Why doth the body protest a healthy diet so much?
Perriwen
Posts: 32 Member
I spent pretty much my entire adult life living off mostly processed foods...frozen food, lunch meat, barely any fiber, things like that. About three weeks ago I decided to change....I started buying fresh produce, started cutting out processed foods, began eating fruits and veggies to get fiber. After all, I keep hearing about how GREAT healthy eating is supposed to make you feel...
Well...so far...WRONG.
My body has been almost nonstop throwing a fit. Abdominal cramping every day, bowel movements that I can't even come close to predicting as to how often or what will come out of me, and don't even get me started on the stress.
Did I do something wrong? I was always told 'eat healthy, your body will thank you!' But it honestly feels like my body is actively punishing me. >.<
Well...so far...WRONG.
My body has been almost nonstop throwing a fit. Abdominal cramping every day, bowel movements that I can't even come close to predicting as to how often or what will come out of me, and don't even get me started on the stress.
Did I do something wrong? I was always told 'eat healthy, your body will thank you!' But it honestly feels like my body is actively punishing me. >.<
5
Replies
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you've probably massively increased your fibre consumption since actually eating fruit and veg... your body isn't used to it.20
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TavistockToad wrote: »you've probably massively increased your fibre consumption since actually eating fruit and veg... your body isn't used to it.
Well....there is that. I was finding out on most normal days on my old diet I was getting maybe 6 or 7 grams. I bumped it up to about 14 on some good days...then on Friday I ate 28g according to the diet tracker.
Apparently that was a fairly stupid move.2 -
TavistockToad wrote: »you've probably massively increased your fibre consumption since actually eating fruit and veg... your body isn't used to it.
Well....there is that. I was finding out on most normal days on my old diet I was getting maybe 6 or 7 grams. I bumped it up to about 14 on some good days...then on Friday I ate 28g according to the diet tracker.
Apparently that was a fairly stupid move.
maybe go back to a half and half old/new diet and then increase the veg more slowly?4 -
TavistockToad wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »you've probably massively increased your fibre consumption since actually eating fruit and veg... your body isn't used to it.
Well....there is that. I was finding out on most normal days on my old diet I was getting maybe 6 or 7 grams. I bumped it up to about 14 on some good days...then on Friday I ate 28g according to the diet tracker.
Apparently that was a fairly stupid move.
maybe go back to a half and half old/new diet and then increase the veg more slowly?
I was thinking of trying that. I still have a crap ton of frozen stuff in the freezer that I need to gradually get rid of.4 -
Sounds like to much too soon. I hope you will start to feel easier. This is highly controversial on here but living in the UK where we are blessed with some really good, I mean, interesting health related programmes on all our principal free to air channels we are hearing more about digestive microbes. Consuming a diet of highly processed foods along with a diminished range of vegetable variants because our food producers have settled on main strains and also our use of antibiotics and other medication have all reduced the number of microbial species our bodies contain which do everything from breaking down foods to creating enzymes and facilitating the uptake of vitamins and more.
It is possible you are over doing the fibre, the amount mfp sets is good. Some scientists say we need even more. But in the short term until your body gets used to this new regime the fibre is helping your microbes replenish themselves but also it is clearing out the system. I would say, hang on in there, you will get through it. Make sure you drink plenty of water and during this very hot period do not forget the salt.7 -
Fibre is a kicker, it's a good idea to increase fibre intake slowly otherwise, well, you get tummy/toilet problems.
Make little changes at a time. It might feel like you're going backwards, but having a funny tummy isn't ever a nice thing.5 -
I remember when I started eating beans. (The stories, they are true.) I now eat 2-4 kinds of beans every day and my stomach is chill with it. It took about two weeks (building up slowly, getting my body used to one new food at a time) for the gastrointestinal upsets to stop. I also took probiotics and digestive enzymes during this time as a crutch to help me out; you might look into those (they're cheap, and you don't have to take them forever).
Benefits of a healthy diet that I've observed:
-Better/faster muscle recovery (key with me; I bike 5 miles a day and walk 5 more and go to karate practice and...you get the idea)
-More fun/self-sufficiency in cooking (I never learned to cook as a kid and boy howdy am I making up for it now), plus more meal options, plus the satisfaction of choosing exactly what you want to eat
-Depending on how you do it, it's cheaper. (Spinach, broccoli, carrots, apples, honey and berries are quite cheap, fresh or frozen, where I'm from. YMMV, but if you focus on getting food that's in season, you can spend less than half what you did on the pre-made/processed stuff)
-Skin looks healthy and glowy and pinkish. People ask me about it. It's weird.
-I'm never sick anymore. (Last time was...January, I think? And that lasted less than two days...)
-Fewer cravings for the junk (not saying they don't happen; I'm saying that satiating food makes you less hungry overall)
My advice is to pick one change at a time, stick with it, and add another. System shocks/upsets aren't necessary to achieve a healthy diet.7 -
As others said, gradually increase your fiber consumption. Your body will become accustomed to the change.
BTW you just need to eat less calories than your body burns in order to lose weight. Eating “healthy” is a matter of perspective.
The recommended daily servings of fruit is 2, veggies 3. Your body should get used to that very quickly, it’s not really excessive. Pay attention to serving sizes.2 -
Fiber is most likely the main cause but remember that digestively our bodies can get accustomed to certain eating patterns. For instance, former vegetarians can get really sick if they jump too fast back into the meat pool. It is best to avoid abrupt changes of any kind.
It is also not a good idea from a lifestyle perspective. If you have gotten by mainly on pre-prepared foods you may find it exhausting to maintain eating only fresh ingredients if there is no transition period. Learning all the tips and tricks to cut down on repetition and daily cook time is important if you have a busy life.
I'd also advise against the all-or-nothing attitude towards packaged foods. There seems to be this nonsense trend lately that if you don't eat the very best foods for you at every meal/snack you are missing out on the greatest health you can experience. Just about everything in your freezer that is not ice still has nutritional value. It may not be as high as fresh food but that doesn't mean it doesn't help supply some of what your body needs to be healthy.4 -
Thanks for the feedback! I'll definitely try to be more gradual, instead of trying to push myself to get as much fiber as I can within a day.4
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