Turned 36 recently; it's time to get healthy

lagokey1980

My name is Leigh Ann. I'm in Texas (near Dallas) and I'm on a mission to feel better! Oh and that means dropping 15 lbs immediately per MD instruction and a goal of a total of 35 lbs in the next 6 months. I was recently diagnosed with hereditary fatty liver (mild) and IBS and gastritis/ stomach ulcers. I've been feeling awful this last year and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to not only look better, but improve my quality of life. So....... Yes, I'm on a gluten/ lactose free, very restricted diet known as the fodmap diet. I'm at the six week mark and I have to admit I feel better. I'm adjusting to the diet, but I need reinforcement! I'm a RN and you would think I would be better at nutrition, but I grew up very "southern" so how I learned to cook is, let's say very "Paula Dean" style.

Dragonnade

I've just been diagnosed with IBS and have been doing low FODMAP for about a month, combining with probiotic tablets as I think in my case it's linked to antibiotics. I'm also lactose intolerant, even without the IBS. My diary is useless though as I've not logged for a few years since getting my daily eating habits more attuned to my needs.

I've just started reintroducing things to see if it sets me off. One at a time and over a 48 hour testing window to see if I bloat. Wine came first (oops?) and today is wheat. Next up is onions. I'm also sub-categorising ale and lager as I think the fizziness of lager may upset me.

I found that to embrace FODMAP I needed to change my mindset. Rather than see it as restrictive, look at it as an opportunity to try all these foods I never would have tried otherwise. We worked out that stir fry would work well with what is allowed. I also bought a Spiralizer to make pasta-alternatives. Swede works really well and may be a good onion substitute for thickening curries (yet to try it out but it does seem to dissolve in the same way).

My new staple dinner is basically pulped ginger fried in a little oil in a wok. Add black olives, cherry tomatoes, coriander, radish, and whatever else takes my fancy, plus a load of soy sauce (free from is low FODMAP). Then add spiralised carrot/sweet potato/swede/other root veg spiralised 'noodles'. It's remarkably delicious!

Portion size sets me off too. Alas. Because a large mixed grill is all kinds of happiness, but cramp all around my stomach isn't.

All of this means that over the past 6 months I've lost weight to the point that I'm smack in the middle of my healthy BMI, which does help when I find myself missing McDonald's.

My biggest challenge will be working out how to eat whilst exercising as I have an 80km bike ride in early April. Low-sugar, high carb, high protein snack food without dried fruit as I'll need to eat a lot... It's going to be a challenge!

meghanttu08

I'm near Dallas too.