IBS ADVISE

Advice on losing weight or dealing with IBS?

Losing weight: count your calories and eat at a safe deficit of around 500 calories under your TDEE each day.

IBS: Eat a lot of fiber and drink plenty of water. Your doctor should have good recommendations for dealing with IBS while losing weight.

Good luck!

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for IBS. I was diagnosed more than 15 years ago and have several friends with the same diagnosis, and our symptoms and what triggers them are all completely different. The reality is that this is the diagnosis given to people with digestive disorders where there is no other explanation, but I strongly believe that the label encompasses a number of very different GI disorders. For example, a poster above recommended fiber and water, but for me high fiber foods are one of the biggest triggers. You have to do what works for you, and finding that out unfortunately requires a huge amount of trial and error.

Once you know what foods won't trigger your symptoms, it's all about eating those in moderation with careful weighing and logging, just like anyone else trying to lose weight. I can't eat a lot of the healthy, filling things that people normally recommend to those losing weight. For example, many veggies like broccoli are on my list of foods to avoid at all costs. I'm also a vegetarian, so lean animal protein isn't an option either. The reality is that I end up eating a lot of foods that could very easily put me over my daily calorie goal, so I log absolutely everything I eat and weigh out portions whenever possible. Doing this I've kept the IBS under control and have gotten to my goal weight.

Has your doctor suggested eliminating fodmaps, then reintroducing them one at a time? That's what I'm trying to do, along with stress management. I've been in pain for 15 years, dozens of tests and ER visits. Just got introduced to fodmaps about a month ago. I also seem to have an unidentified gallbladder problem, so I'm talking to a surgeon on Monday.

I'm one of those highly sensitive people that blew up after 25+ years of being told not to express negative emotions. Now, I'm feeling them all at once, and my stomach hurts most every week for days at a time. I wrote a lengthy response to someone with anxiety issues last week, and I meant to save it, so I could look back on it for my own use! If your ibs is stress related, try to incorporate meditation and mindfulness. I make myself pay attention to my breathing whenever I notice my thoughts are racing or negative.

Also be gentle with yourself about what you can and can't eat. The chicken and eggplant and strawberries I CAN eat are more valuable than the ice cream that leaves me blocked up and doubled over in pain. I like chicken and eggplant and strawberries. Eating ice cream would be like setting up Comcast with no way to pay the bill. It's going to kick my tush in the long run.

I keep a fairly accurate diary, and I indicate the days I'm in pain. You can add me if you need someone for commiseration.

You're right, increased fiber is a vague solution, but it was a vague question. Many IBS sufferers do benefit from eating more fruits and vegetables and soluble fiber, especially for people with constipation, but it is more important to avoid trigger foods. For me, personally, I seem to have worst problems while restricting my diet because it swings from constipation to diarrhea all the time, and the cramps have definitely gotten much worse. I've just been experimenting with the types of food I eat to see if anything settles the swings better.