Fell off the wagon :(

idauria

It's been a bad week. I guess I could blame it on PMS but the blame lays squarely on myself for allowing myself to eat things that aren't good for me. I had popcorn earlier in the week, then tortilla chips at the end of the week. I think the worst offense was the dark chocolate m&ms I ate yesterday. I'm not talking just a handful either. It's the most refined sugar I've had in a few months. Now I hate myself.

I'm just in a funk lately. I've been on the low FODMAPS diet to try and figure out my IBS issues. However, I have been eating 85% dark chocolate(no soy or dairy) but even that does weird things to my belly, so I have to give that up too. I also need to remove nuts and seeds since they are known gut irritants. I just read Practical Paleo last night and I'm going to try and follow her recommendations. I am just so tired of this wheel I've been on all my life trying to figure out what's wrong with me. I've done diets, meds, etc and nothing seems to help. Just doing paleo didn't cut it hence doing fodmaps. Next step might be GAPS, but I don't know if I can handle that level of elimination. I saw my GI doc this week and though he seemed somewhat knowledgeable about FODMAPS and SIBO, he was unwilling to order tests for me citing their unreliability. I also think he's not really qualified to interpret the results either. I am seeing a RD(and not a paleo promoting one at that) and she's the one who suggested FODMAPS(although I knew going in that it's what I wanted to try). However, beyond that I don't know if she can help me. Though she said she might be able to help me find a naturopath. Of course all this means more money spent. Do you know how much money I have spent over the years on diets/foods/tests? I'm so tired of this.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to turn into a rant about the state of my health. I just really don't like myself or life right now.

imwithgizmo

(((((Hugs))))) Sorry for your struggles. I hope you find the answers you are needing, so you can feel better. I hope you can forgive yourself and move forward. Great job being an advocate for yourself!

sarbar71

My Dad suffered from Ulcerative Colitis/Crohn's for years, so I sort of understand (as much as one not afflicted could) your struggles. He tried countless medications but never found one that worked for him. I applaud you on experimenting with different diets to find something that works for you and hopefully you will eventually find something that works. The doctors used to tell us that it was all about experimentation with different meds, suggested certain foods to avoid, but none ever recommended GAPS, Paleo, or any other major dietary change. I wish they had - such a disservice!

Try not to be too hard on yourself - you had an "off" few days - who doesn't? Just get back on the "wagon" and hopefully you will find something that helps you.

Frankenbarbie01

You recognised where you made poor choices, put it out to the universe, now...keep going forward. Dont beat yourself up about it
We all make bad choices from time to time. Have you looked at the Whole 9 or Whole 30 websites? Dallas and Melissa Hartwig have also written a book called it starts with food which is really good. It MAY help with encouraging you to make choices that contribute to better bowel health. I know since Ive been doing whole 30 type eating I havent had 1/2 the bowel troubles I used to. Although I was never diagnosed as celiac or IBS I just FEEL better......worth a shot!!
....Dont be discouraged, just go forward from here

lowm8nance

So you've had a rough week and made your confession. It happens with everybody, that's why we're here to support. Back on it tommorrow. I know I've eatin wrong things due to frustrations. I'm sorry you're not getting support out of your doctors too. That's enough to make you nuts. Hope you find the right track soon.

Fairysoul

You recognised where you made poor choices, put it out to the universe, now...keep going forward. Dont beat yourself up about it
We all make bad choices from time to time. Have you looked at the Whole 9 or Whole 30 websites? Dallas and Melissa Hartwig have also written a book called it starts with food which is really good. It MAY help with encouraging you to make choices that contribute to better bowel health. I know since Ive been doing whole 30 type eating I havent had 1/2 the bowel troubles I used to. Although I was never diagnosed as celiac or IBS I just FEEL better......worth a shot!!
....Dont be discouraged, just go forward from here

I agree!

idauria

Thank you so much for your kind replies! I was hoping people wouldn't start bashing me for my poor food choices. I am back on the wagon. I have read It Starts With Food and did a Whole 30 a couple of months ago. I was even doing pretty well post 30, with some cheating, but this is by far my worst offense. I hate when I do so well and then fall back into old habits. I definitely feel better when I am pretty strict with my eating but not 100%. I just finished Practical Paleo and I am going to incorporate her suggestions for improving digestive health, like taking certain supplements. I won't start until after this FODMAP experiment though as not to muddle my results.

Thanks again for your encouragement, it really means a lot to me! Upward and onward, right?

amanda6393

You sound like you're on the right track. I was having so many digestive issues 12 months ago, which have all now gone since seeing a naturopath/nutritionist. She diagnosed my leaky gut and placed me on a long course of good quality probiotics, along with Thorn's Solvent Remover for the liver. That, along with dietary changes made a HUGE difference (removal of most sugar, all grains, dairy, legumes and artificial sweeteners, and increased essential fatty acids)
She also recommended regularly eating a good bone broth, as it helps the gut and connective tissue and the gelatin in it lines the digestive tract. I put a couple of full chickens and some salt in the slow cooker on low for at least 9 hours every few weeks (there's some cooking as I type!), then fry up some spices (cumin, ground coriander, garlic, etc and lots of vegies such as onion, celery, pumpkin or whatever I have in the fridge and add the broth liquid and chicken meat to make up a nice soup. Sooo tasty! You can add some coconut milk for a creamy texture and taste. It make a huge batch which I then reheat for lunches.

Cerebrus189

Thank you so much for your kind replies! I was hoping people wouldn't start bashing me for my poor food choices. I am back on the wagon. I have read It Starts With Food and did a Whole 30 a couple of months ago. I was even doing pretty well post 30, with some cheating, but this is by far my worst offense. I hate when I do so well and then fall back into old habits. I definitely feel better when I am pretty strict with my eating but not 100%. I just finished Practical Paleo and I am going to incorporate her suggestions for improving digestive health, like taking certain supplements. I won't start until after this FODMAP experiment though as not to muddle my results.

Thanks again for your encouragement, it really means a lot to me! Upward and onward, right?

I'm also going to do the Practical Paleo Autoimmune Protocol and Gut Healing Protocol along with it. If you'd like, we can keep each other on track. I know that my skin was clearing up after doing it for 30 days and I was losing lbs effortlessly. Now that I've not been so strict, I haven't felt as well. Let me know if you're interested and we can set a start date to begin. This time, I'm going to follow the 30-day meal plan.

As far as falling off the wagon, we all do and it's not a huge deal. It's a learning experience.

caribougal

idauria - so sorry you had such an off week. You're being really hard on yourself. Celebrate the commitment you've made to find a healthy path for yourself. Those M&Ms are evil, but hey... could have been worse... they could have been milk chocolate! Ha Ha.

You might want to read this post, since you're thinking of going to a naturopath. Neely runs a biz called paleoplan, and you can't find anyone more committed to eating clean, but even she struggled because her diet changes didn't resolve all her physical issues the way she had hoped. If your regular doc isn't going to do the tests, then maybe the naturopath will.

http://www.paleoplan.com/2012/09-22/when-paleo-doesnt-cut-it-my-1500-lab-test-results/

idauria

Thank you so much for your kind replies! I was hoping people wouldn't start bashing me for my poor food choices. I am back on the wagon. I have read It Starts With Food and did a Whole 30 a couple of months ago. I was even doing pretty well post 30, with some cheating, but this is by far my worst offense. I hate when I do so well and then fall back into old habits. I definitely feel better when I am pretty strict with my eating but not 100%. I just finished Practical Paleo and I am going to incorporate her suggestions for improving digestive health, like taking certain supplements. I won't start until after this FODMAP experiment though as not to muddle my results.

Thanks again for your encouragement, it really means a lot to me! Upward and onward, right?

I'm also going to do the Practical Paleo Autoimmune Protocol and Gut Healing Protocol along with it. If you'd like, we can keep each other on track. I know that my skin was clearing up after doing it for 30 days and I was losing lbs effortlessly. Now that I've not been so strict, I haven't felt as well. Let me know if you're interested and we can set a start date to begin. This time, I'm going to follow the 30-day meal plan.

As far as falling off the wagon, we all do and it's not a huge deal. It's a learning experience.

I have been thinking about doing the autoimmune protocol, but I am loathe to eliminate yet more food from my diet. However, I am already off dairy, eggs, grains, and legumes. I do want to eliminate nuts and seeds, but I am having a hard time with that. I suppose it couldn't hurt to ditch nightshades too, but boy does that make life more complicated. I might do all this after my FODMAP challenge is up. I want to do one elimination challenge at a time. I should have a better picture by Thanksgiving, since my next appt with my nutritionist is that week. I could do it after that though. I'll let you know. I am going to order the supplements she recommends in the digestive health section. I actually sent her an email asking if it's safe to take several of the supplements concurrently. I got a reply from one of the associates asking if I would mind them answering it during the next podcast. This is actually the second question I have had answered during the Balanced Bites podcast in the last month. It should be interesting to hear what she says about the supplements. I have them in my cart at vitacost.com but haven't ordered yet.