How to start FODMAP diet AND increase calories??? Help please.

thebuz

So I have been having issues with my digestive system. I think it's gallbladder but all tests are not showing that this is not the case and after an appointment with my specialist yesterday he is treating me for IBS - Hepatic Flexure Syndrome. I have lost 50lbs over the last 3-4 years with 20 lost last year. The specialist wants me to take a break from weight loss (YAY!!) but start the FODMAP diet (BOO!!!). I am looking for assistance as I feel like I will struggle with the ability to meet my calorie allotment daily while eliminating so many high calorie foods. I am extremely active so would be likely looking at 2000 calories daily for maintenance when all is said and done. Has anyone else been down this road??

evileen99

Well, peanut butter and other nuts are okay, as are some cheeses, butter, whipped cream, and potatoes. You can make yourself an almost-loaded baked potato (no sour cream). If it's in your budget, lobster or crab dipped in butter. Alfredo sauce is fine; put it on vegetables or gluten-free pasta. Tortilla chips and cheese in the microwave make nachos, you can squirt whipped cream into your mouth all you want (bring out your inner child).

tara_means_star

Did they give you the hand out for all of the foods that are ok, should be limited, and not okay? I was on it for a while and basically just took the approved list and made any combination of items I could come up with

thebuz

evileen99 wrote: »

Well, peanut butter and other nuts are okay, as are some cheeses, butter, whipped cream, and potatoes. You can make yourself an almost-loaded baked potato (no sour cream). If it's in your budget, lobster or crab dipped in butter. Alfredo sauce is fine; put it on vegetables or gluten-free pasta. Tortilla chips and cheese in the microwave make nachos, you can squirt whipped cream into your mouth all you want (bring out your inner child).

Thanks for the suggestions however quite a few of the things listed above are actually listed as items that I can't eat. (i.e. whipped cream, alfredo sauce).

thebuz

tara_means_star wrote: »

Did they give you the hand out for all of the foods that are ok, should be limited, and not okay? I was on it for a while and basically just took the approved list and made any combination of items I could come up with

I have been doing research online but struggling with how to increase my calories while eliminating grains, beans and dairy. I also can't imagine a meal without garlic, onions or chili powder. How did you get around that? Were you in a calorie deficit while on the diet?

tara_means_star

thebuz wrote: »

tara_means_star wrote: »

Did they give you the hand out for all of the foods that are ok, should be limited, and not okay? I was on it for a while and basically just took the approved list and made any combination of items I could come up with

I have been doing research online but struggling with how to increase my calories while eliminating grains, beans and dairy. I also can't imagine a meal without garlic, onions or chili powder. How did you get around that? Were you in a calorie deficit while on the diet?

No. I was "trying" to be in a calorie deficit but wasn't logging and ended up maintaining. The garlic and onions bit was really hard for me. I used rice, quinoa, and gluten free products alot. I ate the nuts you are allowed to have but was pissed I couldn't eat cashews (by far the best kind of nut). I ate eggs a lot. I'm a vegetarian so I ate tofu and tempeh. I ate pumpkin and sunflower seeds, non diary milks and yogurts, and nut butters. Plus the approved fruits.

thebuz

tara_means_star wrote: »

thebuz wrote: »

tara_means_star wrote: »

Did they give you the hand out for all of the foods that are ok, should be limited, and not okay? I was on it for a while and basically just took the approved list and made any combination of items I could come up with

I have been doing research online but struggling with how to increase my calories while eliminating grains, beans and dairy. I also can't imagine a meal without garlic, onions or chili powder. How did you get around that? Were you in a calorie deficit while on the diet?

No. I was "trying" to be in a calorie deficit but wasn't logging and ended up maintaining. The garlic and onions bit was really hard for me. I used rice, quinoa, and gluten free products alot. I ate the nuts you are allowed to have but was pissed I couldn't eat cashews (by far the best kind of nut). I ate eggs a lot. I'm a vegetarian so I ate tofu and tempeh. I ate pumpkin and sunflower seeds, non diary milks and yogurts, and nut butters. Plus the approved fruits.

I'm pissed that I can't eat pistachios so I feel your pain on the cashews. I am allergic to peanuts too and don't like eggs. :-( Tofu is out for the same reason I don't like eggs. It's a texture thing. I will keep in mind about the pumpkin and sunflower seeds as a snack and luckily it seems most meat will be ok so might just have to up the portions to keep my protein high enough.

Are there any gluten free products you recommend giving a miss too.... I've heard that there are some things just not worth even trying.

I really appreciate your help on this. Feeling a bit overwhelmed. I actually feel like I did when I first started losing weight and had to learn everything from the ground up. I have come so far in healthy eating and with my weight loss so having a hard time wrapping my head around eliminating so many types of food that I love. :-(

thebuz

I'm selfishly bumping this more replies. :-)

tara_means_star

thebuz wrote: »

tara_means_star wrote: »

thebuz wrote: »

tara_means_star wrote: »

Did they give you the hand out for all of the foods that are ok, should be limited, and not okay? I was on it for a while and basically just took the approved list and made any combination of items I could come up with

I have been doing research online but struggling with how to increase my calories while eliminating grains, beans and dairy. I also can't imagine a meal without garlic, onions or chili powder. How did you get around that? Were you in a calorie deficit while on the diet?

No. I was "trying" to be in a calorie deficit but wasn't logging and ended up maintaining. The garlic and onions bit was really hard for me. I used rice, quinoa, and gluten free products alot. I ate the nuts you are allowed to have but was pissed I couldn't eat cashews (by far the best kind of nut). I ate eggs a lot. I'm a vegetarian so I ate tofu and tempeh. I ate pumpkin and sunflower seeds, non diary milks and yogurts, and nut butters. Plus the approved fruits.

I'm pissed that I can't eat pistachios so I feel your pain on the cashews. I am allergic to peanuts too and don't like eggs. :-( Tofu is out for the same reason I don't like eggs. It's a texture thing. I will keep in mind about the pumpkin and sunflower seeds as a snack and luckily it seems most meat will be ok so might just have to up the portions to keep my protein high enough.

Are there any gluten free products you recommend giving a miss too.... I've heard that there are some things just not worth even trying.

I really appreciate your help on this. Feeling a bit overwhelmed. I actually feel like I did when I first started losing weight and had to learn everything from the ground up. I have come so far in healthy eating and with my weight loss so having a hard time wrapping my head around eliminating so many types of food that I love. :-(

I'm glad you bumped, I didn't see your reply until you did For gluten free stuff, the only brand I liked was Udi's. If you toast their bread it's pretty decent as a sandwich. Their muffins are really yummy. Some health food stores will have home made gluten free items that can be really tasty...where I am we have a gluten free bakery and a cooperative that sells a lot of homemade gluten free treats. For wraps and pastas I like Live G Free from Aldi (as a bonus, it's cheaper than gf usually is).

caffeinatedcami

I agree that Udi's makes the best GF bread (It does need to be toasted). And Tinkyada makes great pasta. Just be careful not to overcook it. I have IBS and celiac disease so I understand how food can affect symptoms. Good luck with the FODMAP diet! It seems daunting but I know that some people have great results with it.

eros_bittersweet

Hi, OP! I'm a low-FODMAPS eater (since August 2014). I'm not on strict low-FODMAPS anymore since I've been able to reintroduce wheat, cheese, yogurt and small amounts of cream. But I've pretty much never ever had trouble finding things to eat to hit any calorie mark. The elimination phase makes it a little tricky, because between no onions and garlic, no wheat and no dairy, you pretty much have to cook everything yourself, or eat sushi when you eat out. (Which is awesome but expensive). But the good thing is after a few months of being strict, you can likely transition to a more relaxed form of low-FODMAPS that minds your specific triggers.

Here's my "crash course in accumulated low-FODMAPS knowledge:"
-when in doubt, I google the FODMAP contents of foods. There's some good basic guides produced by Monash university and other dietitians available online. The initial phase of low-FODMAPS is basically memorizing the diet so you can keep in mind all the foods that might cause GI distress.
-sub leek greens for onions; sub green garlic scapes for garlic (these are mostly available in summer, so I tend to amass a huge quantity and blend it with olive oil, then freeze it).
- add fresh-cut green onions to meals that call for fresh onions.
-Read all labels in sauces for garlic/onion. It's in everything, and it sucks, but you can make your own stock, and your own tomato sauce. Campbell's "Stock First" brand doesn't list garlic/onion though they won't confirm it doesn't contain any; I've been able to use it for a few years now with no issues.
-Beware of tough-to-digest substances in GF products. Xanthan Gum, guar gum, carageenan, are all frequently added to bread, and sometimes to dairy or dairy substitues. I cannot tolerate Xanthan gum at all. When you are substituting for everything you usually eat, you might reach for something that has xanthan gum in it (like, say, oat milk or almond milk), and be just destroyed, and wonder what you're doing wrong. Those additives can be the culprit. It certainly happened to me a couple of times when I started.
-if you are a fan of curries, you can sub asafoteida powder for a vaguely garlicky taste. You can also look up Jain curry recipes, since they don't use root vegetables and they will be onion/garlic free. They do tend to involve legumes, though, which you should avoid on strict low-FODMAPS (I still can't really handle more than 1/4 cup of any bean except lentils). Asafoteida doesn't work in everything, though (it didn't taste good in soup stock, for eg).
-Avoid too many tree nuts; almonds and cashews are especially high in FODMAPS. I eat them in small amounts. Peanuts are ok. Seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower) are fine.
-If you want the most calorie-dense low-fodmaps food imaginable, that's plain corn tortilla chips. (only fresh corn is high in fructans; dried forms are perfectly ok).
-You can have lactose-free dairy products. I would advise buying lactose-free milk/yogurt over taking dairy digestive supplements along with regular dairy, since it's quite tricky to get the dosage right and you can have symptoms with too much enzyme or not enough. Also, you can eat hard aged cheeses, since the lactose in them has been removed by the cheese aging process.
-potatoes and rice are your starchy friends for high calorie-counts. Also, you can eat any meat, and that's a good source of calories and nutrients.
-your own salad dressings, using extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegars, mustards, and so on, can be a good healthy source of calories.
-There's a whole bunch of "your mileage may vary" foods that give some people trouble, and not others. Eggplant. Collard greens and kale. Watermelon. Sweet potato. Persimmon. I'd recommend avoiding them at first and testing yourself later.

Good luck with low-FODMAPS! You'll know in weeks whether it's going to help you or whether that's not the source of your issues.

I also eat with an open diary so if you add me you can see what I eat day-to-day (which is often quite a lot; I'm here for the long haul, not to crash diet.)

eros_bittersweet

Also, is there a low-FODMAPS board, or something? It would be great to share knowledge with other people on the same obligatory restricted diet . If not, let's make one!

chulipa

My doctor just started me on FODMAP diet this week has helped with the rumbling in my stomach but is making my constipation worse having a hard time getting the fiber i was eating

chulipa

Thetes not allot of good information on this diet

thebuz

[/quote]

I'm glad you bumped, I didn't see your reply until you did For gluten free stuff, the only brand I liked was Udi's. If you toast their bread it's pretty decent as a sandwich. Their muffins are really yummy. Some health food stores will have home made gluten free items that can be really tasty...where I am we have a gluten free bakery and a cooperative that sells a lot of homemade gluten free treats. For wraps and pastas I like Live G Free from Aldi (as a bonus, it's cheaper than gf usually is). [/quote]

Thanks so much for the suggestions. I'm going to look for the brands you recommended. We don't have an Aldi in Canada but we might have the brands. :-)

thebuz

eros_bittersweet wrote: »

Also, is there a low-FODMAPS board, or something? It would be great to share knowledge with other people on the same obligatory restricted diet . If not, let's make one!

First off thank you so much for such a detailed breakdown. I'm definitely going to be referencing this a LOT in the beginning. Right now I'm working on compiling recipes and looking through my standard meals and seeing which ones will stand up after removing/replacing high fodmap items. This is definitely a big change.

thebuz

chulipa wrote: »

Thetes not allot of good information on this diet

I agree. While there is a lot of information there is a lot of conflict that I've seen from one list to another and recipes are flagged as FODMAP however I see ingredients that shouldn't be in it.

Pawsforme

I've been loosely following a low FODMAP diet for awhile, but I think I'm going to have to ratchet it down tighter. I slipped up last week and ate some salsa (onions) and regular (not lactose free) cottage cheese, and I paid for it dearly over the weekend. I don't think you should have any trouble meeting just about any calorie goal. Potatoes, rice, corn tortillas (or chips, as mentioned by @eros_bittersweet), hard cheeses and healthy oils like olive and coconut and butter. I'd try to concentrate on what you can eat rather than what's excluded.

eros_bittersweet

thebuz wrote: »

eros_bittersweet wrote: »

Also, is there a low-FODMAPS board, or something? It would be great to share knowledge with other people on the same obligatory restricted diet . If not, let's make one!

First off thank you so much for such a detailed breakdown. I'm definitely going to be referencing this a LOT in the beginning. Right now I'm working on compiling recipes and looking through my standard meals and seeing which ones will stand up after removing/replacing high fodmap items. This is definitely a big change.

You're so very welcome! I don't know what's up with notifications, but I had to search for the topic again to see your responses hence my late reply. I really need to reconnect with some sort of online FODMAPs community - I've been going it alone for so long, which means I rarely get to share what I know, and I rarely read about other's experiences which could be helpful to my own knowledge. ( for example, I probably wouldn't have started chowing down on high-fructan Persimmons recently if I were more in touch with the community and had realized that they are FODMAP no-no.)

eros_bittersweet

chulipa wrote: »

Thetes not allot of good information on this diet

I think there's an absolute ton of information out there on FODMAPs but there is a problem with it: the sheer volume is high and it seems unsystematic (ie the "rules" resist easy summary and span multiple categories of foods). It's like, all melons are fine except watermelon, fruit other than stonefruit is ok other than apples, pears and persimmons, no onions or garlic but you can eat the green parts of those things....it becomes complicated quickly.

when explaining it to others I usually just say "no onions or garlic" because I can deal with absolutely everything else in small quantities. YMMV with this. A lot of people can't handle any lactose or wheat. Keep in mind tolerances change over time, too, especially once your symptoms improve: recently I've been pretty excited about eating a few cherries and up to 200g of grapes with no issues. I've also been able to reintroduce regular plain yogurt instead of lactose-free.

Kate Scarlata's blog is an excellent resource: http://www.katescarlata.com/fodmaps-101/

eros_bittersweet

Pawsforme wrote: »

I've been loosely following a low FODMAP diet for awhile, but I think I'm going to have to ratchet it down tighter. I slipped up last week and ate some salsa (onions) and regular (not lactose free) cottage cheese, and I paid for it dearly over the weekend. I don't think you should have any trouble meeting just about any calorie goal. Potatoes, rice, corn tortillas (or chips, as mentioned by @eros_bittersweet), hard cheeses and healthy oils like olive and coconut and butter. I'd try to concentrate on what you can eat rather than what's excluded.

If you've ever tried making your own salsa with just fresh tomatoes, lime juice, hot peppers and hot sauce, and a lot of fresh cut green onions, you won't miss the real thing after awhile . It's way less bombastic but still pretty tasty.