IBS-Alternating and weight loss

spara0038
spara0038 Posts: 226 Member
edited November 7 in Health and Weight Loss
I am 5'2" and seem to range around 145lbs lately. I want to be around 120 by the end of the year, and I don't think it's impossible.

My biggest challenge is not: sugar, chocolate, salt, fatty foods, etc- or even exercise. I actually enjoy healthy foods and a daily run. The biggest obstacle that I have is what appears to be IBS. Without going into too much detail, my GI tract seems to have a mind of its own, and that mind is VERY bipolar. For about a week, nothing. Then another week, it's like my whole system is in purge mode and I can't really go anywhere that doesn't have a bathroom nearby. Then sometimes it decides to behave (that's a very happy time for me!).

All of this seems to be creating a lot of bloat and water retention which are skewing my results. I know I'm gaining more muscle, but with the bloat, I still look pudgy, which is frustrating considering I'm getting married in less than a year. The only time I can get a true estimate of my progress is the "behaving" periods, which are relatively rare- but I am happy with my results so far. Overall, it has been about 1lb/week, but sometimes I can bloat up 7lbs overnight and then lose 5lbs the next day. Grr.

Anyone else with IBS-ish issues that is having an easier time losing weight? I'm not really looking for faster weight loss, but more consistent and fewer ups and downs. I sometimes have a 12 lb swing in 3-4 days, and as much as it's driving me nuts, I also can't believe that's good for me. At the very least, I want to avoid the constant abdominal pain that I've been experiencing.

As far as I'm aware, I have soy and almond allergies, and no lactose intolerance. Beyond that I don't know.

I regularly eat: oatmeal, spinach, green peppers, mushrooms, carrots, apples, black beans, prunes, and yogurt. My weekend cheats are usually pizza, and during the week I'm usually vegetarian all day except dinner in the evening. My sodium intake is always less than half of what's recommended, and I run for an hour or more 3-5 times per week, as well as doing weights. I'm on a multivitamin and magnesium supplements, since my dr said I was deficient.

Any tips for getting off this bloat-rollercoaster?

Replies

  • JessMason24
    JessMason24 Posts: 38 Member
    bump...curious if you get any answers...
  • KatAdele
    KatAdele Posts: 290 Member
    For me, I've found a dose of Metamucil before bedtime keeps me pretty regular in the morning. That doesn't work for everyone though. Good luck finding a solution - IBS can be torture.
  • Speakaboo
    Speakaboo Posts: 25 Member
    I have dealt with IBS for...oh wow, just did the math. Twenty years. It was only diagnosed 10-12 years ago. I have only really started to get a handle on it in the past year.. About a year ago I discovered the miracle of probiotics. They have been a true game changer. I've been using one called Align, but it can be pretty pricey (it works out to about $1 a pill and you have to take it daily). But it has been so so worth it. I'm even able to eat/drink some of my trigger foods when I'm taking it regularly!

    When I run out, my I have a daily multivitamin that also includes a probiotic. It helps to a certain extent, but for whatever reason, the Align really works beautifully for keeping my GI tract sane.

    Other tips - fibre is KEY. I mix the powder into whatever I'm drinking, at least once a day. Peppermint tea really seems to help quell the bloating/pain/discomfort. And when I'm having a really bad episode of IBS, I will use re-heatable rice filled hot pads on my belly. No clue if it helps with the bloating, but certainly helps with the pain.

    Good luck. IBS completely sucks *kitten*. Pun intended.
  • MelRC117
    MelRC117 Posts: 911 Member
    I don't personally deal with it, but I know with my husband it can be a roller coaster. Some times it's grease that sets it off, sometimes its something like a salad. It can vary for people with IBS. I know there's IBS that causes diarrhea and people that have the opposite problem of constipation.

    Have you noticed any foods triggering it? My husband has learned when he eats something with a lot of grease, for example, especially Pizza Hut pizza. It can also be triggered if he eats a lot of greens. Limiting his bread intake also helps. I also agree with Speakaboo, you could try taking a probiotic. It is expensive, but it could be worth it. My husband won't stick with them, but he does try to eat yogurt more consistently, especially if he's on antibiotics for whatever reason which can make IBS worse.
  • strawmama
    strawmama Posts: 623 Member
    Have you tried going gluten-free? My doctor diagnosed me with IBS after I didn't test positive for Celiac's. Even though I don't have Celiac's, I have some sort of sensitivity that royally screws with my stomach...basically what you described. Since going gluten-free/low-carb, I have NO stomach issues whatsoever.
  • leodru
    leodru Posts: 321 Member
    i too have IBS and I don't really talk publicly about it too much but I can't say how truly excellent Align has been for me. After 3 years of trying everything I finally have something that seems to work. I had to take it for about 3 weeks to kick in but it has now and it is working really well. Finally something that is natural and works. I can't recommend it enough.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I don't have IBS but I'm in to see what people say about the bloating. Well, it's beyond bloating...My stomach gets so distended. Sometimes I look pregnant. It's frustrating.
  • angelexperiment
    angelexperiment Posts: 1,917 Member
    I have a weird thing I do when I get the gas pain bloat. I take baby gas drops called phazyme and it works intantly! Nothing else works. I have ibs c. I really recommend to take an enzyme before eating not the papaya one but the better one as it works for all type foods. I have found cutting down on or eliminating most wheat based foods I don't have bloat or horrible pains and minimize my amount of fresh veg. Red meats or highmeat consumption also set it off. Now my guts are getting regular with a daily smoothie with fruit and kale and flax. Dont know why perhaps its the probiotics in the yogurt and flaxmeal. I can now go daily! Happy belly dance.
  • girlviernes
    girlviernes Posts: 2,402 Member
    I have IBS too, but not the big ups and downs on the scale. I think you might benefit from working with a dietitian to do an elimination diet to better understand your trigger foods. I have been doing a lot better since eating yogurt regularly, and I'm also pickling to get more probiotics. In also aiming for 30 or more grams of fiber daily.
  • runmama411
    runmama411 Posts: 162 Member
    Yes, yes, yes. I've got IBS. My weight fluctuates up and down and I'm dealing with the bloating, purging, and constipation. It sucks. I'm interested in the Align others mentioned-going to check into it.

    Interestingly enough, when I eat better, the gassy bloating gets worse. When I eat junk or restaurant foods, it's the purge (I know where every bathroom in a 50 mile radius is). Lol

    May we all find a solution that works for us!
  • sclause
    sclause Posts: 86 Member
    I suffer as well. I have cut out processed foods, and regular milk for soy/almond milk. I also can't ever ever ever have any red meat. Interestingly, organic coffee I do fine with, nonorganic and I would literally throw up all the time and never knew why, until till I switched to organic! I try and shop sales and get as much organic as my budget will allow. However, I do fine with whole grain breads and things, but really refined stuff is a nono.
  • rcaissie2012
    rcaissie2012 Posts: 37 Member
    I suffer with IBS and Crohn's disease and I find a few things help. Yes probiotics, cutting back on wheat products and dairy. Also smaller amounts of raw veggies. Most of all I have learned not to look at the scale for a month or so of following a plan. Weekly it can fluctuate so I wait for a longer time to show a bigger number BUT most importantly, I don't look at the NUMBER and more about how I feel, and how my clothes fit on my good days!

    Good luck and hope you have more good then bad days
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    Within the first 30 days I went low carb (mainly coconut oil at first) my IBS left and that was over six months ago. Some think the cause may be candida overgrowth in the gut. I do not know what fixed me but I am so happy I get to go to the bathroom on my time line for the most part now and the other dark side effects are gone as well. Best of luck we are all different but over time we can learn our bodies and help them heal.
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