Hi, Fatmom!

IBS-D and other chronic health issues are what got me started on this path. I did some very strict food eliminations in the beginning and gradually added things back in. For me, I limit processed and refined food, artificial sweeteners, sodas, caffeine, and alcohol. I find I can have small amounts of these things occasionally with no problems, but I can tell immediately if I've overdone it.

Originally Posted by FatMomNoMore:
Then - bfast and lunch - 2070 cals / 104 g fat

Now - bfast and lunch + small snack - 600 cals / 15 g fat

And the ironic thing is I'm not hungry. l.

That's just amazing really! with just one meal changes... you saved yourself 1500 calories... imagine that over a week or a month. Awesome!

I HAD IBS... it was so awful :( I couldn't take one shopping trip without having to run to the bathroom multiple times and felt like mapping out the bathrooms wherever i went was running my life.

I had read about juice fasting healing intestines and possibly helping with my autoimmune issues So, my husband and I bought a juicer and juice fasted for 7 days...not for weight loss but for HEALTH... to hopefully give our bodies a rest by providing quick and easy nutrition without having to process the fiber and other junk. Lemme tell ya...it was quite expensive and the first 3 days were HARD!! but after that 3 day hurtle, not bad at all... still not easy but manageable... by day 7 i just couldn't do it anymore so that is when we stopped, we intended to do 10 but it is hard with little kids and having to cook for them and smell it while you are only drinking juice...

Yes, WE did lose weight, I lost about 20lbs and my husband 17 (He is not overweight like i am.) We both gained it all back within 1 month... this was fine because that was not our goal even though i really was happy with the accompanied loss, i KNEW it would be really difficult to maintain that once starting to eat food again.

This was 4 years ago and now i just occasionally fast using the intermittent fasting method a couple times a year to give my gut a rest. I am exactic to say that i no longer struggle with IBS cramping or sudden *get of out my way, i need to use the bathroom or i will poop on the floor urgency* I can even eat pizza again! I don't think it helped all that much with my autoimmune issues but I will never really know because it has not progressed at all so that could have helped as well...

I am not promoting anything, selling anything etc. Just wanted to share something that worked for me. ;) 7 days of struggle is MUCH better than every day cramps and urgent need in my opinion. Just make sure, if you attempt this, you go to your dr for a physical or even just a blood analysis before and after and don't plan to do a lot of physical activity. My husband still went to the gym but he is an exception since his body is fit and used to it.

Sometimes I think all your body is saying is DUDE.. i just need a break.... Find some kind of way to give it one that works for you.

Yes, with changes to just 2 meals, saving 1500 calories. That's how bad I was doing. It helps to be honest about it but it's still embarrassing! I did just have chipotle for lunch. No cheese or sour cream (I hate sour cream anyway). Did a nutrition calculation on my bowl before I ordered and it came in around 600 calories / 20 g of fat. I ate half of it and am very full. I think that my stomach has probably already shrunk (my intention was to eat half of it then the other half another day).

I just got diagnosed and I'm having big issues despite clean eating. Turns out onions and garlic can be huge triggers. I'm fighting that because food won't taste very good without them :/. Have you heard of the fodmap diet? Must doc wants me on it because my symptoms are so bad lately. It takes away half the veggies, you can eat veggies, lean proteins and some fruit. Few nuts, and pretty much nothing else. Some dairy is gone, you can have hard cheeses like cheddar.

It doesn't take much to set me off but I really need to increase my quality of life So I don't have to scope out every bathroom everywhere. I feel your pain...literally :/.

Originally Posted by CarrieS:
I HAD IBS... it was so awful :( I couldn't take one shopping trip without having to run to the bathroom multiple times and felt like mapping out the bathrooms wherever i went was running my life.

I had read about juice fasting healing intestines and possibly helping with my autoimmune issues So, my husband and I bought a juicer and juice fasted for 7 days...not for weight loss but for HEALTH... to hopefully give our bodies a rest by providing quick and easy nutrition without having to process the fiber and other junk. Lemme tell ya...it was quite expensive and the first 3 days were HARD!! but after that 3 day hurtle, not bad at all... still not easy but manageable... by day 7 i just couldn't do it anymore so that is when we stopped, we intended to do 10 but it is hard with little kids and having to cook for them and smell it while you are only drinking juice...

Yes, WE did lose weight, I lost about 20lbs and my husband 17 (He is not overweight like i am.) We both gained it all back within 1 month... this was fine because that was not our goal even though i really was happy with the accompanied loss, i KNEW it would be really difficult to maintain that once starting to eat food again.

This was 4 years ago and now i just occasionally fast using the intermittent fasting method a couple times a year to give my gut a rest. I am exactic to say that i no longer struggle with IBS cramping or sudden *get of out my way, i need to use the bathroom or i will poop on the floor urgency* I can even eat pizza again! I don't think it helped all that much with my autoimmune issues but I will never really know because it has not progressed at all so that could have helped as well...

I am not promoting anything, selling anything etc. Just wanted to share something that worked for me. ;) 7 days of struggle is MUCH better than every day cramps and urgent need in my opinion. Just make sure, if you attempt this, you go to your dr for a physical or even just a blood analysis before and after and don't plan to do a lot of physical activity. My husband still went to the gym but he is an exception since his body is fit and used to it.

Sometimes I think all your body is saying is DUDE.. i just need a break.... Find some kind of way to give it one that works for you.

Thanks for this suggestion. It sounds more doable than fodmap forever. I have a very physical job and there's no way I could fast on work days. How long do you fast? 7 days?

http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Year.../dp/1569245479

Following a few of the suggestions in this book helped me a lot.