Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I think I'm a little different than most folks when it comes to the BTC diet. To me, at first glance, I just knew I couldn't eat that way because I knew I'd feel worse. Even now, bananas I won't touch with a ten foot pole because they always make my C worse! So, instead of trying to follow the diet, I used the principles of the diet....SF as a base, no red meat, low fat, small portions and IF as tolerated, and I ate the things I liked within those boundries.

For instance, at my worst, I would eat a toasted bagel with a slice of deli ham and coffee for breakfast (took my Acacia first though), lunch would be a microwave baked sweet potato (acacia first) with a glass of tea, and supper would be a small portion of whatever I prepared for my family to eat. If I chose to prepare a meal that I thought would bother me more - I would eat toast, another potato, or a bagel and let that be it.

I only did this for a short time - less than a week - and then really tried to just apply those same pricinples to eating what I did before I got so bad. Every meal starts with Acacia (and for me, a cal/mag supplement and an Omega complex) and then I just avoid things that I have learned over time bother me - like bananas and white rice (believe it or not).

I will STILL get miserable if I eat a lot at one time, eat red meat several days in a row (I use a lot of ground beef at home), am stupid enough to think I can eat ice cream..ect.. basically, I eat like I always did and over the course of the year have just learned what to absolutely avoid. I'm not a diet "follower" but a principle of the diet applier. It enables me to eat the same thing my family eats, keeps my grocery budget within normal limits, and gives me the freedom to enjoy food.

I also take a good probiotic once a day along with the acacia, cal/mag and Omega complex. I actually noticed a difference in how I was feeling and the frequency and amount of BM within the first couple of months, but it took me a solid 6-8 months to feel like I was really stabilizing. It is a lifestyle change, and an attitude change toward my IBS that has enabled me to feel better.

I'll always be gassy, always be a bit crampy and bloated at times, but I feel good, can enjoy eating again, and am willing to stay with my "new" routine for life! I've even lost 12 pounds and kept it off for over a year! Hope this gives you a better idea of how things worked out for me.

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God is Faithful!

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