way of eating pre-IBS
#335588 - 09/03/08 12:47 PM
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Zara
Reged: 06/07/06
Posts: 883
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I just read the post I'm about to post  . It may sound really confusing, as if I was about to go on a crazy eating frenzy! It's not the case; generally speaking, I think I just need to vent. I still stick to the EFI guidelines. I just wish I had some definite answers (don't we all?). Thanks for reading!
I'm tired. I'm sick of wondering whether the next dietary thing would work. I stick to the EFI and while it did help generally, I'm still looking for ways to perfect it. Three years ago I tried the South Beach Diet. I only lasted one week because I really missed carbs (I was doing the first phase during which carbs are limited except for certain amounts of dairy). But my IBS seemed gone, I was still C but no gas, no pain, my stomach was flatter than ever. Then I tried it again a few months/years later, and I was bloated, in pain, and miserable. I don't understand why it worked the first time but not the second (and yes, I already had IBS before I tried the first time).
Then I also think about my pre-IBS times (mostly childhood). I wasn't big on veggies back than, and I didn't eat any high-insoluble fiber foods either. Just plain white bread, potatoes, rice, meat, some junk food  . I've always been C but back then there was no bloating, no pain. I guess my diet back than was similar to EFI except for the fact that I ate dairy.
So basically I have these two contradicting approaches that worked for me at certain points in the past. Why doesn't either bring me back to being normal again now? Very frustrating! Does anyone ever wonder if going back to pre-IBS way of eating would also get rid of IBS? I know that for me the answer is NO, but I still can't stop wondering, thinking that maybe I'm just not "copying" the diet right. It's driving me nuts sometimes!
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IBS-C, bloating, cramps
pregnant
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Zara, I can totally sympathize and I have felt exactly the same in the past. Pre-major stomach problems, I used to eat fairly healthy. I was a vegetarian for a number of years, however began having problems with dairy and soy so I re-instituted meat. I still ate quite a bit of veggies, whole grains, etc. Then randomly started having problems. EFI doesn't really seem to solve much for me personally. I tried to go back to my former way of eating, and had problems with that as well.
In my case, I think I need to come to grips with the fact that I have gluten and casein intolerances, not just IBS. But I've often wondered why I was fine for years, then BOOM felt like crap.
Sorry this doesn't really offer you any insight, except that you're totally not alone in wondering about this!
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IBS-C
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I am beginning to think that IBS doesn't really have much to do with food.We spend so much time thinking about what we put into our bodies and we constantly think about how it is going to effect us that we forget to just live our lives.If all you think about is ibs how can you ever get rid of it?
Do you ever notice that when you are having a good time ibs is the last thing you think about?And you don't have any attacks?But as soon as you start thinking about it your stomach starts to clench and you end up running?
I believe that food can be an irritate to our tummies but I think the unconscious stress we face everyday is the real culprit.
In Mikes cds he states that we need to send new messages from our brain to our gut and that we will pave a new path in our subconscious so that the brain-gut connection changes.Our bodies will remember what it was like to eat with no serious side effects.
That being said I do think some foods are really bad for our systems ,so french fries are out for the time being 
I have been doing the cds and I have been eating whatever I feel like.Not going crazy but not obsessing about it.I've had a few bads days but I let them go and try to move forward.I am having many more good days and hopefully by the time I am done the program,I will be all better.
I truly believe that if we live and breathe everything ibs,we will never be free from it.
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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Dragonfly, what an insightful post! I tend to agree with you on most points - french fries are bad for me as well regardless of what I'm doing or what frame of mind I'm in when I eat them. However, when I was on vacation last month, I ate pretty much as I wanted and had fewer problems - I ate multigrain bread, yogurt, chips, all sorts of foods I used to eat and no longer do! And the past few times I went to the beach, I was obviously quite worried about getting bloated - there's no hiding in a bikini! But it didn't happen, and I think the relaxing power of the beach was stronger than my worry!
My problem isn't exactly the same as yours - I don't have D so don't ever really have to run to the bathroom. However, I'm constantly constantly anxious about getting bloated. And it seems like the more I check in down there, the more bloated I get!
Clearly the key is just relaxing! I don't think anyone's ever disputed that! The question is how?!?!?
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IBS-C
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Dragonfly,
I also have thought about this a lot. EVERYONE has foods that they just can't eat. If they do, they get upset stomachs or whatever....deal with it, then go on with their lives. With IBSers we eat, foods start digesting and with every little gurgle, twist and turn, we are thinking "on no, is this going to be bad". Sometimes I wonder if because we are so in tune to our digestion, that we just sort of "expect and wait" for the distress to come. I think that when a person is in that vicious cycle, the anxiety gets greater and just the act of eating or thinking about food is upsetting, which of course keeps the cycle going.
I too have done the hypno tapes which, for me, was the turning point of breaking the cycle. I am not 100%, but greatly improved. I plan on doing them a second time around as soon as enough time has passed. I also started acupuncture which also helps greatly. I believe it takes a combination of things to work through this awful condition.
One of the worst parts of IBS is how it messes with one emotionally. When I can get one good day, then another and another, I start feeling more confident and that IBS has not won and is not taking my life over, For me personally, I don't think I could have gotten as far as I have without the hypno tapes. I don't need explantions on how they work, I just know they do. Of course we have to watch what we eat within reason, but I think the root cause of IBS is the brain/gut dysfunction.
Sharon
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I'm glad I'm not the only one !
For me IBS has to do with both my mind as well as what I actually eat. It's crazy but the best I felt during the last couple years was when I was fasting for a GI examination (camera pill). I was starved but my stomach was flat, no pain, no bloating, no C the day after (they don't give you any "special" fluid with the camera pill, just water). So perhaps I should go on the "no-food diet" . I might feel well but it probably wouldn't work in the long-run, lol!
But seriously, when we travel (usually for holidays and celebrations) I get sick - period. At this point I do stress about it because it's inevitable. But in the past there have been so many times when I went braced with a new, "fail-proof" diet (seemed to work at home), no matter if it was GF, Heather's, eating tons of vegs and whole grains (I've tried it all in the past), I always got sick, although I was always very good about my diet (the fact that my relatives are very supportive helps, too). And I felt betrayed, as in "this was supposed to work, what did I do wrong"? So now I worry about it, because I know I will get sick, but then all that worrying probably doesn't do any good, either.
Relaxing would probably help, I just need to learn how. I'm a pretty tense person, I appear relaxed to some people but I have lots of tension on the inside. Need to let go!
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IBS-C, bloating, cramps
pregnant
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I agree, on the outside I am pretty easy going and relaxed about anything that comes along.On the inside though my body tells a different story. I stress out about the weirdest things that a normal person probably wouldn't .I was a very shy person and wanted everyone to like me.Well I've spent the last twenty years trying to get my inlaws to like me and so far no luck.Every couple years we have a blow up and then my ibs goes haywire.I've conquered that fear,I don't care enough anymore!I wish no harm but I'm not the problem.I actually get along with everyone I meet. So looking back I realize my body reacts to the stress not me.
Last year was rough,I was doing great and thought I had conquered ibs,well we moved renovated,and my 11 year old tried to kill himself.Why? He doesn't like change and so much happened last year.
I actually was fine for all we had to endure.When things calmed down thats when it hit me. I was getting better and then had gallbladder surgery.Whamm back to square one. It's been 6 months and i am getting better again.
I would love to know how to deal with stress before it hits my body. The cds help greatly,i am on day 37 and i really see adifference.
It is a vicious cycle(ibs) and it's different for everyone.
I stress out about travel too but the thing for me is if I can get at least 30 minutes away from home,I'm good.No panic at all.We just came back from holidays and I made it 1 1/2 hours away.We were only there for five minutes before I had to go, but I made it. On the way home I was fine!I had two times I had to rush to the bathroom but like you said,I was eating pretty much all junk. Until I get things under control,I need to limit my junk gfood.
Worrying makes things so much worse but how to stop? I really don't know. Quitting my job helped a lot.Kids gone back to school helps too. 
My family understands greatly and that really helps.My brothers actually are having a lot of the same issues I am.My grandfather always popped tums and I think it may be a genetic thing also.
I miss eating with total abandon.Someday I will eat whatever whenever.That is my goal!
My hubby says the cure to ibs is ...sex and lots of it!
I'm not really up for that just yet,i'll try the food route first!
C is a hard one,I panic after two days and have to force myself to go just to be on the safe side.
Gas is my biggest problem.It gets trapped and causes so much pain.Can't figure what causes it yet either.
I try hard not to think about what I am eating but I still make sure I eat sf with every meal and snack on bread if my tummy is grumbling but i have stopped obsessing about what I put in my mouth and how it will effect me.That has helped a lot.
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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Hi hear ya Dragonfly.....I am also a worrier and, at times, don't know how to stop, especially when there are unresolved issues. Here is the ironic thing about the IBS and my life. I have a 26 year old son.....when he was 2 years old, my husband committed suicide and left me with a broken down house and no money in the bank. I had JUST returned to work so I really needed this job while at the same time had all kinds of personal issues to handle on my own. I lived in Los Angeles at the time (2,000 miles away from my family). Yet, day by day, I plodded along...I think I was in overdrive and did what I had to do. When my son was 5, I sold everything and moved back to the midwest closer to my family to start over. Over those years I was under HIGH stress almost every day. Guess what NO IBS!!!! I worried, but I did not have time to even think about getting sick. I worked two jobs, kept up a house, raised a child, ate whatever I wanted, go, go go from 5:00 AM to 11:00PM and NO IBS!!
I now have a much less hectic life. My son is doing well in his final year of grad school and I married a wonderful, wonderful man 5 years ago. It really is stress-free. However, when everything had pretty much pulled together, IBS struck!!! This was three years ago. In January, 2008 I had a hysterectomy and IBS then went into full force. I planned on going back to a job I worked at and loved for 19 years, but ended up taking early retirement at 55 years old. No way could I go back to taking on my job responsibilities.
For me, it's like all those years of stress and worry caught up with me and at a time in my life when I can really think about relaxing a bit more, now I have this IBS crap to deal with.
Yes, I still do worry, but not to the extent that I did years ago.....I don't have those kinds of responsibilities. When I do get into worrying, I start having insomnia problems as well. I used to travel all the time, but now I just think about going someplace overnite and I start to worry...not ready for that at all.
I just hope and pray as time goes on I have better and better days. If I knew for sure lots of sex was the cure I'd go for it (even not being up for it), but since that probably is not the case I think I'll pass thank you!!!
I really have to wonder if there will ever be a medical cure for this...I think we all have to search within our own lives and bodies which gets so frustrating because it's just such a puzzling condition.
Sharon
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Sharon
I'm so sorry to hear that you've had such a rough go! I totally believe that all the stress finally caught up with you.You do what you have to at that moment in time and when things cool down,Your body just can't handle it anymore.
stress is so hard to predict and difficult to handle.Sometimes things that should be easy just aren't On the other hand,when push comes to shove,It's amazing what we are really capable of.
I hope you can find some relief soon and enjoy your retirement.
Wish you all the best!
Chris
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IBS-D since 1999...mostly stable..i do cheat too.Bad me.
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