I did it  I survived (and enjoyed) my trip with my husband and son to NYC yesterday to see the tree, have dinner, and see the "Grinch." How I did it (for anyone who is interested): I ate oatmeal with a few raisins the day before for breakfast (as I wanted to have a BM...had been a few days), had turkey on white for lunch (no IF), chicken and rice for dinner. I did not take immodium the night before, just my Librax and I take Acacia too.
Morning of the trip: I had oatmeal (with a few raisins again if you can believe it!...thank you to those of you who suggested them. I only eat exactly 9 of them in my cereal but it helps me to go "just enough.")
After a few normal BMs and minimal anxiety (not sure why I was so calm), I took two precautionary immodium and tried to keep myself busy around the house so I wouldn't focus on the trip. At 1 PM, I ate 1/2 cup white rice with acacia mixed in and left for the train station. Except for needing to pee, I did not need to find a restroom for any problems. I ate a 1/2 of a street pretzel as a snack and then I ordered grilled mahi mahi with grilled shrimp and rice with dressing on the side (it had spices and some oil...I drizzled a drop or two).
Now, here's where I am referring to the recent post about "cheating" before you are stable. I am not stable. I am getting closer, I am learning every day, and my attacks are few and far between (d). I had a rough bunch of days after Thanksgiving b/c I was a bad girl and truly did cheat, eating all sorts of triggers which I later paid for. But then I got back on track.
My bms are inconsistent though and I am working on adding in IF, seeing what I can tolerate, etc... So my point is, after dinner in NY, I had a bite (about the size of my pinky fingernail) of a piece of chocolate that my husband bought and a teaspoon of my son's chocolate pudding. That's it...took the edge off my sweet craving for the evening whereas in the past I would have ordered a chocolate brownie with ice cream. Now, I considered this trip an enormous success, mostly b/c of the surprising calm and confidence that I felt about it. Yet, when I came on the boards today and read that thread about saying you can tolerate foods, I started to feel like I am one of those people who are guilty of eating "trigger-like" foods before they are stable. Would you consider me that? Be honest! 
Once in a while at home, I will do the same thing...eat a very small handful of Oreo thin crisps after dinner (not a full package) just to satisfy my craving. I do eat safe IBS sweets sometimes and have baked a few things, but I wasn't thinking that my whole system was getting thrown off from these teeny (in my mind) treats. I have eliminated all dairy, coffee, red meat, alcohol, etc...the big triggers, and now I know to be more aware of HFCS b/c I was still eating ketchup as of my recent post. I eat smaller portions and use only Smart Balance Light or olive oil at home. I'm still working on what to order safely when out.
So what do you think? I don't know what it is really like to be stable, but I would say if I had to judge it, I am about 60% there (needing to work on the anxiety with the hypno tapes I just got). Food wise and with the acacia, I am SOOOO much better than I have ever been. But am I making things worse with doing those sorts of little "cheats" if you want to call it that?
I really hope not, b/c my willpower is being pushed to the limit already! I'm trying very hard to follow through. Could eating just ONE bite of my husband's pizza after an SF meal on a stable day throw off my whole system for the week?  If so, then I guess IBS is way more powerful than I gave it credit for. Thanks for your responses.
Oh...and PS...near Times Square there is a giant advertisement for Charmin toilet paper, saying "Free Restrooms"...lol. I thought it was perfect for IBSers. There should be one from each toilet paper company on each corner as far as I'm concerned! 
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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For Sand and anyone traveling to NYC/plus "tolerating food" question
