of your fastest running, walking, pedaling or stepping with one to several minutes of easy pacing. Depositphotos.com
HIIT triggers higher production of certain hormones that create a fat burning effect. Long duration cardio does not.
#4: Incorrectly performing strength training routines will burn far fewer calories (and thus less belly fat) than if done properly.
I recommend hiring a certified personal trainer to learn correct techniques.
Note that the barbell is crooked. This can strain muscles. Shutterstock/fotoliza
As for cardio, hanging onto cardio equipment (treadmill, revolving staircase, elliptical apparatus) will burn 20 percent LESS calories than when not hanging on.
Clinging to cardio machines (with exception of stationary bike) will interfere with efforts to burn belly fat.
#5: The heavier the weight lifted, the more fat your body will burn, including in the belly, for fuel. But lifting heavy does not mean you’ll bulk up.
Freepik.com
A program for bulking up is specific and requires an equally specific diet to succeed in.
Look around at your gym and you’ll see sleek, lean people with enviable waistlines lifting loads of weight.
#6: Haven’t you heard this one already? That going long periods without food can slow metabolism? A slow metabolism will interfere with losing fat in the belly.
When your body does not “know” when it will next get food, it will cling onto stored fat, “just in case” food doesn’t come for a long time.
The human body is hardwired for this response, courtesy of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, and this is what kept humans flourishing throughout the ages during famines.
But today, this biological response is an obstacle to losing belly fat. Eat something every three hours.
Plus, you’ll want to replace table sugar with the herb Stevia, a natural, zero-calorie sweetener that can aid in belly fat loss.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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Top image: Depositphotos.com
Is It Okay to Eat Chocolate Cake for Breakfast?
Chocolate cake for breakfast doesn’t contain any more sugar, “bad carbs” or fat than many traditional breakfast foods.
Not too long ago I was at the Cheesecake Factory with family. Now, anyone who’s familiar with the Cheesecake Factory knows that they have killer chocolate layer cake.
I knew I wouldn’t have much room for it after eating my huge appetizer of nachos, followed by pizza and pasta.
But others had ordered their dessert to eat right then and there, and asked me why I was ordering the chocolate cake to go (I guess they were surprised I didn’t have the room for it).
I said, “I’m going to eat it for breakfast, when I’ll be good and hungry for it.”
“Chocolate cake…for BREAKFAST?”
“Yes, why not?” Why not think outside the box?
“Even though I’m a RD, I’m definitely a chocoholic,” says Amanda A. Kostro Miller, RD, LDN, whose specialties are nutrition counseling, weight loss and medical nutrition therapy.
“So if someone eats healthy, is healthy and doesn’t have underlying medical conditions that call for specific nutritional needs (i.e., diabetes, hypertension, renal disease), chocolate cake can be part of a healthy diet,” explains Kostro Miller.
“If this cake-for-breakfast person wants to change their health status or weight status, however, something like a chocolate cake for breakfast may need some modifications (and there are many healthier options).
“Also, it’s important to know what your food gives to you when you eat it.
“A piece of chocolate cake gives you mostly calories, fat and sugar. However, if the rest of your diet is healthy, we can still enjoy these foods.
“If having cake allows you to eat healthy for the rest of the day, this can be part of your personalized diet plan.”
So-Called Breakfast Foods just As “Bad” As Chocolate Cake
People eat a stack of pancakes smothered in syrup and butter for breakfast all the time.
This has as much white flour, sugar and fat as any serving of chocolate layer cake.
In fact, IHOP offers Belgian Dark Chocolate Mousse Pancakes. Certainly, this is ordered more often during breakfast hours than later on.
I bet you’ve had French toast for breakfast. That, too, is loaded with calories, sugar, white flour — and with butter, there’s fat – and no less of these than in a serving of chocolate layer cake.
And what about donuts and especially eclairs for breakfast? People eat all sorts of pastries for breakfast, like giant cinnamon rolls, bear claws and sticky buns—all the sugar and fat of a piece of chocolate layer cake.
But as mentioned, if you’re going to eat chocolate cake for breakfast, make sure your food intake for the rest of the day is health-giving — and it would be a wise idea to have fruit for dessert after dinner, rather than something loaded with sugar, flour and fat.
Amanda Kostro Miller
has worked with U.S. veterans, people with eating disorders and those with various acute and chronic diseases.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Spicy Food & Lipitor Will NOT Cause Bloody Stools
Many people wonder if spicy food or Lipitor will cause blood in the stools.
“Lipitor is a cholesterol medication known as a statin,” says Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
“Statin medications will not affect the gastrointestinal tract, but rather, can potentially cause non-life threatening abnormal liver enzymes elevations. It does not affect the GI tract directly.”
And hence, Lipitor will not cause blood to be in your stools.
If you notice this finding in the toilet bowl, do not assume it’s being caused by the statin.
What about spicy foods causing blood in your poops?
Dr. Vladic says, “Spicy foods do not cause any damage to stools.
“The concerns with spicy foods is with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
“Individuals with GERD can exacerbate of symptoms with spicy foods. Bloody stools are not a symptom of eating spicy food.”
What about turmeric?
Turmeric is also known as curcumin, and is one of the most powerful antioxidants known to science. In powder form, it’s an intense dark orange.
“If you look at the side effect profile of turmeric, the FDA has not reported evidence of associated bloody stools thus far,” says Dr. Vladic.
However, in supplement form, tiny particles can end up mixed in your feces, creating a slightly orange tinge.
These are undigested particles of this health-giving spice, which is commonly eaten in India—where the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease is strikingly low.
Causes of Bloody Stools
Blood in the stool can be caused by an ulcer in the intestinal tract. Blood in your poops can also come from a hemorrhoid.
There is no food that will cause blood in your bowel movements, though some foods can cause a red tinge to float around your poops, such as beets.
The biggest concern regarding the cause of blood in your stools is colon cancer.
Blood in the stool can be an early sign of this serious condition, especially if it’s persistent or accompanied by other symptoms like changes in bowel habits or unexplained weight loss.
It’s crucial to seek medical evaluation promptly if you notice such symptoms.
Early detection and treatment of colon cancer can significantly improve outcomes and increase the chances of successful management.
If you see anything concerning about your bowel movements, you can take a home test called Cologuard that screens for colon cancer.
Cologuard uses state of the art DNA technology to identify the presence of abnormal cells in the sample that the patient takes of their stools.
If abnormal cells are detected, a colonoscopy will likely be recommended.
In the meantime, continue enjoying your spicy foods, and if you’ve been prescribed Lipitor, do not stop taking this unless your prescribing doctor tells you to.
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Spicy Food & Lipitor
How Effective Is Ensure at Improving a Lost Appetite ?
Why Ensure is not the magic bullet for sick people suffering from appetite loss.
So a few years ago, here is what happened:
If ONE more health professional asks me if I’ve tried Ensure with my mother, I will (fill in the blank)…
Yes, it was really beginning to anger me when a medical professional, hearing about my elderly mother’s appetite loss for the first time, asked me if I had tried Ensure with her.
In fact, this became predictable.
The second the words came out, “Have you tried…”
I’d cut in with, “Yes, yes, and it doesn’t restore her appetite…”
“…Ensure?”
I’d think, Heaven, please help me.
My mother struggled with appetite loss about three weeks after hip replacement surgery following a fracture.
This situation had me deeply worried, because a 116 pound, 5’4 elderly woman cannot afford to lose more weight when she has very low muscle mass.
Getting her to eat was a battle. Not only did she claim that eating made her vomit, I actually witnessed upchucking episodes.
My elderly mother had developed an aversion to food, not just some mere “I’m not very hungry” feeling.
“Get that away from me!” she’s snarl when we offered her eggs, rice, fish—foods she’d normally eat. She was growing weaker, withering away.
And yes, I tried Ensure.
What the health professionals failed to realize is that all the added vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber in a bottle of Ensure are worthless if the patient refuses to ingest anything edible!
- If someone refuses to eat or drink calories, then they’re refusing, period.
- Hovering a glass filled with Ensure before them won’t change this!
I couldn’t get my mother to drink a bottle of Ensure any more than I could get her to eat a bowl of mac ‘n cheese. I was lucky if she sipped three tablespoons’ worth.
She was eating barely enough for basic sustenance, but before this appetite loss became life-threatening, her appetite began returning — with the help of the drug Effexor (which she had been off of since the surgery).
Bottom line: If some kind of physical and/or psychiatric pathology has made eating highly aversive to a patient, Ensure — which is essentially liquid candy with synthetic vitamins and minerals tossed in — shouldn’t be seen as the magic cure to a lost appetite.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/CGN089
Pooping After Every Meal: Causes and Solutions
Sick of having to make a poop after every meal and wondering what’s causing this?
There are actually multiple possible causes for having to make a bowel movement shortly after just about every meal.
“One of the things to worry about is insufficient enzyme production by the pancreas,” says Matilda N. Hagan, MD, an inflammatory bowel disease specialist at The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases, a part of The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“This can cause mal-digestion and malabsorption, leading to pooping after meals,” says Dr. Hagan.
A condition called exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough enzymes.
Causes of EPI
• Chronic pancreatitis (causes include heavy drinking, smoking, high triglycerides, lupus, Sjogren’s syndrome, type 1 diabetes, or blockages in the passageways from stones or tumors)
• Recent surgery on the pancreas, intestines or stomach
More Causes of Pooping After Most Meals
“Some people can have bile acid diarrhea which is worse if the gallbladder has been removed,” says Dr. Hagan.
“In this case people may commonly poop after every meal especially if it is a greasy or fatty meal.
“For some, this may be how their system functions, and when it is their normal state, there usually is no abdominal pain or bloat related to this.”
Solutions to Having a Bowel Movement after Every Meal
Dr. Hagan says, “Depending on the cause, there are specific strategies from changes in diet to medications that should be discussed with a health care provider.”
A benign condition called microscopic colitis may make it seem that every meal sends you straight to the toilet.
In the literal sense, this is not true, but if the diarrhea that’s associated with this condition is frequent enough, it may seem that you are having a bowel movement (albeit diarrhea) after every meal.
Dr. Hagan is dedicated to collaborating with IBD specialists to discuss and explore advanced treatment options for the most complex inflammatory bowel disease cases.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Frepik/gpointstudio
“Tarry Black” Stools Defined by a GI Doctor
“Tarry black” stools defined by a doctor, NOT Yahoo Answers!
Once and for All, Here Is What Tarry Black Stools Look Like
“In the simplest sense, the stool has the look and consistency of tar used to pave the road,” says Matilda N. Hagan, MD, an inflammatory bowel disease specialist at The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases, a part of The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
Have you ever seen small chunks or clumps of moist, solid tar on a freshly paved road? It doesn’t go from a hot liquid to solid dry concrete in an instant.
Remnants of tar do make their way off the side of a road while it’s being paved.
And if you’ve ever seen these clumps while they’re still somewhat wet, but not hardened and dried, you can almost imagine that stools might look something like this—if mixed with old blood from the upper colon.
Dr. Hagan explains, “This term [tarry stools] describes blood in the stool, especially blood that has been processed or digested from the upper intestinal tract.
“If you see black stool, you should consult a health care provider.”
Imagine taking a quarter cup of hot tar and mixing it with typical formed stools.
What would you see? This is more like what tarry black stools would look like, versus tossing in clumps of moist, partially solidified road tar into an empty toilet and pretending that this matter is a collection of poops.
“Tarry stools”
But don’t get caught up with the exact definition of “tarry.”
Black smeary stuff mixed with your BMs is an alarming sign — though this doesn’t always mean colon cancer.
A tarry look to your stools can mean an ulcer or side effects from medications.
Dr. Hagan is dedicated to collaborating with IBD specialists to discuss and explore advanced treatment options for the most complex inflammatory bowel disease cases.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Ronald Plett
What Diarrhea Alternating with Constipation Really Means
Confused over what “diarrhea alternating with constipation” actually means?
The commonly used phrase, diarrhea alternating with constipation, is sometimes seen in symptom lists for colon cancer and IBS, even ovarian cancer.
And it’s ambiguous.
Alternating Diarrhea and Constipation with IBS
“Generally speaking, ‘diarrhea alternating with constipation’ is specific to ‘mixed type irritable bowel syndrome,’” begins Matilda N. Hagan, MD, an inflammatory bowel disease specialist at The Center for Inflammatory Bowel and Colorectal Diseases, part of The Melissa L. Posner Institute for Digestive Health and Liver Disease at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore.
“This means a person has changes in their bowel habits such that at times they have diarrhea (well-known to be change in consistency of stool from formed to loose or liquid) or constipation where there is a decrease in frequency of bowel movement and/or passage of hard pellet-like stool.
“For some they may have normal formed stool in between or go from one extreme to the other.
“As far as timing, skipping three or more days without a bowel movement counts as constipation, especially if it is associated with abdominal discomfort or bloat.”
Alternating Diarrhea and Constipation with Colon Cancer
You may have read that colon (or ovarian) cancer may cause “diarrhea alternating with constipation.”
The aafp.org site states for colon cancer: “Constipation may be constant or may alternate with diarrhea.”
It’s that word “alternate” or “alternating” that throws things off.
The aafp.org site states that in colon cancer, the “alternating constipation and diarrhea signify leakage of liquid stool” that’s “around the lower level of a tumor.”
The cancer is “partially obstructing the bowel.”
What else can alternating diarrhea and constipation mean?
As Dr. Hagan explains, relative to IBS, it’s a time period of diarrhea, followed by a time period of constipation, and constipation is defined as three-plus days without a bowel movement and/or voiding hard, pellet stools.
Constipation can also mean straining hard to void hard stools, not necessarily pellet shaped.
They can be larger chunks — but hard, necessitating a lot of straining and discomfort while you’re on the toilet seat.
You may even be having normal frequency of BMs, but nearly every time, they are hard and require heavy straining.
What if in between these episodes, you have diarrhea?
This would fall under the category of “alternating.” The in-between episodes themselves can vary.
For instance, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday you have BMs—all hard and requiring straining.
But Thursday you have diarrhea. Friday you strain and void hard poops.
Saturday, diarrhea. Sunday, diarrhea. Monday, a few hard, straining bowel movements. Wednesday, diarrhea.
You get the picture. Any given day is either all diarrhea or all constipation.
Another scenario is that on a given day, you have both diarrhea and constipation. The day after may be all diarrhea — or all constipation.
Or maybe in between normal voiding days (formed non-hard stools), you have days of both constipation and diarrhea.
There are benign causes like IBS and food intake, but potential (less likely) serious causes like colon and ovarian cancer, and Crohn’s disease.
In short, the concept of diarrhea alternating with constipation comes with multiple permutations.
No particular permutation points to colon or ovarian cancer!
Dr. Hagan says, “If the symptoms are present for three months or longer,” you should “consider discussing with a health care professional.”
However, if the symptoms come with other issues such as unexplained weight loss, stomach or pelvic pain, back or leg pain, poor appetite or new-onset fatigue, don’t wait longer than two weeks to make a medical appointment.
If you see blood in your stools, make the soonest appointment.
Dr. Hagan is dedicated to collaborating with IBD specialists to discuss and explore advanced treatment options for the most complex inflammatory bowel disease cases.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Top image: Shutterstock/Africa Studio
Source: aafp.org/afp/2000/0315/p1759.html#sec-7
Gray Stools: Causes & Should You Worry?
Yes, you should worry if your stools are gray.
Gray stools are concerning. Sometimes when doctors talk about grey stools, they use the terms “clay colored” or “pale.”
However, “clay” can bring up images of bowel movements that are the color of the standard clay pot that people plant flowers in: a dull or salmon-like orange.
But the “gray” here is an actual greyish hue, like what would result if you mixed white paint with black.
Causes of Gray Stools
“A person’s usual stools in terms of color, shape and consistency are based on their diet,” begins Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
“However, if a person’s stools are clay colored or pale, health care providers will be concerned about the patient’s biliary system,” continues Dr. Vladic.
“Clay” refers to the greyish type of clay-like substance that’s found in the ground, rather than the common dull orange color of clay pots for plants.
Dr. Vladic continues, “This could be a sign of bile duct obstruction (gallstones, pancreatitis, inflammation of the liver or pancreatic cancer).
“Clay colored stools indicate the biliary system is not draining properly because of a blockage.
“If the system drains properly, stools will either present as shades of green to brown.” They will not be grey.
Pancreatic Cancer
The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2016, about 53,070 people in the U.S. (27,670 men, 25,400 women) will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Risk factors that can be changed: tobacco use; obesity as well as being overweight primarily in the midsection though not very overweight elsewhere; exposure to dry cleaning and metal working chemicals; lack of exercise (according to some studies but not all).
Uncontrollable risk factors: age, being black (a mild risk that’s not understood), family history, genetic syndromes, diabetes (type II mainly), chronic pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, pylori stomach infection.
Other Causes of Bile Flow Obstruction
Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic liver disease that causes inflammation and scarring of the bile ducts, which can eventually lead to their obstruction.
Biliary stricture is a narrowing of the bile ducts, often due to injury, surgery or chronic inflammation.
Biliary atresia is a congenital condition in which the bile ducts are absent or malformed.
Liver cirrhosis and other forms of liver disease can cause scarring of the liver tissue, which can compress and obstruct the bile ducts.
“If the stools are not pale or clay colored, the color is affected by the patient’s diet,” says Dr. Vladic.
The exception is reddish or black stools from actual blood.
Don’t be afraid to check your stool color every now and then; grey means you must see a doctor.
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
Source: cancer.org/cancer/pancreaticcancer/detailedguide/pancreatic-cancer-key-statisticsgrey stools
Can Accutane and Celebrex Cause Blood in Your Stools?
Wouldn’t it be a relief to know that the blood in your poops is from Accutane rather than from an intestinal ulcer, or worse yet, cancer of the colon?
Seeing blood in the toilet after having a bowel movement is just plain scary.
It can have a number of causes including colon cancer. But what about the medication Accutane?
“Yes, Accutane has the potential to present as blood in stools,” says Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
Accutane is a medication that’s prescribed for acne. Make sure that you read the insertion that comes with this prescription drug to get acquainted with possible side effects.
How often do you look at your bowel movements?
It is so important to know what is a normal appearance and color of your bowel movements.
A normal color ranges from tan to very dark brown. A green tinge is normal if you’ve been eating a lot of greens.
You should periodically check the toilet bowl; take a good look at your poops before flushing.
Make sure that the toilet bowl is always clean so that viewing is not affected. Good lighting will also help in the inspection.
Dr. Vladic explains, “Accutane (isotretinoin) has the potential side effect of aggravating or triggering inflammatory bowel disease in susceptible individuals.
“How it causes these colitis-type symptoms is not clear, but Accutane can cause ulceration and inflammation in the gut mucosa (lining of the gut).”
What about Celebrex causing blood in your BMs?
You’ve certainly seen all the commercials for Celebrex, a pain reliever.
“Celebrex is a medication that can cause blood in stools, similar to aspirins or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications by increasing the risk of ulcerations in the GI tract,” says Dr. Vladic.
“This medication affects the GI tract directly.”
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Nomad_Soul
Flat Ribbon Stool Causes other than Colon Cancer
Are your stools coming out like flat ribbons and scaring the daylights out of you?
If so, you’ve no doubt read or heard that colon cancer can cause BMs to come out in the shape of flat ribbons.
If this happens what should you do?
When someone notices ribbon stools, “the medical provider is concerned about the possibility of colon obstruction or IBS,” says Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
Dr. Vladic continues, “If there is an obstruction, it’s because there is something in the lumen [lining] of the colon causing it to be thin (i.e., a large colon polyp, narrowing from stricture, or mass).”
Yes, a benign polyp can cause flat ribbon stools by partially blocking the anal exit that BMs would go through, causing the feces to take on this peculiar formation.
A polyp has a good chance of evolving into colon cancer if not removed, so that’s why during a colonoscopy, any polyps that are discovered are removed on the spot — as shown below in the illustration.
Schematic of polyp removal inside the colon. Shutterstock/Phonlamai Photo
A “mass” can be cancer in the colon—which would be discovered in a colonoscopy, removed and sent to a pathology lab for a confirmation biopsy.
“For IBS, stools can be flat, but providers are unaware as to what causes the stool to present this way,” says Dr. Vladic.
Bottom line: If you notice your stools are in the shape of flat ribbons, see a doctor. Do not make assumptions.
Other Symptoms of Colon Cancer
(No particular order)
Abdominal pain
Unexplained diarrhea
Unexplained constipation
Blood in your stools. This can appear as red clots, maroon clots or like a black tarry or gooey substance.
Unexplained weight loss
Feeling you have to have a bowel movement even though you just had one.
Fatigue or weakness for no reason
Cologuard for Colon Cancer Screening
A test called Cologuard can be taken at home if you’re worried about colon cancer or have flat ribbon stools.
It works as follows: A sample of your bowel movement is sent out for analysis with state-of-the-art DNA technology that will detect abnormal cells that are suspicious for colon cancer.
Your doctor can then advise you on undergoing a colonoscopy.
Another Suspicious Symptom
When constipation alternates with diarrhea, you should inform your doctor.
Here is exactly what “constipation alternating with diarrhea” means.
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or Colon Cancer Symptom Comparison
