Weight Loss with IBS?

DanielleJoy129

Embarrassing, uncomfortable, inconvenient... and most of all, the enemy of people trying to lose weight:
IBS.

I was diagnosed with IBS (by my gastroenterologist) when I wa16...

For me, and other sufferers, there's no such thing as "regular."

I won't go into the details, but I'm looking to start a support group for folks who are trying to lose
weight while living/struggling with this uncomfortable syndrome.

For instance, I can have a PERFECT week... 1400 calories/day, vigorous workouts 4-5x/week. Then,
I step on the scale, expecting at least a 1 lbs loss... and I've gained 1.5 lbs! Why? Because my body is full
of toxins, waste, gas, liquid, etc.

It is the most frustrating thing I encounter in my dieting. I can tone my arms, my legs, but my abdomen just stays the same (or gets bigger) when I'm having a bad IBS week.

Can anyone else relate? Message me.

mjessim

Trying to lose weight with IBS, I have found that the best time to weigh your self is in the morning right when you wake up. It's a more accurate reading. I was weighing myself at night before I went to bed and I was getting the same thing. One day I'd be down to 134 and the next I'd be back up to 138. I'm also only weighting myself once a week. It's less discouraging. I've also found that tracking what I am eating helps me find foods that could potentially be causing flare ups.

Current Diet restrictions: Dairy, Red Meat, Caffeine, Black Beans, Corn, Tomato Skins.

I am on a probiotic regimen that does allow me to eat about 1-3oz of dairy a day. I need the calcium boost. I am terrible at balancing out my nutrients with veggies and fruits alone. I'm working to get better at that.

Stress is another big factor in IBS flare ups (for most people) consistent exercise and proper sleep schedule will help with that. I currently do Cardio every other day and mix in a light strengthening and toning class and Yoga on the off days. This way I get the high activity of cardio, and also the stretch that pulls the stress out of the muscles.

Tashac17

I totally understand. I think I tried most diets out there and nothing seems to work. I recently joined weight watchers with a friend. She ate crap, drank and didn't exercise losing 2lb and i followed the diet to the book, exercised and gained 1lb. Needless to say i cancelled my membership due to all the healthy foods especially raw veg and fruit irritating my stomach. I am now trying to exercise more and I have recently cut out milk from my diet but I am still bloated and always constipated. Really fed up.
Starting my fitness pal to help me monitor calorie intake and look out for triggers.
I hope someone can suggest ant solutions for IBS- C

FattyAy

I can totally relate! I've had post-infection IBS-D/ IBS-C for several years. By avoiding certain foods, I've managed to keep it pretty much under control after figuring out what my trigger foods are. I still get horrible distention from time to time but usually its due to a trigger food such as dairy. Probiotics, regular exercise, and balancing soluble fiber with insoluble fiber foods helps keep my GI system regulated. Oh and ginger, fennel and peppermint have been a lifesaver!
I don't really contribute to these forums but feel free to msg me if you want more details.

mjessim

Tashac17 - Some tips for IBS-C

I've found Peppermint Enzyme Tablets help with bloating (they're also handy for if you have sudden bouts of Diarrhea). To help with the constipation try increasing your soluble Fiber and also adding an over-the-counter probiotic regimen (I pick up a 3 month supply of probiotics from Sam's Club for about 30$) to help digest food better.

learnerdriver

I have IBS.

I think it's got better with cardio and drinking more water, but it's still pretty horrible when I get really stressed, eat bread or cauliflower, and also with my period. I'm trying to take a probiotic at the moment.

traceylynns

I have Lactose intolerance and IBS. So I totally understand what you all are saying. I have been debating on taking a probiotic to see if that will help me. Have any of you taken it and had any luck?

ronaldheft

I have IBS-D and tried everything for years to get it under control. Nothing seemed to work. Then I started eating cleaner and exercising more and slowly things started to change. While I still have flair ups, my situation has definitely improved as I've lost weight. I haven't avoided anything specifically, just trying to eating better foods in general and that seems to help.

halleymw

I have had diarrhea predominant ibs for years. I recently took a three month course of the probiotic Align, and it helped me quite a bit. I would say about an 80 percent improvement in my symptoms. I am trying to see if it is something I have to take all the time, and so far I have maintained my improvement being off it for a couple of months, but the symptoms are a little worse than when I was on it. Word of advice: don't take any metamucil when you are on it, it is not pretty!
Mike

angelahammon

I have IBS, and am suffering at the moment, majority of the time i am constipated and then i eat something that disagrees with me and i either have it bad and suffer with diarreoah or have stomach cramps , this then gets in the way of me going to exercise classes as i don't want to make things worse if my stomach is sore and playing up.

if anyone suffers with constipation can they recommend any foods or anything to help

katiebild

Check out the FODMAP food list. It's worked wonders for me. It's the only way to eat, I've been discovering. I've been super stressed and eating "healthy" aka good fat, plenty of veggies, and feel WORSE. Excercise regularly, and gain weight. Feel like I'm back on track for now. Probiotics as well.

redraidergirl2009

I have ibs, but not the constipation type. What helped me if figuring out what foods irritated it and cutting them out. I'm virtually symptom free as long as I avoid those foods.

EmmaReed84

Yes, I can totally relate!! I did a post about this yesterday actually

I am currently on my 2nd day of a flare up (blocked), my back is starting to ache and I am beginning to feel groggy!

It is so frustrating, I have weighed daily and now understand a bit better the fluctuations when having flare up (either way) so now I am going to try and weigh weekly.

The problem is I know people say numbers are not important and think about body image... Not heplful when you look pregnant LOL

MissPeppers

Sounds too familiar...
I have IBS, and I need to watch what I eat though what triggers the problems may differ from week to week.. Intermittent fasting has helped me a lot, I really encourage trying this.

DanielleJoy129

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread!
A lot of great ideas and it's always comforting to know that others can relate to your discomfort...

I have IBS-C, and lately I've been eating a ton of leafy greens... spinach, mixed greens, etc.
and it's really helped a lot.

My flare ups coincide with my mensies, so I've basically resolved myself to being completely incapacitated
for one week every month... horrible way to live your life.

susie6785

I was just diagnosed with IBS which seems to be IBS-C. Diagnosed VERY recently as in YESTERDAY haha. Still not 100% that it's what's wrong with me. I'd be interested in other sufferers ideas as to what triggers you? Bread actually doesn't seem to trigger me, neither does dairy. I was diagnosed with this after 3 months of nearly every day feeling incredibly nauseous, and then just recently in the past few weeks started in with the constipation which I've NEVER had an issue with in my entire life (I'm 27, almost 28). It literally was fine one day, then not fine the next. I'm trying to log what I'm eating to help me figure out what is triggering me. Also, I've lost about 20 lbs doing nothing since this started because I cut out so much food. That has tapered off and I'm sad to read that IBS seems to inhibit people losing weight . Anyway, any info would be greatly appreciated!

susie6785

Also additional info that may/may not be helpful to anyone feeling up for giving advice haha, I did look into the FODMAP diet, and was surprised by some of the things, I guess maybe I could try to follow a modified one? Apple seems to be something that is a safe all the time food for me, same with cottage cheese. Unsweetened apple sauce from Trader Joe's is like my go to snack when I don't feel well and it seems to not make anything worse...hmmm, interesting!

Exill

Check out the FODMAP food list. It's worked wonders for me. It's the only way to eat, I've been discovering. I've been super stressed and eating "healthy" aka good fat, plenty of veggies, and feel WORSE. Excercise regularly, and gain weight. Feel like I'm back on track for now. Probiotics as well.

This! I recently stumbled on the low FODMAP diet and noticed it had most of my trigger foods in the avoid list. My worst triggers are onions, green leafy vegetables, greasy foods, dairy, potato skins, avocado, certain beans, and green vegetables like broccoli and brussel's sprouts.

It really helps if I take Pepto Bismol before eating a trigger food, but mostly I just try to avoid the foods or eat them at a minimum.

jjmaag

I have IBS and a lactose intolerance. I had gained about 20 lbs the year i found out i had it, and felt awful. I know this sounds crazy, and I thought it was crazy too but I recently started Zoloft to help my IBS and so far it's been extremely helpful. So far since January I am down 15 lbs. I'm not sure if it's the zoloft, or just that I have not been having many episodes. Still can't eat my trigger foods, but it's nice to be able to eat food and not have to worry about every little thing. Good luck! I am only 20 and started getting symptoms of IBS when I was 18, it is quite unbearable and uncomfortable.

Exill

Also additional info that may/may not be helpful to anyone feeling up for giving advice haha, I did look into the FODMAP diet, and was surprised by some of the things, I guess maybe I could try to follow a modified one? Apple seems to be something that is a safe all the time food for me, same with cottage cheese. Unsweetened apple sauce from Trader Joe's is like my go to snack when I don't feel well and it seems to not make anything worse...hmmm, interesting!

Apple is fine for me too, I eat a honeycrisp every day. The foods I listed in my above post are mainly ones that cause a lot of bloating, gas, and diarrhea for me. /tmi As for constipation, I used to have it horribly years ago before I started eating better and giving up dairy (for the most part). Cheese and white bread clog me up horribly, so pizza is the worst offender for me.

I think basically: If you're constipated, eat more vegetables and fruits, and if you're on the other end eat more rice and breads? Though bananas can clog you up...

shutterbug282

Yes, I have IBS, but I've thankfully found my trigger foods. It's taken me over a year, but I've lost 21lbs, I still have quite a big stomach, and I think a lot of that has to do with flare ups, it gets really bad.
I've been cutting back on my trigger foods, which seems to have helped a lot, even since I have, I've lost more weight.

valeriemholden

I can totally relate. I have diverticulitis and it is really difficult to work out on days I have a lot of pain. It (diverticulitis) definitely motivates me to eat much more healthy and I haven't had any fast food in 5 months, made a HUGE difference. Friend me if you want, we can all use the support!

susie6785

Thanks for all the info. Seems like it'll be kind of a trial and error until I figure out what is triggering everything for me. Dairy actually seems to be ok and so does bread. Pizza- definitely not. Anything Mexican- definitely not. For a while it seemed like it was EVERYTHING no matter what I ate. I think high fat is a trigger for me as well. Had my gallbladder out in 2009 so high fat has been an issue since then anyway, so not really surprising. My dr also said to start taking miralax, anyone had luck with that? I've heard about Zoloft and other antidepressants helping out too- same with anti-anxiety meds.

iceey

I have Lactose intolerance and IBS. So I totally understand what you all are saying. I have been debating on taking a probiotic to see if that will help me. Have any of you taken it and had any luck?

Probiotics have been a godsend for me and IBS. Get some today!
I've been eating very well with lots of fiber, no bread, no dairy, lots of water, and yet my IBS is out of control. Sometimes there is nothing you can do. Anyone can add me with a message if they want to share support.

DebbieLyn63

A LCHF diet has kept mine under control for the past 6 months. And cutting out wheat.

junejadesky

I have IBS and I used to be on 4 differnt medications to help reduce the bloating/swelling/gas etc... But now?? I control everything with diet... don't even take medication anymore excpet for my daily probiotic.... it's all about what to put in your body

Check out how to stabalize the Ph Balance in your system... just google Acid vs Alakline foods....

Ask your gastro doc which probiotic is best for you...

Message me if you want more details.

Jonesie1984

avoid raw vegetables. They tend to exacerbate the symptoms and cause excess gas/bloat. Every time I have soda I regret it later I blow up like a ballon everyone's different though.. trial and error. Watch your fiber intake and make sure you consume enough water to pass the fiber through your colon or else the rebound constipation/bloat will be death. LOL Probiotics are great but I've never tried them I self regulated with better nutrition and have been totally asymptomatic for the last 2 years, I would venture to say it's gone besides the occassional soda reminder

jiggy_gibby

You might try a low fiber, low residue diet that is recommended for ulcerative colitis, a condition similar to IBS and celiac and crohn's disease. All digestive problems --- all gut-intestine problems!!

I find with UC - limiting my amount of insoluable fiber helps. Oatmeal (Bob's Red Mill gf rolled oats) is OK and soft lettuces are good 1-3 times a week but iceberg or romaine are not.

I cut out veggies broccoli or cauliflower. I eat most other veggies. I peel my apples and pears to avoid the skin.

I dropped most wheat and soy products.

I have been med free for almost two years now after a YEAR LONG FLARE of UC. I feel better. No more acid reflux either. No more diarrhea 12-14 times a day. No more stabbing stomach pains and wanting to die!

Food is the cause of the problem but it is also the cure. Keep a diary and see what your personal triggers are. Everyone here is sharing what works for them and we are all different. Good luck on your journey - you deserve to feel better! And it may take a while, but you'll find out exactly works for you!

jiggy_gibby

avoid raw vegetables. They tend to exacerbate the symptoms and cause excess gas/bloat. Every time I have soda I regret it later I blow up like a ballon everyone's different though.. trial and error. Watch your fiber intake and make sure you consume enough water to pass the fiber through your colon or else the rebound constipation/bloat will be death. LOL Probiotics are great but I've never tried them I self regulated with better nutrition and have been totally asymptomatic for the last 2 years, I would venture to say it's gone besides the occassional soda reminder

Ditto on the soda. Stop drinking all carbonated beverages!

Here is link to a few support groups on this board. I am sure there are more as well:

IBS/ Crohn's
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1311-fighting-crohn-s-ibs-ibd

Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/865-ulcerative-colitis

Gluten- Free (GF)
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/112-gluten-free

Cinnabon64

I have IBs-C and what I have found that helps to keep it manageable is to keep things flowing and not getting backed up. So for me, I have found that 750 mgs of magnesium and 2000 mgs of Ester C keeps me "regular" thus not so much backed up. I haven't found any particular food triggers but definitely stress! Hopes this can help someone!

justoneanna

I was diagnosed with IBS-D at 14, and then more recently with a gluten intolerance. Going off gluten hasn't gotten rid of the IBS, but it's been better. Mine flares up with high fat foods, stress, and my cycle primarily, though if I eat a ton of fiber I end up with horrible bloating and gas. (And the combination of high fiber vegetables and any dairy is just BAD NEWS)

Sometimes I think 'eating clean' worsens my symptoms if I'm not careful what kinds of fruits and veg I eat, but proteins are usually OK and I'm better when I drink a ton of water.

I hear you on the wonky weight loss though. My weight fluctuates wildly, so I'm weighing only once a week and going mostly by the fact that all of my pants are at least a size too big instead of worrying as much about the scale. It's hard though, especially if I have a doctor's appointment in the late afternoon when I'm usually puffiest.