Anyone else with IBS?

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whitney_elyse
whitney_elyse Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all. I've been doing the MFP thing for about 2 years now. I've always been able to lose weight when I make the appropriate efforts (diet/exercise), though I haven't always been on the right track. Over the past year, I've been having what my doctor thinks are IBS symptoms. Since then, I haven't been able to lose any weight. Over the past two months especially, I've been making a really concerted effort. I work out 5 days/week with spin classes and body pump and my calories range from 1350-1500. I actually am gaining more weight than losing. I know the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" rule and I do think I've gained some muscle via body pump. However, I can tell via my clothes (and the scale!) that I haven't lost any fat. I truly feel that my stomach issues play a huge part in this but I'm not sure what else I can do. Does anyone in a similar boat have suggestions as to what they've done in the past to help?
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Replies

  • kcoftx
    kcoftx Posts: 765 Member
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    I am not having any issues with losing weight BUT my scale fluctuates very widely from day to day. I weigh in more often and take the lowest of the week and chart it out to help me see it better. In fact, as I get closer to goal, it comes off a little slower (as it is supposed to) and I actually thought I wasn't losing until I caught up with my chart and saw it as plain as day. Just a thought.
  • Jamie_Lauren
    Jamie_Lauren Posts: 211 Member
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    It could be simply because your stomach issues are causing you to bloat. How much water are you drinking?

    I have IBS symptoms too, and I find that lowering my dairy intake and drinking lots of water makes me feel better, otherwise I bloat like crazy!

    You could try writing yourself a food diary in conjunction with how your stomach feels every day and see if you can find a pattern in what causes your issues the most and try eliminating it from your diet and see how you feel. Unfortunately it's all trial and error.
  • LisaMariaMuir
    LisaMariaMuir Posts: 14 Member
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    Hi, I've suffered with IBS for nearly 19 years and as a result my weight goes up and down like a yo-yo. About a month ago I was diagnosed as wheat intolerant and since then I feel like a new person having removed wheat from my diet. Weight is slowly coming off but even better, I feel like a new person. Have you had your Gluten Intolerance checked? I don't have the same bloating and all the other typical IBS symptoms I've dealt with over the years since I've cut out the wheat.

    A good dietitian will also help to eliminate the foods causing it which helps greatly.

    I know everyone has different food triggers for IBS (mine was onion, orange, garlic mainly) but the wheat has been the key in me feeling better.

    Good luck - its not easy but I hope you get better soon. :flowerforyou:
  • dyper
    dyper Posts: 4
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    Hi,

    i'm suffering of IBS symptoms too and for me is the same thing, i've a diet very similar every day but every day when i get up and go on the scale my weight is always different, sometimes of 1.5 Kg less or more! I don't know if it can be related to IBS but now that i read of you i suspect of yes!!
    Ciao.
  • hendinerik
    hendinerik Posts: 287 Member
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    Although I was never officially diagnosed, I am pretty sure I have had it for a long time now. My reflux and IBS are causing me a lot of problems lately with both heartburn and stomach discomfort. However, I eat a lot of fiber (fruit, nuts) which may be affecting it. I may also end up getting an endoscopy, my doctor thinks at 40 it's a bit premature for me to do so.

    On the weight loss side, I have been losing, but my intake is higher than yours -- about 1800 calories net (usually more but the exercise brings it down).

    I have to say now that I am in my goal range I am seeing the biggest difference on the days I both meet my calorie target and exercise -- and I do eat back my calories.

    I know there are people here who make it on 1200 calories, but to me even 1500 seems a little low and I like to eat frequently. As long as the things I am eating are healthy, I find it's working out for me this way (just about 30 pounds since April)

    ALSO weight loss is not a straight line - I have noticed at one point it would be extremely slow for a few weeks, then I would lose a couple of pounds in a day -- so truthfully I know that it was not in a day, it was probably my weight readjusting to a new weight range.

    Kudos to you for posting... It's a "delicate" matter - particularly for me at the office when I have to "step out" so many times to the restroom.
  • icklekimmy
    icklekimmy Posts: 205 Member
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    I also suffer from IBS and am finding it difficult to lose any of my stomach, I always look about six months pregnant! I have anti-spasmodic meds from gp to deal with spasms in the gut but I always have that swollen belly going on :(
    Good luck with your weight loss!
  • BrokenButterfly
    BrokenButterfly Posts: 224
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    I definitely feel worse when I eat dairy, bread and other 'bad' foods. I try to eat as naturally as I can. I find that (when i'm doing it properly) a plant-based diet reduces my symptoms the most. Otherwise my tummy is pretty much always bloated and is often sore.

    Hey - does anyone else wake up with an INCREDIBLY sore and bloated tummy when they may be either worried about something the next day or knowing you have to be up early?

    I also get gastric reflux a lot if I eat the wrong foods. This usually hits me at night when i'm trying to sleep :(
  • c53204
    c53204 Posts: 35 Member
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    Don't know the age of all you guys, but I'm 56 and had IBS for a couple of years. I've learnt what and what I can't eat to reduce the problem. I lost about 2 stone prior to joining MFP, but I still have a 'paunch' - not sure if it is my age or the IBS.

    For those having problems with fluctuating weight measurements. How good are you scales and do you weigh yourself at the same time of day/week.

    I bought a set of cheap scales from the Market leader (in UK) and I got up to a stone difference in less than 5 minutes. Moving my feet by a tiny amount was all it took. Bought a better quality set and hey presto - a lot more accurate. I still have times when weight loss is not as great, but I know I can rely on the scales.
  • Jeneba
    Jeneba Posts: 699 Member
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    I was using feverfew to help with barometric migraines. As soon as I stopped taking it, the worst symptoms of a recent bout of worse IBS stopped. I have also found certain probiotics to be a real help: Thorne brand of Bacillus Coagulans and Udo's Choice Super Bifido Plus. NOT CHEAP! You can get them on Amazon. Also - www;helpforIBS.com for some excellent fennel tea. Finally - we really need to be excruciatingly honest with ourselves. Are there foods we are eating that we suspect are causing issues but that we can't seem to give up? Well.... :wink:
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    Wow! I had no idea people were having trouble losing with IBS. When I'm flaring up, my IBS includes nausea and sometimes vomiting, as well as the lovely bowel issues. I worry about losing too much weight. MFP is really important for me to make sure I'm getting enough calories and nutrients when I'm going through a cycle. When I was first diagnosed several years ago, I had lost 20 pounds and looked sickly before they figured out what was wrong. My triggers are red meat, milk (aged cheeses like cheddar are ok in small doses), and moderate to high levels of fat - all fats can do it, but especially animal fats. If I consume too much fat in one sitting, it will guarantee the next several hours in the bathroom. I have to spread it out in small amounts throughout the day to get all my healthy fats in. I must be a special case, though? :flowerforyou:
  • cnichol78
    cnichol78 Posts: 9 Member
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    I was diagnosed years ago. However, i think my issues with losing weight had more to do with my lack of dedication, than IBS. At this point, if I stopped eating "trigger" foods, I'd starve to death. I find new triggers all the time. It would probably only leave water, and candy-most of which I can't eat till the braces come off. Good luck to you!
  • madlittleoldme
    madlittleoldme Posts: 19
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    hey ibs suffer here too, i got so bad i would turn grey and couldt walk with the pain in my stomach, a better diet has def helped with it , i drink lots of water and herbal tea ( peppermint , fennel ,cardoman) these help with the bloat,have not had a bad attack in ages thankfully now its just bloat occasionally.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
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    hey ibs suffer here too, i got so bad i would turn grey and couldt walk with the pain in my stomach, a better diet has def helped with it , i drink lots of water and herbal tea ( peppermint , fennel ,cardoman) these help with the bloat,have not had a bad attack in ages thankfully now its just bloat occasionally.

    I love peppermint tea. It really does seem to soothe my symptoms. I had not heard of fennel and cardamom teas. I'm gonna try that. Thanks! :drinker:
  • madlittleoldme
    madlittleoldme Posts: 19
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    its made my pukka its fennal cardomen and aniseed i think , i love it have it most days x
  • uglydeuce
    uglydeuce Posts: 35 Member
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    I'm seconding the peppermint tea. Also making sure that if you're taking a fiber supplement that its one that won't irritate the IBS.

    I was diagnosed this past summer with IBS and I'm really happy to see so many people with it because I was starting to feel like the only one.
  • faithorfood
    faithorfood Posts: 11
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    I have had IBS which occasionally leads me to have a colitis attack as well. I love salads but I wear dentures and foods that I can't chew up effectively cause problems also. Greasy foods send me straight to the bathroom. However, stress is a huge factor in IBS per my physician. Exercise is a wonderful way to release stress (even if it is light exercise) and lose weight. I'm beginning to wonder if IBS has some genetic connection as I have it as well as my daughter and her teenage son. For the nausea I have discovered that ginger is very soothing to the stomach. I purchase ginger candies from the health food store and when the nausea first begins I suck on one of the candies and it stops it very quickly. I think I will start purchasing the gluten free products to see if that will help.
  • whitney_elyse
    whitney_elyse Posts: 24 Member
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    Thanks guys for responding! I try to keep track of what I'm eating that makes it better/worse but thus far I haven't noticed a pattern. I have the version of IBS where you don't go to the bathroom enough so on some level, I know my weight fluctuations are unavoidably part of that retention cycle. But I just never dip below a certain number, ever. I'm sorry to hear all of you are having similar struggles but it does make me feel a little less alone. It's so frustrating.
    Maybe cutting bread/wheat is something I should consider. Those of you who have, have you gone totally gluten free or just cut out starchy carbs?
  • whitney_elyse
    whitney_elyse Posts: 24 Member
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    I drink at minimum a gallon of water a day, usually a little more.
  • jayhawkfan51
    jayhawkfan51 Posts: 78 Member
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    I too struggle with IBS. However I havent had any problems losing weight until now. Seems as though I find new triggers all the time and the good for me are bad for my IBS. If I stick to the same foods over and over, problems go away and I lose. I get bored fast and deviate and then wish I hadnt. Also found everyone has different triggers. I have no problem with gluten but dairy and raw veggie are horrible for me. Good luck!!!
  • JewelleryByMandy
    JewelleryByMandy Posts: 43 Member
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    Yeah me too! Thats why i went for the food test. Just want to look normal instead of pregnant!

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