How do you stop yourself from eating foods you love?

loserviolet
loserviolet Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have IBS and there are a BUNCH of foods that I am really not supposed to be eating. It's not always unhealthy stuff!! I adore apples and broccoli, but I am not supposed to eat them! I have a REALLY hard time telling myself NO when something sounds good, even if I know it will make me feel not so great later. So, if any of you have any really super awesome tricks to stop yourself from eating foods you love because they don't fit into whatever diet you happen to be on, I would LOVE to hear them!

Replies

  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    I have a 9 year old son, and it's difficult, but I don't have foods in the house that I know I'm going to be greedy on, or should be avoiding (I'm lucky that I don't have to avoid anything, but there are some foods I can easily Hoover up).

    I buy him snacks and stuff that I'm able to build in to my diary or just not interested in. He's very healthy for it.

    Your IBS will go away eventually, but just follow your calorie counting for now and be good to yourself.

    Ps what happens when you have small amounts of these foods? I know my guts go mad if I overeat at all, or have things with weird sweeteners in.
  • Carley
    Carley Posts: 88
    I don't, I have it in moderation. If you deny yourself it then you will binge on it.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,341 Member
    I don't, I have it in moderation. If you deny yourself it then you will binge on it.

    This works when you're trying to stop yourself eating it for weightloss or whatnot, but OP actually has a health issue which flares when she eats these things.

    I sympathise, I love cheese so much that I used to risk migraines to eat it. I'd regret it horribly after, but I'd just crave it. I guess finding a substitute - not necessarily a healthier, lower cal, whatever substitute - just something you like as much that when the craving hits you can say "ok, well I can't have that because it will make me feel crappy, but I CAN have *this* so I'll have that instead".
  • leantool
    leantool Posts: 365 Member
    Dear Op,i am allergic to few fruits and a fish,i
    Love that fish but when ever i have urge to eat them,i count to 10 and picture the urticaria coming up,the heat ,the itch ,the closed eye ,et all........usually works fine
  • JoshD8705
    JoshD8705 Posts: 390 Member
    Best advice i've seen was finding substitutes. It's a legit strategy, it's why things like tofu, and almond milk exist.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Eh I don't know, typically the pain I'll be in after is enough of a deterrent for me (and I love my food). Really, just don't.
  • Spiderkeys
    Spiderkeys Posts: 338 Member
    There's no in-between for me, sure I miss my old foods, but if I decide to just have a little bite of it, it makes feel worse, as soon as I get the taste, I feel like eating them endlessly until im bloated.
  • patsypooter
    patsypooter Posts: 175 Member
    I couldn't take the pain anymore. I couldn't take the constant bloating and discomfort. I was eating so damn healthy that it was hard to believe my diet was to blame. I was finally to the point where I was going to go on meds for my IBS, and all they would prescribe for me is antidepressants because apparently that works for IBS. My doctor kept telling me it was anxiety causing my IBS but I know myself and I know my body and I knew that that was bull****.

    After this past Christmas I got my **** together and started a FODMAPS/Specific Carb Diet mashup. First trigger food I found? Sweet potatoes. My second? Apples. It was kind of shocking. I also can't eat raw veggies and no salads. My healthy diet was not helping my IBS but once I figured out triggers it started to get a lot better. Almost six months later and I'm still finding my trigger foods.

    I am gluten, sugar (including fruits) and mostly dairy free. I do eat butter and can eat cheese sometimes but it constipates me. I don't eat anything that is processed or from a box. I can't tolerate preservatives.

    The sugar free thing is new, I had been eating low fructose fruits but it turns out I can't handle any fruit at all, which is a bummer. I'm hoping after a few years on this diet my body will heal itself. Do some reading into SIBO, for me I believe that's my problem and will be asking my quack I mean doctor next time I see him.

    Basically, I was scared out of my wits about my constant pain and bloating and before I started seeing specialists and getting on drugs, I wanted to see if it was caused by food. I am now managing with a strict diet so for me, my IBS is caused by food.


    I finally feel normal almost all of the time and my symptoms have gone down by 90%. There is always that fear of when the next attack will come but I'm feeling more and more certain that I have this (mostly) under control.

    You and I are friends on here so check out my diaries to see what is working for me. In my "note" section I always leave a tally of the days aches and pains so I know just what food causes problems. MFP has been an invaluable tool for me.
  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    I have a 9 year old son, and it's difficult, but I don't have foods in the house that I know I'm going to be greedy on, or should be avoiding (I'm lucky that I don't have to avoid anything, but there are some foods I can easily Hoover up).

    I buy him snacks and stuff that I'm able to build in to my diary or just not interested in. He's very healthy for it.

    Your IBS will go away eventually, but just follow your calorie counting for now and be good to yourself.

    Ps what happens when you have small amounts of these foods? I know my guts go mad if I overeat at all, or have things with weird sweeteners in.

    IBS almost never goes away. It waxes and wanes and sometimes, new things can trigger it when you least expect. This wasn't a post about over-eating, but about not eating some foods at all. I guarantee apples and broccoli don't make you double over in pain in the bathroom...
  • wheird
    wheird Posts: 7,963 Member
    Why the eff would I deny myself the things that I love?
  • aledba
    aledba Posts: 564 Member
    Weird question, but have you tried eating those 2 foods cooked with the same results? Sometimes, our body just can't process the same things raw as cooked...
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
    I'm sorry your having issues with certain foods. I'm sure it must be rough!
    I'm not really familiar with ibs so I really shouldn't comment or give any advice on the topic. But I did want to chime in and say good luck on your journey! Hopefully you can get this sorted out :-)
  • jjwilde265
    jjwilde265 Posts: 19 Member
    i always try and find something else to substitute. I love cake and found it hard not to eat it but now I just make my own with protein powder and top them with peanut butter. feels like im being bad but it fits in my diet well. :-)
  • Unknown
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  • ZTerri
    ZTerri Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Loserviolet,
    I had IBS and found it was mostly caused by stress and Yoga has really helped me. But more importantly, have you tried using Digestive Enzymes with your meals? They are a Godsend! I usually use AbsorbAid Platinum which also contains a probiotic, and also use a more expensive brand, OmegaZyme Ultra by Garden of Life. Both are excellent, and you'll find that you can eat the healthy foods like apples and broccoli without any problems. You can find them at Vitamin Shoppe or any online vitamin store like Vitacost, etc. Good luck and have a great Memorial Day weekend!
  • Mainebikerchick
    Mainebikerchick Posts: 1,573 Member
    I have diverticulosis and ulcerative colitis...and when I have them, the flares are BAD.

    That is enough for me to avoid the foods that don't agree with me or that I've already identified are triggers for me. As bad as it sucks, I can't eat popcorn or corn on the cob....the pain is just not worth it to me anymore.
  • PrincessTinyheart
    PrincessTinyheart Posts: 679 Member
    Ok this sounds gross ( but that's the idea)...

    I was having trouble resisting certain foods like donuts and Tornados (those fried tubelike things in some convenience stores that are stuffed with cheese and meat), so what I did was visualize something really disgusting about those foods. For example I imagined biting into a cheese Tornado and finding a roach inside it. Or imagining some sweaty guy with dandruff making the donuts that morning.

    Yes it's disgusting but it really worked for me.
  • gypsy_spirit
    gypsy_spirit Posts: 2,107 Member
    If you have IBS and you're not supposed to eat foods that can irritate your bowel (which I assume means pain and other things :noway: ), why would you want to eat those foods?

    I have a few foods that always give me indigestion. The pain is quite enough to keep me from eating them - even if I adore them.
  • loserviolet
    loserviolet Posts: 15 Member
    If you have IBS and you're not supposed to eat foods that can irritate your bowel (which I assume means pain and other things :noway: ), why would you want to eat those foods?

    I have a few foods that always give me indigestion. The pain is quite enough to keep me from eating them - even if I adore them.

    I have no idea, really, why I still want to eat onions even though it's heartburn any time I eat them. Generally, its a combination of "bad foods" that cause me to have really bad issues. I begin to wonder if it is a bigger issue that I should see a professional about.

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