What to Log Each Day With IBD
A simple daily logging routine for Crohn's and ulcerative colitis: what's worth writing down, how to keep it up on bad days, and how to look back on it.
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Most people who try to keep a record of their Crohn’s or colitis stop within a couple of weeks. Not because it isn’t useful, but because it takes too long, especially on the days that matter most.
This guide is about a routine you can actually keep: what’s worth logging, how to keep it short, and how to look back on it.
Why a daily record helps
Memory isn’t great at telling you how the last few weeks went. A short daily record lets you:
- See how many BMs a day you’ve been having, and which days had blood or urgency.
- Notice what else was going on: meals, stress, a late night, travel.
- Describe the last few weeks clearly to your care team or anyone helping you.
It doesn’t need to be perfect. It needs to be steady.
The core: what to log every day
Bowel movements
- How many. Each BM as it happens, or a count for the day.
- Blood: none, a little, some or a lot.
- Urgency: could it wait, or did you have to go right away?
- Pain: a quick 1 to 5.
- Optional: stool type (the Bristol chart), mucus, time of day.
Meals
- What you ate, in a few words, or a photo.
- Roughly how much, and when.
- A few tags like dairy, gluten, spicy, high fat or high fiber, so you can look back across weeks. More on that in Food and Colitis: What to Track.
Stress
One number from 1 to 10, once a day or whenever it changes. Many people with IBD say stress plays a part, so it’s worth having next to everything else.
Worth adding if it matters to you
- Fasting window, if you fast.
- Sleep, if it’s often disrupted.
- Energy or fatigue.
- Anything unusual: being unwell, travel, a big event.
- Questions you want to ask your care team, as they come up.
Add only what you’ll keep up. Five things logged every day beat fifteen things logged for three days.
Keeping it up on bad days
- Log as it happens. Remembering at night is harder than tapping in the moment.
- Log less, not nothing. On a rough day, a BM with blood and urgency is enough.
- Use photos for meals. A photo takes a second; typing out a meal takes a minute.
- Don’t chase streaks. Missed a day? Pick up where you left off.
Paper or app?
Whichever you’ll keep using. Paper is simple and private, but hard to add up. An app can count things for you, show your days side by side, and make a summary to share. If you choose an app, check where your logs are stored and what it sends anywhere else.
If you’d like to start on paper, print the free one-week symptom log sheet.
Looking back
Every week or two, take a few minutes to look back:
- How many BMs a day, on average?
- How many days had blood or urgency?
- Has anything changed compared with the weeks before?
- What else was going on around the rough days?
Write down anything you notice and any questions it raises. That’s what you bring to your care team. For help with that conversation, see Questions Worth Asking Your Care Team.
A simple daily checklist
- ☐ Each BM: blood, urgency, pain (stool type if you like)
- ☐ Meals: a photo or a few words, with tags
- ☐ Stress: one number
- ☐ Anything unusual today
- ☐ Any question to remember
How Flarely fits in
Flarely is built around this routine. A BM is three taps. A meal is a photo: Flarely lists the foods and adds tags for you to check. Stress is one tap, and fasting has its own log. Everything stays on your iPhone.
If you want a focused start, the 14-day plan lets you pick two things to keep an eye on, gives you a first look on day 7, and your own summary on day 13. The Summary tab shows your days side by side over 7, 30 or 90 days, and you can make a 30-day summary PDF to share with anyone you trust.
Frequently asked questions
What should I log every day with Crohn’s or colitis?
Your BMs (how many, blood, urgency, pain), your meals and your stress level are a good core. Add anything else that matters to you, but keep it quick.
How do I keep logging when I’m having a bad day?
Log less, not nothing. A BM with blood and urgency is enough on a rough day.
Is an app or paper better?
Whichever you’ll keep using. An app can add things up and show your days side by side; paper is simple and private.
Flarely is for your own wellbeing. This guide isn’t medical advice. For medical questions, talk with your care team.
