Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi Missy, glad to hear you are trying the diet. You sound like me with IBS A for years and being in your early thirties. I'm not sure I undertstand if you want to know how you can bear not eating what others are eating or how you can get them to understand and sympathize.? Really we all have that trouble to some extent I think. I have talked about it all quite a bit with friends and family; I find friends to be more supportive. But as for that I have told them all how crummy I felt before the diet after I ate and how excrutiating it could be at times at parties and dinners and then how awesome I feel now. My stomach doesn't look pregnant anymore. So for explanations and sympathy I did that.
For resisting trigger foods you have to develop really amazing self-control and/or be satisfied with a tiny little bite of a treat after dinner. If you believe in the diet and the results staying on it is easier. I do go off sometimes for something but I do it when I'm not going anywhere and can bloat and get gassy without trouble but then I get mad at myself afterward-hey no one is perfect.
Try to find little fun things you can eat at various places and make it into a challenge to find the ok thing on the menu. I find that makes it feel good. And after dinner when everyone is feeling full and yucky you can feel slim and wonderful!

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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!

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