Hi everyone. It's been quite a while since I've last posted but I have been hiding in the shadows, secretly admiring the hard work everyone is doing here.
I'll get right to it. I have a problem and I wonder if anyone else can relate here and possibly shed some light on this, because it is really starting to dishearten me.
This happens whenever I eat very healthily for a period of time, even as short as a week. As soon as I decide to treat myself with, say for example, a slice of pizza--seriously, just one-- or if I so much as even inhale anything remotely unhealthy (exaggerating, but it certainly feels that way), I have crazy diarrhea shortly after.
The only way I could avoid this is if were to consistently eat horridly, but of course that isn't an option.
I feel I am unable to be spontaneous with friends if they should invite me out to eat. Not even friends, but acquaintances, so it isn't like I could even warn them that hey, I may need to run to the bathroom later on. I wouldn't want that discomfort anyway. I'm afraid I may have to either decline or be the one that sticks to a boring salad just to avoid the awkwardness that would ensue.
I know dairy and meat items particularly affect me if I don't have them consistently. Possibly bread, hard to say since i eat all of these things intermixed.
I haven't looked into lactose intolerance. It *seems* to be leaning that way--at least, it would explain some of it, but I'm not sure. I just wonder how common of a problem this is, or if I'm just one of the "lucky" ones? Talk about a motivator to never eat unhealthily.
I may try lactose pills and see if they help in any way. Does anyone have a similar problem? :/ Embarrassingly, I wasn't sure what keywords I could type on google to look into it other than diarrhea causes, and that isn't quite as helpful.
Well, the obvious advice is to talk to your doctor.
But in addition you could probably try lactose pills, or immodium. Or you could look for treats that don't cause this reaction and only treat yourself with those "Safe" treats.
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It's very hard to say because diarrhea can be caused by so many things, and you didn't mention what you are eating on your healthy diet and what you're avoiding. Are you doing low fat? Or low carb? Or low calorie, including all foods in your menu? You already know that meat and dairy can effect you, so if you are eating low fat, then suddenly add in pizza, containing both dairy (cheese) and fat (meat and cheese), that could be the cause. Maybe you could try eating a side salad and a slice of pizza, adding some roughage to the mix. Or, if this is just happening on a few occasions, get some Immodium!
I have this problem if I eat out, and order a salad with ranch dressing. I think it's either their home made dressing, or possibly preservatives they put on their salad greens. I don't have a problem at home, where I make my salads from fresh greens. I ALWAYS have Immodium in my purse!
I have this issue with things with too much fat, dairy, sugar, or if they're too starchy. Usually it takes an hour or so before my stomach starts to hurt.
Try making a food diary for a month. And be as meticulous as you can be. I've done this for an autoimmune disease and my specialist wanted me to drill down completely (e.g. I had "citrus vinaigrette" at a restaurant; she wanted to know what exactly was in it). I ended up cooking all my own food during the diary period, to make it as accurate as possible. It was a very useful experience and allowed me to construct an elimination diet that eventually mitigated some of my symptoms.
Note: I've been increasingly lactose intolerant for about 15 years, likely reflecting my decreasing intake over time. I've also been vegetarian for 22 years; in the first few years after starting, I ate red meat a couple of time and it caused gut cramps and diarrhea. I assumed that my GI system had downreguled the lipases and proteinases etc. necessary for red-meat digestion. It may be possible that you are experiencing something similar. Or your problem may be as simple as that you're occasionally eating a meal that's a lot higher in fat and/or sugar than what you are currently eating as part of your healthy diet; your body may be reacting to this without any specific type of ingredient (e.g. dairy) causing the chaos. In any case, it is entirely possible to eat out with friends etc. once you know what specifically is the problem.
I have this issue with lettuce in general. More when it's from a restaurant, but also sometimes at home. I am not sure what it is, although Ranch dressing does make it worse.
I also have this problem when I drink. If I cut out wine for a while and then add it back in, things get ugly in the GI department.
Same is true of anything heavy with grains and full of dairy, such as a creamy noodle dish or pizza. For a long time I thought I was lactose intolerant. And then I thought I was sensitive to gluten. But after much experimenting, I've kind of come to the conclusion that my body is just rebelling at the intake of crap when it's gotten used to cleaner living.
In my case, I was having GI issues which started about 1 year ago, after I turned 44. I tried going the vegetarian route, because I thought maybe meat was the problem. Then if I ate meat, I would wake up the next morning with joint pain and bloating. So I cut out the meat, thinking my body was no longer making the enzymes to break it down. While a vegetarian, I was constantly having GI issues, always having to go to the bathroom & not expelling much. I didn't have cramps, I just felt like I had to go all the time. As this wasn't practical for my lifestyle, I went back to eating a full diet. I began having cramping and diarrhea about 6 months later. I didn't do a food log, but was very aware of what I ate & drank. I finally figured out I had developed lactose intolerance. I would experience attacks about 1 - 2 hours after consuming milk based dairy product.. I can eat greek yogurt, np, some hard cheeses, and a small amount of low fat milk, about 1/2 cup. This resolved my issue. I eat healthy and stay clear of non-nutritous foods. Some lettuce at restaurants have preservatives which can cause GI issues in some people. The food diary is a good way narrow down the issue. It takes some work, but would be well worth it. Good luck to you.
Occasionally, when I have been eating clean for a good stretch and then have a fatty meal, I end up with a mild case of the trots the next day. It happened to me about a week ago - we went out for dinner and I had a buffalo chicken breast salad with bleu cheese dressing. It shot out of me, well, like poop out of a duck, but it was over after one trip to the bathroom.
I also noticed when I started eating more south beach/Mediterranean (i.e., lots more veggies), I was more regular and my stool was, ahem, a bit looser/softer for a bit.
I went 100% vegan at one time, and a similar thing happened. Since I had eliminated most foods that were oily, fatty, milky and so on, I would have the same problem as you when ever I ate anything creamy or oily. It literally caused me painful cramps.
If you think of it, the human body is probably not used to a lot of fat, and certainly was not made to drink milk or eat cheese.
If your diet is going well, I would suggest avoiding the pizza, and perhaps chow down on something less fatty. I actually think it is great that you have a physical warning system. I wish I was allergic to any food that would put weight on me. I certainly would not take a pill so I could eat something my body is trying to reject. Bodies reject foods because the food is incompatible, or do not fit well into good health. This is why new mothers suffer from morning sickness. Forcing yourself to ingest something that makes you sick is a bit strange, as far as I can see.
Happens to me too. It sorted itself out about 4-5 months after I started working on weight loss. I found just being sure there was a bathroom handy for the hour following the meal. The problem went away after about 20 minutes and I could get on with my evening. No one inquires too closely about long biffy trips.
Happens to me too. It sorted itself out about 4-5 months after I started working on weight loss. I found just being sure there was a bathroom handy for the hour following the meal. The problem went away after about 20 minutes and I could get on with my evening. No one inquires too closely about long biffy trips.
That's awesome!! 22 years of "dieting" and I still have the stomach pain/dumping. I don't think it will ever go away.
The downside of healthy eating--can you relate?
Talk about a motivator to never eat unhealthily. 
