Having second thoughts about diet changes

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Norsewolf39
Norsewolf39 Posts: 8 Member
edited March 2020 in Food and Nutrition
So back in November December I started changing my diet. Cutting out junk food, soda, etc and now 3 ish months later, I'm down from 4500 to 8k calories to 1200 to 1500 and aside from a few junk snacks (in proper portion size), I have cut that all out of my diet. However I am now having even more problems than before. I eat good carbs or small healthy portion bad carbs (potatoes etc) and I get gnarly sugar spikes from carbs, I've gained 15 pounds, and I'm struggling sticking with these diet changes. I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) as well which can sometimes hinder processing food and vitamins though I currently don't have a deficiency. Intermittant b12 deficiency. So can anyone suggest foods that are budget and gut friendly? Thank you in advance.

Norse

Replies

  • gt0186b
    gt0186b Posts: 78 Member
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    I have IBS and have found that carbs are not the problem, it is the type of carb. Grains, especially highly refined bread products set it off. I'm good with small amounts of rice and starchy foods like potatoes don't bother me at all. I also found certain oils cause it to flare up so I stay with Olive oil, butter or coconut oil.
  • Norsewolf39
    Norsewolf39 Posts: 8 Member
    edited March 2020
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    First, I guarantee you aren't eating 1200-1500 calories per day and gained 15 pounds. That just isn't possible.

    If certain foods are making your blood sugar spike, I would stay away from them. How do you know they are spiking your blood sugar? Are you monitoring it? Are you diabetic?

    Trust me I'm baffled myself. I went from stagnant at 4500 to 8k a day to gaining 15 on 1200 to 1500 and yes I have a glucose monitor. I tested it after I ate cause sometimes I drop. It's related to my off and on b12 deficiency and the IBS. I eat say 20 g of protein and because of those issues, I get maybe half if I'm lucky :/ As far as diabetic it's possible I'm prediabetic but my a1c is normal as of January.
  • Norsewolf39
    Norsewolf39 Posts: 8 Member
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    summery79 wrote: »
    Have you visited with a dietitian? It sounds like there are multiple issues going on and a health professional reviewing your medical history, labs, etc would be in the best position to make recommendations as to strategies that may be helpful.

    My insurance doesn't cover that otherwise I would :/
  • Norsewolf39
    Norsewolf39 Posts: 8 Member
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    The only way you could have gained weight on 1,500 cals is if you’re retaining water. It is impossible to gain (fat) on 1.5k if you were maintaining at 4.5k, so assuming water retention isn’t at play, you’re either greatly underestimating your current intake or severely overestimated your original intake.

    As for the other problems, your body is more than likely responding to the shock of sudden and severe dietary changes if there has been no sign of underlying conditions. Bite the bullet and see a dietician. If you have money for junk food, you have money that can be saved for an appointment.

    Actually I get food stamps, I'm partially disabled, and a full time student. You've rolled a critical fail in assuming that I'm well off let alone well off enough to see a dietician. A dietician costs between 4 and 8 thousand per appointment. I'm in the US. Not Europe. As for water, I don't drink more than what I should which is 24 ounces. So thank you but this isn't a bite the bullet situation. This is a I'm stuck and seeking nutritional guidance hoping someone in a similar boat can offer me advice. I can't explain my weight gain. I'm just as baffled as everyone else. As for shock, no. I started portioning 6 months ago and fully stopped junk food in December. As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on. Beyond that no clue :/
  • Norsewolf39
    Norsewolf39 Posts: 8 Member
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    Theoldguy1 wrote: »
    The only way you could have gained weight on 1,500 cals is if you’re retaining water. It is impossible to gain (fat) on 1.5k if you were maintaining at 4.5k, so assuming water retention isn’t at play, you’re either greatly underestimating your current intake or severely overestimated your original intake.

    As for the other problems, your body is more than likely responding to the shock of sudden and severe dietary changes if there has been no sign of underlying conditions. Bite the bullet and see a dietician. If you have money for junk food, you have money that can be saved for an appointment.

    Actually I get food stamps, I'm partially disabled, and a full time student. You've rolled a critical fail in assuming that I'm well off let alone well off enough to see a dietician. A dietician costs between 4 and 8 thousand per appointment. I'm in the US. Not Europe. As for water, I don't drink more than what I should which is 24 ounces. So thank you but this isn't a bite the bullet situation. This is a I'm stuck and seeking nutritional guidance hoping someone in a similar boat can offer me advice. I can't explain my weight gain. I'm just as baffled as everyone else. As for shock, no. I started portioning 6 months ago and fully stopped junk food in December. As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on. Beyond that no clue :/

    I think you better shop around for a dietian. I am also in the US and have never heard of a medical professional charging $4-8k for a single appointment (with the possible exception of a lot of testing to go with the appointment). Who is telling you to drink just 24 oz of water? Unless medical reason, most people need more liquid than that.

    Given your disability and the fact that you are full time student, have you checked out medical/dietitian services through your school and/or some government program?

    Good luck.

    That's what I was quoted. As for my school, no they don't and the government doesn't offer that here. Only some programs for matchback of EBT funds to farmers markets. In regards to the water, yes for me 24 ounces is sufficient. Having IBS means I either don't digest enough of what I eat or I digest it too much and still get nothing. Drinking more than 24 ounces tanks my electrolytes as a result :/
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    The only way you could have gained weight on 1,500 cals is if you’re retaining water. It is impossible to gain (fat) on 1.5k if you were maintaining at 4.5k, so assuming water retention isn’t at play, you’re either greatly underestimating your current intake or severely overestimated your original intake.

    As for the other problems, your body is more than likely responding to the shock of sudden and severe dietary changes if there has been no sign of underlying conditions. Bite the bullet and see a dietician. If you have money for junk food, you have money that can be saved for an appointment.

    Actually I get food stamps, I'm partially disabled, and a full time student. You've rolled a critical fail in assuming that I'm well off let alone well off enough to see a dietician. A dietician costs between 4 and 8 thousand per appointment. I'm in the US. Not Europe. As for water, I don't drink more than what I should which is 24 ounces. So thank you but this isn't a bite the bullet situation. This is a I'm stuck and seeking nutritional guidance hoping someone in a similar boat can offer me advice. I can't explain my weight gain. I'm just as baffled as everyone else. As for shock, no. I started portioning 6 months ago and fully stopped junk food in December. As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on. Beyond that no clue :/

    Can you temporarily make your food log public?

    Water retention isn't about how much water you drink. There are lots of perfectly normal reasons someone would retain water, and some medical conditions can cause the body to retain too much or even a dangerous amount of fluid.
  • Norsewolf39
    Norsewolf39 Posts: 8 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    The only way you could have gained weight on 1,500 cals is if you’re retaining water. It is impossible to gain (fat) on 1.5k if you were maintaining at 4.5k, so assuming water retention isn’t at play, you’re either greatly underestimating your current intake or severely overestimated your original intake.

    As for the other problems, your body is more than likely responding to the shock of sudden and severe dietary changes if there has been no sign of underlying conditions. Bite the bullet and see a dietician. If you have money for junk food, you have money that can be saved for an appointment.

    Actually I get food stamps, I'm partially disabled, and a full time student. You've rolled a critical fail in assuming that I'm well off let alone well off enough to see a dietician. A dietician costs between 4 and 8 thousand per appointment. I'm in the US. Not Europe. As for water, I don't drink more than what I should which is 24 ounces. So thank you but this isn't a bite the bullet situation. This is a I'm stuck and seeking nutritional guidance hoping someone in a similar boat can offer me advice. I can't explain my weight gain. I'm just as baffled as everyone else. As for shock, no. I started portioning 6 months ago and fully stopped junk food in December. As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on. Beyond that no clue :/

    Can you temporarily make your food log public?

    Water retention isn't about how much water you drink. There are lots of perfectly normal reasons someone would retain water, and some medical conditions can cause the body to retain too much or even a dangerous amount of fluid.

    I have no clue how to and I just downloaded the app again after my phone had a nervous breakdown.
  • gt0186b
    gt0186b Posts: 78 Member
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    Many county health clinics offer access to registered dietician and are either no cost or based on a sliding scale factoring in income.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,995 Member
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    As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on.

    What do you mean ' a mislabelling issue'?

    Highly unlikely that all the foods you are eating are mislabelled - as in the package labelling is wrong.

    Mislabelling in the sense you have chosen incorrect data entries from MFP - yes, possible.

    again if you open your diary, people can help spot any logging issues like that.
  • Norsewolf39
    Norsewolf39 Posts: 8 Member
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    As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on.

    What do you mean ' a mislabelling issue'?

    Highly unlikely that all the foods you are eating are mislabelled - as in the package labelling is wrong.

    Mislabelling in the sense you have chosen incorrect data entries from MFP - yes, possible.

    again if you open your diary, people can help spot any logging issues like that.

    I was making a joke :/
  • unstableunicorn
    unstableunicorn Posts: 216 Member
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    kimny72 wrote: »
    The only way you could have gained weight on 1,500 cals is if you’re retaining water. It is impossible to gain (fat) on 1.5k if you were maintaining at 4.5k, so assuming water retention isn’t at play, you’re either greatly underestimating your current intake or severely overestimated your original intake.

    As for the other problems, your body is more than likely responding to the shock of sudden and severe dietary changes if there has been no sign of underlying conditions. Bite the bullet and see a dietician. If you have money for junk food, you have money that can be saved for an appointment.

    Actually I get food stamps, I'm partially disabled, and a full time student. You've rolled a critical fail in assuming that I'm well off let alone well off enough to see a dietician. A dietician costs between 4 and 8 thousand per appointment. I'm in the US. Not Europe. As for water, I don't drink more than what I should which is 24 ounces. So thank you but this isn't a bite the bullet situation. This is a I'm stuck and seeking nutritional guidance hoping someone in a similar boat can offer me advice. I can't explain my weight gain. I'm just as baffled as everyone else. As for shock, no. I started portioning 6 months ago and fully stopped junk food in December. As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on. Beyond that no clue :/

    Can you temporarily make your food log public?

    Water retention isn't about how much water you drink. There are lots of perfectly normal reasons someone would retain water, and some medical conditions can cause the body to retain too much or even a dangerous amount of fluid.

    I have no clue how to and I just downloaded the app again after my phone had a nervous breakdown.

    Go to the bottom right of the app’s screen and follow the links:

    More -> Settings -> Sharing & Privacy -> Diary Sharing -> Public
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 8,995 Member
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    As for my intake if a healthy portion of peanuts is somehow suddenly 3k calories or the greek yogurt or cheese and crackers or anything else I've eaten that is healthy then there's a huge mislabeling issue going on.

    What do you mean ' a mislabelling issue'?

    Highly unlikely that all the foods you are eating are mislabelled - as in the package labelling is wrong.

    Mislabelling in the sense you have chosen incorrect data entries from MFP - yes, possible.

    again if you open your diary, people can help spot any logging issues like that.

    I was making a joke :/

    oh, ok.

    but still follow steps above to make diary public and people can help with any logging issues.

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
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    How do you know about the medical conditions you have? IBS for one. You must have gone to a doctor for testing. Go back and ask about a nutritionist for your condition. If you don't have one buy a digitale food scale (10-14$).
  • panda4153
    panda4153 Posts: 417 Member
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    I think as others have said, it’s not your diet changes that are causing your weight gain. First make sure you are using a digital scale and weighing everything that has calories in it by weight. Most packages have what the weight is for a serving size. For example peanut butter will say 2TBS (32g) weigh it, and divide the amount you have in grams by 32 and that is what you should log. If you eat 40 grams that sounds be 1.25 servings. I use peanut butter as an example because it illustrates how hard it can be to accurately eyeball servings and even if you are using cups and measuring spoons you could be eating way more then what you think. Calories are calories and too many regardless of where they come from will result in weight gain.

    Second as others have said, it’s possible you are retaining water, this is not caused by drinking too much water, but can be caused by lots of other reasons, change in exercises, high sodium, and various medical conditions are all examples.

    Last make sure you are staying hydrated, your urine should be a light yellow like lemonade. You don’t have to get all your fluid from water, but you do want to make sure you are getting enough fluids over all, this includes coffee, tea, water, soda, juice, soups, fruits and veggies. Just make sure anything you drink with calories also gets logged.