LTS's low FODMAP Journey to Better Health- comments welcome

[lovetoscrap]

I have IBS and have been searching for any way to feel better. I have times where everything is fine then out of the blue I have horrible bloating, cramping and socially unacceptable gas issues. My efforts to pin point trigger foods in the past have not been successful because it seemed like one day bread may have been the culprit but then on others I didn't have any gluten items and still felt terrible. I have known for years that I am extremely Lactose Intolerant but I just use Lactaid milk or take Lactaid pills anytime I have dairy.

I have had a few really bad months and finally decided I needed to try a strict Elimination Diet and see if I can figure out what is causing me problems. I suspected it was probably Gluten and/or Dairy, While doing some online research on Gluten Free I came across an IBS forum that mentioned FODMAP. I looked into it and the symptoms describe me exactly.

So now I am changing my Elimination Diet focus from Dairy and Gluten to the entire FODMAP foods (which include Dairy and Gluten). I have just ordered a book from Amazon that should help with some step by step instructions but for now I am just eliminating almost everything! So far this week I have stuck to plain chicken, rice, potatoes, GF pasta, bananas and Rice Cereal. I even gave up coffee I feel so much better after just 5 days! I am really hopeful that this FODMAP is the answer I have been searching for.

I have lost 3 pounds since Monday. Hopefully once I figure out all my triggers then I will be able to continue my weight loss journey with the foods I can tolerate.

I also hope that as this concept of FODMAP becomes more popular in the US this Journal may help others with IBS.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Reserving this space to post Food Lists when I have time.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Not sure what I am reserving this one for, but it is here if I need it!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Elimination Diet: Day 1

Breakfast:
Bob's Red Mill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal
2 Fresh Eggs
a few pieces of pineapple
water

Didn't feel so good after this. Took both of my cramping meds. Could it have been the cereal was hard to digest?
Feeling better in about an hour.

Lunch:
Plain grilled chicken
white rice
margarine

wasn't feeling hungry for hours -- that hasn't happened in months!

Snack:
2T Peanut Butter
Kettle Cooked RF chips

Dinner:
Steak
Baked Potato

Ate too much for dinner. But it was good!

 

[lovetoscrap]

Day 2

Breakfast:
few spoonfuls of Hot Cereal with a little Vanilla Almond Milk

Stomach wasn't feeling great so only had a tiny bit and decided to wait until after church for anything else.

Lunch:
3.5 oz leftover steak
small baked potato
margarine


Snack:
frozen banana
spoon of peanut butter
serving of Kettle Chips
another frozen banana (kids were having ice cream and I was having a major sugar craving)

Dinner
hamburger patty
corn on the cob (not sure if that was really allowed or not)
raspberries

Snack
corn chips
banana

 

[lovetoscrap]

Day 3

I have lost 4 pounds since last Monday, when I started the elimination diet. I have been eating way less because I really am just not feeling hungry. Of course I am now convinced that I wasn't hungry before and the pain I was feeling that felt like hunger was just a very unhappy system.

I decided to add Coffee back because I really really want my coffee! I tried to make it with some unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk and sugar but it just isn't the same as my beloved French Vanilla Creamer. I probably won't end up drinking much of it.

Breakfast:
Coffee/Vanilla Almond Milk/sugar
Crispix (generic) and Vanilla Almond Milk

Not totally hungry before breakfast but since it was almost 11 I figured I better eat something.

Lunch
Grilled Steak
RF Kettle Chips
banana

Feeling really sick after lunch- stomach cramping

Snack:
blueberries
strawberries

Dinner:
very small amount of chicken and rice

Wasn't really hungry. I did snack on blueberries and another banana and also made some "faux" choc mousse for my kids and had a few spoonsful of that which is not on my allowed list

 

[irishtwins1112]

Sorry to hear about your IBS. I have been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis since I was 12 years old. I am in remission right now but when my ulcers are active it sucks and it seems like everything aggravates it. Sending prayers your way. I hope the elimination diet works well for you so you find the foods that are causing you problems.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Thanks! So far there is a definite huge improvement. Going to be interesting to see what foods may be causing problems.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Day 4

Breakfast:
Frozen Banana

Not feeling hungry

Lunch:
bowl of Generic Crispix with us Vanilla Almond Milk

Cramping after I ate that. Took my meds. Didn't eat again until much later

Snack:
3 pieces Celery and some PB

Dinner:
1.5 cups rice and chicken
RF Kettle Chips
1 strawberry

Snack
Banana

 

[lovetoscrap]

Haven't been around much the last few days to post. In fact I also forgot to even write down what i have been eating. But i have been sticking to the FODMAP elemination diet foods. Been feeling really good until today . Woke up feeling bloated and ick. Havent eaten much but just had a pretty good meal and my stomach is burning. Had some dizzyness earlier and have no energy. No idea why i feel so icky.

 

[lovetoscrap]

What i did eat today

Breakfast
Frozen banana
Felt terrible and didnt want to eat

Lunch
White rice
Tea
Feeling bloated and dizzy

Snackish
Stomach burning thought i might be hungry. Still bloated feeling, thougt eating might help
Peanut butter and celery
Banana
Plain burger patty with lettuce and mayo

Feel worse than before

Dinner:
rice noodles and ground beef/carrots/soy sauce

 

[lovetoscrap]

Sunday's Meals

Feeling better

Breakfast: nothing

Lunch:
"Italian" Beef -- made with no onions/peppers
home made chips

Was full all day.

Dinner: Pizza

Dinner started the challenging phase. The only things the pizza contained that are not on the approved list are: wheat, onion and garlic. These are all from the same sugar Family (Fructan) so they can be challenged together. Ate quite a bit of pizza and felt fine after and still feeling good the next morning.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Woke up feeling fine. Had a late breakfast

Breakfast:
Donuts
Not a good choice but my willpower left me. Still they contain wheat and while I am not totally sure I don't think they had HFCS so they still follow the challenge guidelines.

Felt fine after

Lunch:
left over pizza from the night before

stayed full for quite a while.

Snack:
Tortilla chips

Dinner
TGI Friday's Beef Med. Kabobs with side of mashed potatos and cole slaw and pita bread


I forgot to bring my list/ book with me to dinner so I only had a few bites of cole slaw. I wasn't sure if Cabbage was allowed or not. As it ends up it is the same family as bread/onion/garlic so I could have had it. I felt REALLY full even though the portion isn't huge. A little gas later but nothing bad. Now, several hours later, I have a noticeable feeling of "fullness" in my belly. Not sure if that is because I really am full or it is the start of some bloating.


Since I have done okay with the bread/wheat products I am thinking I can cross gluten sensitivity off the list for now. I will continue the increase the amounts of foods I eat from this category of sugars and see how I feel over the next few days.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Last night I was more congested and also having chest tightness before bed. I also woke up in the very early morning with some "heartburn" or hungry feeling.

Breakfast:
2 pieces of white bread
peanut butter and low sugar jelly

Wasn't really hungry before breakfast. After I ate feeling a "hungry" hollow feeling in my belly.

As the morning went on I was feeling worse and worse. Burning "hungry" pain in my stomach that was very uncomfortable.

Lunch:
Sandwich with roast beef, herbed cream cheese, lettuce and tomato (only ate 1/2 the bread)
plain chips
tea

Really felt awful before I ate, while I ate and after. burning, bloating and gas. Felt bad enough to consider giving up bread forever if that was the reason I felt so terrible

Snack
Almond crossiant
leftover bread from sandwich

Still feeling bad

Several hours later I was feeling better.

Dinner:
CFA salad with chicken nuggets, croutons, ranch
Banana milkshake (took to Lactaid)

Dinner had a lot of HFCS that I wasn't anticipating as did the bread at breakfast so today doesn't provide any accurate Challenge results.

After dinner felt "full"

 

[mr.bungle]

I don't mean to hijack your thread. I just started on FODMAP about 2 weeks ago. It's been difficult for me because I love bread! So far I unfortunately haven't seen much of an improvement But I'm going to tough it out until I see my nutritionist again. Any tips or tricks you've found to help stick to the plan? Luckily a Trader Joe's just opened nearby so I have been able to find some good GF bread and other treats.