IBS and Loosing Weight

SerenaBeans08

I think I might have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and I'm not sure what to eat to do the elimination diet to see if that's the problem. Anyone else have this problem and know a good way to handle it or make the symptoms go away?

2013sk

Have you tried buying some probiotics? I have brought some and they are great.

My belly bloats up if I eat the following

Too much bread

Too much processed cereal

Jacobs Crackers

Ryvita's

Now when you look at these foods listed they are either very dry or high in fibre. Now if your not drinking plenty of water, this can make you constipated or get a belly bloat like I have if I eat too much of this.

Try and eat veggies, fruit, protein etc. My problem is getting a VARIETY in my diet. I tend to like the same foods, and will have them over and over again, even though I know they bloat me.

Hope this helps!

Madame_Goldbricker

I've recently given into the fact that gluten is a trigger for mine. Which annoys the hell out of me as its in practically everything. Go see your Dr they can help you with the elimination plan. If not just do a cut on different food groups one at a time. Keep a diary & you should hit on your triggers.

Also caffeine, smoking, alcohol, stress are trigger factors for some people. Even with getting a better handle on mine I still get the odd flare up. And it syncs with TOM. Trial & error OP everyone's different.

You should get a medical diagnosis to be on the safe side though. Just to rule out anything else causing it.

Noogynoogs

I find if don't take mebrevine I lose more weight but do suffer the cramps - what I put myself through for weightloss.

loribethrice

I think I might have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and I'm not sure what to eat to do the elimination diet to see if that's the problem. Anyone else have this problem and know a good way to handle it or make the symptoms go away?

I have IBS too. This low FODMAP diet is what we are supposed to follow for foods to eat/not eat:
http://www.ibsgroup.org/brochures/fodmap-intolerances.pdf

I also take probiotics to help my stomach.

hensue11

I am quite the opposite to, i find crackers help and dont bloat so much as veggies and fruit namely the green high fiberous ones, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, cabbage and onions, colored veggies are fine, fruit also aggravates me especially apples...peeling them helps, tomato based stuff is terrible too but the worst offender is anything deep fried;-).....I to take probiotics mainly the 'Pearl' ones and they help.....unfortunately people have different triggers so you have to find what it is that does that to you, oh i also had H-Pylori which didnt help matters either........best of luck

lori_en

It's strange how many people here recommend probiotics, when I find they can actually trigger my symptoms. Activia yoghurts are the worst for me, can't even finish the pot without having to rush to the loo!

I've been diagnosed by my doctor for seven years now and I still haven't worked out what causes my bloating. The closest I came was when I tried the dukan diet and that was probably the least bloated I had been in a long while, and that basically involved cutting out as many carbs as possible and living off low fat proteins and dairy.

Also exercise is good, I've read that if you suffer from IBS you shouldn't exercise for more than 45 minutes each time as it can make your body go into stress mode and cause further bloating.

kdeaux1959

If you think you have IBS, see a doctor. They are qualified to make that determination and should be able to give you the information you need to meet your goals; or at least point you to someone who can.

jennifries227

I have IBS, and really, knowing your trigger foods is the best way to shape your diet. Once you know what's going to make you feel bad, you can avoid those foods and find foods that deliver the same nutrients instead.

Depending on which form of IBS you have (IBS-C or IBS-D use your imagination to figure out what the C and D stand for.. LOL) different foods may trigger symptoms. I have IBS-D and have found dairy products (except yogurt, a small amount of hard cheese {like parmesan}, and lactose-free dairy items), large amounts of onions, whole corn kernels (including popcorn, so sad) and anything really greasy or fatty will make me so sick. Stress also sets me off, usually for days, which causes more stress... I avoid stress.
I know that incorporating enough fiber into your diet is crucial for people with IBS-C, but honestly that's about all I know diet-wise about it.

As far as figuring out your trigger foods.. That's kind of trial and error, unfortunately. Elimination diets can help a lot for big things like dairy or wheat, but for little things, like exactly how much onion you can eat in a sitting, it's not so easy. Keeping your food logs COMPLETELY accurate (you're only lying to yourself if you don't log everything!) will help a lot in this. Make a note in the notes section every time you have symptoms. You should be able to find patterns that way and pinpoint what to avoid.

A side note: Sometimes I still eat food I know is going to make me sick. I love ice cream, and it's hard to find lactose-free, and the soy, almond, or coconut milk stuff is so expensive. And sometimes I'm going to have French onion soup because I love it, even if it doesn't love me. For these times I take Immodium, an inexpensive over the counter anti-diarrhea medication. Works wonders. I also have Bentyl (prescription, but inexpensive) for severe stomach cramping, and I usually use Pepto Bismol for nausea, but I also have Phenergan (also prescription) for extreme nausea.
My doctor and I discussed more expensive IBS specific drugs, but ultimately decided that I was able to control about 80% of my symptoms with diet and over the counter medication, so it wasn't worth it. There are options, though!

strawmama

It's strange how many people here recommend probiotics, when I find they can actually trigger my symptoms. Activia yoghurts are the worst for me, can't even finish the pot without having to rush to the loo!

Me too!
My doctor diagnosed me with IBS as a last-ditch effort at some sort of answer for my tummy troubles. I suffer unbearable heartburn and any other tummy issue you can think of. So, rather than do the drug route, I decided to try eliminating certain foods and seeing what helped (or didn't). My trigger ended up being white processed flours. I can tolerate whole wheat as long as it's in its natural state. Oats also give me trouble. I ended up doing a low-carb diet as a means to lose weight and not slip-up and eat something with hidden white flours.

See your doctor. There are a bunch of tests you should have done, and you need to eliminate other, harsher possibilities, such as colitis or Crohn's disease.

newyorklover91

I have an office job and find it really hard to eat lunch and then keep sitting all afternoon.. my insides feel like they're a washing mashing churning up after i eat! It's a horrid feeling. Then I have to sit there allllllllllll afternoon and get horrendous gas and bloating I am so confused by this whole IBS thing, I wish it we as easy as the doctor giving me a diet and saying here, eat this! I can't be bothered to do elimination

md523083

My cure is actually processed foods and white flour. I know I know... makes it very difficult to lose weight! I figured this out when we moved to our first home and it didn't have a dishwasher. While unpacking I ditched my very healthy gluten-free, low glycemic, high veg, lean protein diet and opted for processed everything, just to get out of doing dishes among boxes.

I WAS CURED.

I ate all the hot pockets, bagels, cookies, microwavable meals.... anything with white flour and sugar. Cured!!!

I got my life back (and 20+lbs, ugh!!!!!). So I'm trying to balance the white flour in a way where I can lose weight. I absolutely CANNOT touch whole grains with a ten-foot pole. No Joseph's Lavash (whole wheat), no Arnold's bread, no nuts, and I need to limit fruits and some vegetables, and even good fats I need to limit. If I eliminate grains all together (Paleo) my IBS is horrendous. I actually need the white gluten at each meal to help the other food along. And I get zero bloating, zero discomfort, and can even drink coffee.

It is so strange but everyone is different.

beamie2687

I actually have IBS-A, or alternating IBS. I tried the fodmaps diet, and while it helps with my upset stomach, it made no difference in my IBS (likely because while I alternate between C&D, I am mostly C - which is less affected by food than type D).

I do know that fried foods are triggers, especially for D symptoms, so I've been cooking a lot more at home. Recently I've discovered that certain types of red wine trigger episodes for me as well. I don't like to drink caffeine, but I find that 2 cups of coffee in the morning (before noon) help me go, so I drink them.

Ultimately, you should get diagnosed by a doctor (preferably before you eliminate things from your diet, in case it's unnecessary!). Then you can move on to trigger foods. Good luck! Let us know if we can help!

cathipa

This low FODMAP diet is what we are supposed to follow for foods to eat/not eat:
http://www.ibsgroup.org/brochures/fodmap-intolerances.pdf

I also take probiotics to help my stomach.

Agree with the above. Avoid also any fatty/greasy foods; caffeine (including chocolate); alcohol.

cw106

interesting list.recently had to cut out beans,and reduce late night caffeine from chocolate.
amazing what resources you can find here on mfp.