Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Dieting seems to be impossible...

fitnessfortash
fitnessfortash Posts: 44
in Health and Weight Loss
I have had IBS for about 3 years now and have always been determined to loose weight. But I have been struggling to keep a healthy diet as most foods cause flatuence and tummy issues. Therefore most of my diet now is just carbs, I tend to only eat/drink plain foods and drinks e.g pasta, bread, eggs and water
I know this is a very unhealthy diet but I can't seem to bring myself to try other foods such as dairy or fruits/vegs as i'm scared it will set off my IBS due to previous experiences ( I think its a huge psychological issue too)
I have tried calorie controlling my current carb diet but it is very hard to as most of the things I eat are very high in calories... and i always end up gaining weight

I was wondering if you have any tips, experiences or meal ideas etc

Thanks

Replies

  • Hildy_J
    Hildy_J Posts: 1,050 Member
    Hi there,

    One thing I do know about IBS is that it's stress related... so perhaps step back and take a look at your life stressors and how to reduce them?

    The only way you will lose weight is to cut down on your calories. Pasta etc are high in calories for their volume, ie calorie-dense - but that just means you need to eat less of them to have all the calories you need to fuel your body AND lose weight.

    Perhaps try smaller portions and spread them throughout the day.

    Good luck! :smile:
  • paulperryman
    paulperryman Posts: 839 Member
    i have suffered from IBS aslong as i can remember and have found the complete opposite, eating better and drinking far more water has reduced the instances of IBS, i still get it but not every single day now. you sure you aren't confusing IBS with a Lactose or some other intollerance? anyway i still get flatulance but i use to get constipationa and diaorrea every day and anything pork was guarenteed to give me IBS symptoms within hours if not the next day at the latest.

    I'd see a dietician/nutritionist or your doctor they can tell you how to cope or atleast suggest over the counter suppliments that will help the digestive system.

    sorry i can't offer decent advice other then what has worked for me and thats a good balance of meat and fruit/veggies and 10+ glasses of water based liquids every day. I also take a multivitamin just to be sure and atleast once a day i have a protein shake which digests alot quicker and doesn't give the bloating
  • fitnessfortash
    fitnessfortash Posts: 44
    Hi there,

    One thing I do know about IBS is that it's stress related... so perhaps step back and take a look at your life stressors and how to reduce them?

    The only way you will lose weight is to cut down on your calories. Pasta etc are high in calories for their volume, ie calorie-dense - but that just means you need to eat less of them to have all the calories you need to fuel your body AND lose weight.

    Perhaps try smaller portions and spread them throughout the day.

    Good luck! :smile:
    I do agree, i'm in a quite stressful year so I do need to find some techniques to reduce it
    & that is very helpful, thank you i'll try eating smaller portions and see if it has a better effect
  • fitnessfortash
    fitnessfortash Posts: 44
    i have suffered from IBS aslong as i can remember and have found the complete opposite, eating better and drinking far more water has reduced the instances of IBS, i still get it but not every single day now. you sure you aren't confusing IBS with a Lactose or some other intollerance? anyway i still get flatulance but i use to get constipationa and diaorrea every day and anything pork was guarenteed to give me IBS symptoms within hours if not the next day at the latest.

    I'd see a dietician/nutritionist or your doctor they can tell you how to cope or atleast suggest over the counter suppliments that will help the digestive system.

    sorry i can't offer decent advice other then what has worked for me and thats a good balance of meat and fruit/veggies and 10+ glasses of water based liquids every day. I also take a multivitamin just to be sure and atleast once a day i have a protein shake which digests alot quicker and doesn't give the bloating
    Ohh i wish it did have that sort of positive effect on me but yes I went to the doctors and he said that he thought I had IBS but i think its a mixture of that and lactose intolerence as any dairy products dont really sit well with me
    And ohh i'll definetly give it a try one week and see if i get any issues, if not i can carry it on :)
    Thank you very much
  • rachelrrl
    rachelrrl Posts: 32 Member
    I have IBS also and since I've been counting my calories and watching what I've been eating I've been having less bad days. Obviously with IBS it never really goes away but with keeping track of what I'm eating I can also start to see patterns in what seems to trigger my IBS symptoms and what doesn't but as you know, every body is different.

    I have been taking a pro-biotic gummy which also seems to help me a lot, they tasty pretty good too, they are by Schiff and they are called Digestive Advantage. You should check them out if you're interested, I buy them at Costco.

    I'm not an expert on IBS and I still have a lot of tummy issues but I'd try adding more vegetables, lean proteins, and fruits that you enjoy. Make sure to stay hydrated and also start to keep track of what upsets your stomach and try to avoid those things (as you probably know). My trigger list is weird and includes everything from hot tea to ground turkey. I hope this helps, even if just a little bit.
  • fitnessfortash
    fitnessfortash Posts: 44
    I have IBS also and since I've been counting my calories and watching what I've been eating I've been having less bad days. Obviously with IBS it never really goes away but with keeping track of what I'm eating I can also start to see patterns in what seems to trigger my IBS symptoms and what doesn't but as you know, every body is different.

    I have been taking a pro-biotic gummy which also seems to help me a lot, they tasty pretty good too, they are by Schiff and they are called Digestive Advantage. You should check them out if you're interested, I buy them at Costco.

    I'm not an expert on IBS and I still have a lot of tummy issues but I'd try adding more vegetables, lean proteins, and fruits that you enjoy. Make sure to stay hydrated and also start to keep track of what upsets your stomach and try to avoid those things (as you probably know). My trigger list is weird and includes everything from hot tea to ground turkey. I hope this helps, even if just a little bit.
    Aww thank you for the advice, i will definetly look up that pro-biotic gummy and try eating healthier
  • Joannesmith2818
    Joannesmith2818 Posts: 438 Member
    For me it was learning which foods were ok to eat....its takes a while...and alot of toilet trips....but once you have that list its much easier!
  • Meloonie
    Meloonie Posts: 144 Member
    I have recently been diagnosed and have found that mfp has really helped as I can log everything and keep a note of my symptoms. I kind of started an elimination diet by just eating plain foods that I knew wouldn't upset my stomach and then introduced new foods and drinks every few days and kept a log of what symptoms I then had, for example I know I have to avoid broccoli, peas, coffee and cheese to mention just a few. It had really helped me, maybe you could try introducing something new into your diet once a week or so and just see how it goes to try and get a bit more variety?

    ( edited for spelling)
  • gigglesinthesun
    gigglesinthesun Posts: 860 Member
    I think sorting out your diet so that you are getting all your nutrients might be the first step. Have you tried the low FODMAP diet for the IBS? It does seem to help a lot of people. It didn't work with completely with me, but if you haven't tried it, it's maybe worth a shot.

    My IBS didn't go away until I cut out all meat. I have eggs, cheese and fish (tinned tuna) occasionally and only small amounts. For me that seems to have fixed it ... yeay touch wood :-)

    Good luck with finding what works for you.
  • fimary
    fimary Posts: 274 Member
    For me it was learning which foods were ok to eat....its takes a while...and alot of toilet trips....but once you have that list its much easier!

    yes i was same, but stress i felt is a big cause, also dairy doesn;t agree with me, a good balance seems to work with me,
  • MermaidTX
    MermaidTX Posts: 352 Member
    My IBS symptoms are gone since I started keto. I really think it was cutting out grains that did it. I don't know positively that's it but I'm not willing to start eating grains again to find out.

    It's been great being pain-free for almost 4 months!

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