I'm starving myself...

Options
amazingbabydoll
amazingbabydoll Posts: 61
in Health and Weight Loss
No I'm not anorexic.. I have IBS & it makes it almost impossible to eat without getting nauseous. I have switched over to super healthy foods like fish, eggs, nuts, beans, & hummus with few pita chips. Even eating those things set my IBS off a little bit, so I eat every other day. On my drinking days I drink matefit metabolism & detox tea, soy milk, protein shakes with at least 60 grams of protein per shake, juice, & fruit infused water. As you see I try to drink as much calories as possible so I don't go into starvation mode. BUUUUTTTTTT, I track my calories & I'm technically starving myself. My goal is to eat every day, but I'm limited to what I can eat.

So my question for you, since there's a world of different foods out there, what are some healthy foods I have probably never heard of?

I've posted something similar to this & was told to add anti-inflammatory foods & cut out gluten.

Do yall have any other tips?

I'd appreciate it greatly :)
«1

Replies

  • Maleficent0241
    Maleficent0241 Posts: 386 Member
    edited October 2014
    Options
    Have you read the book Eating For IBS by Heather Van Vorous? Many sufferers fund the advice in there very helpful. Many libraries will have a copy of it. It explains which types of food tend to be better for sufferers, and has some recipes too.

    Also, why the detox tea? It contains stimulant laxatives that your body can become dependent on. There are much safer alternatives for long term constipation management.

    Edited due to stupid autocorrect
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Options
    You should consult with a dietitian who can work with you to find what foods you can tolerate.

    You say you eat nuts - have you tried adding nut butters to your protein shakes to boost calories? Also avocados can add a decent amount of calories without too much volume. The healthy fats may also help if you have constipation. Coconut oil is another good way to boost fats/calories.
  • amazingbabydoll
    amazingbabydoll Posts: 61
    Options
    I only drink the detox tea every other day & I'm doing it for 28 days. So that's only 14 days of drinking it. I don't want to be dependent on laxatives, I just want to poop normally which would happen if I ate more & ate balanced meals. The teas I bought because I'm a really big tea enthusiast & it claims to help boost your metabolism, so I wanted to give it a shot. It's not hurting me. It's actually made my IBS & other health conditions better.
  • amazingbabydoll
    amazingbabydoll Posts: 61
    Options
    Thank you Karen!
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
    Options
    Soy milk ? Soy oil is inflammatory, can't see that helping.

    60 grams of protein at a time is way over the top, 30g is more like it. What is the source of the protein ? if it's dairy based you may have a reaction to milk protein.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Options
    At one point, I was using MFP to make sure I didn't starve to death. My coworkers asked me if I had cancer. Potatoes, bananas, rice...those helped me get through some bad times.

    My doctor said that IBS is something that is often diagnosed when they can't figure out what's really wrong. It's a set of symptoms that shows that your digestive tract is pissed off about something. The causes can be different from person to person, and often are related to food sensitivities or intolerance. You just have to figure out which food(s) are triggering it and then eliminate them from your diet.

    I used to become extremely nauseous and often puked out both ends after eating until my new doctor had me try gluten and dairy free. Within a few weeks my inflammation markers had gone down and I was feeling better. You might have to give it some time to heal before you feel better.

    I no longer have IBS. It's been a few years now, and I can eat small amounts of cheese again, but gluten is totally out for me. I will not go back to feeling sick every day. Not saying that that's your problem, but I, too, was diagnosed with IBS and suffered for a over a decade until a doctor finally had me try an elimination diet. Google FODMAPS and see if any of those foods could be triggering your IBS.

    Good luck! :)
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Options
    http://www.ibsdiets.org/fodmap-diet/fodmap-food-list/
  • coral_b
    coral_b Posts: 264 Member
    Options
    Hi, I completely understand. I have IBS and suffer horrendous cramps. Lost of the things you list as "staple" foods are bad for IBS... Garlic,soy, dairy and gluten can be triggers. Even some fruit and veg for others. Whey protein powder could be a culprit, too.I used FODMAP diet too, to find my triggers, and its amazing. It's an elimination diet that gradually brings back food groups. Painstaking to cut so much out, but so worth it. I found some bizarre triggers, including red pepper, milk and yogurt but I'm fine with Greek yoghurt, I can't have onion and can only have garlic occasionally. I don't have certain veg very often, some not at all. I have bread as a treat. I was fine with cheese pain wise but I've found too much dairy just causes acne and bloating so I minimise it. Worth a look into! Good luck and feel free to add me x
  • amazingbabydoll
    amazingbabydoll Posts: 61
    Options
    The foods & drinks I mentioned are, out of all the foods & drinks I've tried in my almost 19 years of living, are the only ones that I can eat & drink. They still mess me up a bit but that's probably due to me eating & drinking fast. When I say fast I mean I don't take breaks to even breathe in between bites & sips.
    I had to be put on soy formula when I was a baby.. I drank dairy milk growing up, but these past few years soy has been best for me. If I don't drink it too fast, I'm at ease.
    I've eliminated every trigger & don't miss them AT ALL.. okay maybe a few! I might have to try Greek yogurt again. I forgot how it makes me feel.
    I use whey protein in large amounts because I'm on a high protein diet. I consume about 130 grams a day.
    Again, every food & drink I've mentioned are my friends, if consumed not too fast.
    FODMAP, from what I glanced at earlier, seems amazing! I'm going to try it. The thing is I don't want certain foods back into my diet. Junk is a no no for the rest of my life. But I am eager to see if I can eventually add back certain fruits & veggies that I love.

    Thanks for yalls help!

  • CipherZero
    CipherZero Posts: 1,418 Member
    Options
    Maleficent0241 wrote: »
    Have you read the book Eating For IBS by Heather Van Vorous?

    Also look at "Eating Right for a Bad Gut". The MD who wrote it isn't trying to sell you anything and has a lot of great information.
  • amazingbabydoll
    amazingbabydoll Posts: 61
    Options
    ok thanks!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    Options
    I would definitely talk with a dietitian.
  • kgeyser
    kgeyser Posts: 22,505 Member
    Options
    What did you doctor say when he/she diagnosed you about diet? Have you had an upper GI series done? That seems like a lot of trigger foods for IBS, I would be wondering if something else is going on.
  • lightmouse
    lightmouse Posts: 175 Member
    Options
    I have IBS, so I know how you feel. I tolerate avocados, Greek yogurt, homemade rye bread, sweet potato, nut butters and chicken well; soy, cows milk and wheat not so well. I drink unsweetened almond milk instead. And 100ml of prune juice when I'm having a flare up :s I can reach a decent calorie goal now without eating things that cause me pain - but it took a little while.
  • lightmouse
    lightmouse Posts: 175 Member
    Options
    I also found lowering my protein and increasing my fat helped a lot.
  • hookilau
    hookilau Posts: 3,134 Member
    Options
    missrudolf wrote: »
    The foods & drinks I mentioned are, out of all the foods & drinks I've tried in my almost 19 years of living, are the only ones that I can eat & drink. They still mess me up a bit but that's probably due to me eating & drinking fast. When I say fast I mean I don't take breaks to even breathe in between bites & sips.
    I had to be put on soy formula when I was a baby.. I drank dairy milk growing up, but these past few years soy has been best for me. If I don't drink it too fast, I'm at ease.
    I've eliminated every trigger & don't miss them AT ALL.. okay maybe a few! I might have to try Greek yogurt again. I forgot how it makes me feel.
    I use whey protein in large amounts because I'm on a high protein diet. I consume about 130 grams a day.
    Again, every food & drink I've mentioned are my friends, if consumed not too fast.
    FODMAP, from what I glanced at earlier, seems amazing! I'm going to try it. The thing is I don't want certain foods back into my diet. Junk is a no no for the rest of my life. But I am eager to see if I can eventually add back certain fruits & veggies that I love.

    Thanks for yalls help!

    Curious...what does eating quickly do to you?
  • ana3067
    ana3067 Posts: 5,623 Member
    Options
    You should probably look for IBS-safe foods and/or do an elimination diet. Has nothing to do with eating healthy and all to do with finding what triggers your issues. I only have problems with gluten, although beans and nuts can cause issues sometimes - soaking nuts helps with digestive issues, not sure if soaking beans helps but when I soaked my own navy beans I didn't have any issues.

    So the beans, nuts, and maybe even the hummus and pita chips (chickpeas I believe? and wheat/gluten?) could be causing you issues.
  • amazingbabydoll
    amazingbabydoll Posts: 61
    Options
    Ana, I mentioned many times, hummus & few pita chips are safe for me.
    My doctor told me to eliminate trigger foods. After about 6 months of adjusting my diet, I have found only these foods are safe for me. I only feel discomfort when I eat too fast.
    Hookilau, eating too fast causes your stomach to expand too quickly, which then causes an unpleasant feeling. It feels like I ate too much. But when I eat at a normal speed I'm fine.. but only for the foods mentioned.

    I am adding foods to my diet though, that's why I asked if yall knew any IBS friendly foods. But that was an invalid request because what is IBS friendly to one person could be a trigger food to someone else. So basically I'm asking for any healthy, low carb food. My mom said we have squash so I'm gonna try that. I am also googling other foods I can try.
  • mamafazz
    mamafazz Posts: 92 Member
    Options
    try FODMAP diet
  • amazingbabydoll
    amazingbabydoll Posts: 61
    Options
    I have found that healthier foods are safer for me. I might have IBS BECAUSE I used to binge on junk food. So again, I'm trying different foods out & eliminating the triggers.

Categories