Eating healthy makes me sick.

Seriously. Ugh. Since eating better I have just been so sick to my stomach. I feel gross all day and end up in the bathroom so many times. Before I would eat fast food 2-3 times a day and always felt just fine. Never had stomach issues at all. Today has been the worst day for tummy issues and here is what I have eaten so far:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal with a little brown sugar

Lunch:
Turkey and cheese wrap
2 servings raw carrots, 1 serving raw cauliflower
7oz diet coke

Snack:
1 serving almonds
1 serving cottage cheese

And 4 glasses of water so far. I have about 900 calories left for tonight and plan to have a turkey burger, kidney beans, and a grapefruit for dinner.

After weight lifting tonight I will have a glass of chocolate milk. And will most likely have at least 4 more glasses of water tonight.

Anyway, this is how I eat now but dang it is hard to keep up when it makes me feel so crappy. I feel like I just want to eat all fast food tomorrow so I can feel better for a day! Is it normal to have such stomach issues while eating healthy? And before anyone says this isn't the healthiest, believe me this is such a drastic improvement over how I was eating, so for me this is VERY healthy! :)
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Replies

  • wikitbikit
    wikitbikit Posts: 518 Member
    If you've suddenly increased your fiber--which it sounds like you have--it's absolutely normal for your digestive tract to be all out of whack. You may want to cut back a little on the fiber or, if you've been at it a while, just soldier on through... it will get better. :)
  • boldlol
    boldlol Posts: 6 Member
    maybe you are allergic to some of your healthy foods you eat on a daily basis. you could also develop allergic reactions to some foods (without any problems before) by eating them too often. maybe see a doc and let him check you for allergic reactions against any of your foods and/or variate them
  • Turtlesallthewaydown
    Turtlesallthewaydown Posts: 64 Member
    I'm having a similar reaction and don't understand it at all. On days I eat crappy food I feel physically fine (emotionally disappointed) but fine. On a healthy food day? Sick as a dog.
    I had eggs, coffee and a pat of butter on light rye for breakfast. Lunch was a cup of light soup and a half of a single-serve chocolate milk. And I'm so distressed internally I had to take time out of my work day to peruse the indigestion aisle.
    Taco bell and drinking all night? Wake up feeling great the next day! (except for my self esteem) Oh, how funny.
  • Cake323
    Cake323 Posts: 18
    Could you be a bit lactose intolerant? My stomach is a bit delicate when it comes to creamy/cheesy/milky dishes, however it can be temperamental, sometimes I'm fine, other times I'm running to the loo. The cheese in the wrap and the cottage cheese could be making you feel ill, add in the extra fibre and I know my stomach would be going nuts. Have a play around with your meals and see what gives you a bad reaction, it could just be one ingredient that's causing your tummy issues.
    Good luck! :-)
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,207 Member
    My other half moved in and I started feeding him home cooked, healthy stuff instead of him eating fasdt food all the time and in his words his "body betrayed" him. He felt as you did but pushed through it and now he gets a similar reaction from junk.
  • lithezebra
    lithezebra Posts: 3,670 Member
    Try cooking your vegetables. Eating a lot of raw food can make you gurgle.
  • kellsays
    kellsays Posts: 9 Member
    How long have you been eating healthier? Your stomach and body are now having to actually work to break down food vs just letting it slide right through you (sorry for that sounding graphic but hey, that's greasy food). I remember having that feeling a lot when I first started too. Fresh cooked chicken breasts would make my stomach cramp/truly make me feel nauseas when I thought it should feel great. Eventually I promise you'll feel the reverse... When I eat pizza or some other excessively heavy/processed foods I feel incredibly ill (and believe me I am not all high and mighty on health food - I still loooovveee me some pizza!). Stick with it!
  • ambernbarrier
    ambernbarrier Posts: 66 Member
    I had the same issue, your body is going through a change and its a bit like withdrawal. As if fast food is the drug and we are addicted to it. The only way to break this yucky feeling is to soldier through it. (Although in my opinion your diet all in itself seems yucky to me blegh)
  • erinpd
    erinpd Posts: 96
    i would start tracking your fiber, if you're not already. In my humble experience, going from 0 to 60mph in the fiber fast lane....well...you're gonna have a bad time. Let's just leave it at that. You'll get used to it, but. Yeah.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    Try cooking your vegetables. Eating a lot of raw food can make you gurgle.

    ^ This.

    I cannot eat raw veggies. I've tried slowly increasing... nope. Can't eat high fiber. Can't digest fiber. Have to take beano too if I'm going to eat beans haha. Cooked veggies are the only way. I get fiber from a high fiber protein bar I often eat. It's not the best, but I just got sick of the stomach upset.
  • dakotawitch
    dakotawitch Posts: 190 Member
    Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor.

    You might talk to your healthcare provider about this. A colleague of mine (who IS a medical professional) was telling me about the uptick in cases of diverticulitis he's seeing. Most people begin experiencing distress when they begin eating healthier -- lots of fiber, veggies, etc. They have done so much damage to their intestinal tract with years of processed food that the body no longer has the ability to digest whole, healthy food.

    It's worth looking into if the feeling doesn't pass soon.
  • samcat2000
    samcat2000 Posts: 106 Member

    You might talk to your healthcare provider about this.

    It's worth looking into if the feeling doesn't pass soon.

    this!
    also, are you used to drinking diet soda? some people cannot tolerate the sweetener in diet sodas. just a thought...
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
    My first thought is that that is a whole lot of fiber.,especially if you aren't used to eating much, which if you were eating lots of fast food, you weren't. You probably should back off on that quite a bit, and then slowly add more to your daily routine. Fiber is good and good for you, but an overload like that can definately lead to some intestinal distress...sometimes of the fairly explosive kind, and no body wants that!
  • ctpeace
    ctpeace Posts: 327 Member
    Agree with all on fiber. Raw cauliflower will do it to just about anyone who's not used to it! Also kidney beans. I'd switch up your veggies and see what works for you. Cook them, that might work. Also, lentils tend to be a bit easier on the gut than beans (personal experience, no scientific study). You've got to keep experimenting, don't get frustrated, just learn from the data you've gathered. Best of luck!
  • Its been about 8 months since I started eating healthy. I just reduced my junk food intake and fast foods to more veggys, brown bread, water and fruits. Thats when the strange attacks started. I have had about 6 and no one will help me. It all starts the same way. Sever bloating, nausea, sometimes vomiting, and diarrhea. Then all at the same time I feel the palms of my hands itch badly and turn red. Then the soles of my feet itch bad and turn bright red. Then it spreads all over my body and face (mostly around my nose and mouth) and my ears. I have been taken by ambulance 2 because the pain is so bad and disabling. Without running tests or checking me out Ive been told there is nothing they can do because Im not dying at that moment. The last time it happend all the parts that usually just turn red and itch swelled up. I looked like a monster. I went to urhent care still showing signs of what happend and the Dr. Told me there is nothing she can do because Im not dying. I tried to explain to here whats been going on, and at least adk her what she suggests I should do. Instead she kept repeating she cant help me. It all just seemef scripted and she was so cold and had no compassion. She just told me I could just go and I did. Ive had this happen 6 times and have had to put up with the pain, itchynesd and swelling on my own because no one will help me figure out whats wrong. Im super over weight and am trying bot to die, but I feel eating healthy is killing me. Has anything similar happend to any of you? Any suggestions? Im a single mom of two. And Im trying to stay alive.
  • oncmed
    oncmed Posts: 18 Member
    That's kinda odd to be turned away twice with an explanation that you can't be helped. I'd think they'd at least run some tests to see what might be going on.
  • awise19
    awise19 Posts: 154 Member
    I started my weight loss with a detox for the reason is I wanted to detox quickly instead of it taking weeks from just eating healthy and it all leaving slowly through those weeks and feeling weird because of it.
    Your body is adjusting and detoxing and its weird. But it is good and it won't last much longer.
  • awise19
    awise19 Posts: 154 Member
    Its been about 8 months since I started eating healthy. I just reduced my junk food intake and fast foods to more veggys, brown bread, water and fruits. Thats when the strange attacks started. I have had about 6 and no one will help me. It all starts the same way. Sever bloating, nausea, sometimes vomiting, and diarrhea. Then all at the same time I feel the palms of my hands itch badly and turn red. Then the soles of my feet itch bad and turn bright red. Then it spreads all over my body and face (mostly around my nose and mouth) and my ears. I have been taken by ambulance 2 because the pain is so bad and disabling. Without running tests or checking me out Ive been told there is nothing they can do because Im not dying at that moment. The last time it happend all the parts that usually just turn red and itch swelled up. I looked like a monster. I went to urhent care still showing signs of what happend and the Dr. Told me there is nothing she can do because Im not dying. I tried to explain to here whats been going on, and at least adk her what she suggests I should do. Instead she kept repeating she cant help me. It all just seemef scripted and she was so cold and had no compassion. She just told me I could just go and I did. Ive had this happen 6 times and have had to put up with the pain, itchynesd and swelling on my own because no one will help me figure out whats wrong. Im super over weight and am trying bot to die, but I feel eating healthy is killing me. Has anything similar happend to any of you? Any suggestions? Im a single mom of two. And Im trying to stay alive.


    Sounds like you are allergic to something. I would go to an allergist and have them test your reactions.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    Assess exactly what healthy changes you've made and any foods you have started eating or eat more of. When I started eating healthy, I was consuming a lot of non- and low-fat dairy, especially Greek yogurt, and I felt very sick. I discovered I am lactose intolerant and also react poorly to milk protein, so I've cut out dairy completely now. This wasn't an issue for me when I didn't eat healthy because I didn't consume much dairy.

    Also, I find that when my diet is particularly high in protein and/or fat and low in carbs, I feel a bit sick and crave carbs. This is because protein and fat are harder to digest than carbs. Make sure that you're focusing on foods that are easy to digest.
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
    That really sounds like an allergy of some sort. I have a similar reaction to some foods and lots of drugs. One ER doc told me that the diarrhea part was because it's not only the outside of your body that swells, but also your insides. If your intestines are swelling, that could cause the diarrhea/vomiting symptoms.

    I second the advice of seeing an allergist. How miserable you must be!
  • tapirfrog
    tapirfrog Posts: 616 Member
    i would start tracking your fiber, if you're not already. In my humble experience, going from 0 to 60mph in the fiber fast lane....well...you're gonna have a bad time. Let's just leave it at that. You'll get used to it, but. Yeah.

    Exactly this. Exactly. I tried that and I ended up pale and shaky for days. It HURT.
  • feelin_gr_8
    feelin_gr_8 Posts: 308 Member
    Fiber, allergies, food poisoning? I know it's weird, but your diet coke might even be to blame. I noticed within the last year that diet dr. pepper was giving me cramps and having a laxative effect on me-might be the fake sugars.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Give your body time to adjust to eating these foods for a few months. Then go eat fast food and watch how quickly you wonder if you are going to *kitten* your pants.
  • ehorn625
    ehorn625 Posts: 144
    Its been about 8 months since I started eating healthy. I just reduced my junk food intake and fast foods to more veggys, brown bread, water and fruits. Thats when the strange attacks started. I have had about 6 and no one will help me. It all starts the same way. Sever bloating, nausea, sometimes vomiting, and diarrhea. Then all at the same time I feel the palms of my hands itch badly and turn red. Then the soles of my feet itch bad and turn bright red. Then it spreads all over my body and face (mostly around my nose and mouth) and my ears. I have been taken by ambulance 2 because the pain is so bad and disabling. Without running tests or checking me out Ive been told there is nothing they can do because Im not dying at that moment. The last time it happend all the parts that usually just turn red and itch swelled up. I looked like a monster. I went to urhent care still showing signs of what happend and the Dr. Told me there is nothing she can do because Im not dying. I tried to explain to here whats been going on, and at least adk her what she suggests I should do. Instead she kept repeating she cant help me. It all just seemef scripted and she was so cold and had no compassion. She just told me I could just go and I did. Ive had this happen 6 times and have had to put up with the pain, itchynesd and swelling on my own because no one will help me figure out whats wrong. Im super over weight and am trying bot to die, but I feel eating healthy is killing me. Has anything similar happend to any of you? Any suggestions? Im a single mom of two. And Im trying to stay alive.

    You need to find a different doctor! It sounds like an allergic reaction to something. She should be running blood tests at the very least! Find a new doctor!!
  • lauren3101
    lauren3101 Posts: 1,853 Member
    If your diet was as poor as you make it sound before and you have gone from that to eating quite healthily, so you are bound to have an adjustment period. I now feel a bit sick if I have anything greasy, and I never used to.

    Try tracking what you eat and how you feel and see if you can pinpoint certain reactions with certain foods. That will help confirm or eliminate an allergy. If it doesn't improve, visit a doctor and take the food diary with you.
  • twinketta
    twinketta Posts: 2,130 Member
    Seriously. Ugh. Since eating better I have just been so sick to my stomach. I feel gross all day and end up in the bathroom so many times. Before I would eat fast food 2-3 times a day and always felt just fine. Never had stomach issues at all. Today has been the worst day for tummy issues and here is what I have eaten so far:

    Breakfast:
    Oatmeal with a little brown sugar

    Lunch:
    Turkey and cheese wrap
    2 servings raw carrots, 1 serving raw cauliflower
    7oz diet coke

    Snack:
    1 serving almonds
    1 serving cottage cheese

    And 4 glasses of water so far. I have about 900 calories left for tonight and plan to have a turkey burger, kidney beans, and a grapefruit for dinner.

    After weight lifting tonight I will have a glass of chocolate milk. And will most likely have at least 4 more glasses of water tonight.

    Anyway, this is how I eat now but dang it is hard to keep up when it makes me feel so crappy. I feel like I just want to eat all fast food tomorrow so I can feel better for a day! Is it normal to have such stomach issues while eating healthy? And before anyone says this isn't the healthiest, believe me this is such a drastic improvement over how I was eating, so for me this is VERY healthy! :)

    OMG it sounds like your day sucks with that diet...I really do not think you are going to keep it up long term.

    It is fantastic that you are making changes and wanting to eat more healthily...but maybe take it more slowly, you can still cut down on calories and eat stuff you enjoy.

    What worked for me at the start was changing the amount I ate at a sitting of a meal, then cutting out some of the high calorie stuff.

    Then I moved on to cutting out processed food.

    Try to find what will work for you and not make you feel sick, otherwise you will not keep it up x
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    I get this too. To the point I would throw up. Give it time add smaller amounts. And don't think of it is "healthy" part of it can be your mindset.

    This is the reason why I more than believe in food withdraw.
  • Seriously. Ugh. Since eating better I have just been so sick to my stomach. I feel gross all day and end up in the bathroom so many times. Before I would eat fast food 2-3 times a day and always felt just fine. Never had stomach issues at all. Today has been the worst day for tummy issues and here is what I have eaten so far:

    Breakfast:
    Oatmeal with a little brown sugar

    Lunch:
    Turkey and cheese wrap
    2 servings raw carrots, 1 serving raw cauliflower
    7oz diet coke

    Snack:
    1 serving almonds
    1 serving cottage cheese

    And 4 glasses of water so far. I have about 900 calories left for tonight and plan to have a turkey burger, kidney beans, and a grapefruit for dinner.

    After weight lifting tonight I will have a glass of chocolate milk. And will most likely have at least 4 more glasses of water tonight.

    Anyway, this is how I eat now but dang it is hard to keep up when it makes me feel so crappy. I feel like I just want to eat all fast food tomorrow so I can feel better for a day! Is it normal to have such stomach issues while eating healthy? And before anyone says this isn't the healthiest, believe me this is such a drastic improvement over how I was eating, so for me this is VERY healthy! :)

    What if you didn't eat the oats, the brown sugar, the diet coke,the cheese wrap, the cottage cheese, the kidney beans?

    Have the grapefruit in the morning not after you eat other food?

    Drink more water

    It's an improvement on junk food though.
  • xmysterix
    xmysterix Posts: 114 Member
    Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor.

    You might talk to your healthcare provider about this. A colleague of mine (who IS a medical professional) was telling me about the uptick in cases of diverticulitis he's seeing. Most people begin experiencing distress when they begin eating healthier -- lots of fiber, veggies, etc. They have done so much damage to their intestinal tract with years of processed food that the body no longer has the ability to digest whole, healthy food.

    It's worth looking into if the feeling doesn't pass soon.
    That's what I was coming in to say...my dad has terrible diverticulitis issues and can't eat a lot of raw or fiber-heavy foods. He goes almost entirely off high-fiber foods when his symptoms flare up. Maybe just switch to eggs or something for breakfast, cook your veggies well for awhile. Also, avoid things like popcorn. See if that helps?
  • JeniferEverx3
    JeniferEverx3 Posts: 219 Member
    Depending on how long you've been at it, I would say your body is detoxing, aka getting used to the drastic change in diet. Over time it will subside. Maybe adding a daily multivitamin would help...