Body Image and IBS
#26855 - 11/12/03 10:13 PM
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Funny how body image follows you through life. This has been an issue with me for years...I've just recently lost quite an amount of weight (35 lbs.), but my tummy hasn't gotten any smaller. I know it's because of the IBS...my butt and legs are fairly slim, but my stomach hasn't changed size much. Since I'm built fairly straight-up-and-down, like my Dad's side of the family, I don't aspire to the wasp-waisted look, and that's okay with me. But it took until now to make my peace with this, and to realize and accept that because of the IBS, my tummy will probably never be really small, or flat. I guess I can honestly say, the older I get, thank heaven for elastic wasitbands!! Anything for comfort; never mind appearance!! Since I've suffered with IBS my entire life and am now looking at 50 fairly soon, I guess this is a pretty big step in personal growth. Interesting. Sorry to ramble on; I'm fairly new to this board, and hope to hear any input on this subject from anyone else out there. Heather, thanks SO MUCH for all your info and work on IBS...I'd be lost without it, and without this website/board. Take care, everyone.
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Like you, I have been struggling with this for a good long time. Most of the pants I now wear have elastic waist bands.
Sometimes for comfort and sometimes for fast bathroom breaks. No matter how much I have weighed in the past, I always look a little pregnant. I am hoping that this new tummy fiber helps with some of the bloating. I have not sent in a picture to post because I haven't let anyone take a picture of me in years. Body image is sometimes a problem for me, but I am trying to accept that I will never again have the body I did in my 20s. At least at 40 I don't have many wrinkles yet.
Sorry to go on and on, but your post hit a nerve today.
Leslie
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I understand how you both feel. I'm 23 years old, and until about a year ago I wore tight-fitting jeans and felt perfectly comfortable in them. But about a year ago when I started having problems with IBS, I noticed that my tighter jeans made me feel a lot worse. I haven't worn them since, and it feels like such a waste of good clothes to me! I still look good in them, but there they sit in my drawer because I don't want to do anything to upset my delicate digestion. It's very frustrating.
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Hi, Anne! Body image is my fave subject (long story)..I hear what you're saying.
When I first began Heather's eating plan for IBS, I weighed 305 lbs. But I liked myself big, I was viciously teased as a kid for being too skinny, so I saw being a big woman as a good thing (I know, I know...I'm probably the ONLY woman anyone's ever met who liked being fat!)
Anyway, as a side effect of the IBS diet of Heather's, I've lost 135 lbs or so, so far. I also exercise daily too, as a way of staying energetic and healthy.
But like you, I have the belly! Well, in my case not really a belly, just all the loose, wrinkled skin left over from when I was much bigger. I never had negative body images as a fat woman until I LOST the weight, and now have this UGLY sack of wrinkled skin! Its on my inner thighs too. Not to mention my boobs lost some fat and they look like hell also.
My dr says my insurance may pay for a tummy tuck since its from massive weight loss, but I'm afraid to try that.
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"A waist is a terrible thing to mind".
Edited by Zaftig1 (11/13/03 09:10 AM)
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I'm 44 and my facial skin looks like a baby's behind! I get that from drinking LOTS of water every day, and exercise daily. Try it, you'll see!
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"A waist is a terrible thing to mind".
Edited by Zaftig1 (11/13/03 09:11 AM)
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I don't know how you can take the elastic! My tummy is SO sore I can't stand elastic, I have to buy my pants at least a size big on me and they just hang on by butt and legs but I can't stand the pressure. I have searched hi and low for pants with just a drawsrting and no elastic and they are so hard to find! Its really frustrating since I'm 33 and have been stuggling with my weight, I'm 5'8" and currently weight 137lbs, I really want to get to 130 or under and having to buy bigger pants doesn't help with the self image! 
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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The plus size catalogs have plenty of drawnstring only pants but I'm not really plus size anymore, yet I still love those kinds of pants!
Try this place online:
http://www.chadwicks.com
The plus size mail order company I used to buy from referred me to them once I got below size 14. I think I saw some drawstring pants there.
I got some nice capri drawstring pants for only 7 dollars last summer from Forman Mills. If there is one near you, check it out!
http://www.formanmills.com
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"A waist is a terrible thing to mind".
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Re: THANKS-nt
#27145 - 11/14/03 11:32 AM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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michele-believe me, 137 lbs is perfectly thin! Before my IBS flared up in August, i weighed 138 and I'm 5'9, and I always had people who were normal size saying that they wanted to be as thin as me. Everyone has a tummy! Where else would the food go? lol But since my severe symptoms, I've dropped down to 125, so I look even skinnier. I'm worried about getting too thin adn then being accused behind my back of being anorexic. aaahhh!! lol so believe me, many many many many many people in this world would kill to be 137!! 
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It comes down to the art of living on [color/red]
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