Can't get out of the BTC diet...getting depressed.
#201305 - 08/01/05 05:35 AM
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professor
Reged: 07/19/05
Posts: 77
Loc: Winnipeg, Canada
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I stricly stuck to be BTC diet for a week and I had no D or C.
Everything was going ok, until I tried to reintroduce protein two nights ago. After eating white meat chicken (with pam) and pasta, I had spasms all night long and was able to somewhat calm them with tea before going to bed.
Didn't have D yesyerday morning, but noticed the last part of the stool was starting to break up.
Yesterday I had:
Breakfast: Oatmeal (with one spoon of Maple Syrup)
Lunch: Tilapia fish with rice.
Supper: Pasta with 1/2 a can of tuna mixed with it.
Felt pretty good all day yesterday (no cramps, no bloating, no spasms). Last night after supper, had one or two spasms, but nothing like the night before. So, I taught I was ok, WRONG!
Had oatmeal again this morning. After that, I had a three part stool: first part (big normal stool, was happy), second part (starting to break up again), third part (puding like D!!!). Feel ok now, no bloating, no gas.
It seems that everytime I try to reintroduce IF, protein or any kind of fat, the stool starts to break up and I get in D-mode in 2-3 days. Really don't know what to do about it anymore... 
Still taking 1/2 imodium every morning and two spoons of Benefiber a day (one in the morning and one before bedtime). I was wondering if it would help to increase to 3 spoons of Benefiber a day?
Really need to get some protein in (because of lack of energy), but can't seem to tolerate them. Alternatives anyone?
I'm not out of the woods yet!
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Do you know how many grams of SF you're taking in Benefiber? I might try going back up to one Immodium a day to try and keep you stable whilst you change your diet. I'd guess that it's just that your tum is so sensitive and has got used to the extra soothing BTC diet so is objecting to the change, rather than the actual foods...does that make sense?
Try going a bit slower as it seems you're so sensitive. Just have a small bit of grilled chicken with no added fat at all one day for example.
Good luck!
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From what I've seen on Heather's site.
1 spoon of Benefiber= 3 grams of SF.
1 spoon of Acacia= 7.5 grams of SF.
But she's gives the same dosage for both!
So this mean's I'm currently having 6 grams a day SFS. I was thinking of having three dose (one before each meal), so that would incresead to 9 grams a day. Is that ok?
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9 grams is a good dose so I'd gradually increase to that if I were you.
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You sound a lot like I used to be.
I can tell you that until I worked up to about 5 tbsp. of soluble fiber a day, I could not tolerate a lot of things, and the cramps and soft stools that pass right through kept up. Now I have fiber mixed in my oatmeal and 2 tbsp. of Acacia fiber before lunch and 2 more before dinner. And I still can only tolerate fish and chicken, (small portions, like 3 oz) no dairy, basically no fat (like just a tbsp to cook with, etc.) I also nibble on corn chex, non fat saltines and french or sour dough bread in between meals. I find I need to keep something in my stomach or the hunger pangs will start the spastic colon going again.
I count my fat everyday. If I get too many grams I can go just the opposite and get C.
The fiber is important. Be very careful to increase by something like a teaspoon at a time.
And then when I felt better I had to decide....... eat what is right for my tummy or eat what I'd like to. I decided I'd rather feel better. It takes time. It took me about 3-4 months this last year to stablilize after years of fighting it with drugs etc. I am still basically on phase 1 of Heather's Cheat Sheet.
I also start my day with a probiotic acidophilus.
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PS: ....... complex sugars (ie: table sugar) give me all kinds of bloating, gas problems........
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Eat more often. Three meals a day is almost certainly not going to do it. Eat like a hobbit. ("Daily hobbit meals include Breakfast, Second Breakfast, Elevenses, Luncheon, Afternoon Tea and Supper, supplemented with plenty of snacks in between.") If I ever let myself get hungry my gut goes nuts when I finally do eat. Even just a handful of pretzels will help tide you over. You want your digestive engine running along smoothly all day, not starting and stopping.
Beyond that, I have some mostly idiosyncratic observations:
I think Pam is weird. I use it now, but when I was first starting on the diet, I swear it bothered me.
I'm assuming you are not consuming any added fat. I tolerated a olive oil and canola oil right from the beginning, but it was months before I could manage any other added fat, even safe soy margarine or Smart Balance Light.
Yes, the SFS FAQ is confusing because Heather first seems to be recommending the same measured amount of all the powdered SFS. Read a little further and you'll see she does talk about it in terms of grams of SF. She recommends a minimum of 12-15 grams - that would be 4-5 Tablespoons of Benefiber. I'm IBS-D (really, really D) and I take 20 grams of SF in the form of acacia.
If you decide to increase your Benefiber, do so slowly. I increased my acacia by 1/4 teaspoon (0.625 grams of SF) every 3 days.
Benefiber bothered me.
For me, the horrible twisting cramping D stopped fairly quickly. It took longer for frequency and urgency to disappear completely. I truly believe it was increasing my SFS - plus just time on the Diet - that got rid of those. It took longer still for all the twitching, gas, growling to subside - and that still flares up from time to time - but I've learned that a little "conversation" from my gut doesn't always mean an attack. (I sometimes suspect that even "normal" people have twitchy tummies occasionally - they just don't think anything of it.)
Try a pre-breakfast. Mine is 1/2 cup of applesauce with 1 teaspoon of acacia. Eat this as soon as possible after getting up, then give your stomach about 15 minutes before eating regular breakfast.
Consider losing the oatmeal. Lots of people report problems with it. If morning is your worst time (it is for me) try really boring pure SF breakfasts like baguettes and dry Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Corn Pops - at least for a while.
Have a bedtime snack. Nothing big, just something to keep your tummy happy overnight. It will probably make the next morning a little easier. I eat a sweet - cupcake, ADB, slice of Pumpkin Apple Spice Bread - but I've seen some people post that they do pure SF, like applesauce.
For me, potatoes and bread were more soothing in the beginning than pasta and rice. I have no idea why - it may have been psychological. I just did a post on the Recipe Board about simple meals for Lucrece. Both of the meals I referred to I ate early on and had no trouble with.
You can try really loading up on SF before protein - bread and rice maybe, then just a little protein as Linz suggested.
That's it. I hope some of this helps. Hang in there. You've come a long way really fast - the rest will come.
--------------------
[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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