Should I supplement with regular soda?

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wellbert
wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Here's a bit of a strange question.

Up front: I have IBS. I can eat perfectly healthy, healthy amounts at home. But, when I travel, or need to be in a car more than 30 minutes it can be a BIG PROBLEM.

As long as I keep my meals incredibly tiny, I'm good.

I'll probably only be able to get 800-1000 calories a day for the next week.

Soda doesn't bother my stomach at all.

So the question is - am I better filling my calories up with soda, or just taking an incredibly low calorie week?

Replies

  • junipuni
    junipuni Posts: 264 Member
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    Incredibly tiny meals in terms of calories or actual size of the meals? I mean, have you tried more calorie dense foods (I hope I'm using the right terminology) to be able to have the right amount of calories without having a huge (actual size) amount of food? Does that make sense?

    ETA: If it were me, I wouldn't supplement with regular soda. Also, I feel paranoid responding to the message board now a days. I honestly can't tell if people are being serious or making fun of other people's posts who were trying to be serious.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    The problem with calorie dense foods (like peanut butter) is they are fatty, which is a trigger. So there's kind of a combination of low oil/low size foods I need.

    About the only thing I've found that's totally safe is small amounts of plain bread and cliff bars.
  • alli_baba
    alli_baba Posts: 232 Member
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    Here's a bit of a strange question.

    Up front: I have IBS. I can eat perfectly healthy, healthy amounts at home. But, when I travel, or need to be in a car more than 30 minutes it can be a BIG PROBLEM.

    As long as I keep my meals incredibly tiny, I'm good.

    I'll probably only be able to get 800-1000 calories a day for the next week.

    Soda doesn't bother my stomach at all.

    So the question is - am I better filling my calories up with soda, or just taking an incredibly low calorie week?
    I have no answer to your question but that's really interesting about the soda. My sister-in-law has IBS and once she cut out all diet soda (she drank a ton), she only rarely has problems with her IBS. I know IBS is complex, but it is interesting that the one thing that triggers her IBS is something that you tolerate well.
  • junipuni
    junipuni Posts: 264 Member
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    I see. I always have a hard time traveling as well. I don't have IBS (diagnosed) but I have to be really careful what I eat because my stomach is pretty sensitive when I eat poorly, which tends to happen on trips. It also chooses to be sensitive at random times as well. I think the anxiety of knowing you will be "trapped" in a car doesn't help either. I tend to eat less than normal during the travel time and then eat way too much once we arrive to our destination. It is hard to figure out the right balance.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
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    Soda?
    Hell no! At least try some fruit and veggie juice.
    V8 Fusion
  • junipuni
    junipuni Posts: 264 Member
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    The problem with calorie dense foods (like peanut butter) is they are fatty, which is a trigger. So there's kind of a combination of low oil/low size foods I need.

    About the only thing I've found that's totally safe is small amounts of plain bread and cliff bars.
    That's what is so hard! It's so different for each person in what triggers it, as well as what helps it.
  • GrammaBonnie
    GrammaBonnie Posts: 232 Member
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    I don't think anyone with any nutritional background would recommend a diet consisting of soda, plain (white) bread and cliff bars. There are a lot of foods out there without fats, although some of it has fiber, which I'm guessing is a problem for you, too?

    It sounds like you need a nutritionist. Do you have a Hannaford's Market near you? The ones near here have a nutritionist that is available for all kinds of questions, and offers nutrition classes and store tours based on an individual's dietary needs. There's a big health food store near us that does the same. Hannaford's is free. I think the health food store charges a small fee to attend their classes. A few calls might find you someone who has good answers for you.

    IBS is nasty. I have a dear friend who suffers from it. Good luck!
  • balancedhealth
    balancedhealth Posts: 36
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    Absolutely not! There is nothing healthy or good about soda. Try a V8 or veggie drink instead if you can tolerate it.
  • orishp
    orishp Posts: 214 Member
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    Agreed, the answer to this will always be no, regardless of the circumstances
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    Looks like the consensus is undereating > crap eating. Which is kind of what I'd surmised.


    It is funny about the soda thing. for 99% of sufferers, it's a HUGE trigger. But for me, it's actually kind of soothing.

    Fiber is iffy.

    I haven't tried v8. I've tried Bolthouse's stuff, and it's a big trigger.
  • tabulator32
    tabulator32 Posts: 701 Member
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    Regular soda should not be a "supplement" of any kind unless a diabetic is amazingly low on their sucrose level and needs an infusion in their bloodstream fast.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
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    I vote "no". But if soda is soothing, maybe sip plain soda water or no-calorie soda as needed.
  • MadiRose2
    MadiRose2 Posts: 145
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    I have IBS, and since soda doesn't bother you, you should have the sugared soda. It could be a nice treat :)
  • jolinemariem
    jolinemariem Posts: 462 Member
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    bump
    i have IBS and i can drink soda fine (as long as its not grape or black cherry or something like that)
    to but also have to be very careful what i eat when im in a car
  • slcostel
    slcostel Posts: 116 Member
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    Maybe try Naked? It's similar to Bolthouse (which I see is a trigger for you), but it is literally nothing but fruits, vegetables, and (depending on what kind you get) herbs.

    I think, I may be iffy in my memory, that Bolthouse has some other additives.
  • GabrielMaestas
    GabrielMaestas Posts: 88 Member
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    Soda's, even regular calorie sodas, are not all the same. If they're typically a trigger for others but not so much with you, its because of the brand of soda and its composition? What kind of soda's are you referring to? Canned soda? Bottled? Fountain? They have different formulas and maybe you've stumbled upon a variable that might help others...
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    Soda's, even regular calorie sodas, are not all the same. If they're typically a trigger for others but not so much with you, its because of the brand of soda and its composition? What kind of soda's are you referring to? Canned soda? Bottled? Fountain? They have different formulas and maybe you've stumbled upon a variable that might help others...

    For caloried sodas, I only drank Dr. Pepper and Coke - 90% of the time fountain.
  • jolinemariem
    jolinemariem Posts: 462 Member
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    i drink canned basically anything but the two i mentioned
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    That's a tough problem to have. Soda doesn't seem like much of a supplement tho because the calories from it are pretty useless. Maybe a slimfast or myoplex lite? Beef jerky for the protein? Couple of bananas? I wish I could offer more suggestions but that's all I have right now.

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