Weight Gain and IBS - HELP!!!
#731 - 02/12/03 10:43 AM
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Olgis
Reged: 02/04/03
Posts: 51
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 Hello Group!
How many of you are finding you are gaining weight as a result of IBS and the IBS correct way of eating? I feel awful lately, retaining water too. Anyone else out there dealing with this problem, and if so, what are you doing to cut down on the weight gain?
Thanks,
Olgis 
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Thank you for your ideas on my posts....
as far as weight gain...I haven't heard of that problem with this way of eating. How much exercise are you getting and what kind? I would suggest walking. I just started back on my walking routine today on my lunch break...but, with it being winter it's hard to get motivated. So, I drove to the mall and tried to walk a lap around the inside...needless to say, my insides started rumbling and I had to cut it short. But, I know that the more I walk the better I feel so I will just continue and try to walk farther every day.
Good luck.
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me to.....help
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I had some symtons of IBS,I CHANGED MY DIET ESPECIALLY INSOLUABLE FIBER. MY STOMACH IS MUCH BETTER WITH A LITTLE WEIGHT GAIN MAYBE IlB U HAVE TO EXERCISE ESPECIALLY WALKING
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Hi Olgis,
A couple questions...are you IBS-C or -D? And how much weight gain are you talking about? Are you overweight now?
I am IBS-D, and one would think I would be SKINNY by now, but I have put on a few pounds by following the diet. First off, I had recently recovered from an eating disorder when I developed IBS, so weight gain was natural. But also, I find it VERY easy to overeat mashed potatoes and pasta, which are two of my main staples.
I am not currently overweight (size 8), but I am bigger than I would like to be. However, I find that my body is comfortable at this weight. It is a big struggle for me to weigh any less because it requires me to either starve all day, or eat large quantities of foods I can't tolerate...and I DO watch my portions and work out daily. I don't know if this is relevant to your situation or not, but I hope it helps!
Jane 
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yeah i've noticed i've gained a little weight. but i blame this on myself for not exercising more. i think if i was exercising i'd probably be losing weight instead. in college i walked everywhere, but since i moved i drive everywhere instead. i'm hoping to start swimming soon when it warms up some. i'm like you, i tend to overeat pasta. mmm love it. ;-)
beth
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Jane,
I would be interested to hear more about your experience since it seems almost identical to mine.
I too 'developed' IBS-D after having gone through a 7 year period of anorexia (age 17/18 until 24/25 - it's hard to know exactly when it started and improved and I think it will always be there in times of stress). I would be interested to hear if you think your IBS is very much linked to your anorexia - that is, if the mind-gut aspect involved in IBS is predominant in your case.
Personally, I really don't know with regard to my own case. Sometimes I sway more towards the theory that I have some unknown bacteria or parasite which is upsetting the digestive flora and this explanation really depresses me as it makes me feel sort of dirty inside. On the other hand , I often tend to believe that I have completely confused the relation between the brain and gut and it is just a matter of time before it settles down. The idea that I may have food intolernece really really depresses me as, after years of depreiving myself I have lost that guilt feeling that went with anorexia and to think that I will have to deprive myself again of some of my favourite foods (bread, gluten cereals, milk, etc etc) is so frustrating. Have you had loads of tests? Where are you at now?
Heather's diet has been an absolute godsend as it has taken the fear out of eating normal foods which I had avoided for fear of diarrhea attacks. I just have to try and stop myself from reading info on such things as candida and "leaky gut syndrome" which then put the fear back into eating a good old slice of white bread.
Well, I will sign of there as my baby has just woken up.
I look forward to your reply and that of anyone else who may be able to share their experiences.
Claire
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Yes, this happened to me, too. I felt it was from drinking Citrucel twice daily, but I'm not positive about that.
I just feel bloated often. I exercize every day, between 30 - 45 minutes, which I hope helps. I welcome
any suggestions from others.
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i too had anorexia for a while before my IBS started. from ages 14-16 or so i was anorexic, and starting when i was 17 i think was when i started having IBS symptoms... maybe there is a connection?
Beth
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Claire, I'm sorry it took me a couple days to reply, I haven't had a chance to check this board since my post that you replied to!
I don't think there's any way my IBS is not related to my eating disorder. I developed the symptoms just four months after my recovery. I was seeing a nutritionist at the time, and she thought I had a specific food allergy, but we worked on that for quite a while and couldn't pinpoint anything. Meanwhile, she had me go to my doctor in case I had colon cancer or something more serious...which fortunately was not the case. My doctor did run several tests, none of which were pleasant, but all of which turned out negative. She then diagnosed me with IBS and advised me to follow a diet very similar to Heathers, and told me to call her if my symptoms didn't improve. They did, dramatically, so her conclusion is that I have IBS.
I, too, sometimes read about other similar disorders and freak out. But don't most of these require a prescription drug to manage? The fact that I can control my symptoms with diet and exercise alone gives me the comfort (if you can call it that!) that what I have is IBS and not something more severe.
It depresses me too that after years of avoiding certain foods because of fear of becoming fat, now I have to avoid them for fear of an attack. It seems like it's not fair. Please feel free to email or PM me if you want to talk about this. It seems like we have a lot in common, and we could help each other out! (or at the very lease, relate to each other's struggles!)
Take care,
Jane
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Because I stopped eating almost everything but the BRAT (bananas, rice, apples & toast) diet, I had lost a lot of weight. So going on Heather's diet I was able to eat, really eat! so of course I gained the weight back, but I am stable about 10pounds lighter than I was before the attacks got really bad. I noticed, that by not eating foods high in fat, I wasn't eating foods high in calories, and it took a while to adjust so that I got enough calories to sustain my daily routine as well as the stress reducing exercise. I also consulted a dietician to make sure I was getting the proper vitamins, protein and fat per day. All that said and done, I feel pretty good. I wish you all the best of luck!
SharShar
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Who knew life was possible with out chocolate?!!
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I when through a phase of not eating...not because I didn't want to but because I was humiliated by the fact as soon as I ate something I'd start sweating and feel terrible. I am 5'5 and I went from 120 all the way down to 95 pounds in a matter of a month. I am now dealing with my problem and I am back at 115 finally...it is soo nice to see that other people are having the same problems as me ...thank you so much everyone 
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 Hello All:
Good to know I am not the only one with this problem. It seems to be a Catch 22 situation; eat to feel better, gain weight. Have had to stop exercise, as I have a bad knee (OA)and this of course, has put on more weight. Hopefully, I will soon be able to return to my exercise program, Yoga and Pilates. Going to see an orthopedic doc on Feb.24th, I am keeping my fingers crossed, surgery will not be necessary. I have an interior cyst in the back of my left knee, a tear in my meniscus, bone grating on bone.
Will keep trying, thanks to all of you for replying.
Olgis
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Well, thank you all for these posts! It is so encouraging to read that people are having trouble loosing weight! I am 5 foot 2 inches and I weigh 85 pounds. I am just starting to get stable and am worried that I still might fall through the shower drain. Hopefully, I will put on some weight through the stability!
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SLicK
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Hi Jane,
Thanks for your e mail. I love the idea that we could help each other through this IBS thing by sharing our similar experiences. Where do you live by the way?
I wondered if you had received any kind of therapy and whether you still are? And also, whether you have, or are taking anti-depressants. I was recently prescribed anti-depressants- amytriptiline and cipramil - and I really don't know whether they have done much good. I think they were really used to control anxiety and to calm down my diarrhea. I think Heather's diet has been much more effective.
Do you feel you have totally recovered from anorexia? I'm never sure myself and sometimes wonder if IBS is an extension of my previous problems with food and eating. I sometimes wonder if I have done irreversible damage to my insides, which is another depressing thought which, when I'm feeling good, I try not to think about. Another question, do you have regular periods and do you notice a definate pattern in relation to your IBS. I still have very irregular periods since the birth of my first baby eight months ago. Before that, they had been non-existant for about 8 years, so you can imagine what a shock it was to find myself pregnant!
Anyway, I'll have to close as, the little eight month bundle of joy has just woken up!
Please feel free to e mail me at the following address: claireowens@club-internet.fr
Take care of yourself in the meantime,
Claire
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Trust me, you will gain the weight back. I dropped over twenty pounds when I went through my last really bad episode, and as soon as I felt better, and the stress was eliminated I gained every pound back. And then some! I never thought I would gain any weight back. So don't worry, you'll get it back
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