ibs and fodmap

sammiayva
sammiayva Posts: 9 Member
edited November 24 in Health and Weight Loss
I have ibs and need to follow the fodmap diet? Anyone else follow this diet and lost weight? Xx

Replies

  • Lady_Lyrico
    Lady_Lyrico Posts: 35 Member
    I'm currently following the exclusion part of the FODMAP plan. I'm in week 6 with 2 more weeks to go before reintroducing the various food groups. I have stuck to around 1500 cals a day and have lost around 7lbs since I started.

    For 4 of those weeks I've been pain free but for the last week have been having pains and some constipation. It's possible my IBS is more stress-related than food triggered. Anyway, I'm going to continue until my dietician advises otherwise. I have been posting pics of my meals on Instagram (SuzyBee_2) if you are interested.
    I wish you luck with your journey. I'm happy to answer any questions. :)
  • sammiayva
    sammiayva Posts: 9 Member
    Great thanks. Im just having tests for inflammatory bowel diseases before doc hands me over to the dietitian and defo think it might help. I dont tolerate wheat and gluten so im trying to avoid. Im always in pain but need to lose some weight also with the right diet. Il add you on instagram :)
  • Lady_Lyrico
    Lady_Lyrico Posts: 35 Member
    I'm sorry to hear that you are always in pain - I know what that feels like. I hope you can find some relief from dietary changes. My diary is open so if you want to look at the sort of days I've been having, feel free. I am hoping that by losing weight some of my pain will lessen as well.
  • Speckle38
    Speckle38 Posts: 53 Member
    One of my friends did a low FODMAPs elimination and challenges. She lost 12+ pounds during the elimination (it was more than she needed to lose) and has identified 3 triggers, including wheat, but not gluten. Identifying her triggers has changed her life. Good luck to you both.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    I hated living in pain. Mine didn't end up being IBS, but I wanted to give you a tip I'd learned.

    Don't try to "fix" too many things at once. If pain is the biggest problem right now, focus on really listening to your body and tracking any feelings/pains/discomfort while you're doing the elimination. Track that. Tracking total calories and food is part of that (so you can go back and say oh, I ate that and then was in pain) but attempting to eat at a deficit at the same time might not be the best way to find what's causing you pain.

    Eating at a deficit is not "easy" on the body. Eliminating foods to find your triggers is not "easy" on your body. Be good to your body, try not to stress it out by trying to accomplish too many things in a short period.

    Just my 2c, ok? You may find you lose weight in the early phases of finding your triggers, but if pain reduction is your goal, I recommend not trying to eat at a deficit at the same time. Ok?
  • Lady_Lyrico
    Lady_Lyrico Posts: 35 Member
    @WBB55 that's useful advice about concentrating on one thing at once.
    I've just spoken to my dietician about the pain I've had for the last week even while following the low FODMAP exclusion phase. He said that I need to be pain free for 4 weeks on the plan before reintroducing any foods, so that will extend my exclusion phase. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow to flag to them that I am still getting pain. I feel that losing weight might assist in understanding what my pain is caused by.
    Sorry to hijack your thread, @sammiayva.
  • sammiayva
    sammiayva Posts: 9 Member
    Thanks for all your replies, yeah im defo gunna do it slowly as I already know wheat is 100% a trigger, I eat alot of dairy aswell so thinking it maybe that. Yeah, pain reduction is number one. Iv been tested for everything and all tests are clear juat waiting on my test results for inflammatory bowel diseases so if thats clear its IBS.... All your replies have been a great help xxxxx
  • Lady_Lyrico
    Lady_Lyrico Posts: 35 Member
    Best wishes @sammiayva - it's horrible not knowing what's causing the pain, and that can be as worrying as the pain itself.
  • GaleHawkins
    GaleHawkins Posts: 8,159 Member
    @sammiayva my objective was to manage my arthritis pain by diet so I did not have to start Enbrel injections due to their side effects. 30 days after I stopped eating sugars and grains cold turkey (I could not taper off) about a year ago my pain was well managed. Six months later my 40 years of life defining IBS was "cured" and has not returned. Another side effect of eating very low carb high fat has been a slow weight loss yet pigging out every day on mainly fats while my HDL and triglycerides numbers move in the right directions.

    I am halfway through reading Wheat Belly Total Health by William Davis, MD and now expect my arthritis was due mainly to eating grain products.

    Best of success to you. I wish I had not waited until I was 63 to start eating for life instead of for death. I was just unaware my diet was causing my disease and leading to a premature death after years of failing health.
This discussion has been closed.