extremely frustrated and fired up enough to binge - hard

canadagoose

help please...

I have a weight loss of 62 - 64lbs depending on fluctuation. This is over 9 1/2 months. Just took about 90% of wheat and sugar out of my diet and am routinely active. About ten days ago I decided to try going Paleo. Took out dairy, legumes and rest of occasional grains. Added in more veggies and nuts/seeds, and eggs as well as switching to almond butter vs. Kraft natural peanut butter. This was done to see if I could finally get rid of my issues with gas - very foul and embarrassing (throughout most of my life - am turning 45). It only seemed to get worse ( I didn't think that was even possible ). Then about 3 days in I started having bowel movements about 10 ( that's not a typo ) or more times a day ( No prior history of this). Nearly every time I went to washroom. I have no pain/cramping/diarrhea - just soft movements and no sudden change in weight loss . Meanwhile on the plus side I noticed no more nasal congestion/drip. I don't know what is going on with by body! I don't know what to eat anymore! If I go back to eating exactly what I did before the switch to Paleo that adds in a whole lot of dairy in the way of drinking milk, cottage cheese for a morning protein, yogurt 1-2 times a day for snack (hello constant nasal congestion - I know because tried yogurt once and wham here we go again!) I've also learned I have issues with eggs(yolk & white), and bananas. I am so confused ,upset and downright angry! I feel betrayed by my body. Even more frustrating is that my binge of choice would be ice cream. I am heading fast towards a complete meltdown and I don't want to. I am so desperately trying to keep my wits about me but feel I am losing the battle. Sorry this got so long but I have been keeping this completely bottled up.

Andrea

nurseadair

I hadn't realised that dairy could be a source of nasal congestion/drip. Trouble is if you're a lady of a certain age then how do you keep up your calcium intake?

Sabine_Stroehm

Two suggestions: Ask on the paleo group. Folks with whole 30 experience might have some insights.
And: don't binge on ice cream. You KNOW you will be miserable. Why make yourself physically and emotionally miserable?

sloth3toes

Seeing a Dr and / or a dietician would probably be the best advice. It's obvious that the sudden change caused your guts to react in an unfavorable manner. So, there might be some chance that just toughing it out, things might get back closer to 'normal.' That seems rather doubtful, and not worth waiting for. So, the next choice, I think, would be, to cut out some of the things you just added in, and see if things get better.

wizzybeth

You "just" took most wheat and sugar out of your diet? Maybe your body just can't handle all these sudden changes.

NewTnme

Heyyyyyy........ Slow down. Stop... now think about how much you have already lost and feel good about it. I have IBS with constipation. I know the misery intestines can cause. Don't eat the ice cream. You will be sorry...... start paleo slower if that's what you want to do. And just go for a walk to really think it over. Y do you want to go to paleo?

jroblesfit

I am no dietician but what I can say is that when you remove certain, even good for you foods, there is going to be a reaction and leveling out phase. The extra bathroom breaks may actually be your body ridding itself of risidual toxins and/or build up caused by dairy products. DO NOT DO THE ICE CREAM! You will send your body into shock, make yourself sick and can undo a lot of very hard work. You will see that scale climb 5-6 lbs faster than you can say Ben & Jerry's. :-)

Prior advice is right on, check with Paleo experts, see a nutritionist that promotes clean eating and read up more on natural remedies to the gas issues. Your body is talking to you, just stop and listen. Btw, coconut or almond milk are great replacements.

Good luck!

nxd10

Don't melt down. I assume you've seen a doctor about the gas? They do have good medicines for it. My husband doesn't have that problem, but he has had intestinal issues until the last 3 years that do include the 10 times a day soft bowel movements. Bad enough that he got diverticulitis and had a chunk of his intestines removed.

Two suggestions: Try metamucil or some other source of extra natural fiber. My husband uses 2 tablespoons a night. It helps a lot if you have trouble dealing with fat. You want to RAMP UP. Start with a few teaspoons and build up to 30 grams a day (that was his doctor's recommendation). Make sure it is really well mixed before you drink it. That is very hard to achieve with a normal diet.

Second, I highly recommend kefir and/or yogurt. Kefir has a greater variety of pro-biotics, and my husband has found it fantastically helpful in keeping his guts working well. However, I just read a piece in the NY Times saying yogurt does a better job of balancing your guts.

Doing those two things has basically kept my husband's guts in order for the first time in his whole life. With much less gas too.

klc48

Don't give up.... it takes awhile for your body to adjust to a new diet even if it is a change that is good for you. Kudos for finding what works for your body! Just remember everyone is different and what works for you won't necessarily work for someone else. Try adding some exercise to your routine also. Hope you start feeling better soon!

marilandica

Moderation is your friend. What's with all the drastic diets? Eat everything in moderation -- meet your daily calorie and nutrient goals. Call it good.

86_Ohms

So, going Paleo, you increased how much meat you eat and how many veggies you eat proportional to the ratio of your old diet. Lots of meat and lots of fiber all at once is a funky combo that has a party in your bowels -- especially if you're not used to eating solely everything that encompasses Paleo. Not only that, but your carb ratio /might/ of gone way down too (depending on how you've ate before) which also has consequences if you cut it out completely.

I ate with a 99% Paleo diet for a little over a year and that sounds pretty familiar. It's something to try for about 4 weeks and see if you can really do it (I still really like tacos with a tortilla and bottled hot sauce), because, normally, you start to even out and feel pretty good. If you want to read any blogs about Paleo, I'd suggest going to Mark's Daily Apple as him and his website aren't forceful on 'what to eat' and is usually pretty laid back.

stealthq

Check your fat consumption as well - you might have increased that significantly by switching to paleo, and fats will soften your stool.

feralkitten1010

You should probably see an allergist to do an allergy test for food. It sounds like you, at the very least, have an allergy to dairy. Depending on how bad it is and how much you consumed before, your body is probably responding normally to having it taken out. (I have a mild allergy to dairy myself.)

itsbasschick

i get horrible problems when i eat dairy - bloating, gas, pain, diahrea. it got really bad till i figured out what it was. now i either drink/eat lactose-removed dairy or take a lactaid in advance. then i have no problems at all. my niece says she has to take more than 1 lactaid to work, but they work for her, too.