help me please have IBS and struggling to lose weight

kitticus15

Am looking for advice for IBS constipation and weight loss, no matter how much fibre I have and water I drink I stay constipated, even have swollen ankles now, I can drop a few pound but then they come back, I have lost inches and body fat percentage, but the scale will not acknowledge the hard work, it is disheartening, especially as GP can't find anything wrong...

I know it's the constipation doing it, my body will not let go of anything, from water to blood to poop, I need help and advice, not insults please as this id seriously getting me down.

DirtyHammer

Paleo Diet... Have you tried it yet? Supposed to do wonders for IBS and Chron's.

Source: Wife has IBS too.

naomi8888

What are you typically eating now?

I assume you would want to add fruits and veg and high fibre foods to lose weight and I can't imagine that would make you any *more* constipated.

missems1

I have IBS too, but I get the opposite problem to you in that if I eat certain foods or get stressed I can't stop going. I have heard though that loads of fibre can have the opposite affect and can bung you up further. I'm doing the 5:2 diet and find fast days a massive relief. The eating so little feels like I'm giving my digestive system a break iyswim. I'm sorry that none of this is actually helpful, I hope that you find a way to get things moving again. x

jaz050465

Have you looked at the FODMAP eating plan. Google it. It's advised that you do it with a dietician though.

holidayslimgoal

I have IBS and take charcoal tablets after meals which really help.

kitticus15

I no longer eat any junk food, I eat plenty of veg and a smaller amount of fruit as the recommendations are 2 of your 5 a day to be fruit the rest veg, it has been a long standing problem 16+ years, on paper everything is correct and I should be losing weight, the tape measure has shown reductions, the bodyfat readings have shown reductions, the scale shows nothing, if I do lose weight within a couple of days it shows it as back, so it seems I am losing and gaining the same 10lbs.

I don't even want junk food now, the smell and taste makes me feel sick, GP has said its one of those things and looks like this is how I will be, no point in fighting it, just continue to eat healthy and exercise.

its just soul destroying to know I am eating healthy and exercising but that this IBS is the problem, GP thinks it will stop after menopause as my periods are a trigger for IBS, stress causes my periods to go out of wack and scale not showing all the work is stressing me. I am in a very vicious circle

fiabka

TOTAL sympathy - I am suffering in the exact same way - just had scans done this week to make sure it was nothing serious

I agree with Missems.... I do the 5:2 & have found it really does help

& Holidaylingo Charcoal capsules have been a lifesaver for me with acid reflux but they can cause very slight constipation as the idea is they 'soak' up liquid/acid etc (trying not to be too graphic here LOL!!!) but by following the recommended dose I have never had this issue

When it gets too much I take a laxative for a couple of nights (Senokot)

:flowerforyou:

ladypenel

I can go for weeks and the scale stays static then WHAM I loose 2/3 kilos! I no longer worry about the weight but rely on how lose my trousers are - I have gone down 5 sizes now! Don't give up and don't be afraid to try some of the plans that others have suggested, it's all about finding which one suits you. Good luck

BrokenButterfly

You need to find out what your intolerances are. Could be dairy, wheat, gluten or even some natural sugars. Tea, coffee. I suggest you get that checked out. Or go for the process of elimination.

naomi8888

I suppose you just need to keep your calories in check and exercise then. Make sure you weigh everything that goes into your mouth. I know you said you don't eat any junk food but even healthy calories add up.

And keep at it, I'm sure it will come off if you burn more calories than you take in.

xxxMumof2xxx

I have IBS, really badly some days.. I gave up gluten (most of the time) and feel great. No IBS, no bloating, no dark circles etc. We are all different but give it a go!

mazdauk

My MIL found that very high fibre bread gave her a similar problem, so she now eats less "sturdy" bread. Have you tried Vogel bread - there are a number of varieties with different seeds and although the slices are small they are very satisfying. Also add in the fruits you don't give to babies because they are laxative - grapes, oranges etc. I can't stomach red grapes (or red wine) as they make me "go" amost immediately.

Have you tried reflexology to free up your system? (Works for me). Or shiatsu - there are certain places which can help - my husband's cousin recommended a particular point to press - spread the tumb and first finger apart and press on the place just above where the bones almost touch (on the back of the hand) - I used to do this with my boys when they were little and couldn't "go".

kitticus15

Thank you all

maybe its my body's revenge for all the crash diets in the past, I have never had problems losing weight till now, but, in the past I did calorie restrict, all the weight I have gained has been due to ssri's, 50+ to lose, I will keep at it, unfortunately I have to take laxatives daily under medical supervision ( and still don't go for several days)

Not trying to sound blase but it seems my body is not tolerating anything very well as I am finding out, this has been going on since January of this year.

Julz1967C

I no longer eat any junk food, I eat plenty of veg and a smaller amount of fruit as the recommendations are 2 of your 5 a day to be fruit the rest veg, it has been a long standing problem 16+ years, on paper everything is correct and I should be losing weight, the tape measure has shown reductions, the bodyfat readings have shown reductions, the scale shows nothing, if I do lose weight within a couple of days it shows it as back, so it seems I am losing and gaining the same 10lbs.

I don't even want junk food now, the smell and taste makes me feel sick, GP has said its one of those things and looks like this is how I will be, no point in fighting it, just continue to eat healthy and exercise.

its just soul destroying to know I am eating healthy and exercising but that this IBS is the problem, GP thinks it will stop after menopause as my periods are a trigger for IBS, stress causes my periods to go out of wack and scale not showing all the work is stressing me. I am in a very vicious circle

I too have IBS and had it bad a few years ago, now I only get it occasionally (cannot tell you what a relief that is). It's now thought that fibre isn't the way to go, but less fibre and white bread instead of brown is helpful too.

If I were you, I'd stop the diet for now, and concentrate on the IBS, cut dairy foods out first then slowly reintroduce them to eliminate which foods are causing the IBS... It may take a while, but you will find that everything will settle down as you cut out certain foods. (I once found that it was yoghurts making my IBS worse, I cut them and cheese out for 6 months and everything has been fine since then, I now eat them again without any repercussions) you may also find that you will also lose weight. Stress too can make the IBS worse,

Some GP's don't have a clue about IBS, they either don't believe it exists or they just don't care. If the laxatives aren't working, tell the dr you want to stop them. I really feel for you.

kitticus15

stress does make my IBS worse and this whole losing weight thing is stressing me cos the scale is not agreeing with the low calorie intake, I have gone from no exercise at all to exercising 5-6 days a week minimum, and this is workouts at the gym, classes and machines, calorie intake down, but I do think the more wholegrain I eat the more constipated I get, I have more problems with wholegrain than white for some reason, am on buscopam, fybogel and lactulose through the day and senna at night and still constipated, drinking 2 litres a day min of water, will try going cutting the wholegrains for a while and see how it goes

jaz050465

Have you tried FODMAP? It's not some weird thing, my hospital trained state registered dietician recommended it.

kitticus15

I have downloaded the fodmap and will attempt items one group at a time and see if that makes the difference, thanks for all the help

Fuzzipeg

May I suggest you read "food can make you ill" a book by Sharla Race. in this book or as e.reader format she looks at different aspects of diet and things which can go out of balance and distress the system. There is also"the, "food can make you ill", web site which cross references with the book.

I read another responder mentioned the paelo diet, which basically is taking your eating back to a much more basic level. I read on the paleo mom blog that salicylate is toxic to all, though some have less tolerance to it than others.

I wish you well settling your symptoms and other discomforts.

sarahellenx

I found that cutting gluten from my diet relieved ALL symptoms of IBS - even systemic, non-intestinal symptoms. Just a thought.

becka63

Paleo Diet... Have you tried it yet? Supposed to do wonders for IBS and Chron's.

Source: Wife has IBS too.

Crohn's Disease and IBS are different conditions that do share some similar symptoms.

Some of the foods that are recommended in Paleo eating are known triggers for people with Crohn's Disease (although everyone does have a different response to foods). Such as nuts and seeds and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Source: www.nacc.org.uk (accredited UK site for people whose lives are affected by Crohn's or Colitis, with peer-reviewed and regularly updated information on all aspects of IBD - not IBS).

Paleo might be useful for IBS, I have never heard it recommended for anyone with Crohn's / Colitis.

sarahellenx

Crohn's and colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and are very serious and potentially fatal. IBS is inconvenient but it is by no means in the same league as IBD in terms of seriousness as - thankfully - IBS does not cause damage, just symptoms.

PepperWorm

I have IBS triggered by stress.

You're doing PERFECTLY fine. You're eating properly. Your body fat is going down. Your measurements are going down. This means that your body composition is changing. The scale won't reflect your muscle gain over fat loss. I have had weeks where I lost nothing, gained, then dropped two pounds. It's all a part of the process.

Are you taking fiber supplements? If so, HOW MUCH? I had the absolute worst time with fiber supplements awhile ago due to them giving me awful constipation. Now I just do 1 teaspoon of the clear fiber a day in my 1 cup of coffee. It truly helps the cramps.

Are you taking a probiotic? My doctor recommended one to me and I took it for awhile. It had the opposite effect on me, too. I completely stopped probiotic medication. If you're not taking one, however...try it! It may just help you.

Have you seen your doctor recently? I had a bad flare up and asked the doctor about the cramps. She prescribed a great anti-bloating/cramping medication. It really helps.

Under a lot of stress? Exercise! Write in a journal! Do yoga! Nobody is ever going to eliminate stress, but doing something to greatly reduce it will help you in the long run.

Ugh. People recommending the diets just....no.

I know when I 'cleaned up' my diet that I felt better. I don't eat fried foods or overly greasy foods when I can help it. Very acidic food sometimes has the same effect.

Good luck OP. Hang in there.

Lesa_Sass

Try taking Betaine HCL. A homeopathic nutritionist suggested it to me a few years back. (I have IBS-C also) I have an awful time digesting meat, especially red meat. I was so frustrated at being fit and tiny but looking like I was preggers because of my constipation bloat.

Betaine HCL is the acid in your stomach that breaks food down, many of us do not have enough of it and that is why we get constipated. I get mine at a all natural grocery store but GNC carries it as well, all though the dosage of HCL is lower than what you can find at a health food store. I get the 500 mg and take one in the middle of a big meal, or if I am having red meat, I take one before and one in the middle.

You can google low HCL and see what you think.

Good luck!

lsegatti

You may want to consider taking one food type at a time out of your diet and see if that "helps" in some way. I know that many people say that high fiber grains are the way to go. They make me bloated and they make me gain weight. I do not digest them well. So I switched to a rice bread, rice cakes and crackers, even my one vitamin is made with rice bran oil.........this was a success for me once I told my sister. She gave up wheat 4 years ago and has lost 40 pounds.

So not only we are what we eat, it is a slow mindful process of figuring out what we can truly eat, feel well and digest. Take it one or two weeks chunks and totally remove a food type out of your diet and see what happens.

tlou5

I had a very similar problem. Has your GP tested you for Celiac disease? I was diagnosed as IBS for YEARS and felt awful. It wasn't until I started getting super sick due to anemia and electrolyte imbalances that they figured out it was Celiac disease. I have been gluten free for one year now and can not believe how good I feel. Don't let your GP tell you constipation and being overweight aren't symptoms of Celiac disease. They are not the NORM but there is a significant subgroup of people that present with chronic severe constipation and obesity.

Good luck, however do NOT go gluten free without being tested first please. If it is Celiac you need to know because it is very different than eating gluten free due to IBS or intolerance, and if you are tested AFTER being without gluten you could possibly get a false negative.

larsensue

I have IBS but the other way.... I go all the time. I cut out gluten (mostly) and started taking probiotics (Align) and CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid). I was hugely bloated as soon as I ate anything it seemed and I would go after eating anything. the supplements seem to have brought everything into a state of normalcy. although if I cheet and don't take them or ingest a bunch of gluten I am back to the old problem again.
I wish you luck with finding what works for you.
I know how losing and gaining the same 10lbs feels. I have also had the same problem since January and so far I feel better but my pants are still tight, my weight has not changed (except up or down by 4 every other week or so) and I am SOOOO frustrated.
if you want you can add me as a friend...

Rosie4732

I have ibs. Last year I was on major levels of drugs for acid reflex and chronic stomach/gut cramps and bloating
For me cutting out white dyed flour and any chemicals or forced rising agents/processed food has really helped
However I did get clogged up when I first started my diet (I've lost 2st 8oz since jan)
What I found really helped was -
Liquorice tea
Plenty of water and then more
Increasing healthy fat in diet
Cutting out white carbs and reducing Red meat to occasional treats - plus low levels of white meat (fish/seafood seems to keep my body the happiest)
Low carb diet (I still eats oats every day for breakfast but the rest of my carbs come from fresh fruit and veg or beans etc)
Using reflexology pressure points on the hand (I swear this really does work)
Exersise
Adrenaline (I have a horse and Competiton nerves help!)
It took my body about 4.5 months to get used to the new diet so that I was regular
I hope you find a solution as I can totally empathise how horrid it is

kitticus15

Thank you everyone

I have had Celiac tests done = clear, negative

thyroid tests done = closer to high levels

cross panel bloods tested = all fine

so it seems I will have to work it out with my diet, looks like it will be trial and effort but will be so worth it when I work it out

I do find I am sluggish feeling and tired if I eat too much meat, so am cutting back the meat, I also find white bread, past and rice are ok but if I eat brown bread, rice and pasta I bloat up about 7 inches on average within half an hour of eating.

I do hope one day we find a way of dealing with these symptoms and make everyone's life easier and bloat/pain free

Lesa_Sass

Thank you everyone

I have had Celiac tests done = clear, negative

thyroid tests done = closer to high levels

cross panel bloods tested = all fine

so it seems I will have to work it out with my diet, looks like it will be trial and effort but will be so worth it when I work it out

I do find I am sluggish feeling and tired if I eat too much meat, so am cutting back the meat, I also find white bread, past and rice are ok but if I eat brown bread, rice and pasta I bloat up about 7 inches on average within half an hour of eating.

I do hope one day we find a way of dealing with these symptoms and make everyone's life easier and bloat/pain free

There is, it is called HCL and enzymes that you get a GNC. I have the same issue, the dr even put me on Zelnorm, that crap killed people. It took a homeopath to tell me how to cure me, naturally. I was in pain 10 freaking years before finding this out. I was PISSED!

SteelySunshine

I had IBS like symptoms for 7 years still have problems from time to time. I can tell from your posts that our triggers food wise are already different except for meat. That did not agree with me at all. When I stopped eating meat I got better for a month. Then back to like before. A bit later someone told me cheese might be a new problem. So, only eat cheese on rare occasions it turns out I am ok with smallish amounts it was probably the 6 ounces a day that was the problem. I cut out milk as well and that also seems to have helped. All I know is I am not in extreme pain anymore and I rarely have an emergency situation. Those emergency situations caused a bit of agoraphobia if you know what I mean.