My projected eating plan
#292893 - 12/07/06 07:32 PM
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Because I have symptoms almost every day now after once being stable (usually summers) I have decided to try a drastic sort of cleansing 2 week plan. I also am addicted to sugar and I am chubby. So starting in about 9 days I will be cutting out sugars (will use stevia only) soy milk/ice cream/carageenan, wheat, yeast and chocolate. I will eat fruits and veggies, meats, nuts, oatmeal, rice and non wheat grains. I might eat low sugar rice cereal too. I never did the break the cycle diet because I like to cook so much and I was worried about dinners, but this time hubby is into the diet too. He wants to cut out sweets and he likes rice so our meals will be meat, veggies and rice or potatoes.
Now I will get on my soap box about IBS problems- read if you desire. First of all, I truly believe IBS is not curable and cannot be completely eradicated from diet alone. When I have to pee and don't, I get bloated, and so no matter what I eat I have to deal with other issues like that. Stress will always be a factor in IBS. So just because someone gets some symptoms one day does not mean, in my opinion, that he/she ate something that is unsafe for them.
On the other hand (and this is very important) if you are having symptoms, if you are posting here for help, if you are not completely stable in general, then you might be ingesting something that is bothering you. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY YOU TOLERATE THIS OR THAT FOOD IF YOU ARE PRESENTLY EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS! If you read Heather's list of triggers and think dairy for instance does not bother you, but you are complaining about bloat or occassional D, then how do you know dairy is not a trigger for you? That is why I am choosing to test myself off of carageenan, MSG, HFCS and yeast etc. Symptoms can be ongoing and waiting inside to react and therefore not show up after you eat something. Furthermore, IBS patients do not have the luxury of being able to read their guts like normal people because our guts are crabby and don't communicate correctly. My husband knows exactly what bothers him and can say pears made him gassy today because everyday his gut functions a-ok and then one food can be totally recognizable. It does not work that way for us. So please stop claiming trigger foods are fine with you unless you have had zero symptoms for some time. Do yourself a favor and try out perfectly following Heather's plan. And if it doesn't work right away keep trying. But also keep in mind that you will never be 100% cured. That is my belief after half a life of terrible IBS.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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I did the break the cycle diet originally to start getting stable. I must say it felt like it gave my digestive system a rest for once. I highly recommend it for all IBS-D's out there. (For IBS-C you must incorporate IF safely, not just the mainly SF diet) I doubt I would have gotten as stable if I hadn't started with the break the cycle diet, followed by slowly, very slowly, adding in new foods like different safe meats and IF veggies. I think it's a great idea for you to kind of re-start and give you system a little break. I hope you see some good results.
I have also been frustrated lately with people posting that they aren't stable, but know they can tolerate certain triggers. Before I was stable, I could eat ham some nights and be fine. I could have cereal with milk in the morning and be ok. My system was totally out of whack and I had attacks at weird times, and often couldn't pin point it on one specific food. After the break the cycle diet, I tried out certain foods, and that was really when I noticed which ones were problems. Now that I am stable, I no longer have the 'out of whack' system where I have attacks that I can't find a reason for. Now my attacks are either from a trigger food, or stress. If I eat safely and don't have stress, I'm completely fine. So I'll second the advice on cutting out all triggers completely until becoming stable. If you want to re-introduce a food, do it slowly since your system isn't used to it.
Also another thought, this is a great time to do a break the cycle diet before the holidays. Get your stomachs feeling better over the next few weeks so you can all enjoy Christmas and New Years!
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Kat
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Quote:
Now I will get on my soap box about IBS problems- read if you desire. First of all, I truly believe IBS is not curable and cannot be completely eradicated from diet alone...
Stress will always be a factor in IBS. So just because someone gets some symptoms one day does not mean, in my opinion, that he/she ate something that is unsafe for them.
*nods head*
Yeah, it's so easy to get all caught up in the food aspect, and ignore all the other factors. I remember having an attack back in August after I'd gotten my period at the same time a major heat wave started. I think I would have had trouble even if I'd spent that entire week eating nothing but white rice and peppermint tea.
And I'm with you on the trigger foods.
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-Carol
IBS-A
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I agree with everyone who posted on this thread! Thanks for your honesty! You are all so on target!
How would an IBS-C do the BTC diet without further increasing the terrible C?? Rice does bind me.
Little Minnie...maybe if you have time you could post your meals in the Fitness boards. I would love to watch your progress and learn from you! I am really curious as to what you will be eating for all your meals and how you do! Are you going to avoid any homemade breads that may contain sugar too?
What are you going to do after the 2 week cleanse? Go back to wheat products, etc?
Good luck...especially with the holidays coming up. I'm glad your hubby is there to do it with you!
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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Quote:
On the other hand (and this is very important) if you are having symptoms, if you are posting here for help, if you are not completely stable in general, then you might be ingesting something that is bothering you. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO SAY YOU TOLERATE THIS OR THAT FOOD IF YOU ARE PRESENTLY EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS! If you read Heather's list of triggers and think dairy for instance does not bother you, but you are complaining about bloat or occassional D, then how do you know dairy is not a trigger for you?
Well said - this has been bothering me lately and I've tried to cut down on posting because of it. Some just aren't getting the message that if you are not stable, then you should not be eating any triggers - period. I've run out of ways to say it nicely 
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>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<
Michelle
IBS-A, pain predominant
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I agree but would like to make one point. I do not know about the rest of you but I have had foods that I could tolerate and then one day not be able to tolerate. I'll tell ya'll what I did to get rid of the pain and then you giv eme advice on if my system is working. I know that when I came to this board I had stomach pains so bad that I literally would sit in my office at work and cry. I was seriously considering having to quit work since I would rather quit than be fired. I cut out ALL foods and existed on rice, english muffins, chamomile tea (can't have peppermint or fennel due to GERD) and plain dry turkey sandwiches. After about two weeks the pains subsided so I started adding foods back in. I would add one at a time and note how it made me feel. For example I added back cauliflower (which I love) but I cooked it and mashed it up till it was like mashed potatoes. I could eat that but then suddenly one day I could not. That type stuff is hard to figure out. I still keep a diary of my food and when I get pains I look back and note, okay both time I ate cauliflower and had stomach pains so therefore; no more cauliflower.
I must admit that I have a hard time because I do feel that I am being deprived of foods that I love, like pizza. My husband realized how bad the stomach pains were and how scared I was to get them back the day I refused to eat any of the pizza he had ordered. I also hate going to parties and things and having to explain or else not eat and just make excuses. I sometimes feel that something I once took joy in, like eating, is being taken away. But I will live with these feelings instead of the pain.
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Good luck with this plan, Tamara. Please let us know how it goes.
And thank you so, so much for your thoughts on IBS, especially your thoughts on continuing to eat triggers when not stable, and most especially for this:
Quote:
So please stop claiming trigger foods are fine with you unless you have had zero symptoms for some time.
All I can say is, "Hear, hear!"
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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I'm very new to the boards but wanted to express something...
I too am struggling with becoming stable, but I know that with this diagnosis, the only person who can make you stable is yourself. This does take a lot of hard work and dedication...specifically with planning out meals, grocery shopping, planning your life around when to eat, especially when you are trying to eat smaller meals throughtout the day. But I would personally like to live without the bloating and gas moving through my intestines. Sometimes, it's hard to put this in prospective, specifically during hte holiday season when it's all about drinking and eating at holiday parties.
To those of you that are stable, congratulations because this doesn't seem like an easy achievement at all. I would personally like to thank you all for all the support that you give on this website, even to those people who don't seem to read the website and Heather's philosophy on treating your symptoms. The information and support here is tremendous...please keep up all the good work!
Have a wonderful holiday season!
Colleen 
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Thanks!
#293042 - 12/09/06 03:43 PM
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I hear all of you on how annoying that is!
Jordy, I don't really think the break the cycle diet is great for C unless IF veggies and fruits are added right away but safely.
I do plan on journeling my diet. I can post on the fitness board instead of doing this in a notebook. I know I want to give the diet 2 weeks but after that I am not sure. I want to break my sugar addiction and so that is part of this too. I might add back things one at a time gradually and see what happens. Knowing me I won't feel better after the 2 weeks anyway.  I hope I lose weight at least.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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I've always wondering how an IBS-C and P person could do the BTC diet. It would help the P...but the C would probably worsen.
Thanks for your offer to post your foods. That is very generous. It would be great if you did....but if it is easier to keep your own diary, that's fine too. I know it can be difficult to log onto the site everyday.
I hope your 2 week cleanse does help you!!! It can't hurt, right? Why do you not think it will help? Were you ever feeling good doing this diet? Are you worse now?
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IBS-C with pain and bloat
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